7 Principles of Business Communication

Swift, clear and precise communication is the foundation of any business operation. Quick, effective communication improves productivity, increases efficiency, and reduces redundancies. Whether you are emailing a colleague, pitching a client, or preparing for a job interview, strong communication skills will help you sell more, get more done, and land your dream job.

Below, we take a look at the seven principles of communication every business must follow:

1. Clarity

Clarity is the number one rule all business communication must follow. A message that leaves the reader scratching his head is a failed message. Clarity springs from a knowledge of the message (what you want to say), the method (how you want to say it), and the medium (what format do you want to say it in). A lack of insight in any one of these components is going to affect the effectiveness of your message.

2. Conciseness

Business communication is founded on the principles of brevity. There is little room for lyrical prose or academic loquaciousness. This applies to not just the length of your message, but also its contents. Try to use short sentences and short words. Avoid jargon and words that send the reader to the dictionary (unless you sell dictionaries!). Adopt this principle for intra-team as well as client focused communication.

3. Objectivity

Business communication must always have a purpose. This purpose must be apparent to any who glances through your message. Before you put a single word to paper, ask yourself: “what am I trying to achieve with this message?”. This will help you stay on course through the message creation process and effect a remarkable improvement in the message efficacy.

Recommended Learning Platform course

The Complete Communication Skills Master Class for Life

TJ Walker