Audience Analysis in Business Communication

Audience Analysis In Business Communication

Com 285

2 May 2011

Audience Analysis In Business Communication

Quarterly Sales Analysis, 2011. In preparation to share year-to date-sales figures for your corporation will be released tomorrow morning at 10 Is EST. Your organization has decided that the sales figures will be shared internally via the intranet and email with our managers and sales personnel, and externally to customers. To ensure that the message is effectively disseminated, printed mailings and email can be used as preferred tools. The Internet provides an opportunity to communicate on a widespread platform. Integrating social media in the communication process affords instant interface with customers and employees. You can also generate a limited amount of printed mailings of the analysis, which can satisfy individuals who prefer reading in-print media. Sharing information in email format satisfies your more tech-savvy audience. The email and printed documents can be released from your senior leadership so that your audience feels it is being shared from the most senior levels of the organization. If there is a need to scale back the distribution list, you can update prior to release. Establishing a solid communication plan established ahead of time will reduce redundancy. A communication plan is a document that describes the methods for gathering, distributing, and storing various types of information; provides a production schedule showing when each type of information will be produced; details methods for accessing information between scheduled communications; and incorporates procedures for updating and refining the communication plan. Generally, a part of the overall project plan. With the advancement of technology, you can seamlessly communicate across the organization within minutes with an effective communication plan. Reaching our audience. Creating communication that reaches across different platforms is the cornerstone of evoking trust within organizations. Effective business communication techniques are Paramount as they establish to trust among employees and management. Sharing openly on how you will share the sales analysis report establishes to trust by opening all channels of communication. With emerging technology communication flows quickly enough to quell outstanding issues and misunderstandings. This also diminishes any issues that need to be dealt with immediately. Technology has advanced the way business is conducted. Gone are the days of waiting for snail mail to arrive, which could take days or weeks. One important piece of the process is to understand your audience and be flexible enough to adjust when necessary. More important is the ability to communicate up and down the organization. The sales analysis verbiage can be adjusted to stakeholders who are external to the organization. Fine-tuning wrote and oral communication about the sales trends, facts can help reduce any misunderstandings about the organizations standing in the industry. Prior to speaking with the group on how the information will be communicated, you should learn as much as you can about them and how they factor into the organization. Use language that is appropriate for your audience. (Locker, K., & Kienzler, D. 2008, p. 502). It is Paramount to tailor communication or conversation to the receiver. These developed skills should be delivered clearly and concisely. A good way to fine-tune your skill is to conduct a preliminary test or rehearse with your peers. Conducting a preliminary test with peers is a good way to rehearse how you will communicate to your stakeholders. Message efficacy. You want to ensure your message is clear and effective. There is a cost to ineffective communication. In organizations written communication will cycle through three or four people prior to being released. This collaborative effort is to ensure alignment and final approval from senior leadership. This has proven to be effective and ensures representation from each group of stakeholders and errors, or omissions are caught. Written communication ranges from formal to informal. It is critical to ensure that spelling, punctuation and grammar have been reviewed with a critical eye. Sending out a communication that may contain a single miss-spelled word can reduce credibility and impact of the message. Effectively written communication is a key to success in any work environment. This can reduce misunderstanding, reduction in errors, and conflict. “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others (Robbins, A., 2008). Formal interactions in the workplace exist within a structure, some understood and unspoken. This interaction is fostered by the culture of the organization and the platform it has been built. In conclusion, it is vital to remember that each person who receives your message is on a limited schedule. A good rule of thumb is to always consider your audience’s time. That is why it is most important to deliver the best message possible and educate your recipient or listener. “As speakers, we have asked for the audience to take time out of their busy schedules to listen to what we have to say. They don 't have to come and many don 't. But, those who do attend have a justified expectation of learning something for their trouble.” (Benka, 2008, p. 53).

References

Locker, K., & Kienzler, D. (2008). Business and Administrative Communication (8th edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Robinson, Anthony B. Changing the conversation: a third way for congregations. Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2008. Print. Benka, S. G. (2008). Who is listening? What do they hear? Physics Today, 61(12), 49. Retrieved from Ebscohost.

References: Locker, K., & Kienzler, D. (2008). Business and Administrative Communication (8th edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Robinson, Anthony B. Changing the conversation: a third way for congregations. Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2008. Print. Benka, S. G. (2008). Who is listening? What do they hear? Physics Today, 61(12), 49. Retrieved from Ebscohost.