The Importance of Interpersonal Communication in Business

Did you know that interpersonal communication fuels a business’s success?

Many companies focus on communicating with their customers, and they should. Cultivating positive client relationships expands your profits and helps you grow your company. Happy and well-engaged clients take your business to the next level.

But how can you serve your clients well if you can’t communicate well internally and externally?

While external communication drives business, internal communications ensure the company runs as efficiently as possible. After all, failed internal communication often translates into inefficient running and leads to exasperated customers.

Want to learn more about the importance of good interpersonal communication in the workplace? Keep reading!

1. Defining Interpersonal Communication

So, what is interpersonal communication?

Interpersonal communication consists of different ways two or more people communicate well. This includes active listening, verbal communication, empathy, conflict resolution, and teamwork.

Active listening includes listening to other people and asking questions, and verbal communication involves speaking clearly. Empathy helps you seem like you care about others, and conflict resolution and teamwork improve your internal work.

By mastering these skills, businesses and employees improve their ability to liaise both with one another and other professionals. 

2. The Importance of Good Communication Starts Early

If you have founded a business, you know the stress of going around and trying to convince banks and investors to lend you money. 

Startups are a huge financial risk. After all, they usually begin with a business owner or a small group of people taking a monetary gamble, and they often need external help at first. This involves at least one party going in front of a bank of investor and asking them to give you money to invest in your business.

Often, the bank employee or person on the other end of the desk wants to know about the company in order to assess whether or not they think you are a good investment. If you don’t have good communication skills, you won’t be able to secure the funds you need. 

As such, any person who wishes to start a business should brush up on their interpersonal communication skills.

3. Networking

Have you ever heard that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know?

In business, this is definitely true. While it is possible for people to break into new fields and rise up the ranks on the power of their experience, many employers prefer to work with people who come with a good reference from someone they respect. 

Your connections can also open new doors for you. For instance, if you’re a marketing firm and need a story to make the local news, you’ll be grateful you made that connection with a reporter at a networking event. 

So, if you want to accomplish something either personally or professionally, you should network. At its heart, networking consists of interpersonal communication. You need to know how to present yourself and your company well, in a memorable and conversational way. 

Have social anxiety? Worried the pre-meeting people jitters will get the best of you and make you mess up? Practice with a few trusted friends or colleagues first. If you go in feeling confident about yourself, that will translate into your interactions.

4. Pay Attention to Your Tone, Word Choice, and Mannerisms

Your conversation skills possess the ability to open doors and close them, especially if your relationship doesn’t extend past a formal business one. 

As such, it’s important to always only have your best attributes showing. Pay close attention to your tone, word choice, and mannerisms. If you come off as arrogant, angry, or rude–even unintentionally–you may sour an otherwise fruitful relationship.

People enjoy being around others who maintain a positive and interested manner. When meeting someone new, do your best smile, make eye contact, and asked them questions about their work. Limit negative sentences and keep away from any controversial talk.

This applies when you work in your office, too. Each employee contributes to the overall culture of the office, and people appreciate working with those who have mastered the art of communicating well while maintaining a positive environment.

5. Communicating Well Helps You Avoid Problems

Have you ever had a miscommunication in your office?

Miscommunications happen every day. In fact, they aren’t completely avoidable. Most likely, no matter how hard you try to perfect your communications, people will misunderstand from time to time.

Still, miscommunications often cause problems. Maybe a project isn’t delivered on time, or a client grows frustrated because your employees came away from a meeting thinking someone is handling their request. This can cause you to lose business.

You can reduce the number of miscommunications, though, by teaching your employees how to communicate effectively with one another. 

6. Good Communications Better Your Company’s Work

A good company often comes down to how well people collaborate. After all, if your workers work well together, you’re likely to have a more efficient company.

Communication is a large part of collaboration, particularly if you workers in several different locations. Encourage your workers to better their communication skills. This includes improving their active listening and clear speaking and writing abilities.

7. Manage Conflicts

Have you ever had a conflict at work between two employees? 

These disagreements come up from time to time, but if you better your interpersonal communication skills, you will be able to better mediate conflicts. This contributes to a better office culture and helps workers with clashing personalities further their collaboration.

Ready to Better Your Interpersonal Communication?

Every person should seek to master interpersonal communication if they hope to have a thriving business or be a successful employee.

When you have great interpersonal communications skills, you can get good investors for your work, avoid problems, manage conflicts, and improve collaborations. You may also make some key connections outside of your office!

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