Home-based professionals, like all professionals, must master certain basic skills no matter what their profession of choice. Business communication is one of these essential skills, and it is something that if done well can have a very positive effect on your business. Conversely, if your business communications are poor, the effect on your business can be very negative.
Business communications come in many forms, including phone calls, emails, faxes, letters, and even more casual interactions like introducing yourself to someone new or chatting on Facebook or LinkedIn. Fortunately, learning how to have good business communication is not difficult. A little common sense paired with a healthy sense of respect and grounded in genuineness and sincerity will usually get you there. Sometimes you may need to do a little background research before formulating your reply, but those situations are usually fairly obvious and you would notice that when you sit down to craft your reply to a communication that you have received, you have no idea what to say.
Because of the adversarial nature of some professions like law, some people may think that not all business communications must adhere to the same standards of sincerity and respect that you would find in most other professions. I strongly believe that even in an adversarial profession, courtesy and respect are essential to any professional’s success. It is quite possible to remain steadfast in your (or your client’s) position while being respectful of and polite to other parties who are likewise not moving an inch in your direction. You can certainly argue the facts without resorting to insulting another professional or his or her clients, and you can have a gentle demeanor without being “soft”, weak, or ineffective.
If you are in business, whether at home or outside of the home, I would urge you to spend a day or two assessing your business communications. You may be pleasantly surprised at how you are responding to others and how they interact with you. On the other hand, you may notice things that you can work on to make your business communications stand out from the crowd. This exercise is worthwhile no matter what, but it is especially useful if you constantly find yourself surprised by how negatively others are reacting to your communications. You may be doing something that is not working for you without even realizing it. Repeating this exercise every once in a while is a great way to keep yourself on track with the best business communication that you have to offer.
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