Communications

In order to effectively communicate a message to a receiver without confusion, assumption or misinterpretation, communication requires knowledge of the barriers to communication and how to overcome them. When it comes to communicating a clear message to a receiver whether the message is being presented in writing, verbally or non-verbally there are several key factors that come into play:

• audience participation is voluntary – people do not have to listen, read, or watch the message; rather, it is a choice that they make
• the message is subject to perception – not everyone perceives or processes information the same way
• the message is subject to language - not everyone is versed in the “language” to the same degree
• there is room for assumption – don’t assume the words you use mean the same thing to different people
• the written message is subject to writing style – spelling, grammar, punctuation, paragraph length, word choice, language and sentence structure; including conjunctions, possessive forms and modifiers, subject verb agreement, and apostrophes etc.
• the verbal or oral message is subject to voice, tone, timing and tempo and/or rhythm of speech
• the verbal and non-verbal message is subject to body language including gestures, stance, pose, posture, facial expressions, location and/or movement of hands etc.
• the use of colour – colours mean different things to different people and/or cultures. Colour presentation and use can affect message perception and trigger different reactions

Types of written communications materials that a business or organization can use to convey a message include but may not be limited to :

It is important to acknowledge that people seldom write or deliver a message that has to be read, listened to, or viewed. Most of the information and messages a business presents to an audience or its target market is deemed voluntary; meaning they don’t have to read, watch or listen to the message you are trying to get across to them. As a result, the information and/or messages a business presents must be delivered in a clear and interesting way. This includes everything from the creation of the business card, logo and letterhead, right down to the business website, marketing materials, promotional tools, sales and storefront presentation.

Effective communication depends on what you say, how you say it and when and to whom you say it to. In order to ensure that both the message and image that is being communicated reaches the desired audience and is understood without any confusion or misinterpretation the message and communications documents and materials should be professionally developed and planned out from the beginning.

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