What We Have Is A Failure To Communicate

How many fewer problems, breakups, misunderstandings, or conflicts would this world have to endure if only people could and would just communicate? Parties that communicate often and effectively are able to accomplish more. Clear and open communication helps bring everyone together as a team, keeping everyone focused while dealing with any problems or objections.

Thanks to today’s technological advances in computers, wireless networking, and mobile devices, it’s just as fitting to call these days the Communication Age as it is to call them the Information Age. As it happens, communication and information are two big factors in determining a successful business. For now, though, we’re focusing on the communication aspect.

Why Communications Is Paramount For Any Business

Think of all of the different potential points of contact that any given business has. There’s communication between departments, employees, and executives/bosses within the business itself. Venturing into the outside world, there’s communication between the business’ employees and the customers, as well as contact between businesses that have built up partnerships.

Then, of course, we can’t forget the communication you get between a business and the companies it uses to provide supplies, raw materials, utilities, not to mention the financial institutions that handle company money and/or provide financing.

The Consequences Of A Failure To Communicate

As if in-house problems such as a lack of teamwork or no understanding what each department is doing aren’t bad enough, there are far-reaching ramifications to failing to properly communicate with the rest of the big, bad world.

Salespeople who can’t get back to their customers in time may end up losing sales, which in turn means the company loses profits, bringing it that much closer to being a complete failure. A company that doesn’t adequately communicate its material needs will find itself unable to fill orders due to lack of parts, which again will result in the company failing and possibly going under.

And let’s not get into the consequences of failure to communicate with creditors, or even worse, the tax man. Now you’re just asking for trouble! To get more insight on the importance of communication in every business, check out the article “Why Every Business Is In The Communication Business”.

Alright, so the case has been made: communication is good and necessary. So, how does today’s technology help facilitate this?

The Mobile Revolution

Thanks to today’s mobile devices and wireless networks, there isn’t any place where you can’t make or receive a call. While some would call that a mixed blessing (since it also means there’s no place to escape a ringing phone!), overall it means fewer missed opportunities in matters critical to a business’ success.

Think of it: not only do most phone carriers offer decent coverage for phone calls, there are also things like social media, email utilities, and instant messaging apps, all that can be loaded on your phone or tablet. Even if someone somehow can’t get a hold of you on the phone, they can more than likely ping you with a text message; if nothing else, it can be a quick message that simply says “Call me!”.

Voice Over Internet Protocol Systems

No doubt you’ve heard of VoIP, a system where you can make and receive phone calls over the Internet. Its convenience and cost-effectiveness make it a rising force that threatens the existence of the old fashioned phone systems.

But many VoIP services also offer full-service plans that can feature things like web conferences, broadband, web collaboration, online meetings, and nifty options like voicemail, call forwarding, or Find/Follow capabilities. No matter where someone is on the road and what phone they’re currently using, their calls can actually follow them around.

Features like the above-mentioned online meetings means that even if a company has a workforce that’s scattered all over the country (or the globe, for that matter), it’s still possible to pull off a real-time meeting. It’s certainly more cost-effective than trying to bring everyone together to the same physical location. Bottom line is, distance is no longer a factor.

It’s A Connected World Today

If you combine VoIP with mobile innovations, you get a powerful set of tools that make sure that no phone calls or messages are missed. That’s what it all boils down to today: keeping in touch in a reliable, cost-effective manner. It’s just the sort of competitive edge any business needs to survive in today’s world.

About Author: John Terra has been a freelance writer since 1985. He finds the fact that anyone can get a hold of anyone at anytime a mixed blessing.