Office Communication: Getting the Message Across

Getting your message across appropriately and effectively is vital for every worker who wants to succeed. But even the right message, if delivered in the wrong way, can backfire. The key is to match the means with the method.

Experts say face-to face meeting is by far the most effective way to communicate. Though it takes more time than a phone call, text, or email—you must get to and from the meeting, for starters—in the long run, a face-to-face meeting saves time since it accomplishes more.

Donald Moine, an organizational and sales psychologist, has studied super-salespeople and their techniques. “There is nothing as effective as belly-to-belly or face-to-face for selling a product or a procedure, whether within the office or in getting new clients or customers,” Moine said. He found that some super-salespersons even refuse to send literature to potential customers because they know how effective face-to-face meetings can be. They schedule that all-important meeting by arguing that it takes more time to read through the sales literature than to hear a sales pitch.

“The in-person meeting far out-distances everything else in terms of making an impression, landing a deal, networking or selling a product,” said John Artise, a New York-based management consultant. “Whenever you can get an in-person meeting, do so, even if it’s brief. If someone says, ‘I can only give you five or 10 minutes,’ say ‘Fine,’ and take it.”

The phone is usually the best substitute for face-to-face connection since it provides two-way interaction. Today, however, with so many switching to only using a cell phone—if they still have an office landline it may always go to voicemail —you must be careful about making those calls since you will most likely get an individual directly, since there is no longer an executive assistant or secretary to intervene.

If you can get someone on their cell phone, the back-and-forth of a phone call helps to foster communication. If they are not answering their cell phone, and it goes to voicemail, make sure your message is  short and to the point. The goal is to encourage that person to call you back.

You may be tempted to resort to a text message since it is a quick and easy way to communicate. However, before you text someone, you need to find out what their rules are for texting. Some  people prefer only to receive texts from either family members or their circle of work colleagues who have permission to do so. It can  be tempting to text someone if they are not answering their cell phone, but be careful about when and how often to text. If your communication is seen as pushy or improper, getting that immediate response could fail big time.

Everyone is inundated with emails these days but in most offices, email has replaced written letters or memos. So, you need your email to stand out by having an effective subject line. You also need to keep your emails brief, to the point, and if possible, end it with an action statement/request.

Although they have been around for much longer, the 2020 pandemic increased the popularity of video-conferencing tools, such as Zoom, as a way to communicate at work. Using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Skype, makes it easier to communicate with multiple individuals, whether they are in the office or working remotely.  Indeed, in the post-pandemic, hybrid work era, 80 to 98 percent of meetings now feature at least one online participant. Virtual interactions are more common than ever, yet current video conferencing tools  still have limitations. Traditional video calls conceal non-verbal cues, such as eye contact, direct gaze, and body language. And it does require some planning  to set up and to get the log-in to all participants.

At NeoCon this year, it was exciting to try out Framery Contact,  a new meeting pod that recreates the experience of face-to-face interactions. This revolutionary pod  combines a visually and acoustically isolated interior with a true-to-life projection, enabling the brain to see other virtual meeting participants as they are in 3D.  It is a next-level solution that represents the future of work, and we can expect to see more of this type of technology in the near future.

When it comes to office communication, it is not a “one size fits all” situation. You need to consider how you communicate best, but also the preference of the recipient of your communication. If possible, you might even ask those you are doing business with this simple question, ‘How do you prefer to be contacted?,’  which can help you and your client or customer interact in the way that is most agreeable for all.

Jan Yager, Ph.D., is a sociologist, business consultant, and the author of numerous award-winning books including Making Your Office Work for You and How to Finish Everything You Start. For more information,  visit her website at drjanyager.com.