Types of Communication Lauren Taylor – Dardanelle High School https://www.inc.com/jayson-demers/communication-in-2015-text-voice-video-or-in-person.html

Various Communication mediums Text Voice Video In-Person Communication is evolving quickly, offering us more options than ever before.

Evolution of Communication Landline phones used to be the most convenient means of communication. Now, one handheld mobile device can perform all of the functions of a landline phone, fax machine, web cam, and computer.

Convenience ≠ Efficiency Each of us have a preference when it comes to communicating. Based on what we feel is easiest. It’s important to see beyond the limits of our own convenience. The selection of your medium can have a drastic impact on both the efficiency and interpretation of your message.

Text One of the most popular mediums Emails, SMS text messages, social media interaction, and instant messaging are all forms of text based communication Best when message should be on record and not conveyed with emotion Fast and precise Holds people accountable for their messages Impersonal and subject to interpretation

Text Based Communication Advantages Messages are to the point – no room for small talk Messages are on record – no room for misinterpretation You can be precise, allows for time to think carefully about what we want to say You can be organized – text messages are more limiting, but with email you can organize your message in a way that visually makes sense Disadvantages Text carries no tone – tone of voice and body language is lost Text can be misinterpreted – one spelling error or skip-over could ruin the effect your message is intended to have It’s impersonal – compassion and sympathy are better with face-to-face Does not allow back-and-forth open discussions, only one-to-one responses

Voice Voice calls have started to become obsolete, but they still have a place for many people Great for connecting several remote people at once The inefficiency of communication often makes in-person or text based meetings better options

Voice Based Communication Advantages Doesn’t require much attention – phone calls give you more freedom especially with a hands-free set (multi-task) Allows expression of inflection – without body language – inject humor or sympathy Several people can connect simultaneously and remotely Disadvantages People tend to speak over each other on conference calls No record of the communication – you can record the call, but it is more difficult to find what you are looking for without searchable text Sometimes it is hard to hear – heavy accents, bad connections, and low voices can make phone calls difficult

Video Calls Alternative to in-person meetings, if you have a good connection Skype and FaceTime are two of the most popular applications Best with only a handful of participants

Video based Communication Advantages Allows expression of body language Offers options such as sending files, sharing computer screens, and communicate with text within the meeting You are able to keep a record of the meeting Disadvantages Use a lot of bandwidth – may have an impact on those around you Bad connections can ruin everything – you don’t want your client meeting to be cut short because of a bad connection Threshold for effectiveness – right now fewer participants is much more effective than several. (Google Hangouts is trying to find a solution for this)

In-Person This form of communication has been the go-to for decades Most preferential form of communication if trying to build or maintain a business relationship – otherwise inefficient and inconvenient

In-Person Based Communication Advantages Full body language and expression – as personal as you can get No interruptions – no bad connections or dropped calls Fluid conversations – unlike phone calls where people tend to interrupt one another Interactive dialog between many participants Disadvantages People are everywhere in the World doing business with one another – it is sometimes impossible to meet in-person Record keeping is subjective – only way to keep record is to write out notes, which leaves room for personal interpretation Timing is difficult – every participant must block off time to travel to a location, meet, and travel back

How to make the right choice Every situation is unique It is impossible to select one communication medium that can support all of your business needs The key is to master effective communication – not improving your messages, but improving the delivery of your messages Use each of these mediums to its greatest advantage, and you will be able to get the most out of every conversation you have