Effective Communication in Business

Effective Communication in Business

By: Amber Green

Separate from interpersonal communication, “business communication involves the transmission of ideas, thoughts, information, opinions and plans between various parts of an organization and also to those outside the organizations who have a vested interest in the business” (Shina, 2012). In this essay I will describe a time when I experienced effective communication in my current sales position, provide reasons for perceiving such communication as effective, and explain the resulting impact to the company.

My job as an assistant manager for Sally’s Beauty Supply is to obtain customer retention by ensuring satisfaction among all customers. I am able to achieve this by utilizing essential communication practices, professionalism, and knowledge that I have obtained while serving as a favorable representative of my company. In the retail business, exchanges and product return policies are put in place to primarily eliminate the return of stolen property, the exchange of used or damaged property 60 days after the purchase date, and the return or exchange of property without a receipt. Despite the fact that these policies are tested on a regular basis, one situation required the use of the three key elements of effective communication: purpose, style, and listening.

One of Sally’s frequent customers purchased an expensive hair straightener that broke after 3 uses. The customer discarded the receipt after purchasing and one of our sales associates explained that she was unable to exchange the product or refund the purchase without the receipt. The customer was displeased and left our store unsatisfied. After hearing about what happened, I scheduled a mandatory meeting for all sales associates the following day. My purpose for the meeting was to reiterate the importance of customer satisfaction and understand sales associates’ line of thought. I was direct and assertive in my delivery but gave the sales associate the platform to encourage a friendly and relaxed communication style. After hearing her standpoint, which was similar to other associates’ that chimed in, I realized that these sales associates didn’t know they had the authority or option to bend the rules for returns or exchanges because of another assistant manager’s style of communication.