What are the 7 channels of communication?

Face-to-face conversations are one of the most effective communication channels in the workplace. It used to be that their “communication channels” at work included phone calls and maybe faxes. Today, if I count all the communication channels I have used in the last week, there are the telephone, video conferencing, SMS, A2P messaging and instant messaging. Like emails, phone calls won't go away anytime soon (in my humble opinion).

People talk a lot on the phone, but it's still one of the fastest ways to get an answer, and when it comes to fast, direct and effective communication, few channels can beat it. Telephone calls are still the formal communication channel of reference and are best used for urgent or important conversations, both with teammates and with customers or potential customers. And if you use phone calls a lot to have conversations with customers every day, you might want to look for something like a contact center platform that's actually designed to help your team talk to customers. Text messages are a basic element of communication in most of our personal lives, but business SMS can also be useful depending on their function and industry.

Some people respond better to business messages than to phone calls, and in certain situations, sending a text message makes more sense. I know that I prefer to receive an SMS reminding me of an upcoming dental appointment rather than receiving a call. In general, text messages are a quick and discreet way to send direct and simple messages. From filing an annual report to having a weekly one-on-one meeting with a teammate, there are a number of day-to-day events at work that require different forms of communication.

Finding the most important communication channel to transmit a message is the most crucial thing to ensure the success of business communications. In fact, a good rule of thumb is that messages that are more emotionally charged require more reflection in the choice of channel and in the way in which they are communicated. A communication channel is the medium, medium, manner, or method through which a message is sent to its intended receiver.

Digital

channels are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace, as they offer a number of advantages over traditional communication methods.

In short, the best channel is the one that delivers the message most effectively so that it is understood as intended by the sender. Digital channels are often faster and more convenient than traditional methods, such as phone calls and face-to-face meetings. They are also the channels that require the most labor in terms of the number of people involved in the transaction. In addition, digital channels tend to offer a more personal touch than traditional methods, since they allow the use of images, videos and other rich media.

Email is the ideal communication channel if you need to keep track of that conversation or of the files shared in that thread. And since my team is spread over several time zones, this is also an excellent asynchronous communication channel for us, since it doesn't require everyone to meet at the same time. Television broadcasts, web-based communications, such as social networks, interactive blogs, public and corporate intranet websites, Facebook and Twitter, belong to this growing category of communication channels. The best way to select the right communication channel is to consider the purpose of the communication, the preferences of the audience, and the length of time in which the message should be delivered.

Instant messaging applications, such as WhatsApp and Skype, are another popular type of digital communication channel. Finally, digital channels tend to be more cost-effective than traditional methods, since they usually require less time and resources to set up and maintain them. Oral channels are generally used in organizations when there is a high probability that the message will cause anxiety, confusion, or an emotional response in the audience. .

Reggie Pickens
Reggie Pickens

Hipster-friendly coffee fan. Award-winning social media geek. Incurable burrito junkie. Total coffee lover. Infuriatingly humble burrito practitioner. Friendly tv buff.