For as long as I can remember, I’ve been told effective communication is the essential key for successful relationships. Through the years I have learned this is the absolute truth in personal relationships as well as business relationships. Poor communication in personal relationships can lead to emotional consequences and poor communication in business relationships can lead to financial consequences. The benefits of effective communication in these relationships are priceless.

Some suggest that no matter what new trends may come and go, they prefer the old fashioned way of communicating, talking and listening (McElveen, n.d.). Others have invested in ways to communicate more effectively. When individuals invest in their selves to be more effective communicators, they become more marketable to businesses. When businesses invest in being effective communicators, it directly influences their bottom line because they are able to be more efficient and productive.

Twenty years ago, companies depended on typewriters and land line telephones to communicate with their customers. Today typewriters have been replaced by computers and land lines have been replaced by voicemail. Rather than typing a letter to a customer and placing it in the mail and waiting days for a response, companies have resorted to typing a quick and to the point email, clicking the send button and then waiting a few minutes for a response. This change in business communication saves money and time; however, in some cases it can be overwhelming because it forces employees to be confined to a desk or a computer for most of their work day. Years ago, major companies spent millions of dollars for employee travel for meetings but due to advanced technology, most meetings can be held virtually. While there is a cost associated with virtual meetings, it is significantly lower than the cost of travel. Even ways most companies pay their employees have changed. Long gone are the days of receiving an actual paycheck. Many companies have gone paperless by depositing their employee’s paychecks directly into the employee’s bank account and making the employee's paycheck stub available online for viewing. The trend is not only politically correct in the eyes of many businesses, it saves the company money. There are several processes and technology in place in my workplace that our company uses in order to increase our bottom line. For instance, employees working in the warehouse depend heavily on walkie-talkie communication. If they did not have walkie talkies, warehouse employees would spend a lot of time walking from end of the warehouse to the other just to communicate with a different department within the warehouse. This would decrease production. Because the warehouse is so large and spread out, and there are several different departments within the warehouse that work closely together, it is very important that they are able to talk to one another easily and quickly. If our company did not invest in walkie talkies for employees working in the warehouse, I imagine there would be less productivity in the warehouse, thus, affecting profits. The office personnel in our company depend on phone mail and email rather than walkie talkies. Obviously, office staff deals with a different aspect of the company’s business. The warehouse deals with the production of the product. The office staff facilitates the sale, delivery and customer service of the product as well as the human resources aspect of the companies business. In order for these things to run smoothly, it is imperative that the office staff communicate often, whether it is by email, face to face or telephone. Several staff employees and warehouse employees have company paid for cellular phones. These employees have job duties outside the office that is important to the way our business operates. I am responsible for payroll and human resources in my office. On a daily basis, I communicate with employees regarding benefits and payroll. A part of my role is to be the liaison between our corporate office and the employees who work in the Jacksonville location. I rely heavily on email when it comes to communicating with our corporate office. Because of the nature of my role in the company, written communication is very important to me. If a Jacksonville employee needs to make a change to their benefit package, I scan their information and email it to the person in corporate who handles benefits rather than faxing it because email is more traceable and can easily be confirmed. When a Jacksonville employee needs to travel, I suggest they email all details to me so that I can be sure to secure their travel request accurately and in a timely manner. Making the wrong travel arrangements can be very costly, so you can see why written communication can be cost effective.

While some companies and individuals are reluctant to invest in good communication, it has proven to save time and money. It also can build client relations and boost employee satisfaction. Even as technology and its cost changes everyday, the benefits of good business communication remain priceless.