When choosing the best channel for your message you should consider

Have you ever had the right message but because of the channel you selected to use to pass the message, it did not get to the intended audience? There have been instances where written communication has failed because Choosing the appropriate communication channel for your message is key to ensuring that the message gets delivered appropriately.

In the past and even in some instances today, megaphones, town hall meetings and face to face communication have been used as the best approach to getting the message to your audience without the information getting lost in translation. Businesses can use face to face and general staff meetings to communicate to their internal stakeholders however it is still much needed that the right communication channel is selected

As Communication professionals, most of our strategies on execution of Communication Campaigns are majorly driven by the communication channels we advise our clients to use.

Most instances the choice of the channel to use is driven by three key areas- message, audience and budget. There are also certain questions relating to the 3 areas that we would more often research on so as to better advise the client.

• Which communication channels are you currently using?
• Which of these channels work well for your organization in terms of results delivery?
• Which channels have proven to be disappointing?
• Which communication channels have you avoided but are inclined to use in the future?
• Which channels do your customers use and prefer?
• Will this particular message conform well to the selected channels?
• What is your budget?

Many organizations and individuals are often afraid of making a mistake or of choosing a channel that doesn’t produce results. Making adjustments every now and then is a very normal part of the process. In fact, as part of the process, tracking and monitoring the channels currently in use vis a vis results gained can influence decisions on which channel to stick to or to use more depending on the message and target audience.

Experimenting with a new channel can also be an option. However there has to be a careful assessment of the channel before committing to using it regularly.

Always try to resist the temptation of erratic moves of changing the message and channel too often as it may run the risk of poorly reflecting on the company.

The truth is as much as any organization would like, it is not possible to spread your message everywhere. You have to make very clear strategic choices based on the communication goals, audience and budget on which promotional mix to use.

The promotional mix by definition are the various forms of communication used by companies to present a brand, product or service to targeted consumers. The standard promotional mix includes advertising, public relations, sales promotion and direct marketing. Each business must consider the right promotional mix to reach its consumers.

The following areas are therefore important when selecting the proper communication channel and mix:

Know the Market

To reach your target market with the right promotional mix, you must first know who and where they are. With niche products, the process is a bit more different. You might need to consider whether your likely consumers are easily distinguished by any demographic similarities such as age, gender, income or how they intend to use the product. Once you understand your consumers, it is easier to focus and choose how to reach them.

Research available options

The best way to get your messages to the intended audience is to know what they watch, read or listen to. Newspaper readership though having declined in lieu of more online access in recent times, we still have a very wide range of people who would not start their day without physically reading the newspaper. Similarly, a lot of people would make buying decisions based on referrals from others or also having seen an advert in their favorite magazine. Personal selling in store or door to door is useful in more directly communicating benefits of products in a way that passive advertising messages cannot.

Consider Your Budget

The amount of money allocated to a promotional mix greatly influences what you can do. Not all campaigns would have the same communication budget. There can be a focus on one form of communication or implore a blend in advertising channels.

The bottom line however remains that the way an organization used their promotional mix should correlate with their communication goals and strategies. Advertising is typically intended to help develop a positive brand image that supports your objective of being the product or service of choice.

Emma Wenani is Chief Director at Global Media Alliance.

LinkedIn: Emma Wenani

Learning Outcomes

• Differentiate between face-to-face, written, oral, web-based, and other typical channels of business communication.
• Explain the importance of tailoring the message to the audience.

Business communication is held to a higher standard than everyday communication. The consequences of misunderstandings are usually higher stakes than informal communication scenarios. The techniques for improving communication are the same regardless of where the conversation takes place.

Business Communication Channels

There’s a well-known expression that goes “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” It’s really both.

A communication channel is the medium, mean, manner or method through which a message is sent to its intended receiver. The basic channels are written (hard copy print or digital formats), oral or spoken, and electronic and multimedia. Within those channels, business communications can be formal, informal, or unofficial. Finally, communications can be rich or lean.

Channel richness refers to the amount and immediacy of information that can be transmitted. Face-to-face communication is very high in richness because it allows information to be transmitted with immediate feedback. For instance, a tweet is very low in richness because Twitter allows only 280 characters to be transmitted with no feedback. On the other hand, face-to-face communication is limited to one person communicating with a few other people in close proximity. In comparison, a tweet can reach thousands of followers around the world.

The following diagram shows the richness of different types of communication.

Different types of communication media have varying channel richness.

Oral Communications

Oral channels depend on the spoken word. They are the richest mediums and include face-to-face, in-person presentations, mobile phone conferences, group presentations, telephone, video meetings, conferences, speeches, and lectures. These channels deliver low-distortion messages because body language and voice intonation also provide meaning for the receiver. They allow for immediate feedback of the communication to the sender. They are also the most labor-intensive channels in terms of the number of people involved in the transaction. Oral channels are generally used in organizations when there is a high likelihood of the message creating anxiety, confusion, or an emotional response in the audience. For instance, a senior manager should address rumors about layoffs or downsizing in face-to-face meetings with management staff. This allows the receivers (audience) to get immediate clarification and explanations, even if the explanation is a simple but direct: “At this time, I just don’t know.”

Oral communications are also useful when the organization wants to introduce a key official or change a long-established policy, followed up with a written detailed explanation. Senior managers with high credibility usually deliver complex or disturbing messages. For example, a senior manager will usually announce plans to downsize during a meeting so that everyone gets the same message at the same time. This will often include a schedule or a timeline so people know when to expect more details.

Written Communications

Written communications include e-mails, texts, memos, letters, documents, reports, newsletters, spreadsheets, etc. (Even though e-mails are electronic, they are basically digital versions of written memos.) They are among the leaner business communications. With written communications, the writer must provide enough context so the words can be interpreted easily. The receiver should inquire about ambiguity and ask for clarification if needed. An e-mail sender cannot take receipt for granted. Most people receive too much e-mail and sort and filter it quickly, sometimes incorrectly.

Written messages are effective when transmitting large messages. Humans are limited in the amount of data they can absorb at one time. Written information can also be studied over time if necessary. Reports can include supporting data and detailed explanations when it is important to persuade the receiver about a course of action. Written communications can be carefully crafted to say exactly what the sender means. Formal business communications, such as job offer letters, contracts and budgets, proposals and quotes, should always be written.

Electronic (Multimedia) Communications

Television broadcasts, web-based communications such as social media, interactive blogs, public and intranet company web pages, Facebook, and Twitter belong in this growing category of communication channels. Electronic communications allow messages to be sent instantaneously and globally. People can talk face-to-face across enormous distances. Marketing and advertising can be targeted at many different types of customers, and business units can easily communicate in real time. This is especially important when customers must be advised of product recalls or security issues.

Although extremely effective, the widespread utilization of electronic communications for business purposes can also be risky. In recent years, the private communications and customer files of many large corporations have been hacked and their data stolen. In 2016, New Jersey Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield was fined $1.1 million for failing to safeguard the personal information of medical patients. The company stored unencrypted sensitive data including birth dates and Social Security numbers on laptops that were stolen out of their main offices.

Which Channel Is Best?

Quite simply, the best channel is the one that most effectively delivers the message so that it is understood as the sender intended. Nuanced or emotionally charged messages require a rich medium whereas simple, routine messages do not always need a personal touch. If you want to advise your department that at 2 p.m. you want to have a five-minute stand-up meeting in the hallway outside of your office to congratulate them on meeting a goal, then send a quick e-mail. You really don’t want people to reply with questions. E-mail is a lean medium but works very well when the content of the message is neither complex nor emotionally charged. On the other hand, a telephone call is a more appropriate channel to apologize for having to cancel a lunch date. The speaker can hear the sincerity in your voice and can express their disappointment or offer to reschedule.

A good rule of thumb is the more emotional the context of the message, the richer the medium should be to deliver the message. But remember—even face-to-face business meetings can be followed up with a written note to ensure that both parties are truly in agreement. If a meeting results in assignments or agreements, then a written note will be useful documentation for future reference.

Tailoring a Message to an Audience

Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple, was a great communicator who used his passion, focus, and storytelling ability to make his presentations memorable.

Have you ever had a serious conversation with a young child? You probably knelt down so that you were at eye level. You may have even put your hand gently on her arm to focus her attention on you. Speaking clearly and slowly in words that you knew she understood, you made exaggerated facial gestures of fear or surprise or happiness to emphasize your points. In brief, you tailored your message to your audience so that it would be effective.

Although the channel of communication you select to transmit your message is important, so is knowing the intended audience. Effective communicators seem to instinctively adjust their styles to their audience, but it is a skill that can also be learned. The way the information is conveyed should complement the audience, whether it is one person or a roomful of people. Three factors are involved in tailoring a message: the sender, the message itself, and the audience.

The Sender

For the majority of everyday business communications, a manager needs only to focus on presenting a professional image. On different occasions, she may want to present herself as a serious and responsible leader, a technical expert, or informally casual. But when uncertain what a situation calls for, always err on the side of professionalism. Studies have shown that an audience reacts initially to the demeanor of the speaker and not to what is being said. If you appear nervous, your audience will pick up on that and become nervous as well.

The Message

The first step in tailoring a message, of course, is to choose the right communication channel. But even then, there are questions to ask about the presentation of the message itself. Some of these questions are listed below:

• Which channel suits the content best? A critical or urgent message may demand the fastest channel, whether that is in-person, text-message, or e-mail. A scripted presentation requires planning and preparation. Businesses can use press-releases or Twitter for brief announcements. If you want to demonstrate how your organization does something, clarify values, or construct common meanings for people across an organization, you might tell a memorable story in either an oral or written presentation. Decide which channel best suits the content.
• What do you want to achieve by sending the message? Is it intended to persuade or to inform? Are you just reassuring your boss that everything is on track? A face-to-face communication is much more effective than an e-mail or report in trying to convince someone to change a belief or a behavior.
• Does the message require interaction from the audience or is it more of an “information dump”? Don’t try to deliver a rationale for a $1 million investment in a phone call, especially if you need supporting evidence. Allow enough time to answer all questions.
• Will visual aids help the message or will they just distract from it? Arguments that a new computer software program will increase your department’s productivity will need to be backed by solid evidence presented in charts or graphs. But excessive or unfocused visuals may irritate senior-level managers who want just the concise summation and the triple bottom line (economic, social and environmental impacts).
• Do you have to establish your credibility? Does the audience know you? Are you speaking to people who know more than you about the topic? The answers to these questions will influence how you design your message.
• Why should the audience should care? When you are deciding on the channel and the method of delivery, ask this simple question as you craft your message.

The Audience

You can’t tailor your communication, if you do not know your audience. Here are some questions to consider when getting to know your audience.

• How large is your audience? Is it one person or a large group? One individual means getting “up close and personal” as opposed to a conference room. If it is a large group, is it diverse or fairly homogenous? Do you need language translators or signers for the hearing impaired?
• What is the status of your audience? Is the audience mostly senior-level managers, peers, or subordinates? Your body language, presentation, and formality will vary depending upon the status of the group. Although subordinates may be more easily put at ease with an informal, relaxed approach, high-level managers usually want to get straight to the point and move on to the next thing.
• Can you establish empathy with the audience? The more the audience trusts you, the easier it will be to retain their attention. Notice the audience—are people shifting around, avoiding eye contact, yawning, or are they nodding in agreement and focused? You may have to adapt your message to meet the mood of the audience.

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