3.3 Communication in Business Flashcards

All 28 cards in this deck

How can a business use social media to communicate with its stakeholders?

Any one of: answering customer questions and complaints quickly; telling customers about new products and offers; sharing news and local events with the community.

Why is email less suitable than a meeting for some communication in a business?

Email passes information on quickly, but discussion by email is slow and awkward, so a decision that needs debate is better reached face to face.

Give one impact on a business of insufficient communication with employees.

Employees are unsure what to do, so they make mistakes and the quality of the good or service falls.

True or false? Giving employees too much communication can harm a business.

True. Excessive communication wastes time and employees may miss the important information, reducing efficiency.

What is digital communication in business?

Using electronic technology such as email, websites, online booking and virtual meetings to share information with stakeholders.

How can customer reviews on social media affect a business?

Good reviews are shared and attract new customers; a single incorrect bad review can damage the business's reputation.

Give one benefit to a business of holding meetings online using digital communication.

It removes the geographical barrier of getting everyone in the same place, saving travel time and cost.

Give one drawback of holding meetings online using digital communication.

Any one of: technical problems such as a poor connection can disrupt the meeting; it is less personal, so it is harder to build relationships; a physical product cannot be inspected or tested.

Name four ways of communicating in a business.

Any four of: letter; email; text; phone; meeting or presentation; social media; website.

Give two ways good communication with employees benefits a business.

Any two of: higher motivation; better retention (lower labour turnover); fewer mistakes, so better quality work; higher productivity.

Why do all the functional areas of a business need to communicate when developing a new product?

Each is involved, e.g. marketing researches demand, operations makes it and finance funds it, so information must be shared for the launch to succeed.

Give one advantage to a business of using email to communicate with staff.

Any one of: one message reaches many people at once; it arrives instantly; it gives a written record that can be re-read.

How does digital communication help a small business reach customers beyond its local area?

A website and social media let it reach and sell to customers anywhere in the world quickly and cheaply.

What is the difference between internal and external communication?

Internal communication is between people in the same business; external communication is between the business and people outside it, e.g. customers or suppliers.

Give one advantage of verbal communication, such as a phone call or meeting.

Any one of: the sender can check straight away that the message is understood; points can be stressed by tone of voice or body language; questions can be answered immediately.

Give one disadvantage of verbal communication, such as a phone call or meeting.

Any one of: there is no permanent record unless notes are taken; with a large audience it is hard to tell whether everyone has understood; meetings that need travel can be expensive.

Give one disadvantage of written communication, such as email or text.

Any one of: the sender cannot check straight away that it is understood; it depends on clear writing; emails can be lost in spam or ignored when staff receive too many.

Why might a business send a letter rather than an email?

A letter is more formal and gives an official record that it was sent and received, e.g. signed for, so it suits important documents such as contracts.

Give one advantage to a business of using social media to communicate with customers.

Any one of: it reaches a huge number of people; it is often cheaper than traditional advertising; it can be updated often; customers can give feedback and share posts with others.

Give one disadvantage to a business of using social media to communicate with customers.

Any one of: staff time is needed to keep it updated and reply to comments; it is hard to measure how effective it is.

Give one advantage to a business of having a website.

Any one of: it is open 24 hours a day; it can sell to customers anywhere; it can give detailed product information and prices; it is a fairly cheap way to promote the business.

Give one disadvantage to a business of having a website.

Any one of: if it crashes, sales stop; it must be maintained and updated; some customers prefer to speak to a person.

Give two things a business should consider when choosing how to communicate.

Any two of: who the receiver is; the purpose of the message, e.g. to inform or to discuss; whether a record is needed; how quickly it must arrive; which methods are available and affordable.

When would a business use a presentation to communicate?

When a speaker needs to explain something in detail to a group or person and answer questions, e.g. showing a product to a potential customer.

How has digital communication affected competition between businesses?

It has increased competition, because customers can easily compare products and prices online and buy from sellers in other areas and countries.

How has digital communication changed the way people work?

It has made working from home and working whilst mobile possible, as staff can keep in contact by email, phone and video calls.

Give one way digital communication has affected a business's employees.

Any one of: some jobs have been lost as tasks are automated; staff need retraining in digital skills; staff can be monitored more closely; recruitment and interviews can take place online.

How does digital communication affect workers' productivity?

Information is sent, stored and processed faster, so each worker produces more, which lowers the cost of production.