Ways of Communicating Flashcards

All 14 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.

Name four ways of communicating in a business.

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

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.

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.