Business communication is communication that is intended to help a business achieve a fundamental goal, through information sharing between employees as well as people outside the company. It includes the process of creating, sharing, listening, and understanding messages between different groups of people through written and verbal formats. The way that people communicate and operate within a business is very vital to how successful the company will be in the business world. Business communication occurs internally, employee-to-employee, or externally, business-to-business or business-to-consumer. This internal and external communication can happen through verbal or non-verbal communication methods. Often these internal and external forms of communication come with barriers, which can prevent the receiver from understanding the information sent by the sender.
The word communication has been derived from the Latin word communis which implies common. Thus communication may be defined as the interchange of thoughts and information to bring about mutual understanding.
Business communication is closely related to professional communication and technical communication. It encompasses topics such as marketing, brand management, customer relations, consumer behavior, advertising, public relations, corporate communication, community engagement, reputation management, interpersonal communication, employee engagement, internal communication, and event management.
Communication in general is valued even more in international business communications to allow for the understanding of cultures and the overall morale of the operation.
Business communication focuses primarily on achieving goals/aims and, in the case of a public company or organization, increasing the dividends of shareholders.
Business-to-employee communication, also known as workplace communication, is the exchange of information within an organization. The purpose of some communications is to develop trust, and/or to increase productivity.