Communication

Communication has always been a very important thing in people’s life. It plays a great role not only in everyday routine, but also in business. For example, in large organizations, where the number of employee is more than 200, there can be difficulties in communication. To prevent that, managers are to organize the process of communication very clear and accurate, because it’s part of common success.

Of course, relationships are very important component of communication. So, people used to gather informally over their sandwiches in the coffee-rooms exchanging useful information and feeling their social responsibility. A good communicator should have some special features. He is focused, persuasive, responsive, sensitive, articulate, coherent and charismatic, which makes people admire him. Of course, a successful communicator is a good listener with a sense of humor.

A poor communicator is tongue-tied, his speech is rambling, and he is uncommunicative and indecisive. I think a poor communicator is also a poor manager because he is not able to express his ideas clearly.

It’s the first type of communication - between people. Nowadays communication between companies and their customers is improving - this is the second one. New technologies made it much more effective: the Internet, mobile phones, etc. People are now feeling more confident in the way that they are using E-mail.

I’ll give an example of really good communication between company and its customers via the Internet: auction E-Bay: people are looking for some unique goods on the Web-site of the company, and then they can buy something just sitting on the chair!

A breakdown in communication can seriously affect business. It can happen because of misunderstanding or lack of knowledge of partner’s national traditions and so on. So, a good manager is a good communicator, and ability of well-communicating is one of the key factors of success!

Building relationships.

Building relationships is very important in all fields of our life: both personal and working life. Relationships between people are very important. A good manager should easily build up, establish and maintain relations with customers and colleagues, to develop relations with suppliers. If you fail to do it, they might be spoiled or jeopardized. And it will take you long time to restore them.

Relationships help us in business and private life - so, our friends and colleagues are always ready to support us in a difficult situation. But what we have to do to build up good, close relationships? Of course, you must be honest, transparent, clear and explicit. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver, don’t let your partner down. Your objectives must be clear, you have to trust your partner.

But in different countries there are different ways of building and maintaining good business relationships.

Latin American people are very warm by nature, so you should have a personal contact with them by shaking hands and a long lunch or a dinner meeting. Chinese business culture is very different from Western business culture: they work with their friends or relatives and for people wanting to do business in China it is important to find an intermediary because he knows both the local people and organizations, so he can help you to establish good business relationships. Chinese businessmen trust those who are loyal to them and who show respect to them. Yes, it’s very important to have friends and “necessary people” in government - for example AIG - International Company - they have such people in many countries, so, all their ideas and aims are always being lobbied. That’s why they have such success.

Successful businessmen know that it’s very important to have good relationships with partners. But also you have to remember about your customers. For example, established customers tend to buy more, it is very profitable to have own close special clients - they will never leave you even if it is crisis. So, good relationships - is one of the key factors of success!