Business Communication Tools: Boosting Efficiency with the Right Solutions

Let’s face it: business communications aren’t what they used to be. In the new world of hybrid office scenarios and remote work, the right tools can make all the difference. But which business communication tools are the right ones? In this article, we’ll help you choose.

The offices of today are drastically different from the work environments of just a few years ago. Video conferencing is commonplace. Workers are dispersed and based in different locations. Workplaces are fluid, with people coming and going, meeting both virtually and in person, depending on the scenario. And the significance of this evolution is that it has made strong communication for businesses more important than ever, to keep employees engaged, aligned, and informed of what’s happening within the company.

There is tremendous potential for powerful new work methods, but there’s also a real possibility of important ideas and updates falling through the cracks, while some workers feel disconnected and apart from the team. The right business communication tools can prevent this from happening, and help your entire organization run like a well-oiled machine.

Internal comms’ recent changes in the workplace

If you’ve been part of the corporate world, you’ve definitely noticed it: in the last few years, internal communication has had to face drastic challenges. One of which is how to effectively communicate across multiple departments, languages, and countries, in a workspace that seems to feel constantly more dispersed and varied.

Additionally, increased digitalization of the workplace has created even more complications for businesses trying to maintain effective internal communications. The tools, the new platforms, the passwords—it’s a headache for users.

And finally, with remote work becoming more and more common, it can be difficult for businesses to maintain consistent channels of communication between employees working from various locations. For any business to stay competitive, it’s essential for their teams to be able to communicate easily and efficiently—there’s no other way. And naturally, this often requires organizations to invest in the right internal communication tools.

According to the latest State of the Sector 2023 survey by Gallagher, 46% of respondents believe their organization does not invest enough in communication technology for users.

In the report, they go on to state that :

The gap between the promise of digital innovation and the reality of the digital experience faced by employees continues to widen.

This is why effective communication software becomes a key investment for businesses’ performance—because nobody wants to be one of those guys, with the dysfunctional platforms and the indifferent employees.

Why internal comms tools are essential for business

So the bigger question: why are these business tools so important? Well, let’s start with what they actually accomplish.

Business communication tools, and more specifically, internal communication tools, are technologies or software applications designed for users, that allow organizations to communicate with their employees, customers, and other stakeholders. These tools help organizations manage the flow of information between different departments, teams, and people.

They also help businesses bridge any gaps in communication that may exist between different teams or departments, allowing employees to collaborate more effectively. Beyond that, internal communication tools, and more broadly, business communication tools, can be used to keep employees up-to-date on company news and changes, help them stay organized and productive, and provide feedback in real time. By investing in the right internal communication tools, businesses can ensure that all team members, stakeholders, and users are on the same page, which can lead to increased efficiency and productivity.

Whatever the size of the company, whether we’re talking big corporations or small businesses, the right business communication tools make a pronounced difference, and give companies a competitive edge.

What are the benefits, for effective business results? 

Business communication tools, when used for internal communication, can obviously have a positive effect on business performance and team members. But more broadly speaking, what are the tangible benefits of internal communication? Well, for starters, strong internal communication can result in:

Improved employee morale and engagement

Regularly communicating with employees encourages a positive work environment and keeps employees informed of their roles and responsibilities. One way internal communications can improve employee engagement for businesses is by promoting a sense of shared purpose. Basically, it helps people feel like they’re part of a team, that they belong.

Specifically, when employees have a clear understanding of the company’s mission, values, and goals, they can align them to their own professional aspirations and become more motivated to actively contribute and be part of the bigger picture.

This can be achieved through regular internal meetings or initiatives such as team-building exercises or standalone activities that allow co-workers to interact with each other in a meaningful way. Additionally, regular updates from senior management can help ensure employees are kept in the loop about new projects or changes within the organization—which gives them greater insight into how their role fits into the overall success of the business. And that is key!

To succeed at this, connecting with all employees—whether office or frontline workers—is absolutely essential. Everyone has to be included, and your communication solution needs to enable this.

With a business communication tool like Sociabble, for example, small businesses and big corporations alike can connect frontline workers, even those equipped only with personal mobile devices, in a secure and privacy-compliant way. And by doing so, ALL team members can connect to the company’s news in a safe fashion, and contribute to the company goals, whatever the job or the location. 

Enhanced team collaboration and productivity

Effective communication facilitates the sharing of ideas and resources between departments, leading to better decision making and increased productivity at many businesses. When communication runs smoothly via the right business tools, silos become a thing of the past, and users have their fingers on the company’s overall pulse.

Internal communications can help improve productivity within a company by providing employees with the information and resources they need to do their jobs well.

This includes setting clear expectations for tasks and projects, giving employees access to timely updates about changes in the organization, as well as providing resources such as training materials that can be used to develop new skillsets or stay up-to-date with industry trends.

Additionally, making it easy for employees to communicate with each other—both internally and externally—through tools like chat platforms or online forums, provides an efficient way for workers across different departments and teams to collaborate on tasks, and share messages and ideas.

This makes it easier to identify areas of improvement in processes, identify potential opportunities, and come up with innovative solutions that can benefit the organization.

Sociabble, for example, provides a chat feature with built-in translation capabilities that enables users from offices and departments anywhere in the world to stay in touch and connect via messages.

The possibility to host online meetings with the Live Broadcast feature also breaks down the distance and helps communications run seamlessly. As far as business communication tools go, Sociabble eliminates the barriers that prevent effective, real-time information sharing.

Deeper understanding of company objectives

A clear internal communication strategy ensures that everyone in the organization is aware of the company’s goals and mission statement. After all, a business needs everyone to be on the same page.

Internal communications can improve the understanding of strategy by fostering a culture of open dialogue and transparent communication. This includes having regular check-ins with employees about their progress and giving them more visibility into important decisions that will impact the company.

Additionally, senior management can use short videos and other multimedia content to explain the strategy in an engaging way that resonates with employees—while also providing additional resources such as e-books, job aids, or webinars if they need clarification on any areas.

Furthermore, setting up channels for employees to give feedback on the strategy, either through surveys or direct conversations, gives the organization valuable insights into how their workforce perceives it and if they believe they have the business communication tools they need to properly execute their objectives.

To facilitate this, Sociabble provides survey features that can be easily deployed to its employee users in just a few clicks. It’s possible to target a specific group or audience of users, and customize it in terms of anonymous or not anonymous answers, language and instant translations, duration, etc.

With Sociabble it is also easy for businesses to create and disseminate quizzes, to test comprehension and retention of learnings after seminars, trainings, or any event where important information needs to be understood.

Increased customer satisfaction

You know the saying: the customer’s always right. At least when it comes to running a profitable company. And proper communication within an organization can help ensure smooth processes for customers, ultimately resulting in higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Internal communications can improve customer satisfaction by providing employees with the information they need to better understand their customers and their needs.

This could include setting up an internal feedback system that allows employees to share insights they gain through customer interactions, as well as making sure everyone is aware of the latest developments in the market or industry that affect customer experiences and expectations.

Additionally, organizing company-wide meetings or training sessions where customer service representatives and other departments can come together to learn about each other’s roles can help give them a better understanding of how their efforts work together to deliver a great customer experience.

Finally, using internal newsletters or emails to keep everyone informed of any changes to policies or procedures related to providing great customer experiences can help ensure that customers are always receiving the most up-to-date information from your organization.

With Sociabble, a built-in newsletter engine provides templates and dynamic content options, and sending targeted, personalized dispatches to the workforce is never more than a few clicks away. Newsletters can even be customized to include your company’s logos, colors, and fonts, creating a more positive and unifying experience for users.

Improved competitive advantage

Everyone wants an edge. And an effective internal communication system can give a business a competitive advantage over its competitors by allowing it to quickly adapt to changes in the market.

How so? Well, internal communications can provide a competitive advantage by keeping employees informed of the latest industry trends and developments.

This could include providing regular updates on technological advances, regulations, customer demands, and other changes that could impact the organization’s ability to stay ahead of its competitors.

Additionally, transparently sharing insights gained from market research and data analysis can help ensure everyone is aware of challenges and opportunities relevant to their area of work—making it easier for users to create strategies that give their company a competitive edge.

Finally, regularly recognizing team efforts and successes can motivate employees to strive for better performance, while also creating an environment where innovation can thrive.

Sociabble, the employee platform is a great way to encourage precisely this kind of positive reinforcement thanks to its peer-to-peer praise features, badges for achievements and milestones, and the ability to acknowledge engagement with rewards, including CSR-based initiatives like Sociabble Trees, which recognizes users by planting trees in their name.

A new digital communication software solution to face new business stakes: the Renault Trucks case study

The advent of electric mobility in the truck business was a game changer for Renault Trucks, but it came with new business challenges, new skills to develop, and new dynamics to negotiate.

For Renault Trucks to not only be competitive in this new business environment, but actually lead the way, it was critical that all employees and network members were aligned and engaged, becoming well-informed, but also contributing their own creativity and ideas.

To assist in this initiative, Renault Trucks chose Sociabble as their communication platform, bringing their network together on a common communications hub. Via Sociabble’s communication software, they received critical news, but also had the chance to create and share their own content. This generated enthusiasm and got network members excited about new products, new innovations, and new ideas for the future.

And the results? 4,000 employees and network members, located in over 300 different points of sale, came together, and were united on the communication platform.

Sociabble, the effective platform to boost your business

It’s important for companies to consider investing in business communication tools when looking for ways to improve business efficiency. Internal communication tools in particular can bridge gaps between departments, keep employees informed, and help teams collaborate more effectively. Ultimately, investing in the right business tools can go a long way towards improving business performance, whether it’s for small businesses or larger organizations.

Sociabble has been recognized by clients and international analysts as one of the best communication tools available for employee communication and engagement. Thanks to its multiple functionalities—like content distribution per topic and audiences—it’s possible to align and engage all types of employees, be they office or deskless workers, for more effectiveness and added value.

Some of the Sociabble features include:

• an easy-to-use interface that allows teams to create content, share news and updates, and engage conversations via instant messaging on specific topics
• customized themes and channels, automated notifications, and integrations with other tools such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and employers’ intranets
• instant translation in more than 70 languages, of any content
• customized and automated newsletters, that can be tailored for a specific audience and their needs
• surveys and quizzes, personalized and targeting either the whole company or a very specific audience
• secure and data privacy-compliant group chat, allowing all employees to start conversations on a specific topic, in targeted groups, via messages
• insightful analytics so internal communication professionals can track engagement levels and activities across different departments or projects
• alerts and automatic notifications, as well as pinnable, must-read content options

If you’d like to learn more about Sociabble, just click the link below. We’ve already helped industry leaders like Coca-Cola CCEP, Primark, L’Occitane en Provence, and the Renault Group improve their employee communications, and we’d be happy to discuss ways we can help your organization, too.