Technology and artificial intelligence are two of the defining characteristics of our time. In recent years, they have begun to revolutionise the business world as we know it.
From automating repetitive tasks to conducting market research and analysis, businesses are beginning to reap the benefits of these powerful tools. But what about communication? How is technology changing the way we communicate with our customers, employees, and partners? Let’s take a closer look.
Less Face-to-Face Interaction
In today’s business world, there’s less need for face-to-face interaction than there was in the past. Thanks to advances in communication technology, we now have more options for staying in touch with our colleagues than ever before. Email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and other tools allow us to interact with one another without ever having to leave our desks.
Of course, there are still some situations where face-to-face interaction is necessary. But as more businesses adopt remote work policies and invest in communication tools that facilitate remote collaboration, we can expect to see a decrease in the need for physical office space — and an increase in the number of people working from home or other remote locations.
Greater Personalisation
Thanks to data collection and analysis, businesses now have a greater understanding of their customer base than ever before. This data can be used to personalise communications in a way that wasn’t possible in the past.
For example, many businesses now use customer data to send highly targeted emails with personalised subject lines, content, and call-to-actions.
In fact, according to HubSpot, email return on investment (ROI) is a surprising $36 for every $1 spent, if performed correctly.
As businesses continue to collect data on their customer’s preferences and behaviours, we can expect to see even greater levels of personalisation in business communications. And with the help of AI, this process is only going to become more efficient and effective over time.
The Rise of Chatbots
One of the most visible changes in business communication is the rise of chatbots. Chatbots are computer programs that can mimic human conversation. They are commonly used to automate customer service tasks such as answering FAQs, providing product recommendations, or troubleshooting technical issues.
Chatbots offer a number of advantages over traditional methods of customer service such as phone calls or email. For one, they are available 24/7. This means that your customers can get help exactly when they need it, without having to wait for regular business hours. Additionally, chatbots can handle multiple conversations simultaneously, making them much more efficient than human customer service reps.
Of course, chatbots are not perfect. They can sometimes struggle to understand natural language and might give your customers less personalised service than a human would. However, as they continue to evolve, chatbots are becoming more and more adept at mimicking human interaction and are quickly becoming a staple of business communication.
The Power of Data
Another way that technology is changing communication in business is by giving us access to vast amounts of data. This data can be used to better understand our customers’ needs and wants, craft more effective marketing campaigns, and improve our overall communication strategy.
In the past, businesses have had to rely on gut instinct or limited customer surveys to make decisions about their communication strategy. However, with access to data from social media platforms, search engines, email providers, and more, businesses now have a wealth of information at their fingertips giving them insights that were previously unavailable.
This data can be used to improve everything from the subject lines of your emails to the timing of your social media posts. As a result, businesses are able to communicate more effectively than ever before.
Video Conferencing On the Rise
Video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Skype have become increasingly popular in recent years, thanks to their ability to connect people from all over the world in real time. With the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic impacting businesses worldwide, we expect this trend to continue.
AI is Being Used for Transcription and Translation Services
More businesses are using AI-powered transcription and translation services to make their meetings and calls more accessible. These services use speech recognition software to transcribe meetings and calls into text format, which can then be translated into different languages. This is particularly useful for businesses with employees or clients based in different countries.
The Rise of Wireless Internet and the NBN
Wireless internet is becoming more and more popular, as it offers a number of advantages over traditional wired connections. It’s more flexible, as you can take your devices with you when you move around the office or site. It’s also easier to set up, as there’s no need to run cables through walls or under floors. And, with the advent of 5G technology, wireless speeds are only going to get faster.
The NBN is also playing a role in changing communication trends in business. The rollout of the NBN is almost finalised, and it’s already starting to change the way businesses communicate. With fast download speeds and low latency, the NBN is perfect for VoIP (voice over internet protocol), video conferencing, and other real-time applications.
The only downside to our reliance on the internet is when the internet goes down. If you think there’s a problem with your internet connection that is stopping you from streaming your favourite show or connecting to colleagues via Zoom, there’s a simple diagnostic tool anyone can use. It’s called an internet speed test and they provide diagnostics on your network and what needs to be done to fix it.
Summary
Technology and artificial intelligence are drastically changing the landscape of business communication trends. From automated chatbots reducing the need for human customer service representatives to increased levels of personalisation made possible by data collection, the way businesses communicate with customers is evolving at a rapid pace — and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.