Business Reporting: Technology Changes Things!

It's report time!  Like it or not, business professionals eventually find themselves writing many reports. Most reports place an emphasis on analyzing problems, assessing facts, suggesting solutions, stating progress or just providing information.  Since these reports help management stay informed and make decisions, they are a vital part of the organization.

Reports can be simple or very complex.  Some may be a single page while others are hundreds of pages.  Routinely reports are delivered as typeset documents. However, technology continues to break traditional trends.  Digital formats such as email, PDF files, slideshows, and apps are becoming more common methods of business report delivery.  With the push to "go green", electronic methods are being adopted quickly as preferred standards.

Do you remember when email was not consider to be an "official" document?   I do. Things had to be "in writing" with a signature. A printed email was not acceptable because it didn't contain that scribbled signature.  Then one day, email became official without the scribble!  

Reporting can become more efficient by incorporating technological aspects.  For instance, hyperlinks to Web sources can provide depth and flexibility to traditional methods of reporting. Technology continues to move us toward more efficient ways of doing and thinking. Businesses are no longer limited to mortar and brick nor should they be limited in how they deliver business reports.

Sales Messages: Direct mail vs Email

Sales messages are used to promote specific products and services. Companies continuously strive to develop marketing strategies to reach their ideal customers. In doing so, direct mail and email campaigns usually play a huge part in prospecting and nurturing customer relations. Let’s take a look at how the two compare.

   EMAIL

Faster.   Email can be typed and delivered in a few seconds after clicking the SEND button.  Direct-mail takes a minimum of a day and possibly up to weeks to arrive.

Cheaper.  Email doesn’t require any printing, addressing, postage stamps or trips to the post office.

Easier.  Email messages can be created, duplicated and distributed to multiple people simultaneously with a simple click of a button.  Email can also be automated to send messages at a future date.  With messages flowing with less intervention, marketing teams can dedicate time in other areas.

   DIRECT MAIL

Powerful. Direct mail is slower than email but it is personalized and tangible, actually touched by the recipient.  It can be kept, shared or passed on to others.

Acceptable.  Regardless of whether direct mail is considered by some to be “junk mail”, it is still accepted as normal.  However, unsolicited email is viewed as a problem. Often email is deleted without being read or blocked by spam filters.

Noticeable.  When comparing daily email items received to daily direct mail items received, the direct mail is generally less.  Therefore, direct mail will likely be more noticeable when it arrives with fewer competing items. 

While faster, cheaper and easier may be preferred, thought has to be given to the overall concept. Creating a powerful, acceptable and noticeable campaign may be more beneficial or effective. Most likely, business will use both direct mail and email to promote their brands and build customer relations. Determining which is most effective and when they should be used will depend greatly on the response received from each campaign.

Business Communications: Is 'Indirect Strategy' Ethical?

Products arrive late, service performance disappoints, bills are mishandled or customers are misunderstood.  Sound familiar?  Even the best businesses often respond to these or similar issues. 

After enrolling in a college business communications course, I was surprised to find techniques are actually taught on delaying or buffering bad news.  When a business intentionally delays bad news, they are using an indirect strategy.  Personally, my mother taught me many years ago not to just blurt out bad news because it may hurt someone’s feelings.  But, is it ethical for businesses to use this approach when responding to a customer’s request?

Delivering disappointing news is not easy or pleasant but, if done effectively, it can be gratifying.  As a business communicator, you must consider your goals and analyze how the customer may react.  By delaying bad news, the blow is softened and allows time for the customer to be receptive to your explanation.

In using an indirect strategy, the motive is NOT to deceive, hide or misrepresent the truth.  Actually, it is about being ethical, showing compassion and expressing sensitivity while remaining an effective communicator.  Besides, everyone knows mom is always right!