Safe and Secure Means of Business Communication

Business communication involves various means of sharing information with people within and outside the organization. In the digital-driven workplace, secure and robust communication strategies are crucial to productivity and good customer relations. From top management memos to project deadlines and customer communications, there are numerous reasons why a business should secure communication methods to communicate internally and externally. Part of running a company means protecting your employees’ and clients’ data. Understanding the availability, affordability, benefits, and drawbacks of various communication options will help a business choose secure and convenient tools. 

SMS

In a world that loves novelty, a humble SMS has stood the test of time. SMS remains the most popular, affordable, and ubiquitous way for business communication. It is predicted that by 2020 SMS will have an expanded reach, and 48.7 million clients will opt to receive business SMS.

To ease sending and receiving SMS, you can integrate an SMS API to your business application. This enables you to send SMS messages all over the world with backup solutions. The API makes text message communication cheaper as you can buy bulk messages and even install a prepaid plan where your clients can send back feedback for free. People can view SMS as a nuisance in some cases. Therefore, you have to create very informative content. 

Whether you are scheduling an appointment, waiting for a ride from Lyft, or just getting notifications about your pizza delivery, it feels good to be kept in the loop. Mass texting campaigns shouldn’t be about your brand, they should be about the customer. You can make your text updates helpful and interesting so customers have a reason to stay on your list. Offering exclusive promotions, deals, or coupons will go a long way to maintaining your list.

Face to Face Conversations

While technology is an excellent tool for communications, businesses still value face-to-face conversations. Verbal communication is used to express opinions, discuss ideas, persuade listeners, and relay orders. Your team members have different preferences and personalities, and some may be more comfortable dealing with issues on a one-on-one basis. However, one-on-one conversations are not always possible, especially when people are not in the same geographic location.  

Your client will be happier when talking to your marketing personnel in person compared to that email sent to her. Also, face-to-face communications are relatively safe. In-person conversations between employees will help solidify the team and build trust within the organization.

The most significant benefit of in-person conversations is you can interpret non-verbal cues and study body language to get immediate feedback. To ensure your communication is private, you have to converse in a secure location or private room. 

Chat Apps

There has been an emergence of many chat apps that offer a quick form of conversing. Some apps like WhatsApp have end-to-end encryption that ensures the security of the app. The majority of these apps have a mobile and desktop version, which increases their flexibility. 

Phone calls

Phone systems have been used in business communication for a long time. You may be wondering why they remain an invaluable business communication tool. After video calls, voice calls are the closest form of one-on-one conversation. Both communicators can get immediate feedback. It also offers real human interaction and gives your company a personal voice that clients can associate with. 

Like other means of communication, phone calls can be tapped by the authority to obtain a warrant. Passive surveillance could also be happening on your phone, which means that your phone data, such as messages and phone records, are not safe. In many states, recording phone calls are legal as long as the parties involved are aware. Data stored on your phone can be hacked using spoofing and social engineering, a process commonly referred to as SIM card hijacking.

To secure your communication, ensure there is encryption between the communicating devices. Many providers offer these services. Consider Plivo as compelling option among various communication platforms, such as Exotel, offering robust phone and SMS services designed to meet the needs of businesses.

Emails

People love using emails because it is a form of documenting communication. People should be careful with what they send via email, as it can be used as evidence in court. Emails offer flexibility as they can be used to communicate with one or many individuals in different locations. This mode of communication is cheap and convenient. Email breaches are prevalent these days. Recently, more than 773 million outlook emails were compromised. Beyond violations, emails are subject to data analysis and advertising. However, emails for personal use such as Gmail allow advertisers to send adverts based on your email contents. You cannot be assured of privacy since the management and IT personnel can view your emails.

The ideal means of business communication will be dictated by the availability, affordability, and security. Sensitive information will call for more secure means.