by The transmission of speech over a distance either by electric signals propagated along conductors or by radio signals; a type of telecommunication. Telephone communication permits conversations to be carried on between people (subscribers) separated by almost any distance. The sound waves of a subscriber speaking into the transmitter of a telephone set are converted into electric signals; these signals are transmitted over communications channels and then reconverted into sound waves in the receiver of the listener’s telephone set, thus reproducing speech. The switching of communications channels required to set up temporary connections between subscribers is carried out at central offices either manually, semi-automatically, or automatically.
Importance of Telephone Communication in Business
Person-to-person telephone calls do not command the primary communication role they once had back before the information age blossomed. Businesses have numerous other options for communicating now, such as email, texting and social media. Telephone communication may be slower than its new-media counterparts, but it still has benefits in an increasingly impersonal world. The telephone call, which connects a caller with a human voice, creates a connection that other media may lack and is still an important business component.
(i) Personal and Immediate
Short of talking with someone face-to-face, a phone call is the best way to get a personal response. If the person you called is available, you can take care of business on the spot. With other forms of communication, such as texting or email, you leave a message and hope for a quick response. Phone calls have a vocal backup in the form of voice mail. The caller can leave a detailed voice message, without the restriction of a certain number of characters or typing a text message on a tiny cell-phone keypad.
(ii) Communication is More than Words
A classic article on communication theory, “Inference of Attitudes from Nonverbal Communication in Two Channels,” named three components of effective communication: body language accounts for 55 percent of communication, voice tone for 38 percent and spoken words for just 7 percent. This analysis is still widely accepted as the basis for effective communication today.
On the telephone, the tone you use gives dimension and emotion to words, increasing the effectiveness of the communication. Certain body language, such as smiling and standing while talking, may come through in the conversation. Texting and emails are simply words open to interpretation by the receiver, without the benefit of voice tone or body language.
(iii) The Value of Interactive Communication
Teleconferencing calls bring people together from all over the organization at a fraction of the cost of travel and meeting facilities. Attendees can phone in using a toll-free number and access code to join a virtual conference room where members can interact with the moderator and other members. Conference calls can be used in conjunction with video conferencing to view presentations, ask questions via the internet and discuss answers with all attendees.
(iv) Phone Calls and Confidentiality
Some communications, such as condolences, disciplinary issues, sensitive and confidential issues, should be handled with a personal phone call. Taking the time to make a phone call carries more weight than an impersonal text or email. Without the opportunity for two-way communication, sensitive issues may be misinterpreted. Text messages and emails become legal documents and can be retrieved as evidence long after deletion. Some businesses monitor and record phone conversations between employees and customers for training purposes. Deleted voice-mail messages may not be retrieved and do not leave a record of the conversation.
(v) Safe Use of Phones
Making phone calls while driving may be hazardous, but Bluetooth technology makes hands-free dialing and conversation safe freeing up travel time to provide availability for business calls. Texting and emailing while driving are hazardous and, in some states, illegal.
SMS Communication
Stands for “Short Message Service.” SMS is used to send text messages to mobile phones. The messages can typically be up to 160 characters in length, though some services use 5-bit mode, which supports 224 characters. SMS was originally created for phones that use GSM (Global System for Mobile) communication, but now all the major cell phone systems support it.
While SMS is most commonly used for text messaging between friends or co-workers, it has several other uses as well. For example, subscription SMS services can transmit weather, news, sports updates, and stock quotes to users’ phones. SMS can also notify employees of sales inquiries, service stops, and other information pertinent to their business. Doctors can receive SMS messages regarding patient emergencies.
Fortunately, text messages sent via SMS do not require the recipient’s phone to be on in order for the message to be successfully transmitted. The SMS service will hold the message until the recipient turns on his or her phone, at which point the message will be be sent to the recipient’s phone. Most cell phone companies allow you to send a certain number of text messages every month for no charge. Though it would be a good idea to find out what that number is before you go text message crazy.
Facsimile Communication (FAX)
A fax transmits data electronically over a network connection. Originally this network connection was an analog telephone line, but now the Internet is also being used for this purpose. A document to be sent is treated as an image, scanned and converted into bits and transmitted over the line by the facsimile machine. The facsimile machine on the receiving end takes the whole message in terms of bits and then converts it into image. This image is either displayed onscreen or printed for the user on receiving end to read. Facsimile technology is still in use, but has largely been replaced by email.
