“Reinvent yourself or die” has been the main motto for many businesses. It is undeniable that 2020 and 2021 have been years marked by the pandemic and by the incorporation of new technologies in business processes. Precisely one of the areas most influenced by this trend has been business communication. Due to the rise of hybrid working models in which we can find both in-office and remote workers, communication has been the key element to maintain an optimal level of productivity.
2022 will undoubtedly be the time when the factors that have made the difference in previous years will be consolidated. But what are these elements that will be claimed as trends in business communication during this new year? We’ll tell you about them below!
Artificial Intelligence (I): callbots and chatbots
Artificial Intelligence systems began to serve companies several years ago through their intervention in production processes. However, businesses are now discovering their full potential in terms of communication. These so-called virtual agents are allowing workers to dedicate themselves to tasks with greater added value.
Nowadays, it is very common to make a voice call to a company and be answered by a callbot who says something along the lines of “Welcome, how can we help you? “. Or even send a text message and be answered by a chatbot that provides a series of automated responses.
For many businesses, these systems have gone from being an add-on to a need, and by 2022 we will find that those that have not yet implemented them will do so. The reason is that they increase the efficiency of any customer service, because while they deal with the simplest and most frequently asked questions from users, agents will be able to perform other tasks, receiving the conversation only when the AI system does not find the answer.
Artificial Intelligence (II): call transcription, caller gender and language identification
In addition to interacting with the user, when it comes to business communication, Artificial Intelligence can have other uses that can be very useful for agents: transcription of calls and identification of the caller’s gender and language.
Thanks to the intervention of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems, machines are able to convert the words they hear into text and then process them to search for an answer in their internal memory. Once they have found it, they generate the text with the corresponding response and convert it back into speech thanks to the intervention of TTS or “Text To Speech” systems. In the case of a written conversation, the process is the same, but without the intervention of speech recognition procedures.
Moreover, the most sophisticated systems combine this process with machine learning, so that they are able to analyse the context and recognise phrases that fit the context. Throughout 2022, this trend will undoubtedly take hold in both voice and text message conversations, driving business communications.
In addition, features such as caller language and gender identification will help agents know in advance how they should address the customer and whether they are the right person to serve them, taking the customer experience to the next level.
Cloud platforms
In recent years, many companies have started on the road to digital transformation of their business. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen (and continue to see) the obvious need for tools that allow us to work from anywhere, whether in the office, at home or travelling. That is why, for many businesses, making the leap to communication systems that work over the Internet has been the first step.
However, we should point out that there are systems that work with a more advanced technology than others, allowing for greater mobility and flexibility. We are talking about WebRTC technology, which is typical for those platforms that are located entirely in the cloud and therefore are not associated with any physical device.
This technology for cloud platforms will play a very important role throughout 2022, as it is considered to be the future of business communication. The reason is that, precisely because everything happens in the cloud and not on a physical device, it facilitates communication via voice, video and chat from any device (computer, mobile or tablet). You simply need a stable internet connection to access a browser and manage your communications.
Collaborative and internal communication platforms
In 2020 and 2021, we have been forced to live with a hybrid working model in which we found workers in the office and others working remotely. This is why internal communication has played a key role in maintaining productivity, and will undeniably continue to do so in 2022, as remote working is here to stay.
When faced with such situations, any employee, wherever they are, must be able to communicate effectively, not only with customers, but also with the rest of the team so that cohesion is maintained and a clear and unified message is conveyed to the user.
For this reason, collaboration and internal communication tools have been and will be key. With an online communication platform like the one we offer you in Fonvirtual, you will be able to make voice and video calls with the rest of the team, as well as having access to an internal chat from which you can talk to any colleague in real time. All this from the same platform from which you manage interactions with your customers. You can also create broadcast groups, view the status of your colleagues (available, absent, out of service…) and even make calls to three, among many other possibilities.
In this way, in addition to adapting to new trends in business communication, we encourage teamwork, regardless of where each employee works from.
Real-time communication
At the same time that new technologies have influenced businesses, users’ preferences have also changed. That is why they now demand real-time communication.
While it is already common to find on many corporate websites a web chat from which customers can speak to an agent and solve their queries in a short time, it is expected that by 2022 most companies will have a web button that allows consumers to maintain real-time communication with the company and switch from written communication to voice or video communication in a simple, transparent and immediate way.
Instant messaging applications
Precisely because consumers’ preferences have changed, so have their demands. Customers expect quick responses from businesses, and instant messaging apps, such as WhatsApp API or Telegram, are perfect for this. As a result, they have become the key element of business communication for many businesses.
This will be a trend that will continue throughout the new year. All this without forgetting the people who still prefer to make a phone call to contact companies. Thus, linked to the rise of instant messaging applications are unified communications solutions, which allow you to manage all the channels through which you can reach customers from the same interface.
Constant connectivity and providing quality customer service are undoubtedly two of the main goals for companies in the new year. And the trends in business communication in 2022 will guide them in the process and enable them to move into the future.
