The COVID situation has forced the whole world to switch to remote work, which has led to a rapid transition of business communications to the digital world. Today, the vast majority of work meetings and events take place on Zoom. Instead of business cards, people exchange links on LinkedIn or share a digital business card via email or messenger.
Even office workers now message colleagues sitting just a few steps away, while most freelancers have never met their clients or teammates in person. In this digital era, professional skills alone are not enough, and online communication is equally essential. Without non-verbal cues, building trust becomes more difficult, which is why having a clear strategy is critical.
Why Business Relationships Matter More Than Ever
Business communication combines organisational interaction, mutual influence, and understanding to achieve results. Modern business communication has now almost completely moved online: face-to-face meetings between employees and partners have become optional, and in some cases, impossible.
This shift raises new questions: how to run effective video calls, avoid overloading colleagues with messages, and manage overflowing inboxes. However, despite its challenges, the digital environment has broadened opportunities, allowing entrepreneurs and managers to work with partners and clients worldwide without ever meeting in person.
Adapting to digital communication while preserving personal contact is now key to building trust. In some cases, exchanging accurate and complete business card information in digital form replaces the traditional in-person introduction, ensuring contacts remain organised and accessible.
New Channels of Business Communication
Until 2020, email dominated business communication, but video conferencing and instant messaging have since moved to the forefront. Video calls quickly replaced many face-to-face meetings. Psychologists even coined the term Zoom Fatigue for the emotional exhaustion caused by endless online conferences.
Over time, explicit norms for video calls have emerged, and many companies now set their own rules. Some require that if even one participant can’t attend in person, the entire meeting be held online to avoid excluding remote employees. Erica Dhawan, author of “Digital Body Language”, suggests giving those employees a moderator role when everyone else is in the room.
Digital minimalists advise reducing the number and length of video meetings, for example, starting at 1:10 p.m. and wrapping up in 50 minutes instead of an hour, and structuring the agenda so participants not involved in later topics can leave early.
Instant messengers have also taken on a bigger role in workplace communication. In the office, employees can solve many issues with a quick chat by the water cooler; during lockdown, messengers replaced those moments. At the same time, phone calls are increasingly viewed as intrusive, and etiquette experts now recommend arranging them in advance.
Shift in Business Communication Pace
Since communication has moved to messengers, the speed of communication has increased. While email involves asynchronous communication (each person responds when it is convenient for them), messengers require a faster response. It is better to respond to emails within 24 hours and to messages in messengers within a few hours.
At the same time, if a message shows as read, the sender often expects an immediate reply. This expectation speeds up communication, trapping us in a cycle where every quick response triggers the next. Breaks become impossible – as soon as we answer, a new message arrives, and if we delay, reminders follow. The result is a relentless, never-ending flow of communication.
“Following group chat at work is like being in an all‑day meeting with random participants and no agenda. It’s completely exhausting,” says Jason Fried, CEO of Basecamp, in his book “Don’t Go Crazy at Work.” Gradually, new norms and rules of ethical communication are emerging that help slow down communication, keep us sane, and maintain personal boundaries. Here are some of the main ones.
- Avoid discussing work matters outside of office hours. Such messages disrupt work-life balance and may signal to colleagues or partners poor time management or self-organisation.
- Do not expect an immediate reply. Everyone has the right to communicate asynchronously and respond at their convenience.
- Send voice messages only with prior consent, as they require more time and focus than text.
- Avoid breaking a single thought into multiple short messages, which can overwhelm the recipient with notifications.
- Agree in advance on the channels for work communication and stick to them. For instance, if you’ve chosen Slack, do not use social media chats or other messengers for the same purpose.
Technology in Business Communication
Technology plays a key role in business relationships – it allows you to respond faster, keep partners informed, and maintain transparency in joint work. But to do this, you need to choose the right tools and use them correctly. The right digital solutions can strengthen trust and make collaboration smoother at every stage.
1. Identify and prioritise key tasks. Before implementing CRM or a new collaboration platform, answer the following questions: what problems does it solve, what processes does it speed up, and how will it affect interaction with partners?
2. Keep the number of services to a minimum. Too many disparate tools create confusion. Ideally, you should integrate 2-3 systems: for example, CRM linked to a calendar and a video call service.
3. Set up uniform working rules. For the technology to work, all participants must understand where to find the information they need, how to book meetings, and which channel to use to discuss tasks.
4. Use technology to build trust. CRM helps you remember previous promises and return to essential issues at the right moment. With modern CRM systems, you can track conversation history, preferences, and joint projects, which makes it easier to tailor messages to each recipient.
Artificial intelligence tools, such as a virtual assistant chatbot, can help maintain contact with potential customers and clients even outside of business hours. They can answer typical questions, assist users with basic processes, and ensure that no request goes unanswered. However, they work best as a supplement to human communication, not a replacement for it.
With the rise of AI agents and conversational AI, these assistants are becoming more capable of handling complex requests while preserving a personal touch. Online calendars allow partners to choose their communication times, which shows respect for their schedules. Collaboration platforms provide transparency on tasks and deadlines, eliminating misunderstandings.
In some workflows, AI-powered tools such as NoForm AI can also streamline onboarding and client communication, making interactions smoother and less time-consuming for both sides. As we can see, the key to success lies in using these tools to enhance genuine interaction, rather than automation.
Conclusion
The speed of communication is increasing. Still, it is within our power to restrain this rapid flow and protect our right to disconnect, our boundaries, and the balance between work and personal life. Setting clear rules for availability helps maintain productivity without sacrificing well-being.
Successful relationship management in the digital age is not about replacing human connections with technology. It is about using technology to improve, expand, and enrich the connections that contribute to business development. When applied thoughtfully, digital tools can turn every interaction into an opportunity to build trust and long-term partnerships.
