Communication -- there never seems to be enough. And, just when you think you've delivered the message, someone didn't get it.

So, how well do you communicate with your employees? And, how well can they speak on your behalf?

Employees are by far a company's best marketing tool. And, yet, if they aren't properly informed, it's a missed opportunity (at best) and a detriment to business development (at worst.)

OK, you say you put out a newsletter to your staff and you send them endless emails about what's going on in your company. They should have the information, right?

Probably not. Today, there a so many new ways to deliver messages that employees just don't exclusively rely on the old ways any longer. Texting, instant messaging, Intranets, social networking and even micro-sharing are emerging in many companies as the best ways to communicate information to workforces.

That's not to say they've completely abandoned older methods. Instead, they're supplementing tried and true communication vehicles with the new tools available to them.

What works and will work in each company is determined by its employees -- the users. So, it's important to ask your employees on a regular basis about what kind of communication vehicles they rely upon and prefer.

A communication audit can be a very helpful way to comprehensively flush out what forms of communication to employees currently exists within your company -- those you know of and those you don't -- and what opportunities there are for improving upon what's already done. An audit should analyze current efforts, evaluate those efforts and identify opportunities for improvement through quantitative and qualitative research, consider best practices within and outside of your industry, and review state-of-the-art communications that can be implemented today or down the road.

The audit is a good first step. Now, what can you do that will have the largest impact?

With all of today's technology, employees will tell you every day that the most successful communications efforts are the personal ones. Face-to-face communication is the best way to convey messages and to get instant feedback. So, that means create many opportunities -- formal and informal -- to meet with and hear from employees. And the key to successful face-time communications is to spend more time listening than talking.

While it's never easy, keeping on top of employee communications will reward you with an informed, educated and knowledgeable workforce, employee loyalty and high employee satisfaction. And that's something companies can bank on!