The communication used in a business can greatly influence the satisfaction of clients. Clients are linked to the business when they feel that the communication received is effective and serves them. Independent of the product or service provided, clients like to feel important and valued. By implementing good practices of speaking, phone calls, emails and texts, a business can maintain good relationships with their clients and likely gain more clients through referrals. Each one of these clients must be given a certain amount of attention so that they feel remembered. Maintaining frequent contact with clients is also an effective way to receive feedback, find any additional needs and review current business processes.
When speaking with clients, it is vital that things are timed properly. For example, using a story or personal experience and tying it back to the business pitch may help bring a client around to understand the importance of the product or service which the business provides. It’s necessary to take pauses when needed and especially after asking questions which require a certain level of reflection. The break in conversation will allow the client to engage their own thinking long enough to gain a deeper insight into why that certain product or service is important to them.
In addition to good speaking skills, there is etiquette on the phone which should be remembered on occasions when either the business owner or employee is engaging with a client. Number one, maintain honesty throughout the whole conversation. If there are questions without answers immediately available, simply explain that the question cannot be answered right away. Giving incorrect or false information over the phone will lead to further issues and break of trust between the client, their friends and the business. Second, speaking clearly and proper enunciation helps the client better understand the context of the conversation. In contrast, if a sentence or two is missed, it will become much more difficult on their end to respond back. Making it as easy as possible for the client to follow along will help build trust and gain their respect for the business. Lastly, answering the phone by three rings will give the client further trust that they are important. People who want to be heard over the phone will feel more important by the business when using proper etiquette.
Digital communication such as emails and text messages should be kept formal, direct and professional. First, greet the client with a proper salutation such as “Hello” or “Hi”, making sure to include titles and full spelling of names. Second, after writing your email, be sure to proofread for any grammar errors. Although spell checkers are available, they may not catch repeated mistakes which can appear careless. Lastly, give your recipient the right impression with a clear, direct subject line. For example, “Training meeting moved to 4/12” is better than “training rescheduled”. While subject lines are not often used in text messages, it is still imperative to formally address the recipient and make sure that the text is free of grammatical errors.
Making sure that things are spelled correctly, the recipient correctly addressed, in addition to the other suggestions previously mentioned will contribute to good communication within a business. This will help a business set themselves up for success and apart from their competitors. Focusing on these small details will yield greater long-term results, taking the business to the next level.