01.03.18
4 Ways to Take Your Communication to the Next Level
Karl R. LaPan, President & CEO, The NIIC
“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.”– Cool Hand Luke
Does your business suffer from this problem? Your product may be great, but if the communication is lackluster you may have a problem. Want to wow your clients in 2018?
According to Fast Company, “Powerful, persuasive communication leads to success—personal success, career success, and organizational success.” However, to avoid info-whelm, start your New Year’s resolution on the right foot by evaluating your communications strategy and employing these four crucial tips:
1. Deliver on speed. Speed is a differentiator and a small business advantage. Without the trappings of a large bureaucracy, entrepreneurs can be agile, market smart, and fast moving. Building this type of intentional culture from inception is critical to long-term success.
2. Small talk matters. Sure, “big talk” is the stuff of business, but small talk has a place, too. Regardless of your industry, you can take the time to chat with your clients as you would with friends or colleagues. People do business with people, not companies after all. So, anything you can do to set yourself apart can make a huge difference.
3. Rely on systems and processes. How do you manage and track customer touch points? CRM systems like Salesforce and customer support platforms like Zendesk and Freshdesk have gained popularity in recent years. Make sure your employees are trained best practices when handling customer communication. Customers expect transparent, authentic and open conversations.
4. Under-promise and over-deliver. No one wants to be “sold.” Instead, phrase your ideas as suggestions while outlining the pros, cons, features, benefits, etc. Ask them what they expect from the outset and don’t make any promises you can’t keep.
Good businesses know the importance of healthy client relationships and have policies and procedures aligned with their customer acquisition and retention strategies. From a bottom-line perspective, it costs four to ten times less to keep a client than to acquire a new one.
A little effort goes a long way, so this year, make a point to invest in high tech, high touch solutions to deepen important client relationships and to create enduring and memorable interactions. In 2018, what kind of communications culture do you wish to create in your organization?
