Communication is one of the most critical pieces of a business model. It has a much more significant impact on sales and general workplace energy than most people recognize. Poor communication in a team project will always result in failure, and poor contact with clients will always result in dissatisfaction.
If you want to make a difference between the satisfaction of your clients and customers, you have to be able to speak with them with knowledge, confidence, and positivity. These essential communication skills will make the difference in your success and give you a massive edge over your competition.
If you want to learn how to successfully communicate with your customers, read on to learn more tips and tricks.
Respond swiftly to customer inquiries
Don’t respond in a timely fashion; get to them right now! Although the typical business day is from 9-5, many of your customers will want answers outside of those traditional hours. If you are busy running the business on your own, you may be unavailable at all times. While that may seem entirely understandable, it may not be to your customers. Having a 24-hour customer service line, online chat service, or an email made exclusively for answering customers’ questions are the best tools for responding quickly. Purchasing a virtual phone number for your business will give your customers a direct line to your customer service representative or business, as well. The best part of virtual phone numbers is that they can be forwarded to any line at any time, so if you aren’t in the office to answer questions, their phone calls can be sent to someone that is, or to your mobile, if that works. That way you never have to miss a phone call. Plus these virtual phone numbers come with automated menus, and features that allow you to convert voicemails into emails. If you absolutely must let a phone call go to voicemail, be sure that you are clear in your voicemail responses. Voicemail messages should include your business hours, the best time to reach you, and what details they should leave in the message so you can have the problem resolved by the time you get back to them at a more convenient time. For your email, set up an automatic response that their request was received and that you will get back to them as soon as possible, or direct them to a phone number that they can call in the meantime if it is urgent.
Get to know your clients
Your company may be what attracts your clients and customers at first, but it is the people that you employ that gets them to return. Building relationships and hiring people that can turn small talk into conversations are crucial to making your business successful. After all, without customers, your company will fail.
Treat your customers with respect
While the customers are coming to you with questions about the product or you are selling them services based on your expertise, respect should be the foundation of your interaction. Because although they want your product or service, they ultimately decide whether or not to buy. When you are working with a client on a project, take time to discover their goals and keep in constant touch with them. That way you can avoid any confusion with the final project and flush out any roadblocks that may come out during the planning process. Also, never deviate from the plan without informing the client first. And when you present your ideas, it is a good idea to introduce any ideas with a list of pros, cons, and associated risks. That way you can lean them towards what you think will work while still giving them a variety of options to choose from.
Use a project management tool
There are many free project management softwares available for businesses to choose from that will help your business exponentially when dealing with multiple clients. These systems are set up to put your clients first and to ensure that project details don’t fall through the cracks. Project management tools provide a way to lay out a plan, and they make collaboration easy between project members. This is especially useful if you are collaborating with partners across time zones. When looking for software for a project-management tool, be sure that you choose one that allows you to share the process with your clients and team members directly. When a client has access to the process, such as meeting times and scheduling, in real time, this builds trust and shows that your business can be transparent and truthful with their clients.