Any business expert will tell you that better communication means fewer delays, disappointed customers, and increased productivity. That means a better bottom line and far less headaches!
The inability to communicate has always been a challenge at companies, and advances in technology that allow communication 24 hours a day, seven days a week have not made it any easier. In some ways, technology has just given us more ways to miscommunicate!
It doesn't matter whether you are a Great Communicator or a person who struggles to put thoughts into words, you can better manage your company and productivity by being aware of critical communication issues.
Here are five tips to improve your business through better communication.
1. Be aware of other people's communication problems.
Be it a client or a coworker, be aware of certain challenges they may face in communication.
A dyslexic coworker may be able to keep up most of the time, but it will be more difficult for him to read at the end of the day when he is tired. Leave a voicemail after 3pm.
Customers don't know how to use a keyboard, so don't expect long emails from them. Call or meet him when you need important information.
2. Solve your internal communication problems.
Most companies have a myriad of challenges when it comes to communication.
Write a weekly email newsletter to keep your employees informed of changes or issues.
Ensure all employees have the mobile number of each staff member available at all times.
Requires regular reports from uncommunicative employees.
3. Make meetings productive with agendas and reports.
Be it an internal staff meeting or a client, keep it on the agenda.
Nothing is accomplished in a staff meeting without focus, and an agenda helps with that.
Make sure each agenda item has a short amount of time to cover new business.
After the meeting, write a report, or minutes, so that everyone agrees with the decisions made during your time together.
4. Get it in writing.
This is a basic principle of business, but we all forget it from time to time.
Don't let someone walk past you in the hall at work and ask you to do something - tell them to email you.
Have clients sign off on work by emailing or faxing their approval.
Put everything in writing and make sure that anyone affected by the actions in the document knows their role and they write it down too!
5. Do not rely too much on technology.
Who hasn't been the victim of a broken hard drive, a cell phone dropped in a coffee cup, a misplaced PDA, or a stolen laptop?
As great as technology is, backup systems are essential. Make sure you have yours!
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