Workplace communication is essential to running a business. With the world so plugged in, it’s quite easy to correspond with others on a regular basis, as long as the power stays on that is. We are often heavily focused on what we are communicating through such as e-mail, phone, or text, that forget about the tone behind the type. While it’s great that you have email access and can contact clients or business partners anytime/anywhere, it’s also important in the way e-mails and messages are framed, so as to avoid any misconstrued interactions. Without seeing the faces or hearing someone’s tone of voice, e-mails and text can often be misunderstood. Here are a few ways you can communicate effectively and efficiently while also maintaining good rapport with your clients.
Professionalism
Business is… well, business. It needs to get done so that people get paid and projects get completed. All in all, it makes the world go round. But in order for business to get done, effective communication is a must. Business e-mails are a professional space, meaning, there should not be a constant string of emojis, gifs, or jargon used when talking with a client. E-mails should be brief and to the point with professional language and without curse words. There is a time and place for everything and business emails should remain business-oriented.
Accuracy
We’ve all done it. You know, that embarrassing moment when you send an e-mail that says “see attached” and then you never actually attach it? No one is perfect, and typos do happen but do yourself a favor, slow down. Re-read your e-mail, make sure that you uploaded that attachment, and double-check that you sent it to the right person and copied in the right people. Also, this includes meeting times and location information. Make sure you set the right calendar date and invite and that the meeting address is accurate. You won’t have a happy client if you set a meeting in the wrong place for the wrong time.
Responsiveness
In our current culture of instant gratification, we expect Amazon packages tomorrow and an entire season of the latest show to be available for binge-watching. Your clients also expect a snappy response from you. If you don’t want someone going to your competitor you should always respond promptly. In the event that you can’t give the situation your full attention, communicate! Tell them when you are available to respond in full or when you can call them at a time that is convenient for you both.
Effective communication is vital to the running and success of your business. Ensure professionalism, accuracy, and responsiveness with your correspondence and you will always have happy clients.
Photo by Peggy Anke on Unsplash.