It’s no secret that communication is key to keeping your business running smoothly. When communication fails, then productivity crumbles. More than one business has fallen by the wayside due to a communications breakdown, or a persistent lack of communication.
Here are some ways that you can ensure that you keep the lines of communication open in your business, which will help you to be more productive and successful.
1. With Your Employees
The most obvious way that communication can fail in the workplace is between your employees. Everyone should be able to make their expectations clear from the hiring process onwards so that nobody is blindsided or disappointed at any point. Setting a good example right away will also reduce the chances of people slipping later down the line.
It also helps to ensure that morale is high, as if someone has a problem, they can feel free to mention it. Being approachable can save a manager or business owner a lot of pain, and it helps your employees to keep focused.
As well as communicating expectations well, your employees need to be able to effectively communicate during projects and other tasks. If there’s a problem, then people need to know about it so that they can do something to solve it.
Without good communication, things can get forgotten and ignored and small issues can evolve into huge problems that cost time and money. Communication ensures that these things don’t slip through the cracks.
If you’ve found that there’s a systematic problem with communication in your company, or it simply isn’t as good as it should be, then a communication skills trainer can help you to improve this issue in the workplace.
2. With Your Suppliers
The relationship between you and your supplier shouldn’t be neglected by any means. Simply put, you need your suppliers for your business to function and they need you as a client. Both parties should aim to keep the other one happy and the relationship strong.
The best way to achieve this is, unsurprisingly, good communication. Again, expectations from you and the supplier should be established right at the beginning of your relationship. Help each other out where possible. Your supplier can help your business to succeed, as long as you keep them on your side.
3. With Your Customers
Your customers and clients are the bread and butter of your business. A lot of emphases is often put on finding new customers, which is a necessary part of developing your company and ensuring it succeeds. However, this shouldn’t mean neglecting your current customers.
Repeat customers are far easier and cheaper to maintain than a constant stream of new customers. The best way to keep your customers is to provide them with an excellent service or product. True, product quality plays a part in this, but so does good communication and customer service.
Be transparent with your customers and tell them when things are going right or wrong. Use customer surveys to let them communicate with you so that you know how to improve your service and keep them on board.
