Communication is vital for any business to survive, let alone thrive. From internal communications to communicating with customers and stakeholders, it can contribute to productivity, sales, and the overall success of the business.
Benefits of good communication
There are many reasons why communication is vital for any business to function, for example, it can:
- Increase employee and customer engagement
- Increase employee productivity
- Increase customer satisfaction
- Decrease unnecessary, irrelevant communications and email overload which increases the chances of important information being seen quicker
- Improve collaboration and teamwork between teams and departments
- Improve advocacy between employees and customers
- Improve the company morale
Now it has been established why communication is vital in business, here are some top strategies and tips to improve communication.
Make the business mission and values clear to employees and customers
You could have the best employees in the world, who want your business to succeed. But without intention, initiative, or direction on where to go, you can limit your business growth.
Regardless of the size of your business, when the mission and values of the business are clear and communicated throughout all employees, stakeholders, and customers, it can help and improve how people work together. When there is an increased understanding of the bigger picture and the goals they are working towards, there is more value, efficiency, and continuity with the work and communication. By making the business mission and values clear, you allow people within your organization to connect with the business and be guided with strong values to motivate and drive employees’ work, and in turn, your business forward.
Making your business mission and values clear, can also help drive more, high-quality sales as it allows customers to get to know you better and find some common ground. Your clear mission could be the reason why someone chooses your business over your competitors.
Make all information known and accessible
Whether it is protocols, preparing contracts, industry news, or general best practices, all the important information about your business and how it runs must be communicated from the start. This can help your employees, or anyone associated with your organization, work more efficiently and with fewer errors. This can easily be implemented with streamlined processes that are documented, an online platform, or initial and ongoing training made available to those who want it. When people are more equipped about the business, best practices, and the industry as a whole, it can drive confidence and teamwork, as well as increased sharing of valuable insights that are vital in helping your business grow.
Open and honest environment
Many businesses champion an open and honest culture in the workplace, but do your employees and clients truly feel listened to and that they can speak up without retribution? If people do not feel they can be open and honest, and voice their concerns regardless of the topic, they will continue to do things the same way and potentially stunt your business growth.
It is important to acknowledge that there is always room for improvement, and your employees and customers are right in the thick of things, so can shed some light with their unique experiences on areas that can provide huge opportunities for your business.
To promote an open and honest workplace, you must proactively ask your employee’s and customers’ opinions, listen and respond, and where necessary, take appropriate action. Avoid being condescending or confrontational, as your employees only want the best for the business and this can deter any honest communication in the future and therefore, miss important opportunities. People must feel comfortable speaking up and this must actively be encouraged.
Useful and efficient tools
Many different tools can be used within a business to facilitate better communication, from project management systems to IT infrastructure. All organizations will inevitably use systems and tools that will either make working and communication more efficient or will be causing a detrimental effect on the companies performance. This is because it is likely that the majority of internal and external communication is done online. Online systems are where contracts are drawn up, invoices are generated and paid, networks are managed and employee collaboration and customer interaction occurs. Inefficient tools can lead to more errors, timely delays, and in turn, diminish trust with employees, customers and stakeholders while costing you a fortune.
There are many companies, such as www.bcmone.com that offer tailored solutions that can make connectivity, communication, and collaboration within a business easy and cost-effective.
Organize External events
Team building events are probably one of the best investments you can make as a business.
Your employees, stakeholders, and customers are the glue that holds your business together. The office likely is where your employees will spend most of their time, so it is important to create an amicable and pleasant environment. This means that connectivity, collaboration, and teamwork are vital, not only for company morale but for the growth and efficiency of your business. For people to work well together, relationships must be built on trust and communication.
A great way to facilitate better communication in the workplace is to organize external events. This can be for employees, customers, or stakeholders alike. External events are a great way for people to get to know each other outside of the workplace and have something to look forward to. This can be a party, a team-building day, or simply a nice meal out. A team-building event can increase engagement amongst people as they usually involve spending time together, working towards a common goal of sharing experiences, which can allow for the creation of special bonds, which don’t always happen in the workplace or board meetings when everyone is busy and professional.
With the right tools and strategies, improved communication has the power to transform your business, make processes more efficient, boost morale and increase overall employee and customer satisfaction. As it can take time for your business to adopt these strategies, start by reviewing where your business currently stands and what improvements you can make within your means, that can create the most impact. Then you can start to change systems and processes one by one.
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