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5 Steps to Improve Communication With Your Clients

by: sharktooth on Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 Time: 3:51 AM

We communicate in so many ways every moment of every day, but in business our communication style is a marker of our integrity and professionalism. So many business owners do not understand why customers fade away, and most often it is due to ineffective or inadequate communication practices. Here we will take a look at ways to make sure your customer knows exactly what you want them to hear.

Listen

The first step in communicating effectively is to listen. Stop talking, sit back and open your ears. Chances are you will hear things from your client that you didn’t expect. Maybe they have questions about your product or service that you though they were already clear on. It is amazing what you can learn if you just stop talking for a moment and pay close attention to someone else. Some people feel easily bulldozed, in other words they will not speak up if the other person appears to be doing all the talking - even if it is important. Just being silent for ten seconds can prompt a usually quiet person to open up and tell you what they are concerned about. Creating a rapport with your customer is so important in keeping them engaged, and that can only happened if you actively listen to them.

Don't Ramble

Everyone's time is valuable, so is communication, so learn to strike a balance between rambling and offering too little information. Get your main points across, without being overly brief, but do not throw in the kitchen sink. Active listening applies well here, once you have said what needs to said, stop and see what the client has to say in response. More is accomplished in less time with this method, plus you won't have to backtrack when you have said too much. Some people tend to ramble when they get nervous. If you do this, just stop and take a deep breath. Not only will you stop talking, but the moment it takes to breathe may allow the client to offer their own input on the subject at hand.

Don't Get Personal

There is a fine line between creating rapport and getting too personal. Even seasoned business people can make the mistake of getting too involved with their clients. Try to keep it professional, create your own boundaries on which subjects you will discuss and which you will not. Remember, this is business communication, not a friend or relative. It is not the time to discuss personal problems or discuss office gossip. If your client chooses to be more personal than they should, listen politely and be empathetic, but steer the conversation back to business matters as soon as politely possible.

Be Nice

Everyone has a bad day once in awhile. No one can be Suzy-Sunshine all the time either. If a client chooses you as their punching bag that day (regardless if it was warranted or not), keep your temper in check. It is easy to get defensive or fight back, but all it will do is shut down communication and probably kill the relationship you worked so hard to foster. Never use your clients as a sounding board either, no matter how understanding they may seem. You never know when you will say too much and the information could be used against you.

It's Not All About You

Each person has their own style of communication. Some are subtle, some are overt and others have difficulty decoding social cues. In addition, we all have our own unique perspective. So if you think you have been crystal clear about an issue, but the client is getting impatient - do not take it personally. Perhaps they had a bad experience with someone that you remind them of and they just cannot hear you. Or maybe they need to learn what active listening is. Just do your best to be clear, ask the advice of colleagues or perhaps use different methods of communication.

How we interact and communicate says everything about how we do business. If there isn’t enough communication, then perhaps we do not service our customers or neglect our product. If we communicate too much, maybe we are pushy and too sales minded. Strike a balance between talking and listening, be nice and don’t take everything personally. Then other businesses and customers will know you are a company with integrity and values.

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