Problems in Business Communication
Effective communication is essential to the success of your business. Many businesses create problems for themselves by poor internal communication. Poor communication can also give the impression that your business does not value its customers. Make the most of your business communication by avoiding these problems.
Other People Are Reading
-
Poor Tone of Voice
-
When customers call a business, they hope to get someone on the line who is helpful, friendly and positive. When you answer the phone, your tone of voice communicates a message to your customer in the first few seconds. Your tone of voice may let the customer know that you are excited about the opportunity to serve her and solve her problems. You may instead communicate that she is a bother and a waste of your time. If you make your customers feel this way, you will lose customers. Don't create a problem where none exists. Smile before answering the phone, and the customer will hear that smile in your voice.
Poor Listening Skills
-
If you don't listen fully to each message left by your customers, you will likely miss a key piece of information that will help you to solve his problem. Interrupting someone on the phone is rude, but it also shows your lack of willingness to help. Don't listen with the intention of gathering evidence to explain why your company is right and the customer is wrong. Instead, listen with an open mind and a willingness to change your viewpoint if you are wrong. When speaking with employees, don't assume you are right until you've heard the other side of the story.
-
Not Responding Promptly
-
In business communication, it is important to answer requests for information promptly. If a customer contacts you, he may be waiting on information from you before deciding to purchase your product or service. Even if you don't have the information he needs, respond quickly with a promise to follow up in a timely manner. An email auto responder delivers a quick response that communicates value to your customer. Check and respond to voice mails and emails at least once a day. If a customer waits longer than 24 to 48 hours for a response from you, you will likely lose his business.
Trust
-
Many customers approach business with their guard up. They are concerned that they won't receive the whole truth from you. People are concerned about hidden fees and unpleasant surprises. They are concerned that you will tell them anything to secure the sale. Don't promise something your company can't deliver, and offer a guarantee to reduce or eliminate the risk of doing business with you. Give customers a reason to trust you, and keep that trust by sticking to your word and fulfilling your promises.
Finger-pointing
-
In business, finding the cause of recurring problems is important. Sometimes, however, the fault finding becomes personal and unproductive. The goal of identifying mistakes should be correcting the problem going forward. Finding what went wrong and how to fix it is a much better use of time than finding out who is to blame.
-
