The Do’s and Don’ts of Business Communication

September 17th, 2012

As a small business owner, your customer base is the most important asset to your business. By earning respect from customers, gaining credibility, and maintaining a good brand image, a business is nearly destined to grow. How exactly, can you reach this? Read the ensuing article for the solution!

Communicating efficiently is key to good customer relations. If good communication skills are not taken into account, a business is doomed to failure. The following points explain the do’s and don’ts of an efficient company communication strategy.

Do

Do Listen Attentively

This is key to understanding and interacting with your customers. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted or leave it to the low end of your priorities. Focus all your energy on listening to your customers in order to act efficiently and avoid misunderstandings. Your website should have tools for listening to customers. Add a forum for discussion or a guestbook page for clients to write to you personally!

Do Tell the Truth

Of course you’d like to portray your product or service as leading in its field, just don’t get carried away! It’s okay if customers discover room for improvement, you can thank them for their observation and use it for further developments. The main idea is that you make sure customers know what is really going on. If they feel cheated, your brand name will suffer.

Do Be Brief

Our communication in general is becoming shorter and faster so keep your messages short and to the point. You can use Twitter to send a short message to the public, so add a Twitter button to your website. Remember that silence can also be a powerful communication tool, so use it when appropriate.

Do Use ‘I’

Don’t be afraid to speak from your point of view. It shows expertise, confidence and accountability. Take a stand and say “I believe this…” or “I’m responsible for that…”

Don’ts

Don’t Bash your Competitor

Speaking negatively about a competitor is just a lousy way of trying to appear superior in the market. In the eye of the reader or listener, it generates the opposite effect. We strongly recommend to avoid this at all cost.

Don’t Use Jargon

Clients, especially new ones, are probably not experts in the field. (Which is why they turn to you!) Heavy jargon or technicalities may cause confusion and frustration, leading your prospective clients to give up early in your business proceedings and even feel cautious to trust you. So be simple in your words and descriptions. Remember, images always clear up any doubt so add a photo gallery to your website.

Don’t Let Your Emotions Rule

As in all areas of human interaction, there is a risk of conflict in light of business communication. The key here, in order to protect your image and maintain credibility, is to stay cool, calm, and collected even in the face of conflict. This being the most difficult of all actions, we assure you that practicing this rule of thumb brings its rewards.

If you’re interested in more business communication tips, take a look at the article on communication on social networks.

Check out the guide on How to make a website for small business easily