Some useful tips for effective communication in business [Archives:2005/826/Education]

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March 21 2005

Ms. Lakshmi Devi P K
Brand Manager
Citruss TV FZ LLC
Ten Sports Bldg, Dubai Media City
Dubai – UAE
[email protected]

Everything we do and say in business communicates something about our company to our customers. Some things are obvious and some things are

ever so subtle. Small businesses sometimes mistakenly think that they are

exempt from the more formal trappings of business, but that could be a fatal

mistake. Here are some tips for communication in business:

What do you do?:

When someone asks you this pertinent question, have a ready well rehearsed

response prepared. The response should give people the impression that you are a professional. Never say you do it part time! Even if you do! Tell them in a one or two sentence response exactly what you do in a way that piques their interest. Take some time and come up with something that works for you.

Email: Email is a fast becoming a vital and important method of communicating with our customers. You don't have to go anywhere and you have time to sit and contemplate the best communication to your customer. While you're contemplating, think on this: Your customer cannot hear your voice or see your facial expression and they cannot ask any questions for clarification. Be careful that you don't use language (words) that can be misconstrued. Guard against cracking jokes that may be taken the wrong way . Put yourself in their shoes before you type. Make sure you are clear. Pretend you don't know anything about your business and answer as if the customer is from another planet. Nothing yields frustration like an email that presupposes that your customer has full knowledge of your business!

Phone calls: Make sure to use good phone etiquette. When you call a customer, give your name and ask for the person you wish to speak with. Be clear, confident and courteous. Most of you know this. However, if you are a woman calling for another woman's husband, please -please -PLEASE tell his wife why you are calling or where you are calling from!)especially if he is not at home. Please do not let your children answer your business phone unless they are old enough to understand how to properly use a phone and take a message. AND GIVE YOU THE MESSAGE!

Business Cards: Get some! Carry them with you! Give them out! This communicates an air of professionalism and that you are prepared to do business. It creates opportunities to do business that you might not otherwise have as well.

Stationary: Most entrepreneurs understand the need for professional looking business cards, but some small businesses are still corresponding with their customers with plain white paper. It is so easy these days to create even a simple stationery with your business address and perhaps a logo of some sort with your PC.

Appropriate Attire: This one is pretty self explanatory. If you are going to meet with clients or customers, you should be dressed for the occasion. Some business encounters will call for more formal attire and some will be more casual. Make sure that your attire suits the occasion as well as the nature of your business.

Be prepared and on time: This one is for your peace of mind as well as your communication to your customer. If you are running late, you may appear disheveled and you may feel pretty darned disorganized. Make sure you bring everything with you that you need in a neat and orderly package. Do not run in with books falling from everywhere and notes scribbled on little pieces of paper that stick out from all sides of a worn out folder. This communicates to your customer that you don't respect their time, that you are not really prepared to do business properly with them or that you have too many responsibilities to give your customer the attention he/she requires and deserves.

Keep Your word: If you tell a customer that you will call at 2:30pm, call them at 2:30pm. If you do not yet have the answers you need for them, call them and let them know this. One of the fastest ways to communicate that your customer is not worth your time!

Customer Service/ Complaints/ Returns: This is one of the hardest parts of business. The one thing that ties every customer service call together is that the customer is allying because they are not happy campers. Understand that you will not be able to please everybody. Be calm, courteous and listen closely to what they are saying-not only to their words, but to their feelings behind their words (voice and facial expressions if possible). This will help you understand what they are really looking for you to do. Some customers will have a legitimate complaint: the product was defective; the service wasn't helpful or didn't work for them. These customers are merely looking for you to fix what is wrong. Usually you can diffuse these customers and make them satisfied customers by simply apologizing and rectifying. If you can somehow make good on your product or service, then do so. If you cannot, refund their money.

Some customers just have much too high an expectation for your product or service. They want it to do something that it was not designed to do. And some people are just complainers. Watch out for these customers! You will end up bending over backwards for them and they will only become angrier. Give them what you feel is fair or even more than fair. Tell them so. Be prepared for them to go away mad anyway. You can't please everyone, but if you are more than fair, you might be able to persuade these customers that you did everything you could have done, even though they didn't get exactly what they wanted.
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