Communicating with your customers is one of the most important things you need to get right for your business. Failure to do this can make customers frustrated and it can see your business crashing to the ground.
You must make sure that at every step of the way you are taking the time to communicate effectively. This is not always easy especially if you’re a small business with limited resources.
However, there are some things you can do to make everything go much more smoothly. Here are some options that you should have at the top of your list.
Listen Actively
The first thing you’re going to do is make sure that you skyrocket your communication with your customers and ensure that you are listening actively. When you have in-person communication with them you must show them that you are thorough and engrossed in what they are saying.
You need to make sure that you maintain eye contact with them. This conveys that you are engaged and interested in the conversation. You can do verbal cues such as saying “I see”, “I understand” or “go on” to show that you are listening to them. This makes them feel important and valued.
Make sure you are avoiding interruptions as well. Your customers want to feel as if they are the center of your world and you should make them so.
Use Clear and Concise Language
Avoid jargon and complex terminology when you’re communicating with your customers. You need to make sure you’re using a language that is very simple and easy to understand. Don’t talk in ways that completely fly over their head.
You need to make sure your message is clear so that you can avoid misunderstandings. The first thing you need to do is be direct and get to the point very quickly without any form of unnecessary elaboration. If you are communicating with them by the written word you want to make sure that you’re using bullet points to help make things very clear.
You don’t want to squinting and scratching their heads trying to figure out what you are going to say to them. When you are speaking to customers make sure you are checking for understanding by asking questions and sending feedback. Try to pull your customers out from their shells to find out what they are thinking.
Personalize Communication
You should personalize communication as much as you possibly can. For example, when you are using emails to send messages, use your customer’s name whenever possible. You can even reference past interactions to show them that you remember your previous conversations with them. This will help
to make them feel seen.
Have Several Avenues of Communication
You need to make sure that you have several avenues of communication available to customers at all times. Email is one of the most standard forms of communication you can put forward, but you can also make sure that you have chat, and SMS text messaging to send text reminders to name a few.
When you have many avenues of communication you are making it easy for your customers to have zero frustration when they try to contact you. Nothing destroys a relationship with your customers more than being unresponsive and unavailable when they need you the most.
They may need to check on their order or confirm something with you. Whatever it is, make sure that you respond as quickly as possible, and make sure that you have various options available for them to get in touch.
Show Empathy
This is a big one that you must have at the top of your list when you are communicating with your customers. You also need to train your staff about how to do this as well. You must show empathy for whatever your customers may be going through. Express your understanding by saying, “I understand how you feel”, “I can see why this can be upsetting”. Always give a heartfelt apology if there is a problem. This is what is going to enable you to stay in the good books of your customers.
If you’re ready to take your business from ordinary to extraordinary with amazing communication then grabbing a hold of the methods that have been discussed here is your best bet for making sure that you are communicating with your customers in a way that always leaves them satisfied. Once you communicate with them well they’re likely to rave about your business to their friends and family and this is good word-of-mouth advertising for your business.