There is no shortcut to effective communication
Chronicles of an Afropreneur
Dear ,
I and Bae were discussing how we met and our journey to being a couple and one 'lesson' that kept coming up was "effective communication"
At first, we thought we were good communicators until we realised we weren't that good lol. We often left our communication open without agreeing on the next actionable next step(s). What this led to was two people who thought the other person understood what they were saying but it turned out that this wasn't the case.
I see so many entrepreneurs make the same mistake. They interface with the customer but no communication takes place. Remember that it costs more to win back an old customer! If keeping old customers is so critical to business success, how come so many businesses suck at it?
Here's how you can ensure you are communicating effectively with your customers:
Be patient, always!: Many times, a great deal of patience is needed to understand the problem, let alone offer a solution. Be patient enough to capture the finer details. Keep in mind that great service is better than fast service
Be proactive in your approach: Where the customer is waiting for your response, be proactive and keep the customer informed of the progress rather than have the customer get in touch with your time and again for an update. It is also smart to have some FAQs ready on your website or platform of choice.
Be honest: This may be difficult but very vital. Stop winging it by saying ‘I think…’ or ‘It could be…’. This only creates doubts about your organization and your brand. Tell the customer you will get the exact information for them. Also, if resolving an issue is going to take longer than usual, communicate that to your customers transparently
Analogies help in getting your message across: If you feel that the customer is finding it difficult to understand your solution, then convey the message with an analogy. Use non-technical terms and put them in simple language.
Know your product/service offered inside out: Customers can ask the craziest of questions, but they are mostly related to the product/service you offer. There is no excuse for an employee to not be aware or well versed with the products/services that his organization offers. You must ensure that all the employees are trained effectively on your product or service offerings.
Did I miss out on any effective communication tips? Share with me by replying to this email.
Lastly, we are relaunching The Afropreneur Podcast in April (this makes me so excited). Listen to older episodes here and tell me your favorite - https://theafropreneur.net/qt-series/afropreneur-podcast/
Keep grinding,
Uwem