I have been pondering for some time now how best to communicate with my clients and it seems to me to be quite a dilemma. So much of it depends on the type of experience my client has, with the varying types of communication there is out there. The classic ones I have used is:
All of these mediums are FREE (though a couple have paid-for work level platforms too) so it's just the initial set up and making sure it meets your privacy requirements and then just a bit of a crash course in how to use it. The key to communication is to be make it very easy to access and of course to understand. Communication is fundamental to business. You need the end user to communicate what they want, when they want it and how they want it.
Some people use just their website and email. This is fine, most people have access to computers or iPhones these days and this is a good way to communicate. However, it can at times be slower. Things can be lost in translation too. Some people write in punctuated sentences and this can be mistaken for abruptness. Others want to convey a lot of information and aren't sure how to say it or put it across and can come across as unclear. Sadly we all make our impressions on the first occasion we communicate with one another and this could potentially hamper a successful working relationship.
Skype and Zoom is definitely becoming a lot more popular these days. It's deemed a more professional way of connecting without being too familiar. You can pay for a premium Skype/Zoom experience which can give you better quality visuals and conferencing and large businesses find this invaluable, but smaller businesses or for personal use can normally cope with the FREE version adequately.
There is the Messengers too (MSN and Facebook) which give instant responses, but again only good if you can both type fast and accurately, which not everyone can. It is a useful media when you want a fast response to a query.
Finally there is the old fashioned Face-to-Face. For my business I find this vital, certainly at the beginning of the working relationship. It's important for me to understand exactly what the client wants and how they want their business promoted. People tend to open up more when you meet them face to face.
Over the years I have realised it doesn't really matter how you communicate. As long as you reach and more importantly RESPOND, you gain a better relationship with your customer.If you have any of these channels to reach your audience, make sure you allow notifications. Make sure all of your notifications are available on your phone. R=This can be done with allowing emails to your account, or through the apps. If you are using the app on your smartphone then make sure all of them are on the Home Screen. If you have to hunt for them, you may well miss them!
Finally, if you are a business that can stand by your service and product confidently, which we all should be really. Please make sure your phone number is available everywhere. A lot of people make their minds up about a business by the ease in which they can contact them. I personally don't give my business to a company if the only way to reach them is by email or the contact page of a website. I want to talk to a human. If I think like that, then how many others do?
So much can be learnt by using the correct medium for communication! Let me know what you think.
Please contact me! You'll find every method :)
Working with clients Nationwide from base in Mullingar.
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