Business communication may seem complicated and tricky, but once you understand the rules, it becomes easy as pie. Some people are naturals as they were born with a full set of communication skills. However, if you are not one of them, this can be changed with a few theoretical tips and putting them to practice.
The rules of efficient communication with clients or customers are similar in all businesses, and once you master them, you will be a successful negotiator in any industry you choose.
Rules of Professional Communication With Clients
Communication isn’t only about words. In fact, when you communicate via phone, video, or in person, words become the smallest part of communication. According to the communication model created by Albert Mehrabian (the Professor of Psychology) in the 1970s, words comprise only 7% of communication. At the same time, the most significant impact on the conversation partner has non-verbal things like voice, tone, etc., and body language with 38% and 55%, respectively.
While the numbers show the communication elements in general, good business communication with clients includes a lot more than these three compounds. To communicate effectively with your future or existing clients, you need to follow the rules below.
Fast Response
In business, everything is urgent, so when a person wants to become your client, they expect to get a rapid response from you or your company. The same can be said about the existing clients. Fast reply to their message will enhance the level of communication comfort.
In the world of outsourcing and global business relations, it would be most efficient if you reply to your clients within one day. In case you aren’t able to do it by yourself, you can always send an auto-reply with the indicated reason why your reply is delayed and the date when they can expect your actual response.
Genuine Interest in Your Client’s Problem and Desire to Help
Even though the business is often considered a hostile environment with “every man for themselves” thinking, this common belief is false. Every client is a person with a problem they cannot solve by themselves, which is why they want your professional help. The more you show your prospective and existing clients that you care about them and intend to do everything in your competency to help them solve their business problem, the more loyalty or other benefits you’ll receive in return. Even if they don’t become your client at the moment, they can become one in the future or recommend you to others.
Preliminary Research
If you’re about to communicate with a new client, do a little research on their company, market, or industry if it is possible. In business, people enjoy communication with the ones who have at least the basic knowledge of the discussion topic. By doing the preliminary research on your prospective client, you will prepare yourself to generate relevant suggestions and ideas fast. Which, in its turn, will show your professionalism and dedication to your field of expertise.
Client’s Information Safety
As a professional and a person who wants to remain successful in your area, you need to make clients sure that the information they share with you will be kept a secret. Usually, a non-disclosure agreement solves the trust issues. Mutual trust is highly valuable in business relationships because it makes communication regarding collaboration comfortable. When you talk about a possible project or a product upgrade, it is vital to ensure your client can trust you with all details, and there won’t be any third party involved without their notice and permission.
Balanced Information
The information you give during the communication with the client should be balanced, meaning there shouldn’t be excessive information or a hidden one. While the consequences of hiding information are obvious, the negative impact of excessive info is often underestimated. When a person receives too much information, they may have difficulties processing it, making the client consider communication with you uncomfortable. As a result, the client will likely turn to another specialist despite the fact that you gave them even more information than they expected. Additionally, avoid talking about things or details irrelevant to the topic of your discussion.
Clear Answers and Structured Information
Structured and logically presented information is the key to good and effective communication. By giving clear answers, you let the client know that you’ve heard them, understood their problem, and can provide information on whether you can help them or not. Structured thoughts and information have the same positive impact on the conversation partner. Clear speech, a confident voice, and structured thoughts will help you nail communication with any client.
The Truth About Challenges Your Client May Face
In the beginning, business communication is about building trust between people or companies. Thus, if there are some challenges your current or future client may face while collaborating with you or another specialist on some project, you need to tell them about it. Of course, you’ll need to give your client a full picture of the possible problem, but if you offer suggestions or another problem-solving perspective, this will help you become trustworthy in your client's eyes.
Speaking the Client’s Language
Every person has their so-called language that comprises the tone, pace, communication style, choice of words, etc. Speaking the same language as your client will make them comfortable as it would make them feel that you’re on the same page. This communication skill is highly beneficial for business conversations, and if you’re not natural to adjusting, you should develop it for getting better negotiation results.
Positive Language
Positivity in communication equals comfort and productivity. Communication with clients is always about solving their problems, and they expect you to be the one who can do it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be talking to you in the first place. Positive language is vital for productive discussions, so you can say “no, this is impossible” or “this cannot be done” only if you’re 100% sure that you cannot help the client. However, nothing prevents you from suggesting alternatives that your clients might find satisfactory or even better.
Reporting Schedule
When you're communicating with the existing client regarding the project in progress and updating them on the progress, it is beneficial and productive to do it on schedule. Timely delivery of your updates will remind your client that they collaborate with a reliable professional, and they have nothing to worry about.
Asking for Feedback
The power of client feedback and its impact on communication is outstanding. Asking for a client’s feedback or review is essential when your collaboration and communication comes to an end. A simple request to tell about your communication strengths and weaknesses will help to enhance the quality of your communication skills. Additionally, it will show your client that you care about their opinion and your expertise.
Essentials of Business Communication
At the beginning of communication, clients often feel stressed because they must tell their business idea to someone they don’t know and don’t trust yet. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is make them feel comfortable telling you about their business goals, needs, and problems.
To make communication most effective and comfortable, you need to switch from emailing or messaging to communicating by phone, video, or, if possible, to meet in person. When you’re communicating via text, it is easy to misinterpret or miss some information like tone, mood, etc. On the other hand, when you can see or at least hear the person you’re talking to, you can personalize your communication and make it more efficient and comfortable for both participants.
Remember that communication with clients, customers, or partners always should be:
– Comfortable
– Transparent
– Effective
These three elements are the pillars of good communication with clients, so make sure they are always present during your business negotiations.
Final Words of Advice
Business communication has its difficulties and peculiarities. But if you want to be a professional success in your chosen field, it is vital for you to master these rules and boost your communication skills. Effective communication has its dos and don’ts. While the dos had to be explained in detail, the don’ts can be just listed and require no explanation. What you should never do during your communication with clients, customers, or partners is:
– make them feel stupid;
– be a know-it-all;
– interrupt;
– raise your voice;
– lie and give false hopes;
– avoid answering questions;
– cause misunderstanding or misinterpretation, etc.
And one of the most important tips for you is that you should avoid communicating with your future or current clients when you’re in a bad mood. Positivity helps in every side of the business, especially in gaining your future clients' loyalty towards your personal and professional qualities.
