How well does your firm currently communicate – both among its staff and with customers and clients? You might not have the best idea, and that would be a problem in itself. After all, the efficiency of your firm’s communications has implications for its performance and success.
Forbes cites the research discovery that well-communicating companies bring 47% stronger returns to shareholders. That could be a strong enough incentive for you to add the following communication-boosting measures to your company’s 2020 to-do list.
1. Set a good example for your team
Even if certain members of your staff take the initiative to interact more effectively, you can’t necessarily expect many others to follow suit. That’s because your workforce will ultimately look to you, their leader, for guidance. This is your cue to lead by example.
To that end, you should freely provide commentary, feedback and answers to questions, as ticking all of those boxes will encourage your staff to do likewise.
2. Cut out unnecessary meetings and emails
If your boardroom is often in use, have you ever stopped to wonder whether you really need to interrupt your workers’ usual schedule quite so regularly? There could be better means of disseminating vital information to your staffers without throwing them off course.
Emails might present themselves as a seemingly obvious solution, but they have actually become rapidly dated for companies that pride themselves on fast and flexible decision-making. An enterprise-ready social network covering the whole company would be a worthier tool.
3. Put a comprehensive instant messaging system in place
An especially good reason to implement that enterprise social network would be the chance to tap into several benefits of instant messaging outlined by Fast Company.
Those benefits, previously put forward by the National Federation of Independent Business, include letting onsite workers seamlessly collaborate with those offsite, as well as being able to simultaneously but productively manage multiple conversations.
With instant messaging, you can also eliminate long-distance calling fees – though you should still be careful not to forgo the trusty phone entirely…
4. Modernize, don’t disregard, your business phone system
Entrepreneur guest writer Mike Taylor quotes one study as pointing out: “Social media channels handle just 3% of all customer communications, compared to 68% who contact customer service by phone.” Hence, phone calls remain “the primary channel for customer communications”.
Nonetheless, your firm could benefit from weaving its phone system with “modern” solutions. Making use of voice, data and mobile services by Gamma, a business-focused network, could help.
Keep track of how your communication strategies are faring
Even if those strategies currently need a significant overhaul, once they’ve become ingrained as habits among your staff, the long-term returns can significantly exceed the required financial outlay.
You can assess these strategies’ effectiveness by analyzing recent changes in sales and profits. You could also look at the latest staff retention rates, which could rise in tandem with happiness and job fulfillment among your employees.
If the results look promising, you could more easily justify continuing on your current course.
