Though effective communication is considered an interpersonal skill, it also forms the basis of all learning skills and eventually becomes a necessary leadership tool. A large part of communicating as a business owner will also involve your writing skills. If your ability to get your message across with the written word isn’t the best, this is one area where you may want to hire an assistant.
Success in business will depend upon your ability to develop relationships with your customers. Unfortunately, we live in a time where telephones are rarely answered and texting has become more common than conversation. Because of this, communicating through speech is becoming a lost art. Take special care not to lose yours because it is still one of the most important business needs.
Your ability to inspire others to come up with new ideas through collaborating can only be done if you are able to communicate those ideas to business colleagues and other business owners you work with. Simplify complicated information. This is particularly useful when dealing with customers. Leave out the technical details and stick to specifics.
Use your own way of speaking. Nothing turns off most clients more than a business owner who uses every current buzz word around. While it’s great to be yourself, remember to listen to the customer’s opinion. There are some business owners who confuse opinion with fact and their way is the only way. Don’t be one of those business owners. Remember, this is also important at any time. I doubt that your friends and family want to listen to your self-righteousness ravings either 🙂
The better your communication skills, the more you can expand your business to include new customers who would normally be outside of your reach. Know when to ask questions and when to listen. Your customers know when you’re listening and when you’re not concentrating on them because you’re occupied with what you’re going to say to them next.
Eye contact is important, it build trust. Have you ever spoken to someone who is extremely awkward socially? They usually look away from you and their posture shows how uncomfortable they are with speaking to you. Make sure that your body language can be read as relaxed and interested. While it’s a good idea to use a customer’s name, don’t overuse it by interjecting it into every sentence. That is just annoying and your customer will pick up on it right away.
Becoming an effective communicator takes time. It’s best to just be yourself and not try too hard. Communication is high on the list of “most wanted” by customers and it’s a skill that can be used in multiple ways to grow your business.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015
image courtesy of businessknowhow
