Summary
Communication is essential, especially in business. Miscommunication can wreck your relationship with your clients as well as your brand reputation. By communicating effectively, you will enjoy increased sales, referrals, and loyal customers.
Irrespective of the means, you must ensure that you communicate clearly and also understand your clients during every business discussion or relationship management. Here are a few steps in communicating efficiently with your clients:
Focus your attention to communicate well
The first step in communicating well is to focus and be attentive. The genesis of miscommunication is when people listen to respond rather than to understand. Listen attentively to what your client says and focus on them.
You also need to be focused when talking to your clients to avoid saying things that could provoke the client or using the wrong tone of voice or gesture.
Paying attention when communicating seems like a no-brainer but, it is easy to lose focus during communication. There is a high tendency of your mind wandering occasionally when listening to someone.
Avoid multitasking or interrupting when your client is speaking. Give them your full undivided attention. You must focus and become an active listener in order to communicate well with your clients.
Look the person in the eyes
Making eye contact is a way of saying, “I’m listening to you” and “what you’re saying is important.’ It indicates that you are focused and value the conversation. When you begin to look else well or avoid looking at the person in the eyes, it could make the client feel like you’re distracted or not interested in the conversation.
Furthermore, this behavior has a way of building a connection with the person speaking. It makes the client feel comfortable talking to you and helps in building trust. When speaking to the client, you need to make eye contact because it shows confidence and self-assurance. It is an effective tool in communicating.
Knowing how to ask questions
Asking questions when communicating is vital. However, if you don’t ask good questions you may come off as someone who wasn’t paying attention or isn’t interested in the conversation. Ask open-ended questions that would keep the conversation going.
Avoid asking closed-ended questions that yield answers like yes or no. It can kill a conversation or put it in an awkward silence moment. You should ask follow-up questions during the conversation but be careful not to interrupt your client when he/she is speaking.
Take notes
Taking notes is another vital step when communicating with your clients. It is a powerful tool in communication, and it helps you in remembering the key points of the conversation.
It could serve as a reference for you when dealing with the client or asking follow-up questions. You may likely forget a few things when the client is talking, and note-taking helps you retain that information.
Knowing how to end a conversation
Ending the conversation on the right note is also part of effective communication. In ending a conversation; wait for the conversation to die down, assure the client that you understand what was said, and appreciate him/her for his/her time.
You can also give a warm handshake to end the conversation properly. Ending the conversation abruptly could make the client feel like you were not listening, or come off as rude. So, ensure it gets to its low point before ending it.
