I am not going to chase you to give you business!

No matter who you talk to out there it appears that many businesses are still finding the going tough. Having to work that much harder to secure clients and, then, to keep them on board.

With this in mind I find my recent experiences communicating with businesses, somewhat confusing.

Let’s start at the beginning.

I have an opinion that I should not have to chase someone to give them my business.

Everyone out there has some sort of competition and I would have thought, working hard to stand above that competition, was a priority.
Once I have made initial enquiries with a business, I may make contact one more time and then I will leave them alone.

Usually, and I say usually unless there is a reasonable explanation for the lack of contact, I will not consider them again. If communicating with you is a challenge in the beginning then you can pretty much guarantee that is the way it will be in any future relationship. I have better things to do with my time than chase people to give them my business.

Yet recently I have been dumbfounded by the lack of responses I have experienced from a myriad of businesses. So here are some things to think about with the communications within your business – both external and internal.

1. Firstly, make sure your communication procedures are robust within your business. There needs to be clarity around who is responsible for what, and what happens if plan A cannot be executed. For example, if you have a website that seeks enquiries, make sure there is someone who is responsible to follow those enquiries up in a timely manner. I recently spoke to someone who had sent two enquiries through websites and 3 weeks later, had not had a response! Why have a website to initiate enquiries in the first place? Needless to say they went elsewhere.
2. Have clear policy around response time. How long would you expect emails to be sitting in the inbox unanswered? How long would you expect the phone to ring before it was answered? How long should a message be left on your system without being responded to? Once you are clear on policies then you can design appropriate procedures.
3. Make sure your enquirers are clear on what is to happen. If you clear your phone messages at the end of the day, then say this on your message and ask that they leave a clear number where they can be contacted at this time. If you prefer to be contacted by email or text or cell phone, make sure they know this. I remember a conversation with someone I had been attempting to make contact with so reverted to email. His response was that he had been away and didn’t do emails anyway! Why then have an email address on your business cards?
4. Always remember the under promise and over deliver theory. If you are going to tell me how long it is going to take you to do something, ie: quote on a job, design a business card, allow time for the worst case scenario. If this initial part of the relationship fails you have potentially lost my trust.
5. Speaking of trust – never underestimate the currency of trust. Doing anything that could damage trust is long lasting and often publicised.
6. Communicate, communicate, communicate! If you cannot come and quote on my job for three weeks, tell me that. I then have a choice what I do. If I really want you I will wait, as long as I know the true story. If you are having trouble paying accounts then communicate. I often hear from business owners that they would rather someone was honest and paid bills off, than ignore the situation hoping it will go away.
7. Develop your people. Your staff are your greatest asset yet so often are neglected. Listen to them, acknowledge them, show them that they are valued and offer programmes to develop them as people. We so often spend money on telling people to smile when they answer the phone without developing them to the point where they would not consider any other way.
8. Understand that everything you do communicates something. What are you communicating to me? What are your staff communicating to me? What are your business premises communicating to me?

Business is never guaranteed so make sure your communication within and outside your business is never anything but excellent.