Business Necessity - Communication by:Belver Ladson
A Business Necessity - Communication
This business necessity is often something we tend to NOT think about since we feel
it's something that is always there. What is this necessity? Communication.
Communication happens every day. We talk to people. They talk to us. We read
letters that come in the mail. We send information via the computer to friends and
family all over the world. Communication is everywhere.
When it comes to a business, communication (or the lack of it) can mean the
difference between a thriving business with good customer relations or a business
that continually has problems since customers can't get in touch with you to order
products, to handle problems AND receive good reports.
So, here are some of the inexpensive ways to keep in touch with your customers
and have them keep in touch with you!
This is one of the basic necessities of running a business online. You should have
one basic e-mail address (maybe support@yourbusiness.com) or specialized
addresses if it would make it easier for you to keep track of incoming messages.
Some specialized e-mail addresses might include (returns@yourbusiness.com),
(ordering@yourbusiness.com), etc Email is not 100 percent reliable. There can be
problems with web hosting, computer problems and many other circumstances that
can make your e-mails not reach their recipients and vice-versa.
Telephone
Most people think of telephone communications as being able to have a telephone
line that is only used for the business. In some instances this is true, but there are
more options. If you can't get a second phone line that will only take business calls,
you can still be able to be in phone contact with your customers.
One recommendation is to use a cellular phone for your business calling. There are
some very inexpensive cellular phone plans nowadays that can work very well. If
you can't afford the monthly fees associated with some cellular phones, you might
want to look into pre-paid cellular telephones. With this type of telephone you pay
for minutes which will be used with the telephone. The difference between a
prepaid cellular phone and one which accepts monthly payments is that the prepaid
cellular phone doesn't require monthly payments.
For some prepaid plans you need to purchase time every few months (mandatory),
this might be a small amount of time (often under $20) to keep the account open.
If you find that the minimum amount of time is too much for your budget we have
another idea.
To use a prepaid plan the most efficient way, you may want to purchased a prepaid
cellular phone and ONLY use the voice mail option. Have people call your cellular
telephone number and then return the call. Or better yet, just sign up for a voice
mail account. You can get many voice mail accounts for under $10 per month.
Regular Mail (Snail Mail)
When it comes to an online business, many business owners often neglect to give
their customers a mailing address to keep in touch. People might visit your
business online, but many would like to contact you via regular mail. Having a
mailing address also "cements" your business into your customer's minds. You're
not just some person floating around on the internet. If you are not comfortable
with using your home address you might want to purchase a post office box at
your local post office to receive mail. These are just three important ways to keep
in touch with your customers.
Your Business Personality
You might be saying to yourself, "How can a business have a personality? It's not
a person." That is true. A business isn't a person, but people run the business.
People interact with the customers. People take payments from the customers,
etc.etc...
It is truly necessary that your business' personality be one that is inviting to
customers. Potential customers have to feel that you WANT them to visit your store
or website. People have to know that when they purchase a product from you that
it will be an enjoyable experience and not a time filled with complicated twists and
turns or having to deal with people who don't seem to care. Ok, let's see how your
business personality is made!
The Outer Shell Of Your Business Personality
The outer shell of your business personality is whatever vehicle you use to reach
your customers. It doesn't matter if you use an internet website, a brick and
mortar store, a kiosk/booth or anything in between. What you use to reach your
customers has to let them know that you WANT them to purchase your products.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself:
Have I let the customers know what I sell? - this might seem like something people
automatically do, but think again. Does your business name tell people what you
sell or is it a combination of your children's names that ended up sounding cute? Do
you have samples of your products available for people to see as they scan your
"store" (website, etc)?
Or
are they greeted with a lot of text to read and a flyer to look at? Often, you only
have a few seconds to grab a customer's eye so you need to concentrate on
showing them your best in the quickest amount of time to get them interested in
making a purchase.
The Inner Shell Of Your Business Personality
A second part of your business personality is how your business "speaks" to your
customers. This is related to the previous section of this article, but now we're
speaking about the words and images you use to sell to your products. When
speaking to your customers be sure to greet your customers in the way you want
your business to be perceived. No need to be "cute" since that can lead to people
not understanding what you are trying to say. So, for instance, using a line, such
as, "Pretty Rosie Posies Are In Bloom" might sound extremely cute, but does it
convey to your customer what you are selling?. There ARE circumstances when
these phrases might be appropriate, but use phrases like this sparingly.
Putting Your Best Foot Forward
Most of all, try to put the best parts of yourself into your business personality. This
is inevitable, since, for most of us, we are the "public person" who deals with
customers.
If you have people working for you who deal with the public, make sure they are
speaking and interacting with the public in a proper way that gives your customers
the care and service YOU want them to have when dealing with your business. Try
to give customers your best at all times.
About the author
Belver Ladson is a successful entrepreneur, motivational coach and graphic artist. Belver strives to help people see the goodness in life and the fact that hope is always present.
Belver can be reached at http://www.bizwahm.com. Achieving Business Wellness in 2006 by:Monte Zwang Successful Business Relationships by:Terence Traut Reasons Why We Judge by:Alicia Smith Training in Tough Times by:Terence Traut Want To Start A Home Based Business! First Get Your Funding Strategy Right. by:Kanaga Siva Budgeting For The Future by:Jennifer Clason Proactive Selling by:Terence Traut How to Find Your Unclaimed Money by:Nicole Anderson Joey Political Essentials: The Grass Is Not Always Greener by:Gary Whittaker Entelechy Speaks to Dr. Jay Conger about Leadership Development by:Terence Traut Time is a Unique Resource by:Terence Traut Grassroots Leadership Principles - a Review of It's Your Ship by:Terence Traut Communication In Six Sigma by:Peter Peterka