6 Tips for Effective Communications in Business
Whatever your opinion is on the roles of sales and marketing, whether they are separate, the same or a blend, the role of communications is imperative in both sales and marketing. Our good friends over in the IE Domain Registry published their annual SME Digital Health Index recently. One interesting statistic is that 50% of SMEs are not communicating effectively online.
First impressions last
Your communications can be so powerful. Remember, that whether you are communicating on a personal or business level, first impressions last. I hate communicating with somebody who can’t look me in the eye! I also don’t like a wet of floppy handshake! A warm and dry 2-3 second handshake speaks volumes to me. I’d imagine I’m not alone in thinking this!
The power of your LinkedIn profile
If you’re meeting somebody in a pre-arranged meeting for the first time, remember that your LinkedIn profile might be their first point of contact with you – and vice versa. If you’re looking them up on LinkedIn to find out more, then you can be sure that they are too. Make sure that your LinkedIn profile projects what you are trying to portray or communicate.
Storytelling
Everybody has a story to tell, as does every business. Be sure to tell your story, but remember to keep it simple. If you get a chance to tell your story visually then do. Less is more with both words and visuals. It will make more impact if you use simple and short messages.
Pitch
This is important for the spoken message. If you are meeting with somebody in a business context or making a presentation, then practice what you are saying and how you are saying it. As a trainer and speaker at events, I never show up unrehearsed. My poor dog has to sit and endure listening to my presentations! My mirror could recite back a book to me at this stage! Practicing the spoken word in terms of pitch, pace, power and passion. Pitch is to see if you’re hitting the right note in terms of are you speaking too loud or too soft. Pace is one to watch if you’re nervous – we speak too fast when we’re nervous. Power is also important if you don’t want to scare your audience with too much power in your voice – or indeed, too little power. If you’re talking about a subject you’re passionate about, show it! Anybody that has seen me speak about my business or marketing will know that I’m always extremely passionate about my subject. It goes with the territory for me!
What’s in it for me?!
When you’re presenting, speaking or negotiating please try to remember the other person. Why are they there? What is in it for them? If you’re mindful of your target audience, customer or prospect, you’ll remember the hook of why they should communicate with you rather than a competitor. You need to dangle that carrot to show them what they will gain.
Always begin with the end in mind
This is sound advice for so many situations both personally and professionally. Think ahead of what you want the outcome to be. You will just waste your time and that of who you are meeting or presenting to if you don’t have an end in mind. Sometimes this might be more than one outcome or scenario. However, you should know in advance what the end should be. By knowing this, you can communicate effectively and efficiently. With all of that said, you need to know your audience, prospect or customer. You may need to size up if they want some small talk first to warm up before discussing the end. Or you may be communicating with somebody who wants to cut to the chase and get to the point quickly. Gauge this as quickly as possible, so you can then adapt your communication style accordingly.
What has this all got to do with Marketing?
Quite a lot actually! By communicating effectively and pinpointing what way to connect with the majority of your audience, will help you to market your business more effectively. Ultimately, businesses invest in marketing to lead to sales and increase their revenue. However, if you can’t communicate your message then you’re stuck! It will be difficult to make that sale if you don’t have the end in sight.
If you need help to communicate your message and to market your business then call us. We can help guide you on your way with a Marketing Strategy. If there are gaps we can train your or your team. Or if you don’t have enough time to do your marketing then outsource it to us.