Communication Mistakes to Avoid in Your Business

September 10, 2014 by Christine

Everything in your business revolves around good communication. Whether it’s sales, marketing, customer service or finances, it’s important that everyone within your company is constantly on the same page and feels connected with you and with the other departments in your business. When it feels like there’s something wrong with your communications practices, it’s imperative that you take instant action to correct them.

Here are some of the most common communication mistakes that you may be making in your company:

DON'T SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT! First we seek to understand, before we seek to be understood. When the team at Viral Solutions brings their minds to your business, you are getting all of our collective experiences. We will not sugar coat the reasons behind our input. We will not withhold our best solutions. We will not limit our implementation strategies. We will tell you exactly how we see it. The results you experience will be the sum of your strategy, your defined target audience, your commitment to serve your customer and our process of delivery. That means we are an integral part of your team!

• One size fits all style. You need to realize that different people in and outside of your company have different needs and expectations, which means you need to alter the way you communicate depending on who you’re talking to. You can’t use a “one size fits all” communications strategy, because you'll be alienating quite a few important people.
• Harsh or negative tone. Watching your tone is especially important in written communications, because it’s not always as easy to decipher the intent or emotion behind a message as it is when it’s spoken. Keep a soft, pleasant tone when you speak, and double check any emails or other written communications before sending them to make sure they exude the proper tone.
• Avoiding difficult conversations. Nobody likes to have conversations that could lead to conflict, but it’s far worse to let a problem fester, as it could cause some irreversible long-term damage within your company. Address conflict and other difficult issues head-on so that you can limit the potential damage it could cause.
• Being reactive rather than reflective. It’s natural, for example, to hear bad news and respond in anger, but before you let loose with an emotional reaction you should be sure to take a deep breath and think about all of the facts surrounding the issue. This moment of reflection will allow you to avoid an emotional outburst and instantly begin responding to the problem at hand.
• Assuming that everyone understands you. Never assume that everyone understood the message you were trying to deliver. Take the time to ask if there are any questions that people have, or if you can clarify anything that you've said. When you do this, if you receive no response or silence from the audience – you have a huge problem!

Rid yourself of these bad communications habits and you'll be on your way to a more efficient, communicative business.

Watch out elephants! This slayer of business challenges comes with 30 years of record breaking sales, marketing, operations, training and leadership experience . He has worked face-to-face with 100’s of small business owners as well as large firms. His love of creating, communicating, developing and executing results for clients shines with each project, publication and training event. His entrepreneurial spirit, passion, industry experience, education, problem-solving prowess, charismatic personality and been-there-done that attitude leads his client focused approach.

Filed Under: Analytics Tagged With: audience, communication, expectations, strategy