An important aspect of your business’s success is how well you communicate with clients. After all, communication is how a company builds trust, fulfills orders, receives feedback, and improves the products or services it delivers. It also keeps customers informed about your business, provides service after the sale, and gets repeat business.
If communication is so important, you can imagine what will happen when it’s lacking or non-existent. Hint — it won’t be good for your business.
The Risks When You Don’t Effectively Communicate With Clients
If your business doesn’t invest in systems and processes that foster good client communication, the risks include:
1. Having to Explain Things Repeatedly
Your clients expect to hear from your business. When they have questions before or after the sale, it would be easier if they could access that information online instead of having to contact you directly. You can also put systems in place to keep your clients informed about the status of their orders or any new product features.
2. Not Getting Paid on Time
Not all of your clients are going to behave as you expect them to. When you don’t communicate effectively, you also don’t establish reasonable expectations. You may find that clients won’t pay you on time, which can financially impact your business.
3. Having Your Commitment or Integrity Questioned
When you make certain promises, either in person or online, customers expect you to deliver. When a lack of communication results in a failure to live up to your promises, clients are likely to question your commitment and integrity. For many businesses, these are core values, so communication is vital for sticking to your promises.
4. Receiving Complaints or Negative Reviews
If your business doesn’t make communication a priority, it’s putting the image and reputation of its brand at stake. People talk, and not just amongst themselves. When you deliver a poor customer experience due to communication issues, you’re likely to receive a lot of complaints. And many of those customers will leave negative feedback online, which can negatively impact your business for years to come.
5. Experiencing Internal Frustration
When your clients are upset about your business’s poor communication, it’s going to impact your business internally. Your employees will become frustrated, and this may affect your ability to attract and retain quality talent.
6. Losing Customers
If you fail to communicate or don’t do it well, it can lead to lost sales, less referrals, and fewer retained customers. In short, effective communication is vital for the growth and survival of your business.
We Can Help You Stay Connected With Clients
Your clients are the lifeblood of your business. At visionPATH Marketing, we help small businesses connect with their ideal clients through a results-driven digital marketing strategy.
Our marketing solutions are designed to help your business achieve its specific goals. We take the time to understand your business and industry before recommending a strategy that will make the greatest impact. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to learn more about our services.