Communication is a remarkable occurrence. Could any business survive
without it? As owners or representatives of an enterprise, we spend countless
hours, funds and energy to be heard, to craft our messages, policies and
behavior in a way that will truly express our intent – to our customers,
prospects, suppliers, employees, shareholders, the bank, the press; in short, to
everyone who can have an impact on the health of our business.
Many will tell you communication is a 2-way street: you say your piece and
then they say theirs. I think there’s a crucial 3rd step. Watch:
1 – You craft a message and distribute it through appropriate venues -sales
people, advertising media, website, sponsored events, service statements &
policies. (This is expression)
2 – Your message is received – or maybe ‘a’ message is received; could be it’s
not the message you were delivering. (This is comprehension – or not; who
knows?)
3 – Your customers and prospects respond to what they believe they heard (not
necessarily what you intended) which might be no response at all. And this is
where they show if they ‘get’ you, if you truly communicated.
With these 3 steps in mind, this is how I see communication working:
Expression+ Comprehension = Communication.
Without keeping track of that middle step -what they actually received and
comprehended – you may never understand what happened to step 1 and what
prompted step 3.
How can you ensure your ‘tracking service’ is on? Keep communication open to
always hear your customers. Don’t just send messages; encourage theirs, as
well. Their feedback and comments have a fundamental impact on how we run
our business, develop policies or create product. These messages, when
heard, provide the tweaking process that allows us to always respond to
changes in our marketplace.
If yours is the kind of business that has easy access to clientele – a retail
establishment, a service or medical professional, an enterprise with sales
people, or an organization with frequent membership meetings – first-hand
exposure to your customers is built into the way you do business. In this
situation, not only can you converse, one-on-one, but you can literally ’see’
how they perceive you through the body language they exhibit when in your
company. When speaking with customers, look and listen; they may be
communicating through some classic body language:
• They touch you on the arm: think this is endearing or familiar? I think it’s
insecurity – you’re just not paying attention.
• Hands on hips: they’re patronizing you or feeling judgmental; wow – you
must have committed some offense!
• Arms crossed: they’re closed off, not interested in hearing you; clearly you’ve
lost them.
• Arched eyebrows: A surprised or confused look; certainly not confident and
in control.
• Pointing a finger: Well that’s pretty clear! That’s an accusatory gesture, even
if there’s a smile on their face.
None of these are positive messages and clearly, they call for some corrective
action. Just how that can be done is a subject for another article. But, as they
say: ‘knowledge is power’. Hearing your customers in this way, knowing how
they’re responding, is a tremendous tool as you refine your product,
promotions and policies.
If you don’t have the opportunity to meet with your clientele, there are other
tools you can employ to ensure the lines are always open. Many have used
questionnaires and surveys to find out, as did former N.Y.C. Mayor Koch:
‘How’m I doing?’ was a common question from him. If you use newsletters,
birthday greetings, rewards programs or e-mailed messages, you’ve got the
beginnings of a terrific 3-way street for both contact and clarity. Remember
the 3-way street is: Expression + Comprehension = Communication.
You might use these same devices – newsletter, greetings, emailed messages,
bill stuffers and such – to invite your customers to become a member of your
R&D Team. You may already use an internal R&D team to develop product
ideas. How about incorporating the same concept among customers? It can be
accomplished easily via email or a devoted page on your website. Consider
these benefits:
1. An R&D team made up of your customers allows you to test your plans for
product, promotion, policies, pricing outside the hot-house environment of
planned research.
2. An R&D team provides you with new ideas for any of the above. Who knows
where the next great one is coming from?
3. If your R&D team knows you rely on their feedback you’re likely to get far
more candid replies than through an impersonal survey.
4. If you incorporate or reward customers’ ideas, you’ll provide them the
opportunity to express themselves, something we all long to do.
5. This creates a powerful form of loyalty, the result of which may be their
desire to promote your business; they become your de facto sales team or even
evangelists.
When you involve customers in the health of your business and they believe
you value their opinions, they take a more active interest to ensure your
success, because it represents theirs, as well. This kind of relationship is far
more powerful than the purely financial one of their cash in exchange for your
goods. The desire to contribute, to make a difference, is a powerful
motivator. Allowing this to occur for your customers, simply as a result of
hearing them, will give you access to one of your strongest and must
underused assets -knowing what your customers think.
Andrea Feinberg, M.B.A., G.C.U., is president of Coaching Insight and uses
business coaching techniques to enable clients to maximize the many
underused assets in their businesses for marketing success, visionary
leadership, effective goal setting, productive time management and enhanced
employee performance. She can be reached at 631.642.7434 or
andrea@coachinginsight.com
