Improving Communications with Customers or Clients

One of our most important skills, both personally and professionally, is our ability to communicate. We use our communication skills all day, every day. Given that importance and frequency, you would think we all would have these skills mastered. Unfortunately, this isnt true.

There are many situations where we all would like to be better at this highly important skill. One of those situations is communicating with customers or clients.

Before you stop reading, because you think you dont deal with customers, recognize that within any organization and any work process, customer/supplier relationships exist even between you and your colleagues. Besides, the tips that follow will help you communicate better with your boss too.

Now that everyone is still with me, lets identify why these communications can be challenging.

It can be tough when we, the supplier, need something from a customer but feel it is difficult to come out and ask for it because, well, they are the customer and it is our job to serve them. Sometimes though, we know that with better or timelier information, or if they would do something differently, we would be able to serve them better. And sometimes it is harder to give a difficult message to customers because of our desire to serve and please them.

Here are four things you can do to help get over these challenges and improve your communications and likely your relationships with your Customers.

Share Expectations

Think about it, how can your Customers know what you need to best help them, unless you tell them? It could be something as simple as asking them to have their account number ready when they call. It might be something more complex or complicated. Either way, if they dont know what you need, they may be as frustrated as you are. Even worse, your Customers might think you are just in a rut and unable to fulfill their requests immediately.

Remember, sharing is a two-way activity. This is about more than just your needs so we must also ask them about their needs and expectations. Approach this as an open conversation, not as a problem