One of our tasks as business owners is to engage in productive and meaningful conversations with our customers and employees. Every small talk is an opportunity to strengthen our relationships and hopefully build loyalty. Given the importance of communication, you should learn how to communicate effectively. More importantly, you should also teach all your employees to do the same. Here are some tips:
- Listen before you talk. You will learn more by listening to what people have to say about your business. You should focus on the needs of the person you are talking with. If you have time, you may also want to learn more about your customers and employees so you can relate in a more personal manner.
- Find the real issues. We talk for a lot of reasons and sometimes for no apparent reason at all. You should learn to read what is on the other person’s mind by observing his or her tone and non-verbal gestures.
- Establish 2-way communication. Striking a good balance between talking and listening gives you the power to ask more questions and gather more insights about your customers and their experiences with your competitors.
There are certain words and phrases that can easily irk other people and you should avoid saying these things. Edith Yeung has a good list of disempowering phrases successful people never say.
