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Nowadays, the relationship that a small business will have with their customers and suppliers is very different to how it was even ten years ago. The advent of new technology has made it easier to communicate, but also sometimes leads to misunderstandings and errors that probably would not have occurred if you met in person or spoke on the telephone.Here are some of my tips for making it easier to sustain a 'virtual' relationship:
Invest in technology: If you primarily communicate with customers or suppliers via technological means, it is essential that you use software and hardware that is reliable and will not let you down. If you can't communicate with customers because of downtime, then you will lose money.
Schedule your time: You should set aside certain periods of the day to deal with virtual communication. Although you are likely to be busy with other aspects of your business, customers and suppliers do expect rapid responses to emails. You could also use this time for social media or updating your website.
Keep it brief: All of your virtual communication should be clear, concise and to the point. The last thing that you want to do is to confuse the recipient of your message. Don't waffle or include extraneous information.
Consider SMS: Your customers and suppliers are just as busy as you are. Answering a phone-call or email from you is disruptive to their work day. Sometimes it is useful to simply send them a text message to remind them about a scheduled appointment or when they can pick up their order.
Personal touch: Make sure that all of your virtual correspondence has a personal touch so that clients don't feel like they are doing business with a large corporation or a robot! As a small business, you are in a unique position to make every customer feel valued and appreciated.
Use the telephone: If email communication is not working very well with a particular customer, don't hesitate to pick up the phone and speak to them directly. Don't forget that 'snail mail' is also available as a last resort for customers that don't get along well with email.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
