April 4, 2012
By Andrea Bils, account executive
Toe-may-toe, toe-ma-toe? Not regarding communications.
Communication has many forms ? calls, texts, tweets, posts, emails, direct messages.
If you have a marketing-communications job, then you know how important it is to adapt the ways that you communicate to suit the preferences of your clients.
Each client has a personal preference about how they communicate. Preferences depend on work schedules and familiarity with new modes of communication, among other factors. To be more efficient and effective with clients, you must recognize these preferences.
Examples:
- My dad refuses to text. One of our clients, however, communicates with me regularly via text.
- My mom just learned how to email. I can never reach another client by phone, yet he?ll reply to an email within three minutes.
- Another client will call within minutes of receiving one of my emails rather than simply ?reply? to it. It?s better to use the phone with him.
To each his own.
There are other factors that necessitate certain forms of communication.
Some factors to consider:
- Detail of information
- Timeliness of information
- Tone of information
Responding to crisis issues or discussing matters of severity are better achieved via phone rather than email, whereas sending an email for feedback about a tactical idea for a client?s pending campaign is OK.
What about using social media? I consider using Twitter and Facebook direct messages appropriate only if each party is of the understanding that it?s strictly relating to business and if previous contact has been established.? I personally don?t make use of social-media for communicating directly with clients and reserve it for media-relations purposes, but also only when appropriate to do so.
It?s very important to adapt one?s communication?s style to fit the preferred style of each client. Successful communication hinges on being adept at comprehending clients? communication strengths and weaknesses, and then tailoring your communication style to suit their needs. This may require you to step out of your comfort zone from time to time. Well-rounded communicators must do this.
Remember, nothing beats good old-fashioned ?face time.? Sad (to some), but true, more of us are communicating virtually and foregoing the more personal modes of communicating. It?s important to strengthen professional relationships with one-on-one meetings. Face time also incites decision making and action better than requesting answers via email.
Do you communicate differently per client? Have you had to change how you communicate?
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