7 Deadly Communication Sins Every New Business Owner Commits

Communication is the hallmark of any business and a blip in proper communication can spell a death knell for budding businesses. Consumers are spoilt for choices today making companies fight tooth and nail to sustain and grow at the same time. While established businesses are re-strategising for growing faster, new businesses are trying to set foot by providing customers a different experience.

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All businesses are aware of the immense power that the social media and online medium has brought to the customers. Hence, new businesses looking to make an impression must communicate clearly. They should avoid making some common sins which prove to be suicidal to the fledgling companies.

1. First and foremost, firms should avoid arguing with customers. May it be the online medium or any customer you interact directly, there are bound to be times when people say negative things. Sometimes, companies do not respond to the feedback cautiously and may end up arguing or taking it lightly. This is likely to hamper not just their reputation but also their social standing. It would be better to empathise and apologise to resolve the situation. An example is that of Gaurav Jain, founder of Mast Kalandar, popular chain of restaurants, who went on to change the food menu atleast twice in the first year of operations when customers did not appreciate the menu.
2. One of the biggest blunders which new companies commit is that they do not make it simple for customers to connect with them. While some of them may have websites, there are no clear details available to the user and hence the person may lose interest and look towards other avenues.
3. The third common sin is that organisations remain disorganised in their early days of the venture. Vital data, streamlined processes and a methodical manner of working ensures proper communication with customers which would aid in passing eloquent message to customers.
4. If you are new to business, it is very easy to focus on your strengths and overlook the strengths of your competitors who have been in the trade for long. Hence, it is imperative to not lose sight of the competition and articulate clearly the organisation’s unique selling points vis-a-vis peers.
5. The fifth and very simple mistake that businesses commit is not requesting for referrals. If customers are impressed with what is being offered by your company, it is not sufficient to sit back and just take a feedback. Businesses may become content with the positive feedback and ignore what can be done to take it a step further.
6. Most of the fledgling firms believe that aggression is the key to achieving success. Since marketing has become an extremely important tool in today’s world, newbies can go a step further by bombarding customers with offers through mails or messages. While this is supposed to take matter to the next level, overdoing it can irk customers and may end losing your loyalty instead of gaining.
7. If you have worked hard in promoting your company and communicating to customers, it would be foolish if the impact of the results is not monitored properly. You must measure the performance impact using the various metrics available as the combined result of these things would be help in developing the future strategy.

While the 7 deadly sins young companies commit in communicating with customers can have dire consequences, a little effort in avoiding them can go a long way in building trust and developing relationships with customers.