Marketing

The lost art of communication

 

Are we losing the ability to communicate professionally and effectively?  In a rush to be efficient we often skip the ‘niceties’ and get straight to the point.  But, in the quest to multi-task and get things done as quickly as possible, we could actually be at risk of damaging our relationships and losing touch with people. 

Marketing isn’t just about generating sales in the short-term. It’s about effectively communicating with your audience, building client trust, establishing and maintaining relationships and obtaining loyalty.

Every piece of communication that you send out to your clients, whether it’s an appointment reminder by post, a follow-up to an enquiry via email, a voicemail message or even chasing up a missed invoice; literally says so much. 

Communication is not about what you write or what you say, it’s about what your audience reads or hears.

You may have invested heavily in a swanky refurbishment, a new website, high quality brochures but all this will be completely in vain if no thought has been put into the rest of your communication strategy. 

Are your frontline-staff sufficiently equipped to deal with enquiries in the best way possible?  Do you actively listen to your clients? 

Take time to assess all of your communications both written and verbal.  Is it ‘on brand’?  Does it acknowledge that patient as a person (i.e. is it addressed by name not just dear patient), is the tone friendly, respectful?  Are you taking advantage of opportunities to up-sell? 

Every contact with a client or prospect is an opportunity, so don’t waste it.  Show that you value that person and you could be on the path to a long and fulfilling relationship for both parties. 

Perhaps with our over-complicated lives we’ve lost sight and need to take a moment to step back and reflect on The Golden Rule of Reciprocity. Lets all make a concerted effort to treat others how we wish to be treated ourselves, not just because it makes business sense but because it’s the right thing to do. 

Get in touch if you’d like us to look over your communications for you; we’d be happy to advise.

 

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