Business Monday: Communication Breakdown – Bob Salvas

-by Bob Salvas, contributing writer

“Communication breakdown. It’s always the same. I’m having a nervous breakdown.  Drives me insane.”

–from the song COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN on the debut album of Led Zeppelin released in 1969

While the rock band may have had a different meaning for these words when they wrote them in 1968, the chorus
rings true in today’s world. There is simply TOO MUCH communication going on all around us and it really is driving us crazy!

Consider these statistics:

How is it possible for a small business to be heard in this kind of environment? They generally do not have the time, the money or the expertise to cut through this IMMENSE communication clutter

But all is not lost.  There is one thing that the small business has working in their favor that most big companies don’t have: RELATIONSHIPS. If they do things correctly, a small business can build strong bonds with each customer that will keep them coming back repeatedly AND referring others to the business.

To accomplish this, the business must go beyond just offering a good product or a good service. There is a need to be personable, and the business must also differentiate itself and then deliver (over-deliver) on that differentiation promise. Additionally, they should reward loyal customers in some way (a nice useful gift- maybe even branded– is a terrific idea!).  Find other ways to continue to communicate and thank the customer for their business.

But what about before that? How do we plant the seeds of our success in our basic COMMUNICATIONS before we even get a prospect to try us

Marketing expert Jim Cecil said that relationships are usually developed by both the QUALITY AND QUANTITY of the contact between the two parties. Think about that. So, if I met you and you ONLY sent me a Christmas card once a year- that might be considered a QUALITY communication, but the QUANTITY is lacking. On the other hand, if you send me emails every day that are pushing me to buy something from you– that might be QUANTITY, but the QUALITY is certainly not there…in fact, I’m probably going to get irritated at your aggressive sales tactics

There must be a middle ground we strive for.

First let’s consider quantity. It is very unlikely that a prospect needs or wants to hear from you every day (though there may be exceptions) but they DO need to hear from you. The general rule of thumb is to communicate with them somewhere between weekly and monthly. It is said that you lose 10% of your influence with someone when you go longer than one month without any communication to that person. We always want to stay ‘top of mind’ and remind people weare still here. This is at risk if you only do a quarterly newsletter.

What about quality? One of the keys to success is to send your customers, prospects and referral sources quality communications at least 80% of the time. Quality communications are communications that educate or delight your audience. You can thank a person (this is one of the best high-quality messages), say Happy Birthday, wish them well for a holiday or a season. You can also educate them on your industry in a way that helps them. Please note, in ANY of these quality communications, you should not ask for the sale or a referral. You should only ask for that with the other 20% (or less) of your other communications

Here is a pro tip for sending high-quality communications: One of the absolute best ways to communicate is to occasionally send handwritten notes. Many of the most successful people in business today STILL send these kinds of notes. Business expert and best-selling author Harvey Mackay had this to say

“Short handwritten notes yield long results. In sales, never underestimate the importance of the personal gesture, and right at the top of the list of effective personal gestures sits the handwritten note.

And when it comes to cutting through the communication clutter, author and sales expert Danielle Kennedy said this

“In this electronic communication age, the handwritten note with a postage stamp gets more attention than ever.

Not only does a hard-copy note stand out in a digital world, but it is also true that a tangible piece of mail containing a personal message helps to build a relationship quicker than most other things. And that often leads to business down the line. You might not be able to always send those tangible hard-copy notes…and that’s ok. It’s fine to mix them in with some electronic messages or social media posts if you remember that 80% of your overall communications should be QUALITY communications (and not ‘salesy’ communications!).

So, get out there and build those relationships. One person at a time.  Plant those seeds of success with quality communications and then nurture those relationships to fruition with additional messaging (quantity).  You will find that with consistency and patience, the results can be amazing.

Bob Salvas is a Professional Development Manager for the RI Builders Assn, a marketing consultant, the founder of Momentum Networking, and the co-founder of THE MARKETING CAMP, a yearly conference to help small businesses achieve success.  For more information about THE MARKETING CAMP, go to themarketingcamp.com.  Bob can be reached at 401-359-1602 or at [email protected].