Your business journey has ups and downs. As you navigate this business excursion, one power that you must have is Communication. It’s the secret sauce that makes or breaks a business.
Here are some common communication mistakes that business owners make. They are easily preventable.
The Jargon Jungle:
Image that you are in a meeting and the speaker is dropping acronyms left and right. As you look around, you see puzzled faces around the conference table. Oh no! The speaker is drowning the audience in a sea of industry jargon. The overuse of such jargon serves to alienate your audience rather than engage them.
Promise yourself to use simple language. If you must use an acronym, tell people what it stands for.
The Mic Monopolizer:
Loving the sound of your own voice, eh? Communication is a two-way street, and dominating the conversation will not endear you to your listeners. Listen actively. Encourage others to speak, share ideas, and voice concerns. Set the stage for lively dialogue and watch the magic of Effective Communication happen.
The Silent Star:
Do you ghost your customers and colleagues? Ghosting refers to the vanishing act that some business owners employ. They don’t respond to emails or text messages, skip meetings, are unreachable, and appear to vanish into thin air. This sends a dreadful message. Timely responses are key. Be responsive. It’s important.
The Word Salad:
Have you ever received an email or memo that was so convoluted and filled with excessive verbiage and ambiguous clauses that you were confused and frustrated? The answer here is: keep it simple, clear, and concise. Make the point. There’s no need to drown the reader in a linguistic shower.
The Non-Verbals:
Words are important, but non-verbal cues are even more critical for effective Communication. Body language, facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice speak volumes. It’s true that actions speak louder than words!
Communication is the heart ❤️and soul of your business. Avoid these common mistakes to develop your communication skills. Make every conversation count.
Join me for Coffee with the Coach ~ a series of free, virtual mini-seminars on the topic of Effective Communication. Can you think of anything in your business that doesn’t require Communication?
Register here: https://my.lanebc.com/coffee-with-the-coach
It takes courage to call a spade a spade. If you decide to step up and get honest about what is really going on, you risk people not liking what you say, criticizing you for kicking up dirt, and becoming defensive about their own low octane game.
Have you ever gone to a networking event and just took a look around the room? What did you see?
It’s no secret that referrals and opportunities come to us through other people. No one relishes appearing salesy, and cold calls are out of the question. So referrals are critically important for building a business.
Networking is considered the most cost-effective way for small businesses to gain visibility and attract business. Networking is 7 times more likely to generate new business than all other methods of marketing.
A search on Amazon for “business networking” produces nearly 10,000 results. So many gurus claim to have “the answers” to networking. And there are plenty of nutty suggestions promoted by some of these professed experts.
Being a Ninja takes a commitment! Ninjas use their masterful skills to move stealthily. If you are to be Ninja-like in your networking, you will develop the following skills:
One of the top motivators for networking is to meet new people and make connections, right? As business owners, we know that expanding our network of relationships will help our business grow.