3 Types of Communication You Need

This article comes from Entrepreneur.

3 Types of Communication You Need

Communication skills directly impact your ability to do business, which is why it’s critical to communicate clearly to your most important audiences.

Yourself

Start with how you communicate with yourself. The end of the year is a great time to take a step back and really evaluate how you are personally performing and how it is affecting your business.

It’s important to be honest and clear with yourself. Consider whether you’ve reached your goals for the year and be honest with yourself if you haven’t.

Ask for feedback from your partners, employees, customers, and friends. Encourage them to be honest with you. It can be difficult to hear feedback, but it’s truly the only way you will be able to grow as a business owner.

Your employees

Once you’ve identified areas for improvement and have a course of action, it’s important to clearly articulate it to everyone who has a stake in your business — especially your employees.

Bringing them into the plan early ensures there is no gray area, wondering or questioning. Everyone will be on the same page and have clear expectations for performance.

Making employees a part of the process also gives them a sense of ownership in the success of the business.

Your customers

Perhaps the most important person you need to communicate with is your customers. They are the backbone of your business and without them, you can’t succeed.

For them, it’s essential to clearly lay out not only your products and services but what you can do for them to make their lives easier, more productive and more enjoyable.

Involve customers in your self-reflection process and ask for their feedback on your performance. This doesn’t have to be a formal process. Simply striking up a casual conversation with customers can provide a wealth of information. It can give you insight into what they need and provide inspiration for new ideas

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