This post is contributed by Jason Dirkham.

Communication with your clients is key to a successful business. It isn’t just about what you communicate, but also how you communicate. Communication is crucial to building strong relationships with clients, building a good reputation, and growing your business. It can also help you network better and build a community. There are many benefits to improving your communication, regardless of what business or industry you are in. If you are not communicating efficiently with your clients, then you will never see growth. Communication extends beyond your customers, and should also be something that you consider within your business too. 

Communication sounds easy to do, but it can actually be complex. When you consider that everyone communicates differently and has their own needs, it can feel like a challenge. It will take time for you to assess what is going well and where your weaknesses are, so you can learn from them and begin to improve things. To help you hit the ground running, it can be helpful to understand what the most common client communication mistakes are made within business, so you can avoid them and make a plan to help your business grow. Here are the most common mistakes that you should consider. 

#1 Not giving your clients your full attention 

If you have clients that you host meetings with regularly, not giving them your full attention is a huge mistake. This will make them unhappy and doubt their value to you. It may even drive them to seek the business of your competitors. Whether you are aware of it or not, it can come across as bad to your business if you are on your phone, distracted with paperwork, daydreaming, or using your laptop. There may also be innocent distractions, such as trying to take notes during the meeting, but this can leave you with your head down which can make it feel to your clients that you do not value them. When you are in meetings, you can avoid this mistake by ensuring that you give your clients your full attention, and put away any unnecessary paperwork or devices. You may also consider tools such as AI notetaker for marketers – keep everyone on the same page and give your clients your full attention during the meeting. 

#2 Not addressing client challenges or questions

It is normal for clients to share doubts, challenges, or questions with you. A big mistake businesses make is to ignore these, brush past them, or provide long, complicated, and jargon-filled answers. You are the expert at what you do, which is why your clients are working with you and hiring your services to support them. You need to remember that they don’t know everything you do, so make sure you consider how you communicate with your clients and what you communicate. Make sure you meet them where they are at, and share information and insights in a way that they can understand. This will help significantly improve your relationship with your clients, and help your business grow. 

Growing your business is tough. Don’t make these common communication mistakes and hinder your growth.