With so much customer service now being done via live chat or social media, making sure your teams are properly trained on best practices for written communication is paramount to your success . When your staff can not only educate and serve your customers, but also connect with them in a meaningful way, you’re much more likely to build a loyal following who will want to recommend you to their family and friends.
According to members of the Young Entrepreneur Council, keeping these 11 tips in mind when engaging with clients in a written format can help ensure that your communication is clear, helpful, and can earn you trust and confidence. loyalty of your customers.
1. Keep your answers short and to the point
Customer service professionals have to fight the urge to respond in a way that sounds like their spoken voice, as it can lead to long sentences, excessive politeness, and tons of run-on sentences. In a world of snappy hashtags and catchphrases, it’s best to keep your message short and to the point to avoid misunderstandings. Text that takes more than 20 seconds to read may be overlooked and the main point may be missed. – Heather Francis, Elevate Funding
2. Repeat customer requests to them
You should always repeat the customer’s request back to them. Adding a layer of clarity will allow the customer to make corrections if necessary. If they have no corrections, you can proceed to properly understand their concern. Summarizing the conversation is also helpful. Several individual sentences are sent in a row with chat messages, so say something like “To summarize your concern…” and repeat it to the customer. – Mary Harcourt, CosmoGlo
3. Use the tools to revise your message
Don’t send anything without reading it and checking how it could be reasonably (or frankly, unreasonably) misinterpreted. Support yourself with a spell checker and editor tools. Writing was never a solo venture. It was always done in dialogue with the editors. Use tools to help you be your own publisher. If something is at stake (an email to a shareholder, for example), send it to someone you trust. – Tyler Bray, TK Trailer Parts
4. Learn from past interactions
Learn from best practices from previous interactions. These real-life examples of effective communication serve as a foundation for crafting clear messages and setting the right tone for various issues in future engagements. I encourage you to review these examples with your team, as doing so will encourage collaborative learning and the development of improved communication strategies. – Alfredo Atanacio, Uassist.ME
5. Send customers detailed guides and articles
Putting together detailed help articles that you can send to customers to support more technical customer service requests can be helpful in maintaining clear communication. Guides can help you provide faster responses (so you don’t have to write a 10-step process every time) and give customers something to refer to if the problem happens again. – Diana Goodwin, MarketBox
6. Use simple language
Avoid jargon and technical terms when communicating with your customers. Not everyone has the deep knowledge to understand these words, and the last thing you want to do is make your customers feel stupid for asking for something. Use simple language to explain concepts and ideas. – Samuel Timothy, OneIMS
7. Add bullets to break up the text
Long comments are hard to read and easy to misinterpret. Instead, make it easy for customers by spoon-feeding them the main points like bullets. It’s also more likely to be a useful resource for other fans and followers who need information that provides concise answers and is easy to identify. – Firas Kittaneh, Amerisleep mattress
8. Take advantage of the ‘BLUF’ approach
To ensure clear and useful written communication in customer service, you should use the “BLUF” (Bottom Line Up Front) approach. In this approach, you present the most important information or solution first, followed by any necessary details. This technique improves the clarity, efficiency and readability of your texts, making it easier for customers to act on your response. – Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz
9. Standardize your processes
It is essential that you come up with standard operating procedures and train your teams on them to streamline your communication. The problems can vary from company to company, and so can the solutions. So, identify the problems, brainstorm the best possible solutions, and standardize your processes. This keeps gaps to a minimum and helps ensure good customer service. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Shapes
10. Make sure you have real humans on standby
Make sure you have a live human available if you use any chat bot. While chatbots can answer basic questions and resolve concerns quickly, sometimes a customer has a specific question and would like to speak with a representative. Be sure to establish a regular schedule for when representatives are available and respond to weekend or holiday messages. – Duran Inci, Optimum7
11. Send a log of the conversation afterwards
One way to ensure that you are communicating effectively with customers is to send a record of the conversation to their email addresses. Many consumers may feel that a representative was unclear when they simply do not fully recall the conversation. An automated record of the interaction can clear up confusion and make it easier for customers to find value in your advice. – John Turner, SeedProd LLC
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Whether it is a face-to-face conversation or an email communication, in today’s digital world, being able to communicate clearly is undoubtedly essential for successful communication. Poorly written messages can lead to confusion and miscommunication, costing time, money and even relationships. At Ikaroa, we understand the importance of written communication, and have drawn up a short list of top tips to help ensure that your written messages can be conveyed accurately and effectively.
1. Start With An Attention-Grabbing Introduction: Get the reader’s attention right away. Start with a compelling headline and opening statement to keep your reader engaged.
2. Present Your Message Clearly: Make sure that your primary point is presented in a clear and concise way. Keep your language simple and avoid long, complex sentences.
3. Break Your Message Into Paragraphs: Separate your main ideas and points with separate paragraphs for easy readability.
4. Personalize Whenever Possible: Try to address your reader by name whenever possible. Personalization adds a human touch and makes the reader pay attention to further details.
5. Use Power Words: Use positive and active words to get your point across and make the message more engaging.
6. Employ Active Voice: Use active voice to make your writing more direct and effective.
7. Check Facts & Figures: Make sure your facts and figures are accurate as mistakes can lead to misinterpretation and mistrust.
8. Double-Check Your Grammar: Double-check your grammar, spelling and punctuation. A slip in any of these can mislead the reader and reduce the credibility of your message.
9. Make It Easy To Reply: Make it easy for your reader to reply, by including a closing sentence that compels a response.
10. Check Tone & Content: Think twice before hitting”send”. Making sure the tone of your note is appropriate and the content is accurate is extremely important.
11. Keep It Concise: Try to keep your messages as brief as possible. Even a well-crafted message can lose its effectiveness if it is too long.
Following these tips from Ikaroa can help make sure your written communications are clear, effective and well-received. Clear written communication is the key to a successful relationship and business.
