Business Communication – Lessons from Lockdown

As a month and a half of lockdown approaches in the UK, we take a look back, and forward on how businesses may need to adapt.

With a period of panic followed by a time of reflection, I’m sure many business owners have had the chance to look away from the day to day and reflect on changes to improve and grow. It’s been a time to look at your internal processes, deep dive into the data around your customers and for many, reconnect in a strange roundabout way. More time with family, the urge to call your loved ones more often and enjoy potentially one too many virtual quizzes.

It brings to light the people behind the business and the human need to be connected. The initial shock of being separated from your team or your customers is now starting to be the ‘new normal’. We’re finding new ways to stay connected and an email never seems to just do the trick. Nothing replaces a human’s voice and I’m sure many are feeling that more so right now.

So, what does this ‘new normal’ mean for businesses moving forwards?

There’s nothing more valued at this moment than the human voice. It runs a business, it communicates with others, it helps, it reassures, it makes everything feel that little bit better. The new normal will involve a change in the way we communicate, and the way we communicate will be even more valued to consumers.

By looking at your business processes, may that be right now or into the future, how can you increase communication? Sometimes it may be the uncertainty of having procedures in place to better deal with any eventuality, or how you can overcome current issues such as furloughed staff and keeping your business going.

Customer Service

The way you connect with your customers is becoming more and more important and is a sure-fire way to separate you and your competitors, the personal touch is becoming a general expectation. If you’re relying on voicemail or an automated system, your customers probably aren’t receiving the information they want, clearly and easily.

Cost Cutting

We can’t avoid the concern of how businesses will continue to trade after this period. Many already have furloughed staff and may be struggling currently with maintaining lines of business communication with their customers. Moving forward we’ll see businesses (as we have already) maintain tight budget’s and look at cutting back their resources. This is where there’s a chance to reflect and look at cost-effective measures to keep your business running smoothly.

Innovation

Ultimately, it’s the businesses who are able to innovate, adapt and change will be the businesses who thrive. You may be ripping up your rule book and really looking at what internal processes you can adapt and change to be able to thrive too.

How alldayPA can help

Our family is built around the human voice and keeping businesses and customers connected, it’s our lifeblood. We’ve years of innovation behind our belt, 20yrs to be exact, to be able to bring you the highest level of communication with some outstanding tech behind it. Why not get in touch to see how our telephone answering, virtual receptionist or outsourced call centre solutions could help your business.