subject: Technology does not necessarily improve communication with your customers [print this page] Technology does not necessarily improve communication with your customers
Nowadays people experience interactions with multiple levels of information stemming from technology that was not available even to our parents less than a full generation ago. Cell phones, laptops, and myriads of computer and communication devices like iPhones, iPads, Blackberries; all of them demanding our attention and our time.
To complicate things further, the more innovation that arrives on the technology scene, the more varied networks are created for keeping in touch with family, friends, and work associates.
While it's important and necessary from a marketing standpoint for companies to be involved with websites and other means of social media, in the eyes of customers, all of this information together can tend to overwhelm them drown them in a sea of data. While online resources can be helpful, they are not the be-all and end-all of building a successful business.
Effective communication with our customers occurs when we remember that each customer is unique and that, as individuals, they each have unique preferences as to their comfort level in how they communicate with us. Some people prefer phone calls or face-to-face meetings; others are fine with the technology of email and even texting. It really boils down to us listening to, and understanding, how each customer wants companies to communicate with them, and then the company provides the solutions to best meet their needs.
Once those communication preferences are known, it is also important that a company shares that information internally. This way, customer relationships can continue to grow by promoting consistency with all business encounters that each customer has with the company.
When people realize companies are truly listening, their confidence and comfort level will increase, helping to spur ongoing sales and satisfaction.
