Transparent Communication: Workplace Essentials

When you are in a company setting, you are a part of a team. Being a part of a team means that everyone on that team is inclined to achieve the same goal. But that is not enough to understand how a team operates. What are the characteristics of a team? Shouldn't teams be supportive of one another? Look out for each other? Of Course, they should, but oftentimes teams can get out of sync. When this happens, people begin to divide and messages don’t properly flow through the chain of command.

Commonly, this is caused by conflict within the teams. This brings out assumptions of members' competence, lack of explanation, the lists go on. Whatever the reason may be, it needs to be addressed and solved in the most appropriate way possible. When communication is not transparent within an organization, it becomes extremely counterproductive to achieving. This can be seen when a leader becomes too attached to things being done a certain way.

While yes, they are in command, they need to realize that the teams which they lead are the ones who will execute procedures. For this reason, teams and leaders need to operate as one. A lot of times we say teams should run like a “well-oiled machine” but this is not what we’re talking about here. A machine cannot learn, grow, adapt, or bond like a team needs to. 

So what should a team do when faced with friction in the organization? There are numerous ways to tackle this, but oftentimes all it requires is going back to the basics.

Communicate

Solving communication issues simply requires communication. While it does sound simple, that does not make it easy. There are numerous things to account for when stepping up to solve a problem. In this case, the best interest of the team is stand-alone. For this reason, leaders and team members must analyze the situation to determine the best course of action. 

For example, let's say a leader on a construction site implements a new policy requiring workers to log time and changes allocated to different tasks. The leader sees it as an effective way for everyone to know how long something will take and what the previous worker has changed. The workers see it as the time taken away from other tasks they could be doing. As a result, they stop logging the data, and the leader just assumes it is because they’re lazy and become frustrated.

In a situation like this, most leaders would re-explain the process and its importance as they assume the workers simply didn’t understand it or didn’t want to do it. However, this will provide no benefit, and will only cause further complications. Instead, the leader should’ve talked to the workers directly to determine a system that works best for them, considering they are the ones the system is made for.

This is a simple way to see the dynamic which can arise in teams. This type of dynamic is not something any business wants. Making assumptions and criticism will never solve. Problems need to be dealt with as they come.

Detach From The Situation

When an organization is faced with confusion, the best thing to do is detach from the situation before reacting. This means not acting on impulse, removing emotion from the equation, and looking at the situation logically. It is important to understand how stepping back can benefit decision-making.

Ask yourself, what information are we missing? Who’s most likely to have this information? How can we collaborate best to solve this?

This response will eliminate the risk of blaming and will allow team members to take accountability. Detachment from the situation will reflect your emotional intelligence when faced with conflict. The great thing about this method is that it can be used at any level of the team. 

Be Consistent

Problems and confusion will arise, the baseline for handling these barriers is consistent communication. Always allow communication to be free-flowing, this can involve weekly meetings where everyone must share a thought from their week. Whatever it may be, make it a routine. 

Conclusion

Communication is a pillar to success, there are numerous methods and philosophies around it but all that matters is finding what works. Know that this will take time and that it’s okay so long as the organization continues to practice. 

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

How to Improve Your Customer Experience

As we are seeing the trajectory of the dominating online business world, customer experience has been prominent as a leading pillar in the foundation of marketing. Consumers are looking for the best possible customer service, over 85% of whom will pay up to 25% more for such an experience. Feeling valued and as though you are supporting a business that values its customers is something that will lead to repeat business. Failing to uphold high-quality customer service will result in a loss of business.

Researchers are finding that almost 90% of customers will go to a competitor because of poor customer service. A great customer experience is rooted in the company's ability to create a supportive environment for employees who are handling customers. Prioritizing an inclusive and empowering company culture is a very effective method to ensure employees can deliver a great experience. It is also a major attraction to those looking for jobs in today’s market.

Studies have shown that 94% of entrepreneurs and 88% of those searching for jobs say that company culture is critical for success. 

The pattern we are noticing here is that providing a community-based environment for employees to work in translates to success in the quality of customer experience. Employee retention dips when they don't feel valued, it was found that 77% of Canadians who left their job in 2020 did so for a better opportunity. The same concept applies to customers, the customer experience is the root for 80% of the connection customers feel to a brand. The goal is to be in a position where your company can provide a supportive environment for both.

So how can you create an environment that delivers a top-quality customer experience? 

Customer Support Systems

With so many businesses gaining their sales through eCommerce, quality of experience and customer relations must be maintained. It is no longer the faces you see in the store, customer service must be easily accessible online. Methods like 24-hour access to a representative, live chats, and even social media are great for upkeeping customer care. These systems must be held to a standard that is frequently checked and updated for quality assurance.

Hire Accordingly

Hiring individuals who possess the skills to deliver this experience is where the process begins. Communication skills are after all the most sought after in any business environment. To find these candidates, ask interview questions structured on how important company culture is to them and what makes a customer experience special. Even after an individual who meets this criterion is hired, training practices that prepare for these service standards must be implemented. 

Upkeep Standards of Product

Whatever business you’re in, you are providing something for someone. How great is what you’re offering? Is it worth the price? Quality assurance is an essential pillar to gain clients, but also to create repeat business. For example, if your company provides a service, have standards for consistency of delivery. If you sell a physical product, ensure that it is kept in the right condition and that quality is consistent. It is the recurring theme of ensuring consistency of quality to support consumer needs that separate a good customer experience from a great customer experience. 

Value and Analyze Feedback

Asking clients how their experience was is an effective tool commonly used by many businesses. Take this feedback and find ways to improve current tactics that will be reflective in your organization's delivery of services. Not only is this demonstrating your care for the client's input, but it allows for a direct answer to any possible issues in your current methods. A lot of times, people associate critique as a negative. That it is almost an insult to the company when this is simply not the case.

There is always room for improvement no matter how advanced a company, organization, team, or individual is. So in short, embrace feedback.

Conclusion

While developing a customer experience standard, know that you will not always be able to please everyone. This is just a natural part of the development process, and it’s important to know that no company ever fully develops to perfection. As we looked at, even negative critique can lead to positive changes in the future. Refer back to these tips while developing your customer service systems. Decide what your organization stands for and how you will live up to the standards you make for it. 

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

Influencer Marketing: Expanding Your Reach

Entertainment outlets are readily available to us 24/7, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube can have us hooked for hours each day. This can be correlated with the pandemic causing an online shift and leaving us searching for new forms of entertainment. As a result, the rise of influencers has increased dramatically over the past two years. As well, influencer marketing has taken off immensely, causing more than 50% of all marketing agencies to invest in influencers.

The consistent reach that influencers can attract on platforms is like nothing ever seen before. In particular, TikTok has over 1 billion monthly users and engagement through the roof. 

The short video concept allows creators to hold the attention of the audience with the endless feed offered. So what’s the difference between marketing on a platform like TikTok compared to Instagram or YouTube? The algorithm of TikTok makes it so it doesn’t matter how big or small your following is, the feed pushes out videos and you can generate millions of views. 

The addictive layout of TikTok keeps users engaged all day, laying the ground for an enormous amount of advertising real estate. This as a result has created a platform for hundreds of thousands of influencers to promote their affiliations as well as their own brands. So how does this benefit a business? What is in it to gain for the marketing department? 

Let's take a look at what we know: 

Why Should Your Brand Use Influencers?

If you’re a brand in 2022 looking to grow, and you’re not already using influencer marketing, you could be missing out on double, even triple the audience you have now. Users trust influencers, particularly millennial users, 40% of whom believe influencers understand their needs. But how many people even really buy products they’re shown on social media?

Instagrams 2020 data found that more than 130 million people shop for products shown to them on the platform every month. To narrow that down, even more, over 85% of women take shopping advice from social media.

How Are Influencers So Effective?

Brands are partnering with influencers to share their audience for marketing their products. For example, a cosmetic company could partner with a fashion influencer to market their latest concealer. The influencer would then post a video of them with no makeup on, getting ready with the product, looking very nice and happy at the end, providing directions on where to buy it. These videos typically average tens-hundreds of thousands of likes and even more views.

The ability influencers have to connect with their audience is extremely valuable. Audiences become obsessed with the lifestyles and personalities of these individuals. As a result, the cost to work with them does not come cheap. 

How Much Can You Expect To Spend?

The amount companies spend depends on the number of followers the influencer has. Accounts with 10-100k followers can range from $100-$5,000 per post, while accounts with over one million typically have a 10k minimum. These estimations will vary based on the situation and agreements between influencers and brands, but the bottom line is that this will be an investment. 

What Can Companies Gain From Influencers?

The return on investment for influencer marketing campaigns is estimated at $6 for every $1 spent, this is leading over 60% of marketers to spend more of their budget on influencers. The creativity influencers apply to marketing products cannot be achieved the same through traditional advertisements. Influencers are trusted, their content attracts people all over the world by just being themselves. Their ability to market themselves translates into marketing products, if they say they use it, the audience will take their advice. 

Conclusion 

Creativity is increasingly being delegated to influencers instead of a creative team with a whiteboard. This can save companies time in their planning and provide a more efficient focus to invest in their marketing. Now, of course, we cannot disregard traditional methods of advertising as companies do need to still have their messaging developed in-house. Influencer marketing is simply a tool to keep an eye on in today’s marketing world.

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!