Effective client communication is vital to the successful execution and delivery of a project. Service-based business owners often encounter significant milestones that require client feedback. Sometimes they don’t get that feedback in a timely fashion.
You send an email to your customer asking for comments. Still, your effort to collect valuable insights on the project deliverables ends as soon as you hit send. The email is either lost, or the client does not respond for an extended period. As a result, all work is halted, and everyone is frustrated.
Don’t you agree that ineffective communication causes needless friction, delays work execution, and actually increases the time and effort needed to complete tasks?
Statistics on Effective Client Communication
Effective communication is a global problem in the business world, particularly among digital companies. You can’t simply go up to a team member if you have a little problem with a project, and you can’t instantly contact your clients, especially if they’re scattered all around the globe.
Internal and external communications are essential. Although one would assume that in this day and age of technology and innovation, successfully sharing and disseminating information should not be a problem, the statistics paint a different picture.
For instance, 96% of customers believe that their companies should improve their communication and project management abilities. In comparison, 85% of people find it extremely frustrating having to repeat information twice. There is also a noticeable over-reliance on email, with 39% of workers using it as a primary communication method.
Why are Successful Company-to-Client Interactions so Critical?
The good old email is still the most trusted and used method of communication, and don’t get me wrong, it actually works.
However, in today’s business environment, new communication and engagement methods are required. Business owners’ collaboration with clients has changed dramatically, so relying on traditional communication tools is no longer effective.
Creating in-sync teams and achieving project deliverables is more difficult using email. It reduces the chances for spontaneous brainstorming, timely feedback, and corrections. Nobody wants communications to be a major roadblock, right?
Personally, I am a great believer in close collaboration with the client when my team and I deliver creative graphic design and branding services. From the get-go, we acquaint ourselves with the business owners regarding where they are and where they want to be. From triumphs to failures and the overall brand concept, we want to know it all.
Book a Call with our teamTherefore, to deliver successful projects, finding a way that guarantees efficient company-to-client communication is essential.
Are There Any Effective Business Communication Solutions?
Business owners have several options when it comes to client communication software. However, I will concentrate on Asana, primarily a project management tool used for project planning and monitoring. It can, however, be used for external interactions with partners and clients as well.
Indeed, Asana serves as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution for efficient client engagement, enabling them to provide real-time feedback on project deliverables and monitor deadlines. Isn’t that the ultimate peace of mind?
Client Onboarding
Smooth onboarding is the foundation for effective interactions with a customer. Consider each stage of the process from your clients’ point of view before introducing them to their Asana project.
Regardless of whether your clients have previously worked within Asana, you should make your specific processes and workflows explicit. This ensures they understand the information they require and have access to. The provision of guidelines for the timeframe of the project and the duties of the various team members are also considered beneficial.
Project Board – Track Work Through Multiple Stages
A project board in Asana enables you to monitor the development of a project’s different stages at a glance. Within the YKMD, we allocate project boards to our recurring customers and create columns such as ‘to do,’ ‘in progress,’ ‘for review,’ ‘on hold,’ and ‘complete’ to display all phases of the project while also adding individual tasks inside the previous sections.
For instance, the ‘to do’ column is used while we are gathering the information and assets required to begin the project. We move to the ‘in progress’ stage after we acquire all of the necessary elements. This way, customers can see all of the tasks associated with their project and be confident that they will be accomplished.
Project Status Updates
Consistent, timely, and effective communication is what clients always want (and us, business owners), so providing frequent project updates gives them that peace of mind. By changing the status from ‘on track’ to ‘off track’ or ‘at-risk,’ members working on the particular assignment will get an email notifying them of the change. With the click of a button, your team and clients may be alerted to urgent developments that need immediate attention.
Project Conversations
There is just no time or room for emails or meetings when managing large-scale projects. Project conversations within Asana are excellent for ensuring that all relevant team members are engaged and ongoing interactions are neatly organized, whether trying to obtain the client’s input or discussing a specific problem.
Asana also enables you to convert helpful comments from conversations into tasks, saving time for both your clients and team members. As less time is wasted, people can actually get on with the value-generating activities.
Document Sharing
File sharing is required for the completion of a creative project. Running the risk of accidentally working on an incorrect or outdated document can push deadlines to the edge. Asana’s cloud-based integration with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box offers a centralized place for all your files, giving clients quick access to all essential project documents and saving them valuable time. Similarly, utilizing Asana to store and share documents boosts your team’s productivity. It allows them to focus since they no longer have to search for scattered information and files.
All things considered, successful project communication with customers is critical. Setting up clear and open communication channels is vital since clients play an essential role in the creative process by giving input on the project’s deliverables. In order to keep your clients informed, Asana offers a one-stop-shop where they can monitor exactly how their project is going. No more jumbled or lost emails that frustrate creative teams and clients alike.
Ready to work with a design and marketing firm that has client communication in the bag? Use the button below to book a call with YKMD today.
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