Effective Communications Month – You are building relationships to grow your business.

One thing I am constantly working on perfecting is my communication skills. Not just as the President and CEO of a multimillion-dollar company but also as a serial entrepreneur. As a serial entrepreneur, I communicate a lot. I share with potential and current clients, investors, employees, business partners, donors, and supporters daily. That is many audiences with different purposes. However, sometimes I wonder how effectively I am communicating. Each group I share with is essential in growing my business ventures and obtaining new opportunities. So, over the past few months, I have been doing the work and the research to communicate effectively.

What is Effective Communication?

Effective communication involves verbal and nonverbal cues and delivery. By formal definition, it’s?“the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is received and understood with clarity and purpose.” By my definition, it is ensuring that your intent is received. As an entrepreneur, communicating effectively means efficiently explaining, actively listening, and accurately presenting information for a clear understanding of ideas and needs. It is a relationship-building tool that can help anyone grow their business through the right connections.

Why are relationship building and business growth connected?

I am a firm believer that it is people that make a business successful: no one single person or one single idea. My companies have grown thanks to my relationships through effective communication. This is beyond networking. Networking has been the last decade's catchphrase, but meaningful connections build the foundation for success. When you engage with your audiences, are you establishing long-lasting, authentic relationships, or are you doing what we can call “influenced information exchanges (IIE)?” An IIE is when you share details for a particular outcome in an inappropriate format. For example, suppose you are speaking with a potential sponsor. An IIE communicator may say, “we are looking to expand operations and resources, and your financial support would be greatly appreciated.” You are having an exchange with influenced information but are you effectively communicating? An effective communicator may say, “we are looking for partners who share our passion in [insert passion], and as a consumer of [insert sponsor], I know your financial support will allow us to [insert overall mission]. You are communicating the same request; however, you are creating a connection that can build a relationship on shared interests.

How can effective communication help you build relationships to grow your business?

Effective communication takes more effort but has efficient results. It’s all about the wordplay. Picking correct vocabulary, the proper flow of information, and appropriate communication channels convey an impactful message while assisting a business to dissolve disputes and confusion, thus, promoting a strong brand reputation. In my example earlier, the effective communicator exalted confidence and compassion. At the same time, the IIE communicator showed a lack of clarity in long-term expectations of the business’ success. As an audience, sponsors look for meaningful alignments in mission and opportunities to have a return on this investment. Always look for ways to efficiently close deals and make necessary internal decisions.

Here are a few tips for effective communication:

Be present. Be clear.

This is somewhat self-explanatory, yet it is a common mistake. We have a lot going on outside of work and business, so adding that to the mix, it can be hard to remain present when communicating. Remaining in the moment and not thinking about the issue from the morning or the meeting that’s coming up next allows you to make and notice physical and emotional cues. These cues are important because they can help you determine the vocabulary to use.

Seek understanding, not just a response.

How often do we communicate something, and the person’s response is entirely off from what we were looking for? Most likely, it is because we did not communicate for understanding. How to avoid this is by choosing the correct order of how the information is shared and anticipating clarifying questions. For example, you are emailing an employee about a task that needs to be completed today.

1)???Start with the assignment. “Are you able to print five copies of this attached document?”

2)???Anticipate clarifying questions. “I need it printed in color and stapled on the upper left corner.”

3)???Anticipate clarifying questions. “The meeting starts at 3. Leave them in the head chair.

This email will cut down on the unnecessary back and forth exchanges, and it also leads with the request, so if this person cannot complete the task, you or they can send it on to someone who can address all anticipated questions. You made sure they understood, which is always appreciated by the receiver.

When you are in verbal exchange as the receiver, as difficult as this may be, resist the urge to communicate through bullet points. When our interactions are primarily driven by our agendas, our ability to understand and connect with another person’s experience is significantly limited. So, take the time to be engaged and not just transactional in your communication. That engagement makes the person feel you care about what is being shared and you are interested in giving them the most appropriate response. We are not robots!

Use Active/Reflective Listening

Reflective listening is a communication strategy in which the listener seeks to understand what the other is thinking and feeling and to convey this understanding back to the person. Have you ever been talking to a person, and they repeated what you said back to you? That means they are ensuring they did not just hear you but understood your intent. You would be surprised how often I say something I think is clear, and the person repeats something completely different back to me. Repeating what you heard for clarity cuts down on confusion and wasted time.

These are just a few tips I am perfecting into my daily communication. As I stated, I am a work in progress; therefore, I have someone on my team constantly coaching me on the best ways to communicate. Many people do this professionally, so if?you’re not getting the results you want, consider adding a communication consultant to your tribe, either for business communication or personal coaching. As always, if you need referrals, I am happy to recommend.

Stay clear. Remain effective. Continue communicating.?