How Poor Communication is Costing Your Business—And How to Fix It

As a business owner, executive, or someone who leads a team, there's one thing you can't afford to overlook: communication. It’s not just a “soft skill” or something nice to have—it’s the foundation of everything you do. If your team isn’t communicating clearly, you're bleeding money, time, and opportunities.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: A Harris Poll found that 86% of business problems are the result of poor communication. That’s not a random number. That research showed that everything from missed deadlines to lost clients, employee disengagement to plummeting revenue—can be traced back to one thing: miscommunication.

Let’s break it down…

The Big Three Assumptions Killing Your Business

• "Good communication is natural" – It’s easy to assume that some people are just born great communicators. They’re not. Communication is a skill, and like any skill, it takes practice. It doesn’t matter how experienced or educated your team is—if they aren’t actively learning how to communicate better, your business is suffering.
• "Our communication works fine" – Here’s the hard pill to swallow: if you assume your communication is working, it’s probably not. You might be surviving, but you're not thriving. Your meetings are longer than they need to be. Decisions get delayed. People walk away confused. You may not see the full extent of it right now, but it’s there, eating away at your efficiency.
• "There’s no major downside to poor communication" – This one is huge. Businesses don’t realize the cost of poor communication until it's too late. The Harris Poll found that this issue contributes to a loss of over $1.2 trillion in business revenue annually. That’s not something to shrug off.

The Key to Mastering Communication: Listen With Intent

You want to know the quickest way to become a top communicator in your business? Learn to listen—really listen. Most of us are guilty of “listening” just so we can respond, not so we can understand. I call it “listening with intent.”

When you truly listen, you unlock opportunities to connect, understand, and deliver better results. Whether you're leading a team meeting, talking with a client, or just brainstorming with a colleague, you need to pay attention to what’s really being said. And when you master this, you’ll see that everyone around you starts to feel heard, understood, and respected. That’s when the magic happens. Problems get solved faster. Meetings are more productive. Clients stay.

Why Clarity, Conciseness, and Compelling Communication Matter

If you’ve ever sat through a 30-minute meeting that should have been five minutes, you know what I’m talking about. Clear communication is non-negotiable. I built my Communicate with Confidence? Method—predictable in structure, unpredictable in delivery, with a clear point of view in your behavior—because businesses were losing hours every week on bloated meetings, emails that go nowhere, and endless misalignment.

• Predictable In Structure: This is about knowing your lines, knowing your role, and sticking to a script. For actors, the structure comes from the screenplay, and they never deviate from it. For businesses, this structure is the framework for delivering information. Be predictable in how you organize your message so everyone understands the starting point, the problem, and the desired outcome. At SoHo Creative, we use the SCQA Framework and Minto Pyramid Principle as it continues to be a tried and true method for communicating with clarity and impact.?
• Unpredictable in Delivery: Just like an actor must make their lines sound as if they’re being said for the first time, businesses must deliver their message in a way that feels fresh, even if the content has been rehearsed. When you can add a sense of spontaneity, it becomes more engaging and memorable for your audience.
• Have a Clear Point of View in Your Behavior: You must make it clear how you feel about what you're saying. People can feel when you're being neutral or indifferent, and that loses engagement. Your message should communicate a strong, undeniable stance—are you excited, frustrated, passionate? Let your audience know.

Face-to-Face Beats Everything

Here’s another thing you probably don’t want to hear: You’re 43 times more likely to get a “yes” in person than over Zoom or a phone call. Let that sink in—43 times more likely.

Yes, video conferencing and phone calls have their place. But if you want to close the deal, resolve the issue, or build a meaningful relationship, nothing beats face-to-face communication. I’m a guy who spends a lot of time in front of and behind a camera, so trust me when I say, I know the value of digital tools. But whenever possible, meet in person. It’s the fastest route to trust, understanding, and success. And, well, just faster.

How This Impacts Your Bottom Line

Poor communication doesn’t just slow you down—it kills your bottom line. It costs you in lost revenue, missed opportunities, and unnecessary turnover.

Imagine this: you’re a small business owner who spends an extra hour every day in mismanaged meetings. That’s five hours a week, twenty hours a month. Now, multiply that by every person in your company. That's how quickly inefficiencies add up. For larger enterprises, the stakes are even higher.

Effective communication isn’t just about reducing frustration—it’s about saving money and making your business run smoother.

My Takeaway For You

If you want to start fixing these issues today, here’s your roadmap:

1. Listen with intent: Stop waiting for your turn to talk. Instead, focus on understanding.
2. Use Communicate with Confidence Method: Be predictable in your structure, unpredictable in your delivery, and clear in your behavior. Deliver with confidence by knowing your message and connecting emotionally.
3. Get face-to-face: Whenever possible, have important conversations in person.
4. Invest in communication training: Don’t assume your team knows how to communicate well. Help them get there.

At SoHo Creative Studio, this is exactly what we help businesses do—whether it’s a small team trying to streamline internal processes, or a large enterprise needing more effective client communication strategies.

Great communication is learned, not innate. And when you commit to mastering it, your business will transform.