Master This One Skill to Win in Business in 2025

You send an important email… days go by. No response. Frustrating, right?

Or maybe you’ve worked on a project and soon realised that other members of the team just weren’t doing what you’d expected of them? These situations are disappointing and erode trust and goodwill between people. You may even start wondering – do they dislike me? Do they value my skills?

Most often there is a more simple explanation? – people get busy and you’re not the centre of their universe. How you may be perceiving their lack of communication likely does not even occur to them. However, in Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone?Mark Goulston reminds us that – “All of us want to feel important and to know that we’re valued. This gives us a sense of meaning and belonging.”

Clearly there is real potential for poor communication habits to damage long-term working relationships costing businesses time, money and trust.

3 Key Pillars of Effective Business Communication

Clarity of Expectations

Get clear at the outset on the terms of your communication. For instance, if you have been engaged to deliver a project, seek to gain clarity on timing, costs and communication channels. Will you be busy for the next two days and can’t move forward? Make that very clear so that the other party has realistic expectations. It sounds so simple, but is often overlooked, leading to delays, frustration and lost business.

Timely Responses Matter

You can only accomplish so much work in one day, and it’s not reasonable to immediately action every email that lands in your inbox. But slow responses can weaken trust or cause lost opportunities. Even if you don’t have a full answer, it’s good practice to acknowledge emails and messages promptly. Explain that you are busy but that you will respond on a fixed day or time – then follow through! This simple habit will help you build trust.

Making People Feel Valued

The most important of three pillars! People must feel valued for you to have a good working relationship with them, and businesses are built on relationships not just transactions. It costs absolutely nothing to engage in friendly, respectful and timely communications. This applies even if you’re not the right fit for a new connection – a courteous response that leaves the door open for a future collaboration can make a lasting impression.

How to Improve Your Communication Habits in 2025

• Set yourself a response time standard – this is your own standard that you commit to upholding. I recommend 24 hours. If you message me about something, I will respond to you within that window, even if it’s just to say I’ll get back to you by a certain day or time.

• Be clear about what you can deliver and when – don’t leave anything to chance. An example is “I’m busy for the next two days, but I will get back to you Friday before lunch.” Then do it.

• Treat every interaction as a future opportunity. Life has a funny way of surprising us. If someone is not a good fit for you right now, treat them as a valued connection – because they are. Avoid being unfriendly or ignoring them completely. You’ll be glad that you did.?

Many times a great opportunity has come my way due to having built solid relationships with people through friendly and reliable communications. I’d love to hear your experience—has a simple, thoughtful email or follow-up ever led to an unexpected opportunity? Reply and let’s chat!