Do you know that feeling of annoyance and slight anxiety when you walk into your favorite store, but all the shelves have been reorganized and you have no clue where things are anymore? That pang of dread that you’re about to waste double the time you would under normal circumstances is what happens to every mompreneur out there upon realizing that her files are a mess. You can’t find the business card of that potential investor. When you receive a call, you can’t seem to dig up those notes anywhere on your desk.
The need for a good communication process starts with managing your contacts, both personal and business-related. Preparing a strategy for contact management can help you set up a more efficient business operation, be more productive, avoid time-wasters at the office, and devote your precious time only to the tasks that matter. Let’s cover a few important ways you can spruce up contact management and how it helps you run a more successful business.
Customer and partner satisfaction
You can start by simplifying your engagement strategy. Choose one or a few channels for interacting with customers, clients, and partners. For example, many entrepreneurs appreciate tried and tested communication tools like Google Workspace, which you can use for email correspondences, video conferencing, scheduling your outreach, and setting up your entire calendar.
When you have a unified system, you can set up reminders as well, always be on time for every call and meet every deadline with your assignments. Responding quickly to customer queries and concerns, and getting in touch with your vendors all help you foster satisfaction in all your relationships.
Smooth collaboration with your team
Most mompreneurs are accustomed to juggling all kinds of tasks on their own, but there always comes a moment when you need to work with someone. Be it a freelancer, an in-house expert, or an agency, how you manage your contacts and what kind of permissions you grant your team will make all the difference for your productivity and collaboration.
When you’re using Google Workspace, you can share Google contacts with your teams to enable seamless collaboration with the help of a simple add-on such as Shared Contacts. Your entire database of contacts will then be available to anyone you grant access, to keep your address book up to date, and manage all interactions properly.
Careful contact management helps you avoid issues like following up twice with the same people or missing out on an opportunity to get in touch with someone who could grow your business.
Higher productivity and efficiency
Every moment matters, especially when you have so few to spare. In business, as in life, you need to cut the time you spend on less relevant tasks and use it wisely for mission-critical processes that make or break your company’s success. Managing your contacts with software, add-ons, and a unified communication platform all helps you automate certain parts of the process to reallocate your time to other tasks.
At the same time, if you have a team around you, all the people you work with will have more freedom to work on matters that are closest to their expertise. Instead of manually updating each contact, merging them to avoid duplicates, and reaching out to people via outdated email addresses, you and your teams will be able to work smoothly and be more productive than ever.
A chance for better brand management
Getting a call from someone and not being able to see who the number belongs to is a simple example of shoddy contact management. Every business owner needs to store and manage their contacts, always answer the phone knowing who they are talking to, and show appreciation whenever possible.
No matter how long you’ve been in your chosen industry, how you handle contacts and interactions with everyone you know can build up or tear down your reputation.
This is an important step in brand building, and taking care of your brand’s reputation through proper contact management speaks volumes of your attention to detail, customer care, and professionalism. Be sure to keep in touch with the right people, manage their contact details properly, and of course, only share them with people you trust, such as the experts in your organization.
More sales and stronger relationships
A better brand image paired with consistent customer communication all works in your favor when it comes to landing more sales through repeat business and word-of-mouth marketing. When you impress people with how you handle those interactions, they are much more likely to talk about your business to others and serve as your brand ambassadors.
Over time, honoring the right communication protocols, being there for your customers, and communicating aptly all means that you’ll be able to foster strong, stable professional bonds.
Customers today are accustomed to a certain level of service quality, so it’s only natural to do your best to meet those expectations, if not exceed them in your competitive industry. At the same time, your business partners, employees, or associates all need to know you are reliable and well-organized.
Your reputation depends on your ability to manage your contacts and every communication channel arising from those contacts. Keep that in mind when you’re organizing your business, and you’ll preserve your professional standing, as well as your future success.
BY TECHIE MAMMA