How to communicate successfully

Effective Communication

Want to communicate better? These tips will help you avoid misunderstandings, grasp the real meaning of what’s being communicated, and greatly improve your work and personal relationships.

What is effective communication?

Effective communication is about more than just exchanging information. It’s about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. As well as being able to clearly convey a message, you need to also listen in a way that gains the full meaning of what’s being said and makes the other person feel heard and understood.

Effective communication sounds like it should be instinctive. But all too often, when we try to communicate with others something goes astray. We say one thing, the other person hears something else, and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue. This can cause problems in your home, school, and work relationships.

For many of us, communicating more clearly and effectively requires learning some important skills. Whether you’re trying to improve communication with your spouse, kids, boss, or coworkers, learning these skills can deepen your connections to others, build greater trust and respect, and improve teamwork, problem solving, and your overall social and emotional health.

What’s stopping you from communicating effectively?

Common barriers to effective communication include:

Stress and out-of-control emotion. When you’re stressed or emotionally overwhelmed, you’re more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. To avoid conflict and misunderstandings, you can learn how to quickly calm down before continuing a conversation.

Lack of focus. You can’t communicate effectively when you’re multitasking. If you’re checking your phone, planning what you’re going to say next, or daydreaming, you’re almost certain to miss nonverbal cues in the conversation. To communicate effectively, you need to avoid distractions and stay focused.

Inconsistent body language. Nonverbal communication should reinforce what is being said, not contradict it. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will likely feel that you’re being dishonest. For example, you can’t say “yes” while shaking your head no.

Negative body language. If you disagree with or dislike what’s being said, you might use negative body language to rebuff the other person’s message, such as crossing your arms, avoiding eye contact, or tapping your feet. You don’t have to agree with, or even like what’s being said, but to communicate effectively and not put the other person on the defensive, it’s important to avoid sending negative signals.

Effective communication skill 1: Become an engaged listener

When communicating with others, we often focus on what we should say. However, effective communication is less about talking and more about listening. Listening well means not just understanding the words or the information being communicated, but also understanding the emotions the speaker is trying to convey.

There’s a big difference between engaged listening and simply hearing. When you really listen—when you’re engaged with what’s being said—you’ll hear the subtle intonations in someone’s voice that tell you how that person is feeling and the emotions they’re trying to communicate. When you’re an engaged listener, not only will you better understand the other person, you’ll also make that person feel heard and understood, which can help build a stronger, deeper connection between you.

By communicating in this way, you’ll also experience a process that lowers stress and supports physical and emotional well-being. If the person you’re talking to is calm, for example, listening in an engaged way will help to calm you, too. Similarly, if the person is agitated, you can help calm them by listening in an attentive way and making the person feel understood.

If your goal is to fully understand and connect with the other person, listening in an engaged way will often come naturally. If it doesn’t, try the following tips. The more you practice them, the more satisfying and rewarding your interactions with others will become.

Tips for becoming an engaged listener

Focus fully on the speaker. You can’t listen in an engaged way if you’re constantly checking your phone or thinking about something else. You need to stay focused on the moment-to-moment experience in order to pick up the subtle nuances and important nonverbal cues in a conversation. If you find it hard to concentrate on some speakers, try repeating their words over in your head—it’ll reinforce their message and help you stay focused.

Favor your right ear. As strange as it sounds, the left side of the brain contains the primary processing centers for both speech comprehension and emotions. Since the left side of the brain is connected to the right side of the body, favoring your right ear can help you better detect the emotional nuances of what someone is saying.

Avoid interrupting or trying to redirect the conversation to your concerns. By saying something like, “If you think that’s bad, let me tell you what happened to me.” Listening is not the same as waiting for your turn to talk. You can’t concentrate on what someone’s saying if you’re forming what you’re going to say next. Often, the speaker can read your facial expressions and know that your mind’s elsewhere.

Show your interest in what’s being said. Nod occasionally, smile at the person, and make sure your posture is open and inviting. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like “yes” or “uh huh.”

Try to set aside judgment. In order to communicate effectively with someone, you don’t have to like them or agree with their ideas, values, or opinions. However, you do need to set aside your judgment and withhold blame and criticism in order to fully understand them. The most difficult communication, when successfully executed, can often lead to an unlikely connection with someone.

Provide feedback. If there seems to be a disconnect, reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. “What I’m hearing is,” or “Sounds like you are saying,” are great ways to reflect back. Don’t simply repeat what the speaker has said verbatim, though—you’ll sound insincere or unintelligent. Instead, express what the speaker’s words mean to you. Ask questions to clarify certain points: “What do you mean when you say…” or “Is this what you mean?”

Hear the emotion behind the words

It’s the higher frequencies of human speech that impart emotion. You can become more attuned to these frequencies—and thus better able to understand what others are really saying—by exercising the tiny muscles of your middle ear (the smallest in the body). You can do this by singing, playing a wind instrument, or listening to certain types of high-frequency music (a Mozart symphony or violin concerto, for example, rather than low-frequency rock, pop, or hip-hop).

Skill 2: Pay attention to nonverbal signals

The way you look, listen, move, and react to another person tells them more about how you’re feeling than words alone ever can. Nonverbal communication, or body language, includes facial expressions, body movement and gestures, eye contact, posture, the tone of your voice, and even your muscle tension and breathing.

Developing the ability to understand and use nonverbal communication can help you connect with others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships at home and work.

Improve how you read nonverbal communication

Be aware of individual differences. People from different countries and cultures tend to use different nonverbal communication gestures, so it’s important to take age, culture, religion, gender, and emotional state into account when reading body language signals. An American teen, a grieving widow, and an Asian businessman, for example, are likely to use nonverbal signals differently.

Look at nonverbal communication signals as a group. Don’t read too much into a single gesture or nonverbal cue. Consider all of the nonverbal signals you receive, from eye contact to tone of voice to body language. Anyone can slip up occasionally and let eye contact go, for example, or briefly cross their arms without meaning to. Consider the signals as a whole to get a better “read” on a person.

Improve how you deliver nonverbal communication

Use nonverbal signals that match up with your words rather than contradict them. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will feel confused or suspect that you’re being dishonest. For example, sitting with your arms crossed and shaking your head doesn’t match words telling the other person that you agree with what they’re saying.

Adjust your nonverbal signals according to the context. The tone of your voice, for example, should be different when you’re addressing a child than when you’re addressing a group of adults. Similarly, take into account the emotional state and cultural background of the person you’re interacting with.

Avoid negative body language. Instead, use body language to convey positive feelings, even when you’re not actually experiencing them. If you’re nervous about a situation—a job interview, important presentation, or first date, for example—you can use positive body language to signal confidence, even though you’re not feeling it. Instead of tentatively entering a room with your head down, eyes averted, and sliding into a chair, try standing tall with your shoulders back, smiling and maintaining eye contact, and delivering a firm handshake. It will make you feel more self-confident and help to put the other person at ease.

Skill 3: Keep stress in check

How many times have you felt stressed during a disagreement with your spouse, kids, boss, friends, or coworkers and then said or done something you later regretted? If you can quickly relieve stress and return to a calm state, you’ll not only avoid such regrets, but in many cases you’ll also help to calm the other person as well. It’s only when you’re in a calm, relaxed state that you’ll be able to know whether the situation requires a response, or whether the other person’s signals indicate it would be better to remain silent.

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In situations such as a job interview, business presentation, high-pressure meeting, or introduction to a loved one’s family, for example, it’s important to manage your emotions, think on your feet, and effectively communicate under pressure.

Quick stress relief for effective communication

When a conversation starts to get heated, you need something quick and immediate to bring down the emotional intensity. By learning to quickly reduce stress in the moment, you can safely take stock of any strong emotions you’re experiencing, regulate your feelings, and behave appropriately.

Recognize when you’re becoming stressed. Your body will let you know if you’re stressed as you communicate. Are your muscles or stomach tight? Are your hands clenched? Is your breath shallow? Are you “forgetting” to breathe?

Take a moment to calm down before deciding to continue a conversation or postpone it.

Bring your senses to the rescue. The best way to rapidly and reliably relieve stress is through the senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, smell—or movement. For example, you could pop a peppermint in your mouth, squeeze a stress ball in your pocket, take a few deep breaths, clench and relax your muscles, or simply recall a soothing, sensory-rich image. Each person responds differently to sensory input, so you need to find a coping mechanism that is soothing to you.

Look for humor in the situation. When used appropriately, humor is a great way to relieve stress when communicating. When you or those around you start taking things too seriously, find a way to lighten the mood by sharing a joke or an amusing story.

Be willing to compromise. Sometimes, if you can both bend a little, you’ll be able to find a happy middle ground that reduces the stress levels for everyone concerned. If you realize that the other person cares much more about an issue than you do, compromise may be easier for you and a good investment for the future of the relationship.

Agree to disagree, if necessary, and take time away from the situation so everyone can calm down. Go for a stroll outside if possible, or spend a few minutes meditating. Physical movement or finding a quiet place to regain your balance can quickly reduce stress.

Skill 4: Assert yourself

Direct, assertive expression makes for clear communication and can help boost your self-esteem and decision-making skills. Being assertive means expressing your thoughts, feelings, and needs in an open and honest way, while standing up for yourself and respecting others. It does NOT mean being hostile, aggressive, or demanding. Effective communication is always about understanding the other person, not about winning an argument or forcing your opinions on others.

Developing assertive communication techniques

Empathetic assertion conveys sensitivity to the other person. First, recognize the other person’s situation or feelings, then state your needs or opinion. “I know you’ve been very busy at work, but I want you to make time for us as well.”

Escalating assertion can be employed when your first attempts are not successful. You become increasingly firm as time progresses, which may include outlining consequences if your needs are not met. For example, “If you don’t abide by the contract, I’ll be forced to pursue legal action.”

Practice assertiveness in lower risk situations to help build up your confidence. Or ask friends or family if you can practice assertiveness techniques on them first.

Authors: Lawrence Robinson, Jeanne Segal, Ph. D., and Melinda Smith, M.A.

Last updated: October 2020

References

3aPPa3 – When cognitive demand increases, does the right ear have an advantage? – Danielle Sacchinell | Acoustics.org. (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://acoustics.org/3appa3-when-cognitive-demand-increases-does-the-right-ear-have-an-advantage-danielle-sacchinell/

How to Behave More Assertively. (n.d.). 10.
Weger, H., Castle Bell, G., Minei, E. M., & Robinson, M. C. (2014). The Relative Effectiveness of Active Listening in Initial Interactions. International Journal of Listening, 28(1), 13–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/10904018.2013.813234

Get more help

Effective Communication: Improving Your Social Skills – Communicate more effectively, improve your conversation skills, and become more assertive. (AnxietyCanada)

Core Listening Skills – How to be a better listener. (SucceedSocially.com)

Effective Communication (PDF) – How to communicate in groups using nonverbal communication and active listening techniques. (University of Maine)

10 Effective Communication Skills and How to Improve Them

Updated May 31, 2022

The majority of jobs require employees to have good communication skills, so that they can express themselves in a positive and clear manner, both when speaking to people and in writing.

Communication is one of the main ingredients for corporate success, but the problem is that the phrase ‘good communication skills’ is a term so overused that it is difficult to pinpoint what it actually means.

What Are Communication Skills?

When considering the definition of communication skills, it’s important to remember that communication occurs in many different ways and contexts. From writing and speaking to body language, we use various skills to convey and obtain information.

However, demonstrating strong communication skills is about being able to convey information to others in a simple and unambiguous way.

It involves the distribution of messages clearly and concisely, in a way that connects with the audience.

Good communication is about understanding instructions, acquiring new skills, making requests, asking questions and relaying information with ease.

Good communication skills are perhaps the most basic skills that you can possess as an employee, yet they remain one of the most sought-after by employers.

Good communication involves understanding requests, asking questions and relaying key information.

The Importance of Communication Skills in the Workplace

Communication skills are essential no matter what job you work in or your level of seniority. When there is a breakdown in communications, often efficiency, morale and objectives can all suffer.

In today’s competitive jobs market, communication skills in the business world are highly sought after, with recruiters looking for candidates who can communicate information, negotiate and confidently deal with customers.

Listening carefully, speaking clearly and putting others at ease are very valuable attributes to possess.

The Top 10 Communication Skills

1. Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your emotions so as to communicate effectively, avoid stress, overcome challenges and empathise with others.

It’s a skill which is learned over time rather than obtained.

There are four main strands to emotional intelligence:

Each of these strands is important in its own way and allows you to communicate confidently with a variety of people.

2. Cohesion and Clarity

Good communication is much more than saying the right thing; it is about communicating messages clearly and concisely.

Before you start a conversation, type an email or begin a discussion, have in mind what the purpose of the communication is and what information you hope to obtain as a result.

Lack of clarity and cohesion can result in poor decisions and confusion.

In any type of communication, make sure that you set the right tone. A friendly tone will encourage others to communicate with you.

Always try to personalise messages, particularly when working with partners or fellow colleagues.

Wishing the recipient a good weekend, for example, is a great way to personalise your message.

In all interactions, confidence (but not over-confidence) is crucial.

Demonstrating confidence will give customers faith in your abilities to deliver what they need, and that you will follow through with what you have promised.

Conveying confidence can be something as simple as maintaining eye contact during a conversation or using a firm but friendly tone when speaking with people over the phone.

Be careful not to come across as aggressive, since this will have the opposite effect of what you are hoping to achieve.

Within a busy work environment, everyone will have their own ideas about how things should be done. Even if you have disagreements with your colleagues or partners, their point of view should be considered and respected.

Empathy is also beneficial when speaking with customers in certain types of customer-facing role.

The goal here is to understand where the other person is coming from – and respecting their views, even if they are very different from your own.

Empathy leads into the next communication skill, respect.

If you respect the ideas and opinions of others, they will be more likely to communicate with you.

Active listening or simply using the name of the person you are speaking to can both be effective.

Make sure that when you type emails, you don’t write in a way that is insincere.

Good communication is all about listening effectively.

Take the time to listen to what the other person is saying and practice active listening.

Pay attention to what the other person is saying, ask questions and clarify points, and rephrase what they have said so that you know you have understood correctly.

Try to enter into communications without having an agenda.

Strong communications require an open mind and a commitment to understanding other people’s points of view.

If you disagree with the people you are speaking to, try to reach a middle ground that benefits all parties.

Approaching a discussion with an open mind is more likely to result in a successful outcome.

9. Tone of Voice

The tone of your voice can set the whole mood of the conversation. If you start the discussion in an aggressive or unhelpful manner, the recipient will be more inclined to respond in a similar way.

The tone of your voice will include the level of emotion that you use, the volume you use and the level of communication you choose.

The same sentence can have a very different meaning depending on which words are emphasised and the tone of your voice.

In a customer complaint scenario, for example, your tone of voice should be as calm as possible, since an unfriendly tone of voice will only serve to worsen the situation.

10. Asking Good Questions

Good questions can help conversations flow and improve the outcome.

During a conversation, always aim to ask open-ended questions. These are questions with prompts which encourage the recipient to speak about certain points and they require more detailed responses.

If you need further information still, you can use probing questions which request even more information from the recipient, such as «Tell me the process of…”

During the conversation, include a mixture of questions including clarification, ‘what if’ scenarios and open-ended questions to make sure that you achieve what you set out to do at the beginning of the call or conversation.

It is likely that you will need to show evidence of your own communication skills during a competency-based interview.

Questions you may be asked include:

Which Jobs Require Communication Skills?

Almost every occupation requires strong communication skills in one way or another.

The job that you are applying for will determine which communication skills you will need and the extent to which these will be used.

Here are some example careers and what communication skills are most sought after for each:

Teaching. A teacher will need a range of communication skills, including clarity, active listening and empathy, to name a few. They will need to use their listening skills to understand the difficulties that students are having, along with excellent writing skills to be able to prepare reports and plans for their lessons.

Financial Services. While written communication skills are essential when drafting documents or reports, finance folk also need to be good at listening, so as to co-operate with partners, stakeholders and employees. A financial accountant will require the ability to ask good questions when they are preparing accounts or conducting company audits, so they can build a full picture of the business in question.

Marketing. Within a marketing role, good communication is essential. Not only will marketers have to communicate with business owners to find out about their clients, they will also need to ask questions, enter into negotiations with confidence and secure new business, all of which require a unique combination of good communication skills.

Human Resources. Human resource staff will need to ask the right questions, communicate with clarity and draft documents such as contracts and policies. They will often have to act with discretion and take people into their confidence.

Emphasising Communication Skills in Your CV or Interview

When drafting your CV, review the job description and person specification carefully, paying particular attention to any mention of communication skills.

You can then add these communication skills to your CV/resume within a skills section. Make sure you show evidence of how you have used these skills.

Don’t simply state you have good communication skills and leave it at that. Specify them and provide an example of how you used them in a beneficial way within a work setting.

Keep the skills relevant to the job description. For instance, for a customer-facing role you could mention how you dealt with customer complaints in a respectful and empathetic way, helping to resolve the problem in a satisfactory manner for the customer while creating a good impression of the business as one that cares about its customers.

Alternatively, for a sales position or business development role you could mention your strong negotiating skills and how you used them to secure an important deal or a large sale.

While it’s important to keep your CV fairly brief, you may want to expand on one or two relevant skills examples in a cover letter. If you are invited to an interview, you will have the opportunity to expand on your communication skills further.

Employers are always looking for opportunities to evaluate the way in which you have used your communication skills in previous roles or in your academic studies.

During interview, discuss your communication skills in terms of a project you completed at work or university, and how you used these skills to work with others and deliver the project on time.

Try to make your answers as benefits-focused as possible.

To achieve this, you would give an example of how you communicated effectively and then go on to say what benefit this had, such as turning a negative customer experience into a positive one, for example.

There are lots of examples to draw on but make sure that these are prominently displayed in your CV and you explain them effectively during your interview.

14 Proven Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills

Estimate the attention span of your audience, then cut it in half. That’s a good length for your presentation.

Successful leaders are able to meaningfully communicate with others.

Vgajic | Getty Images

Steve Jobs inspired his employees to strive for perfect hardware products. Jack Welch mentored the senior leadership team of GE to new heights. Jeff Bezos is known for articulating the Amazon ethos clearly to employees and the world. All of these leaders possess outstanding leadership skills.

Here are 14 ways you can improve your communication skills in order to become a more effective leader.

1. Learn the basics of nonverbal communication.

One study found that nonverbal communication accounted for 55 percent of how an audience perceived a presenter. That means that the majority of what you say is communicated not through words, but through physical cues.

To communicate clearly and confidently, adopt proper posture. Avoid slouching, folding your arms or making yourself appear smaller than you are. Instead, fill up the space you are given, maintain eye contact and (if appropriate) move around the space.

2. You have to over-communicate just to communicate.

In 1990, a graduate student at Stanford University was able to prove that presenters overestimate how much listeners understand. In a study that become known as “the tappers and the listeners,” one set of participants was asked to tap the melody of 120 famous songs. The other participants were asked to guess what song was being tapped.

Tappers estimated that 50 percent of the songs tapped would be correctly identified. In reality, only 2.5 percent of songs were correctly identified. This study shows that it is important to communicate clearly, and to over-communicate when sharing new ideas. As this study indicates, it is likely that the audience will fail to absorb as much as you expect.

3. Avoid relying on visual aids.

Steve Jobs instituted a rule at Apple that banned all PowerPoint presentations. Similarly, Sheryl Sandberg instituted a PowerPoint ban at Facebook. Both leaders realized that PowerPoint presentations can hinder rather than help communication.

Be prepared to use words, compelling storytelling and nonverbal cues to communicate your point with the audience. Avoid using visual aids unless absolutely necessary.

4. Ask for honest feedback.

As with most leadership skills, receiving honest feedback from peers, managers and members of your team is critical to becoming a better communicator. If you regularly solicit feedback, others will help you to discover areas for improvement that you might have otherwise overlooked.

5. Engage the audience in discussion.

Regardless of how compelling the speaker is, all audiences have limited attention spans. To become a more effective communicator, make presentations and discussions interactive.

Ask the audience a question, encourage people to call out their thoughts during a brainstorming session or at the very least ask hypothetical questions to stimulate the audience.

6. Start and end with key points.

Think back to the “tappers and listeners” study mentioned earlier. Clear communication is of paramount importance. To ensure that the audience understands the key takeaways from a presentation, reiterate key points at the start and finish. This can also be accomplished by providing attendees with a one-pager that includes key points the audience should consider throughout the presentation.

7. Use the PIP approach.

A common framework used by business experts, like those at McKinsey, is the purpose, importance, preview (PIP) approach to presentation introductions. Following this approach, the speaker first states the purpose of the presentation, and then shares why presentation is important by reviewing implications and possible outcomes.

Finally, the presenter gives a preview of the topics that will be discussed. This framework is a useful way to get audiences excited about the presentation, helping them to focus on your message and on key takeaways.

8. Record important presentations for posterity.

It can take a good deal of time and energy to communicate effectively. In cases where you may need to give the same presentation multiple times, consider recording it and sharing it in the future.

Platforms such as Wistia and Zoom allow speakers to record themselves delivering a presentation. These video-recording platforms allow presenters to edit the video to make it more engaging and helpful. They also provide admins with metrics about viewer engagement.

Recorded presentations can be especially helpful for communicators who need to regularly provide training in a company that is hiring employees quickly.

9. Master the art of timing.

While some of their jokes might not be appropriate for the workplace, standup comedians are certainly effective communicators. Comedians including Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle are able to host compelling 90-minute comedy shows, in part because they have mastered the art of timing.

Great comedians, like all great communicators, are able to feel out their audience to determine when to move on to a new topic or when to reiterate an idea.

10. Get comfortable speaking extemporaneously.

When lawyers present a case in front of the United States Supreme Court, they typically speak extemporaneously. That is to say, the lawyers write down a series of topics they intend to discuss, but they do not memorize what they would say word for word. This method of communicating allows the lawyers presenting a case to cover all of the necessary points, while giving them flexibility as to how to communicate based on audience reaction or questions.

Business communicators should consider adopting an extemporaneous speaking style. It takes practice, but it will allow for more natural communication, and can help with audience engagement.

11. Get to know your audience.

To communicate effectively, it is important to get to know your audience first. Each audience is different, and will have different preferences and cultural norms that should be considered when communicating. A good way to understand expectations is to ask members of the audience for examples of good communicators within the organization.

12. Add novelty to improve audience retention.

A recent study revealed that people generally retain more information when presented with novel, as opposed to routine, situations. To help audience members retain information, consider injecting some sort of novel event into a presentation. This might be something funny, or something that simply catches people by surprise.

13. Focus on earning respect instead of laughs.

It can be tempting to communicate with others in a lighthearted way; after all, this can be a good way to make friends in a professional setting. But remember that the most successful communicators are those who have earned respect, rather than laughs. While telling a joke or two to warm up an audience can be effective, avoid ending a presentation with a laugh.

14. Be a listener.

“Listen more than you talk.” This is what Richard Branson tells business people who want to connect with others. To communicate effectively, first listen to what others have to say. Then you can provide a thoughtful answer that shows you have taken those ideas into account.

Conclusion

Communicating clearly is one of the most effective skills you can cultivate as a business leader. Remember to communicate using nonverbal and verbal cues. Listen carefully to what others have to say, and over-communicate in novel ways to ensure the content of the conversation sticks with the audience.

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How to Successfully Communicate to Customers That You’re Rebranding

Aleph Invested in Workiz When They Were Send-A-Job. Read How They Mastered The Art of Their Rebranding

Whether you’re a small company or a full-fledged name-brand, undergoing a rebranding is hard work. I know because recently my company, Workiz, decided that it would undergo a name change. So, it was out with Send a Job (our old company name) and in with Workiz.

But, how to communicate this to our customers? Surely there was a practical guide lurking SOMEWHERE on the internet, that could help me work through an event that comes as often as the bicentennial? Spoiler alert: Not really. However, there WERE a slew of unhelpful articles with vague pieces of advice like “send an email to your customers letting them know that they’re going to see some new things.” Ugh. Not helpful!

Having lived through the experience, I decided to write my own, no-nonsense guide that small businesses can use to communicate their rebranding to customers, based on my experience at Workiz. Obviously you’ll need to amend this to suit your own company, rebranding goals, and client-base, but at least this will give you a running start in the right direction.

So, You’ve Decided to Undergo a Rebranding. Mazal tov!

1. First, Get Clear on Your “Why”

First, it’s time to get crystal-clear on your “why.” At Workiz, this meant clarifying why we were changing our name, and what this change meant for our customers.

So, why did your company decide to change its name, anyways? When dapulse changed their name to monday.com, it’s because people couldn’t properly pronounce their name and were even laughing at it. Pretty straight-forward, really.

However, when it came to Workiz, it wasn’t so clear-cut. We had to dig into the psychology of this change. When we put our heads together, we realized that we had evolved past our original goal of providing a platform for field service professionals to send jobs to their employees. We were now a vision of what we wanted our customers to achieve — field service management made as easy and frustration-free as possible. So this was really a change in vision, identity and perception for us as a company and for our customers. Great.

2. What Do Your Customers Need to Do to Support This Change?

In our case, it was pretty easy. Our rebranding consisted of just changing our name from Send-A-Job to Workiz. Besides a change in name and logo, there wasn’t anything that our customers really “needed” to do, aside from be informed about the change and maybe re-enter their password to log in to their software.

Ok, so I needed to communicate to Workiz customers that:

But this may not be the case for you…

You should definitely consult with your Product team, R&D and Support, to ensure that there are no technical barriers to whatever is changing. If so — you’ll definitely need to understand what’s changing, how this impacts your customer, and any special instructions that you’ll need to communicate to customers.

3. Decide Who You Need to Communicate Your Message to

At this point in the process, you’re going to have to clearly understand:

This is the audience that you’re going to need to communicate your changes to. Also, think about which segments aren’t directly affected by this change, but which can be leveraged into a potential marketing opportunity (like cold leads.)

At Workiz we decided to communicate this change to the following segments:

Ok, great. We knew who we wanted to speak to.

4. How Much Notice Do You Need to Give Customers, and What Will The Timing of Your Messages Be?

Because our changes were relatively simple and straightforward, we decided that two weeks notice was the ideal amount of time. For Workiz, two weeks was just enough time to get our customers used to the idea of a new name, but definitely not overkill.

We decided to let our customers and trials know about our changes:

Our communication plan breakdown was:
Two weeks before:

One week before:

Day of name change:

If you’re change is complicated or requires collaboration with customers, you’ll need to decide what’s the ideal amount of time to sufficiently prepare customers for any changes and get them onboard.

5. Which Platforms Are Right to Communicate Your Message?

At Workiz, it was important for us to meet our customers where they already were. Based on our customer usage we decided to let our customers know about our name change via the following platforms:

6. Map All the Places Where Your Company Name Appears on Your Site and on External Sites

Now, pick your brain and create a spreadsheet that lists your website’s old name, both on your company site and on any third-party or external sites. This includes changing your actual website domain, all of your social media profiles, company email addresses and domains, email signatures, review site listings, knowledge base articles, and even the name which appears on any customer credit card invoices.

Now, brainstorm where your old business name could be listed outside of the web. This could be your phone recording that need to be updated, your physical mailbox, business cards, etc. This will take some time to develop so definitely involve your fellow Marketing team. Then, you’re going to need to create a plan to change all of these listings in a systematic way.

7. Now, Write Your Content

When it comes to writing your rebranding content, I do have a few suggestions that worked well for us at Workiz.

Decide on the tone:
What is the feeling that you want to convey to your readers?

For us at Workiz this meant communicating:

Decide on the length:

For us, it was important not to bombard our customers with too much information, especially during their normal, day-to-day workflow (like in-app messages.) That’s why we decided to keep our announcements to a bare minimum, sharing only what our end-reader needed to know, while linking to a more in-depth blog post where they could get more information about our name change, if they were interested.

This ended up working really well. End-readers had all of the information they needed at their fingertips, while choosing for themselves how much information they wanted to know about the Workiz rebranding.

Did you find our suggestions helpful? Whether your company is currently going through a rebranding or has upcoming plans to rebrand, we’d love to hear about what customer communication strategies worked for you! Feel free to leave your feedback in the comments below, and share your insights.

How to Make Sure that Your Conversations Communicate Successfully

People sure love to talk, but what they don’t love so much is to converse; to dialog; to actually communicate. Folks are mesmerized by the sound of their own voices, and they like to interrupt and talk over each other. If they are polite, they may merely wait for their turn to talk, but talking becomes the only objective.

What about you? Are your dialogues merely parallel monologues?

Granted, it takes two to tango: if your fellow conversationalist is solely interested in telling things to you or saying things at you, you may have your work cut out for you to have an actual conversation. How can you make it happen?

The Power of Questions

Questions are powerful because they can be used to guide a conversation. When you ask someone a question, it initiates two beneficial things: first, it signals to them that you want to hear what they have to say, and second, it reminds you that you have to actually listen. After all, you’re the one who asked.

For questions to create true dialog, you have to have your intent in the right place. If you really don’t care what their answer is, the question will be neutered: if you are busy thinking about what you will say next (even if it is to formulate another question) instead of caring about their response, the power is sapped away. It’s when you honestly have the objective of understanding their viewpoint and position that you open the door to actual interaction.

I Tried Listening Once, but It Was Hard

Listening without preconditions is a habit that is not instinctual—It must be formed. If you are only listening so as to refute their statements or to redirect the flow, you miss out on a powerful part of conversation.

Like many worthwhile habits, listening might be hard at the beginning. You will likely have to exercise some self-control, and you might have to remind yourself of your objective to interact. Like anything else, however, if you just commit to some consistency in listening, it will become easier and easier until it is natural for you.

Hey, I’m the Only One Listening Around Here!

Having honed your listening skills, you have passed the first hurdle of successful communication and people will no doubt enjoy talking to you more. Everyone loves to be heard, but you are still seeking that elusive two-way conversation where you not only hear but are heard as well. How do you get the other party to listen? People are quite enamored with their self-interest, so if you want someone to do something, make it in their best interest to do it. In this instance, you want them to reciprocate and listen to you, so how do you make it worth their while?

Let’s start by considering what doesn’t work. It doesn’t work to try to tell them what their interests are or, worse yet, should be. Back when you were asking questions and listening to their answers (remember that part?), you had the opportunity to uncover what they considered to be valuable. This is no time to make judgments about their choices—just hear what is shared, and build on that. Think about it: don’t you want to hear about things that interest you, support your beliefs, or offer potential benefits? We humans are all the same in this regard—acknowledge their desires, and they will follow you where you lead.

Start by building on that which is familiar and desirable to them. Next, introduce something new and interesting; something that takes them to a new and better place, but keep in mind that “better” has to be better in their eyes, not just yours.

Bit by Bit, Bite by Bite

The process of listening and being heard cycles over and over again in successful conversations; it layers and builds. Don’t try to take on too much in one cycle or demand too much of the other person when you want your “turn”, as an ongoing exchange is the easiest path. You’ll soon find yourself engaged in listening, and enticing them to listen. Information is being exchanged and viewpoints are being expanded: you’re communicating!

Once you start having actual conversations you will wonder why you ever settled for just talking at people rather than with them. You will find that others are moved and so are you; the richness of life deepens and a broader world expands before us. I’m glad we had this little chat. Aren’t you?

Where have your conversations resulted in true communication? Tell us by commenting below.