You want to be better than your competitors. And be your customers' first choice.
Any business would want to have both. But how do you get there?
If you ask us, you shouldn't reduce costs, invest in new equipment, or boost your marketing activities. No, instead, you should focus on your internal communication.
You might be thinking, "Really? That's the answer?"
Well after you've finished this article, you may just see why. Here are four reasons why good internal communication is key to your competitiveness.
#1: CONSISTENT CUSTOMER SERVICE is ensured
Good customer service gives you a competitive advantage - that’s a no-brainer. However, it might be news for many companies to know that it's actually more profitable to focus on existing customers than to acquire new ones.
In fact, studies show that repeat customers tend to put more money into your business over time. They also are key for word-of-mouth recommendations. Therefore, the magic formula for offering good customer service is offering consistent, and ongoing customer service.
To make your organization (better) known for consistent customer service, you should focus on:
1) Structured onboarding: to give your new hires a strong foundation, to begin with.
2) Ongoing training: to ensure your employees are always at the top of their game.
3) A digital space: where all your employees can access the same information, whenever and where they like.
And you can score the competitive hat-trick with the help of a communication platform.
#2: UNIQUE KNOWLEDGE is uncovered and shared
Knowledge is gold for your business. It increases in value over time and is a business asset your competitors can never copy. This is why it's important that your knowledge is accessible, searchable, and shared - for example, on a social wall in a communication platform or via 1 to 1 and group chats.
Our experience indicates that a social wall often becomes a forum for simple and easy knowledge sharing. Yet it makes a large, and profitable difference.
Your employees can share their knowledge with their coworkers, revealing best practices, interesting service or product knowledge, or anything else they believe can elevate their peers. And, they can share more informal social events to create a further feeling of community.
When your employees can share personal tips and experiences, their colleagues can deliver better customer service from the heart - and make your business more personable.
With this strength, you can win your customers’ trust and place yourself many steps ahead of your competitors - trust paves the way for strong customer relations.
#3: EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND company culture are elevated
It's a well-known fact social belonging at work is important. But did you know that if your employees feel a sense of belonging and community in your organization, working performance can increases by 56 %, the risk of turnover is reduced by 50 %, and sick days drop by 75%?
In other words: A sense of belongingness has a clear impact on your competitive advantage.
However, this sense of community can be challenging to create when your organization is mostly made up of non-desk workers. They don’t work in an office from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, but are typically ‘in the field’, working with customers and products, are on the run most of the day, and work in shifts including nights and weekends.
This means your employees don’t see much of their colleagues during the day.
To ensure that your employees are engaged and feel a sense of collegial closeness, it is vital that you create an informal space where they can meet, just as if they were sitting together at the lunch table or small-talking by the coffee machine. This is where a social wall and chats on a digital platform can again work a miracle.
These create the exact same feeling as using social media. This means it's just as inclusive, active, and fun, thanks to features like posting, comments, likes, and emojis.
#4: EMPLOYEE RETENTION is ensured
To add as much value to your business and build up a competitive advantage that makes your competitors nervous, you want to keep your employees for as long as possible to avoid losing their unique knowledge and skills.
This is why your initial onboarding is essential: 69 % of employees tend to stay with a company for at least three years if they’ve had a satisfying onboarding experience.
However, it can be challenging to wow new hires with introductions, information overload, and learning.
Or is it?
If you combine your onboarding with gamification, you can make the process more valuable, fun, and memorable for your new hires. It really is a win-win.
Related: Learn how Gina Tricot has revolutionized their onboarding.
So there you have it. Our four reasons why good internal communication is key to your competitiveness. If you think a digital platform is right for you, reach out to us for a demo.
