THE FACE OF YOUR COMPANY! 1st IMPRESSIONS DO MATTER!
Website Content, Brochure(s), Marketing Material, Letters and emails define the image of your company to your clients and prospects.
An extract from an article published in The Times Business Section:
”Spelling mistakes and poor grammar cost UK businesses more than £700 million per year, new research by the Royal Mail has revealed.
Nearly a third of consumers have ended their relationship with a UK company because of shoddy communications, over familiarity and random emails, cold-calls and letters the Royal Mail has found. The total cost of communications gaffes was in excess of £4 billion a year.
Alison Whitehead, ex-head of consumer and small business affairs for the Royal Mail said: 'Overall the research shows that communications in business relationships is very similar to that of personal relationships. It is key for businesses to use appropriate methods of communication at the right stages in the relationship.'
The survey also found that un-solicited emails and random text messages rate highly on the list of business turn-offs.
Of the 1000 people questioned, a fifth said that they were alienated by these marketing methods.”
It is critical therefore that your company pays careful attention to the quality of your staff's outputs.
It is strongly recommended that organisations should develop and publish policies regarding standards of communication, both written and verbal to ensure that it is professionally represented. It is further recommended that wherever possible 'standard document templates' are developed and made available to all members of staff interfacing with customers and prospects via corporate intranets.
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Serious Food for Thought
 The Pitfalls of email
The demands of effective service delivery have dramatically increased the use of email as the means of communication with clients and prospective clients but it should not inevitably lead to careless spelling, imprecise punctuation and bad grammar.
emails should be composed with the attention to detail afforded to formal letters and contractual documents as they can commit an organisation legally, particularly where financial issues are involved.
The proliferation of social email and the use of text messaging have encouraged some extremely bad habits – use of abbreviations, non-use of punctuation and upper case. It is essential therefore that new recruits are fully trained in the corporate email standards as a matter of urgency.
The article on the facing page describes the consequences of bad grammar and poor punctuation.
AFM Consulting has advised a number of professional services providers over the past eight years and has been instrumental in the development of communication and documentation standards, together with training staff in the correct use of 'business' English.
Letters and Mailings – Causes of Annoyance or Useful Tools?
Unsolicited marketing materials arriving on the desks of prospective clients can be extremely counter-productive, especially where the subject matter is irrelevant to the recipient. It is essential therefore that adequate research is undertaken regarding the business issues affecting an individual prospect prior to making the initial approach if profitable business is to result.
A further key issue is ensuring that this research is analysed and an outline solution is proposed in a concise, interesting, well written and well presented document which the prospective client will make the effort to read. Engaging the prospect's interest will ensure that the follow-up contact will further the business telationship.
Your organisation can reap the benefits of improved communications by emailing info@afmconsulting.net or calling +44 1270 663754 today.
e-Brochures and Web-Sites
An increasing number of firms are no longer producing 'hard-copy' brochures due to a number of factors - e.g. costs of production (minimum print-runs), dynamic range of products/services etc. The use of e-Brochures distributed on business card-sized CD-ROM/DVD is becoming commonplace as the costs of technology have plummeted; these electronic documents must mirror the 'look and feel' of the web-site or customers and prospects will receive confusing messages about your organisation. Similarly it is advisable that the corporate Intranet reflects the electronic materials available within the public domain; the staff will become accustomed to the look and feel of the corporate house-style and absorb the standards of grammar, punctuation and presentation.
AFM Consulting has already provided consultancy advice to a variety of professional service companies in respect of web-site content, intranet presentation, corporate style and look and feel.
For a no-obligation meeting or discussion email info@afmconsulting.net or call on +44 1270 663754 today.
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