Every business relationship comes down to trust. Your customers need to be able to have faith that you’ll deliver the products or services you promise them. You need to have confidence in your partners and vendors to fulfill their ends of your contracts without difficulty. Your employees need to feel secure that you’ll do right by them as long as they do right by you. The most important element in building that trust is communication. As a business professional, you have to build and foster a culture that values transparency in all your dealings. Without it, your stakeholders could be left feeling they can’t rely on you.
Being transparent is critical, whether you’re dealing with your external or internal customers. At the most basic level, it’s all about being honest and clear in your language, but there’s more to it than that. Internally, it’s important to encourage your team members to share their ideas and feelings, rather than be an autocrat. Flat organizations without a lot of hierarchy and bureaucracy typically do better in that regard. Even using social media to connect with employees has to be done with an eye toward being open and forthright at all times.
When it comes to dealing with your customers, it’s crucial to respond quickly as well as with honesty. If any mistakes are made, you need to own up to them and offer up a way to make them right as soon as possible. Showing your appreciation for your customer base is another essential element of building a stronger relationship.
Transparency in business isn’t ideal — it’s a necessity. To learn more about how you can make your business more transparent to others, take a look at the accompanying resource.
Infographic created by Track Your Truck, a GPS tracking provider