I rarely post about my team and the services we provide because, well, this blog is about you and your business, not me and mine!
However, from time to time, something happens in my business that will help others if discussed, and would be impossible to share if I don’t talk a bit about what we do and how we’ve perfected our communication channels so we can be as efficient as possible.
The BizEase team is currently made up of professionals from around North America. Each member of the team comes with a different set of skills and level of expertise. Depending on the needs of each client, there could be one, two, five, or more of us working on one or more projects for that client at any given time.
In addition, each member of the BizEase team is also a business owner.
For instance, our team copywriter has her own business with her own clients. She joined our team as a subcontractor, and works with our clients as needed. Our website developers? Same thing. They have their own businesses with their own clients … I am one of their clients. See how that works?
Because our team members are excellent at what they do, they are all quite busy with projects, and it’s vital we have a great communication system to ensure client needs are being met in a timely manner. Something I believe my team does very well.
Great communication is essential when working with a team!All of my team members work one-on-one with our clients. I find it to be more efficient … plus, if I can’t trust them to work one-on-one with clients, they really shouldn’t be on our team. We also use a project management system to allow for communication between clients and team members, so we can see what’s happening with any client, at any given time; and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
Our clients are happy because they know what’s going on. Their tasks are being managed, and they’re only paying for time spent on their projects.
Let me start by saying we have fabulous clients, and love each and every one of them. I do my best to vet each client so I know they are a good fit for us, and we are for them. As it happens from time to time, we had a client come on board that just didn’t fit. They weren’t a good fit for us, which meant we weren’t a good fit for them. This new client’s particular communication style and ours didn’t mesh, and it caused a lot of confusion and miscommunication. As a result, we were forced to end the relationship. It doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen.
That brief encounter prompted me to write this article, to give some dos and don’ts about communicating with a team of virtual professionals.
How to communicate with your virtual team!
- Listen. Most virtual teams have some sort of system in place to facilitate communication, and this is done for a reason. If the team leader or project manager gives you instructions about how to communicate with the team … follow those instructions!
- Be Clear and Concise. When giving instructions regarding a new task or project, be clear and concise regarding the scope of the project, as well as expectations regarding deadlines, responsiveness, and anything else necessary to keep the project rolling along.
- Don’t yell. DO NOT YELL IN YOUR MESSAGES BY USING ALL CAPS. In the virtual world, this is the ultimate in rudeness. Unless you are demonstrating how excited you are about something, there’s no need for ALL CAPS. To highlight a thought, bold or italics work fine.
- Remember we are business owners too, and NOT employees. Please don’t be condescending to people working to help your team. Remember we are all business owners like you are, and don’t need, or appreciate, being spoken down to. We’re no different than your attorney or accountant, and deserve the same respect.
If you can manage these communication tips, you will make communication a lot easier, and be a pleasure to work with for any virtual team 😉
Don’t have a team of fabulous marketing support specialists like mine? Never fear, contact us to schedule a call to discuss your direct needs in more detail … it’s what we do!
In business since 1991, Terry Green is the founder/CEO/President of BizEase Support Solutions, an American-based, online marketing support company comprised of a team of talented professionals from around North America. BizEase excels at providing speakers and business coaches worldwide with seamless online marketing solutions, from setting up ecommerce solutions, membership sites, web design and maintenance, to writing blog posts and managing Social Media and PR campaigns. BizEase clients (who span five continents) take great joy in allowing the BizEase team to take care of the details so they can get back to doing what they do best! Click here to get our bi-weekly tips ezine delivered to your inbox every other Friday, with tips on plugins, apps, and tools to make you more productive today!
Hi Terry,
I don’t have a virtual team yet. However, I would agree about the all caps thing. I wouldn’t send something like that to my email list. That’s one of the first rules of emailing I learned when I first learned how to email. It amazes me when people do it. I don’t get offended I just try to get clarity.
Anyway, great post.
Hi Katina, the same tips apply when working on someone else’s team, or when working virtually with a single client. Good communication is key to a successful relationship. In this particular instance, there was a lot of writing in all caps, and even bolding what was written in all caps. The messages were a mess to read, and the tone being conveyed was not a tone of cooperation, but quite aggressive and even arrogant. Not at all conducive to teamwork. It’s more difficult to read tone in an email or on social media, so simply paying attention to a few etiquette rules helps immensely. Thanks for commenting 🙂