Effective communication is essential to our daily lives. We come into contact with many different people from an array of backgrounds, cultures, and way of living. In this same aspect, each business has their own cultures, values, missions, and along with other traits. This is the driving force behind who they conduct business with and how they conduct business. Recently one our larger accounts which brings in approximately 7 million a year wanted to severe our business relationship and join the competition. We were able to retain this company with what I like the call the “ 3P's in the Business Communication Pod”. We effectively communicated with the company, professionally, personally, and physically.

Professionally
Communicating within a business relationship, it is important to communicate in a professional manner. This is what we did with our client. We set up a meeting so we could discuss how we could show them the benefits of staying with our company. We went over our the benefits of our business, the growth in revenue, employee satisfaction, and all of this was derived from our partnership. We supplied the client with facts, and statistics, evolved from our business partnership. We ask them to provide us with things they felt we were doing great, things we needed improvement on, and things that they were dissatisfied with. We listened, and then came up with possible solutions to the things they were dissatisfied with, as well as things we needed to improve on. We lastly took the approach of how can we help build a stronger partnership to continue to increase revenue, and employee satisfaction. I feel when communicating a professional environment describing your business interactions as a partnership helps maintain an effective level of communication.

Personally We are a benefits program company. We offer employes the privilege of purchasing large items; such as, electronics, furniture, education products, trips etc, and pay for these items via payroll deduction just as they would for insurance or other benefits they have deducted from their check. Considering the benefit that this has for our clients employees, easily allowed us to also communicate with the client on a personal level.
We spoke on the relationship that we have formed not only the client, but their employees as well. We began to communicate with compassion, and point out how our relationship provided something extra special for their employees. We took some of the comments made on our website, and Face book page and shared them with the client. We spoke about our companies loyalty and the trust their employees have in our program as well as our products. We explained our magnitude of appreciation we have for our relationship. We went from describing our interactions as a partnership to a relationship.

Physically
After we communicated Professionally and Personally we needed to show we meant everything we said. Sometimes written or even over the phone communication is not taken seriously unless you have a physically communication that can support what you said. Our finally communication was face to face. We took take a trip the visit the client and show we were about action. We all were dressed professionally, and we greeted everyone warmly and personal manner. We came prepared with spreadsheets, power points as well as product samples to back up what we previously discussed over the phone. We were prepared to listen and hear things that were favorable and not so favorable. It was easy to hear the great things about our company; however, some of the unfavorable things, was hard to swallow. Some of the things they presented were not accurate, and some of the things they blamed us actually relied on them. In spite of this, we listened. We could have argued back with the client and pointed the blame with them; however, we took accountability. We smiled, we laughed, we made light of a situation that could of ended in disaster as a result of lack of communicating their needs, and us communicating back that we understand and are prepared to fix whats was broken. We talked about our partnership and then ended with how that partnership has turned into a relationship with them and their employees.

Effective communication, can be the reason behind a company success, as well as their failure.
Being able to communicate clearly is only one part of communication. You have to be able to listen, an respond not only with your mouth but with your body as well. A persons body language can make words invalid. We have all made mistakes where we have had to apologize. An apology is not only communicated with your mouth, its given with your whole body. I can remember my mom saying if you are not going to be sincere with your apology then why apologize. She meant when I said “ I am sorry “, followed with unconvincing body language, made my apology invalid. The loudest forms of communication are the ones that don't require your mouth. Rolling your eyes, stomping you feet, folding your arms, slamming things down, tapping your feet, are all non verbal ways of communication.

As a result of effective communication we were able to save the company who planned to leave. They told us they did not feel our competition would not have went as fat as we did to keep our business relationship. They also stated that we provided them with a feeling of a appreciation and overall they and their employees are satisfied with our services. If we have of just sent them an email or had a phone conversation and not listened, I don’t think we would have retained the client. One thing I learned to be the most effective part of communication is listening. Sometimes all you need to do to have effective communication is to listen.