When you think of business strategies to increase company success, one might jump straight into creating a detailed game plan. However, that is not always the best course of action. Sometimes, the simplest of concerns need to be addressed first before heading to the more complicated tactics.

Increase Company Success

Raoul Davis from Ascendant Group Branding gave some quick business tactics for higher chances of company success. Below we share our own thoughts on how to implement and adapt these business strategies.

 Meet deadlines

It should be a given that deadlines are met. But, this is not only about turning over output.

It is all about ensuring that the company workflow remains intact—something that will help you and your team give quality service rather than an output haphazardly thrown together just to meet the promised turnaround time.

While adapting the ‘done is better than perfect’ mindset might prove to be useful in some cases, it is not a sustainable approach towards client satisfaction.

Ways to better meet project deadlines:

1. Invest in a project management software that fits the work flow of your company. Here is a previous article on the other advantages of online collaboration tools.
2. Divide projects into specific stages. Give a deadline for the brainstorming and ideation stage, for the production stage and the implementation stage. This makes everything more manageable, rather than tackling the whole goal head-on.
3. Do weekly check-ins with the team. This helps you foresee if you will be able to meet the deadline on time, making it easier to pivot or take over in case someone needs more guidance towards the finish line.

Listen to your clients and audience

Feedback software provider HundredX found that 94% of the surveyed 500 business executives believed the following statement: “Listening to customer feedback is increasingly critical to the bottom line.”

There’s a reason why surveys are important. No matter how efficient you may be as a company, there are still gaps that need to be filled and processes that can be refined. Client input and social listening are some of the ways you can get insight on how you can improve your business and increase company success.

Ways to better listen to your market:

1. Use the channel that they frequent the most. Customer service is all about making your clients—past, current and prospects—comfortable with you. This also challenges your company to gain a deeper understanding of how they work.
2. Did you know that 50% of consumers feel that companies lack empathy when it comes to customer service? Prioritize empathy before trying to look for a solution. Genuinely showing interest in their struggles can improve customer retention as it builds trust.
3. Make it easy for your clients to give feedback. This can be achieved by including a link to survey in your weekly newsletter or having a contact form in your website.

 Streamline communication

The previous point shows that open communication is important when targeting to increase company success. 97% of employees believe that communication has a huge impact on everyday tasks. In fact, IBM’s success was attributed to their ‘strong customer relationships than with its machines or software’.

This proves how strong communication is when it comes to business. Keep your lines open, both for your team and your clients.

Ways to streamline team and client communication

1. Other than having a good project management software with all the essential features, a messaging channel such as Slack or Microsoft Teams can help with real-time communication.
2. Prioritize timely communication by putting a timeframe for your replies. You can set a company standard of replying to client inquiries and concerns within 24 to 48 hours. Also establish a reporting process for your clients, especially since there may be cases when technical terms need to be simplified for better understanding.
3. Establish an open-door policy within the team. This business tactic can help managers cultivate transparency within the team. When your staff feels that you’re accessible and considerate about their concerns and opinions, the more likely you will be able to prepare for possible business bottlenecks in the future.

Before jumping head on into planning your next move, make sure you prioritize these simple business strategies first. Having streamlined processes for communication, feedback acquisition and project management can help you save more time and money down the line.