Did you learn some new things last week? Do you look at the world the same way you did six months ago? Do your business strategy and business goals change over time?
In other words, if my knowledge of you and your business is based on where things were for you six months ago, would my knowledge be a bit outdated?
Yes, it would. Your business, your mindset, your issues are constantly changing. And if I am going to serve you well, I need to stay on top of the changes.
But guess what? The same is also true for your customers. They and their businesses are in a constant state of change. Remember the old cliche, “The only constant in business is change.”
Which brings me to my point today. My colleagues and I always preach a “know your audience” approach to business communication. But many people get a bit lazy with audiences they have worked with in the past, and with audiences that they know well. In fact, the most dangerous audience for you is the audience you have worked with before. And the more often you have worked with them, the more dangerous they are. Why? Because familiarity breeds laziness… laziness in our preparation, and our desire to really understand what our clients’ needs are.
Think about the series of questions I opened with today. And think about how much your business has changed in the last 6, 12, or 18 months. If I was trying to serve your organization, and I was making decisions based on 18 month old information, would I be serving you well? No. And I probably wouldn’t keep your business for very long.
The point here today is to make sure that you are building a communication culture in your organization that focuses not only on preparation and “know your audience.” But build a culture that goes deeper than that, and requires that your people spend as much time preparing for the audience they know well as they do for the audience they are meeting for the first time.
My business changes, your business changes, and your client’s business changes… all the time. Stay on top of it, so that you can communicate in the best possible way, and anticipate their needs, questions, objections, and goals.
Have a great day.
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