In a society where mostly all individuals are attached to communication outlets that allow for instantaneous interaction with others, the impacts of real-time communication are changing the course of business at an alarming rate. Whether you have adopted and adapted to communication practices such as sleeping next to your smartphone or not, there is an altered mentality in the business world to be aware of.
1. Expectations of “After Hours”
Whether it is 5PM or 5AM and the offices are closed, smartphones and access to e-mail have made it impossible to shy away from major work happenings after hours. It could be a client inquiry, co-worker or your boss reaching out and though a response is not always required outside of the office, it is likely that you have seen the message and dependent among the magnitude of the situation, a response could be expected.
2. Interpretation of Response Rate
With instant feedback and communication at our fingertips 24/7, interpreting the timeliness of a client or prospect response has become a telling tactic to business professionals. Keeping take-away number one in mind as well as the amount of communication outlets available, a delayed reply or lack of response is oftentimes more telling than if one was sent at all. Furthermore, today’s technology has made popular phrases such as “my phone died” or “I didn’t get the message” nearly obsolete.
3. Adaption of Practices
In a highly competitive marketplace, the need to stay front and center to current and potential clients through constant communication and accessibility is a necessity. If a client notices that your company’s team is falling short on its response rate in today’s tech-driven society, it might raise a red flag for other areas of concern, as well. With so many business and individuals in the service industry proving their adjustment to this shifting communication landscape through greater availability, those that have not yet made the switch need to quickly get on board or fall short as marketplace competitors.
Share the ways that real-time communication has impacted your life or business.
Jeff, all three of these bullet points are on target. All of my devices are synced up together so that if I get a work email, it shows on my phones as well as my computer. This allows for me to respond to the things that are important. I can’t tell you how many times a client has told me that they really did not expect to hear back that quickly.
pretty helpful stuff, overall I imagine this is well worth a bookmark, thanks