While communication plays a vital role in every industry, its importance to construction industries can’t be stressed enough. Poor communication on building projects will result in unforeseen issues down the road, like customer disputes. Worse, it can lead to safety hazards which may cause injury or even death.
Some of the best managers even find themselves battling the communication gap between them and their clients. They often find themselves asking, “Does my client fully understand the concepts, technicalities, and timeline of the project? Do they consider possible delays or potential risks involved?”
If you find yourself constantly worrying about these gaps, chances are you need to improve your client communication. These tips will help you put a halt on these worries and develop productive relationships with your clients.
1. Establish credibility through first impressions
Turns out this adage still stands true to this date: “You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.” Your first meeting with your client will build a foundation of trust. So make sure to brag about similar projects you’ve worked on and how they relate to their project.
The confidence you imbue during the first meeting will set the tone for the entirety of the project duration. By doing so, your client will more likely trust you when dealing with future problems or delays.
2. Always stick to the facts
Sticking to the facts plays an important part in the construction industry. Keep in mind that personal opinions or feelings have no place in the workplace unless they are essential to the project. Avoid extraneous information and don’t overelaborate; remember to always stick to the facts!
3. Avoid jargon and buzzwords
Using industry jargon and buzzwords to non-industry clients can be deemed as problematic for many reasons. First, jargon and buzzwords hinder clarity. Your client will have a hard time understanding your point about the details of the project. “But they can always ask questions,” you might ask. Well, some clients are embarrassed to ask for an explanation. Be the bigger person and explain your point in such a way they will understand.
Second, it’s bad manners. Even if you’re doing it unknowingly, such excessive use might make you come off as arrogant or snob.
4. Become an active listener
The truth is, most people are not good listeners. Research shows that we only remember about 25 to 50 percent of what the other person is saying. Over the years, simplifying our form of communication through e-mails and SMS made it even worse.
Having recognized this problem, you must practice active listening to avoid tense client relationships along the way. Friendly reminder, poor listening ruined a lot of marriages; it can ruin a client-contractor relationship just as well!
Improve your listening skills by making eye contact. Eye contact shows that you’re interested and it also encourages your speaker to speak better. But only gauge the right amount! Aggressive staring often comes off as intimidating.
Also, try to paraphrase what they’ve said. In this way, it will let them show that you’re listening, plus, it helps you retain the newly learned information.
5. Manage your client’s expectation
As much as possible, write a form letter to inform your client about the typical construction in detail. This will give your clients a useful resource to keep them informed.
Make sure that your letter includes answers to frequently asked questions like who is in charge, what are the acceptable forms of payment, and who are on-site during the construction project.
6. Communicate using visuals
Visual communication is as important, if not more, as verbal communication to the construction industry. It is necessary when talking about the project’s scope and design. A lot of construction professionals tend to forget how hard it can be for non-construction professionals to make sense of two-dimensional plans. That’s why you must take advantage of a 3d construction software. It will help provide your client with a better understanding and visualization of your plan as a result.
7. Always be transparent
This is mostly important to avoid problems when handing the invoice. Delays and unexpected costs are a natural part of every construction project. Consequentially, extra charges will come naturally to the invoice. This might result in a nasty reaction from your client — which can be bad news for them, as well as for your company’s reputation.
Problems will occur if your invoice isn’t transparent. Remember that it must cover all the costs — even the unexpected ones — including suppliers falling through and extra hours. In this way, you don’t have to deal with nasty surprises from your clients.