The importance of good business communication
Good communication skills are important to allow people to understand information correctly and fast. Poor communication skills lead to frequent misunderstandings, frustration and delays in your business. While effective communication helps increase efficiency, it’s a great way to make sure everyone aligns with your business values.
Definition of business communication
Business communication is the process of sharing information in your business and also to stakeholders outside your business. It helps you bring people together and build long-lasting relationships. Which is why, good communication is a key element to become a successful tour operator.
Benefits of good communication
It’s clear that communication is important. How else can you explain your employees what you expect from them or close business deals? However, the impact it can make when done well is often underestimated. If good communication is implemented, it will help your business:
- Improve employee engagement
- Share knowledge
- Facilitate innovation
- Increase employee productivity
- Advance customer satisfaction
- Excel in supply-chain collaboration
- Develop higher brand awareness
Types of communication
There are two types of business communication. Both need to be well practiced to ensure employee productivity, smooth collaboration with your supply-chain and successful business results.
Internal communication
The purpose of internal communication is to exchange information within your business to motivate and engage employees. This includes communication between management, employees and all layers in between. An open and transparent communication is a great way to ensure employees understand your business’ mission.
Poor communication has more impact on your business and employees than you might think. Without clear communication, your business won’t function sufficiently. Effective business communication brings people together. It plays a key role to create a healthy and efficient working environment. To improve communication and drive permanent change, you need to commit to his long-term.
Tips for effective internal communication
Make sure to think about the following:
- Fit your tone of voice to your audience (e.g., formal or informal)
- Use the right communication tools for your messages (e.g., meetings or newsletters)
- Think about formats for urgent message (e.g., intranet or email)
- Be practical and reliable (e.g., planning and timing)
External communication
The purpose of external communication is to build and maintain relationships. For example, with your external partners and suppliers, and to inform potential customers. By communicating well with external parties, you’ll build relationships with trust. It also entails the right information is shared with the right people. This helps to gain brand popularity.
There are three main external parties where your communication needs to be excellent:
1. Your supply-chain
As you are responsible for the travel experience of your clients, you are also responsible for the supply-chain to be successful. Within the supply-chain, you need to make sure that every element of your experience works well. If you’re not on the ground yourself, you need to rely on local suppliers.
These suppliers create a chain of services provided to your clients. With so many different parties, you can imagine the importance for everyone to have similar values, way of working and goals. Therefore, you need your supply-chain to work smoothly and without conflicts or misunderstandings.
Tips for supply-chain communication
Tips to ensure smooth supply-chain communication this are:
- Be transparent in your communication
- Manage and clarify expectations
- Be personal and forge relationships
- Be available for questions and support
2. Your local guides and drivers
Local guides and drivers are key for making sure the tourism experiences are being carried out in the right way. Not only do they guide and manage the tours. They also influence travellers’ behaviour and choices. Local guides and drivers are the link between travellers, the travel experience and the destinations and therefore have a huge responsibility.
Communicating business values such as sustainability can be a challenge. Especially when working with (freelance) guides and drivers. If you don’t work with local guides and drivers directly, make sure your local partner informs them on the ground.
When informing and training local guides and drivers, it’s important to keep it simple and practical. Teach them aspects they can relate to and directly put into practice. For example, how to:
- Drive sustainably
- Care for animal welfare and nature
- Explain local dos and don’ts to customers
Learn more
Read all about the Good Tourism practice by Matoke tours where they share the story of their specialised travel guide training program in Uganda.
3. Your customers
Good customer communication enhances your customer service and improves their customer journey. This is an important element for a successful travel experience. From the moment before booking until they come back from their trip, your communication needs to be clear and transparent. Don’t forget about your customer service team and providing customers with all relevant information.
For sustainable tourism to work, customers need to have an idea about the rules and what’s expected of them. Communicate to them about:
- The destination and local culture
- Dos and don’ts during travel experiences
- Which local restaurants and shops to visit
Learn more
Read more about communicating sustainability in our article ‘Communicate sustainability effectively (5 tips)’.
Focus on alignment
A good communication strategy is a great way to ensure employees, partners and customers understand your business’ mission and objectives. It helps them align with your business values. It also manages their expectations, answers all their questions and prepares them for their travel experience or business collaboration.
This combined creates satisfied employees, loyal partners, and repeating customers. Together with you, they make your business better and more successful. Build relationships, collaborate and stay on the same page to create impact as a good tour operator.
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