Communicating one-on-one or with small groups is hard enough. But when you need to get a message across to a larger group of employees, customers, donors, volunteers or a congregation, things get even tougher.
What’s the best way to reach a large and diverse group of people? How can you ensure everyone gets the message?
No matter whom you need to reach, these six tips can help you communicate more effectively – so your message is always received.
1. Communicate across multiple channels.
You may think you have your bases covered if you send out a mass email announcing next week’s meeting or an upcoming promotional event for repeat customers. Don’t be surprised, however, if some people fail to show.
People process information differently and have preferred methods of communication. Some prefer email, while others like text messages or even a phone call. The more channels you can use to communicate, the more people you’re likely to reach.
2. Make your message consistent.
Ever play the game “Telephone”? Players sit in a row or circle, while a secret message is whispered from one person to the next. Once the message reaches the last person in line, he or she reveals the message received.
What makes the game fun is that the message, without fail, gets distorted along the way. While this is fun for a game, it illustrates the need for consistent communication. When it comes to communicating with members of your organization or business, messages should be standardized. That could mean distributing a written memo instead of relying on word-of-mouth or implementing automated phone calls rather than using a manual phone tree. Make sure everyone gets the same message so you don’t have a “Telephone” situation on your hands.
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3. Know what to do in an emergency.
When it comes to routine communications, you have time to carefully plan messages. But what will you do during an emergency?
Develop a crisis communications strategy in advance. Determine who will be responsible for sending emergency notifications and how they’ll be transmitted. The strategy should include a backup plan in case certain methods become unavailable—a loss of Internet access, for example.
Hold drills to ensure others know what to expect. For instance, you could send a test text message to all parents of children at your school. These preparatory drills are a great opportunity to ensure you have correct contact information and that everyone involved knows how to use your chosen system. With a tested system in place, communications will be one less thing for you to worry about if a crisis strikes.
4. Communicate regularly.
Regular communication is the best way to keep people familiar with how you’ll keep them informed. It can also improve customer loyalty, employee response and participation rates and engagement with volunteers and members of your organization.
You may even consider developing a communications calendar to help make communications as automatic as possible. For example, church leaders can schedule weekly or monthly mass notifications to remind members about opportunities to get involved. Organizations, businesses, property managers and schools can send routine reminders about events, payments and past-due notices.
To avoid being viewed as spam, communications should be targeted so recipients know a message from you contains information pertinent to them.
5. Ask for and respond to feedback.
If you want people to listen to—and possibly act on—the messages you’re sending, you need to keep their preferences in mind. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback on communications channels, frequency and content.
Ask recipients what works—and what doesn’t—with your communications strategy. You can do this through face-to-face meetings, web surveys, online profiles or a mobile app where users can modify their preferences. Make it easy for recipients to select the communications method (and even the language) they prefer. If users have control over the messages they receive, they’ll be much more likely to listen to what you have to say.
6. Make sure people know where to turn for help.
If message recipients have questions, need clarification or want to confirm their attendance at an event, provide a clear point of contact.
It may be helpful for all of your organization’s communications to originate from a single sender, such your church’s associate pastor or your business’s HR or marketing manager. If you’re sending emails, make sure recipients add your address to their “safe senders” lists. Don’t forget to include a contact name, email address or phone number at the end of each message. Making it as easy for people to reach you as it is for you to reach them complete the communications cycle.
Improve Communication and Your Reach
These tips will strengthen how your team communicates with the people they need to reach. When everyone feels informed, they’re more likely to stay involved—in your school, church, business or anywhere else people come together.
If you want to further streamline communications within your organization or business, consider OnSolve One Call Now, a market-leading mass notification product. One Call Now offers routine and emergency messaging services to businesses, property managers, healthcare providers, religious organizations, schools, non-profits and more. This simple and affordable mass notification product has everything you need to effectively message including:
- Unlimited calls, text messages, push notifications and emails
- Flexibility to send messages in multiple formats
- Unlimited creation of contact subgroups for targeted communications
- Text-to-speech capabilities and an audio library of pre-recorded messages
- Real-time reporting with access to message receipts and polling responses
- Integration and upload options to easily import contacts
- A smartphone app for sending notifications with ease from anywhere
Learn more about how to send simple and affordable mass notifications with One Call Now. You can even request a free trial to experience how easy it is to communicate through a simple click or call.
