Make Your Communication More Conscious And The Profits Will Follow

Most businesses understand the importance of getting communication right, but not many have the tools in place to ensure consistent, effortless interactions. Rhonda Ridge discusses why easy communication is so important and explains what software is available to help make it happen.

The term conscious communication is often used when talking about emotional well-being, but did you know it applies to business too? Conscious communication is about thinking about how best to get a message across so that an audience understands what you need. It’s also about everyone having the information they require to be able to do what they need to do. This is especially important in business because employees and managers must have access to certain information to be able to perform their job. Conscious communication is a learnable skill that can render business processes smoother, less stressful, more productive, and therefore more profitable, but the right software can make it second nature.  

Especially since the pandemic, businesses are demanding more from communication technology to enhance teamwork in a disparate workforce. Of course, installation companies have always employed a mix of on-site and off-site work practises, but traditionally, the way information is passed around leaves a lot to be desired. Which means day-to-day processes take longer than they need to.

Easy Access To A Centralised CRM

AdminBase is an installation management system designed specifically for home improvement businesses, and one of the key benefits of the system is that it improves communication across a company. The system holds all data relating to all projects in one central system, accessible by all departments and interlinked with existing department-specific software, to unite employees on site and in the office. 

One of the features that has helped hundreds of installation businesses improve communication is the My AdminBase Diary app. Installers can attach PDFs, pictures, videos, voice recordings, spreadsheets and any other useful information to each lead or contract record so that everyone can see the very latest data on any job at any time, whether that’s on-site personnel or office-based employees. 

We have also recently upgraded the app to make it easy for managers to see the appointments assigned to their team members as well as their own. This means installation managers can view the appointments assigned to fitters and add their own photos to the job to feed back into the contract in AdminBase. It also makes it much easier to send copies of quotes or surveyors paperwork relevant to a project for immediate use onsite. The upgrade further streamlines data, increases visibility for relevant users, and offers installation managers and fitting teams alike more control and improved communication when changes are made to appointments or projects. 

Another useful aspect of AdminBase that improves communication is the Taskboard feature. Taskboard tracks jobs from start to finish, so as soon as a lead comes in, individuals or teams are allocated specific tasks and a deadline is applied. Each task can then be tracked through the entire job. The taskboard ensures visibility and accountability and highlights any bottlenecks that may occur. If one team is overloaded with work, for example, and another has time to spare, this can be identified and corrected before work begins. 

Bringing Customers Closer

It’s not just internal communication that’s important, either. It is also now necessary to create a system of two-way communication with customers that streamlines processes for the installation business but also gives homeowners access to the information they need. Most of us now prefer to have the capability to log in to check on our order, which is why AdminBase includes a Customer Portal facility. Homeowners can log in, confirm appointments, check on the progress of their survey and installation, and, as importantly, report any snagging issues after the project has been completed, allowing installation businesses to provide even better service levels.

The benefits of good communication in an installation company, both internally and externally with customers, should not be underestimated. Giving everyone easy access to the information they require to make their lives easier really does improve efficiencies, boost productivity, and enhance the bottom line.

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