How to communicate with partners online in an effective way

Communication is key to maintaining and growing your business partnerships, and we must continuously rethink our communication channels. This is especially applicable now, with the recent outbreak of the coronavirus prompting online communication to manage remote teams. Here are five practical tips you can use to improve the quality of your communication to get you started:

1. Take Advantage of Asynchronous Communication

You can’t rely on your online partners to be available 24/7. Since many people work in different time zones, you must find a way to coordinate your schedules and come up with an effective system. This is where asynchronous communication comes in. This type of communication works well, especially for teams with different time schedules since it doesn’t rely on instant replies.

Use platforms like Slack, Gmail, or Microsoft Teams to share information and ideas or ask questions that aren’t urgent. There are three main rules you should follow to get the most out of it:

• Be clear. Use words that are easy to understand and state what you want to say.
• Be concise. No one will read a 500-word email.
• Don’t spam. Give enough time for the other person to answer.

2. Keep All Important Interactions in Chats and Emails

Video and audio calls are perfect for meetings, but it’s always better to have everything written down somewhere in case you need to refer back to it. After finishing a meeting, send an email that recaps all the main ideas to every party so everyone can stay accountable. Also, if you have crucial information to share or ask, try to make a text channel on platforms like Slack, so you can always reference the interaction in case of emergencies or unforeseen events.

3. Set Expectations on Communication Frequency

Setting expectations on communication frequency from the start can prevent potential misunderstandings. Here are some rules to implement:

• Answer emails within a maximum of 2 days.
• Answer emails with [URGENT] in the subject line within the same day.
• Reply to messages on Slack within an hour for smooth communication.
• State the hours and days you can’t be reached.

4. Establish an Instant Messaging Channel

When you’re working on important, time-sensitive projects like international trade, you want to have a channel where you can directly and instantly reach a team member or partner. This channel can be a phone number, Skype, WhatsApp, etc. The main idea behind this is that you can reach each other without any delays.

5. Be Honest

Being honest will help you build trust and confidence with your partners, making your relationship strong. The important thing is making sure both parties know what to expect from each other while reducing the stress of not being in constant communication when doing business far away. Always be clear about your expectations and communicate immediately when problems arise.

Sweet Tip from Ally

Make sure to keep these five tips in mind when working remotely. Remember, the key to successful online communication is being clear and setting realistic expectations while respecting boundaries. Keep these tips in mind, and remote working will become a lot more efficient and easy!