Why clear communication is good business

Clear communication may seem obvious for good business. But many organisations still bury key details under context, leave out helpful headings or hide behind the passive voice.

When customers and staff can easily find, understand and act on your writing, you:

• boost customer and operational compliance
• expand your market reach
• free up time for innovation
• enhance your reputation
• increase customer and employee satisfaction
• save time and money
• cut follow-up time
• reduce misunderstandings.

Want the hard numbers behind this soft skill? You’ve got options keep reading or watch our panel discussion with Fiona Ellis from Huon Aquaculture – she shares how plain language makes a real difference in her organisation.

Make money

Clear communication drives success and innovation.

For example, a US state department committed to clear communication. Rewriting 1 letter tripled tax compliance and earned the department an extra USD 800,000.

It’s not just about compliance. Clear communication expands your market reach, including the 44% of Australians with low literacy and 4.4 million Australians with disability who miss out due to unclear communication. They shouldn’t miss out and nor should your organisation.

Clear internal documents free teams up to innovate because they aren’t bogged down by unnecessarily complex, ambiguous or inconsistent emails, policies, reports or contracts.

For all writing, think about how easily readers can:

• find the information they need
• understand what they read
• act on that information.

Enhance your reputation

Your brand’s reputation is shaped by every customer experience. And all brands want to seem customer obsessed. But what about being inclusive and empathetic too?

According to McKinsey & Company, social values like inclusion shape purchasing decisions more than ever.

Clear, accessible external communication shows your commitment to inclusion and sets you apart. You can even join the global accessibility movement by applying the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to your website.

Clear, empathetic internal communication could boost your chances of becoming an employer of choice. Who doesn’t want an employer who speaks like a human?

It’s a good new story when organisations commit to clear, accessible communication.

Increase customer satisfaction

Ever had a customer say a contract is too complex? Maybe online users left your website before buying or booking?

Investing in clear communication helps avoid many causes of dissatisfied customers. Clear communication about a customer’s appointment means they’re less likely to miss it or be annoyed you ‘didn’t tell them’ about it.

Or a customer could miss vital information if you bury it in an impenetrable start-up guide. This means they’ll enjoy your product less and be less likely to recommend it to others. A clear start-up guide also reduces the need for technical support. No time spent on hold or with a chat bot equals 1 happy customer.

Clear communication also builds customer trust, with 84% of people ‘more likely to trust a company that uses jargon-free language.’

Once customers trust you, they will return. They might even bring their friends.

Save time and money

Clear internal and external communication saves organisations time and money.

One UK organisation updated one of its claim forms, cutting the:

• time needed to complete it by 10%
• time needed to process it by 15%
• error rate by 50%.

Each year this form saves the organisation about GBP400,000 in staff time.

If staff spend less time following up with customers due to poor communication, they have more time for other critical tasks, including bringing in more business.

Clear communication can also lead to better staff satisfaction and retention, which means HR spends less time recruiting.

For example, a study of a Canadian bank showed that adopting clear internal communication could increase employee satisfaction by 61.2%. And a 2023 survey showed that 49% of employees with disability say adjustments help them stay in their jobs, and 48% report increased productivity as a result. Adjustments can range from a specific chair or flexible ways of working to clearer communication.

For legal documents, clear communication reduces misunderstandings that could cause costly disputes. Clear communication increases compliance, for example with regulatory obligations, reducing risks of fines for noncompliance.

Ready to invest in clear, concise and compelling communication?

Contact us for a free consultation

Clear communication is for everyone. Even if people can read long and complex documents, they won’t thank you for them. Our communication experts are here to transform writing at work into writing that works. Book a free 30-minute consultation or contact us to discuss your needs.