Apr 16
Working at home can cause a lot of obstacles when it comes to communication. Chances are you aren't sitting at your desk 24/7, even if that is what some expect. It is imperative to any online business to provide a timely response to any inquiries. Here are a few tips:
Email - In the virtual world, most communication is done via email these days. It is important to answer emails in a timely fashion. If you are unable to answer emails within 12-24 hours, it is always nice from the contractor's point of view to know what to expect. This can be done by adding a note to your Contact Page saying something to the effect, "All emails will be answered within 48 hours with the exception of weekends and holidays." This lets them know right away when to expect follow-up.
Phone - When I am working on a client's project, I try not to allow their time to be interrupted. If I have to stop and start, that is going to cut down on efficiency. Even if it is just a few minutes to get back in the groove and remember what I was doing, that is time the client is going to be paying for. For that reason, I don't always answer the phone. Phone calls can be dealt with in the same way as email. Have your outgoing message set a timeframe for response.
Comments and DMs - If you are blogging and marketing via social media for your business, fan page and blog comments and twitter DMs can be easy to put off. This is big no-no. Spend 15 or 20 minutes at the end of each day to check your marketing avenues for anything that needs addressed. Leaving questions or concerns floating around without responses doesn't look very good. If you have a spam filter on your blog, check it often. I find a lot of comments in there that are not spam. You don't want followers thinking you are blocking their comments.
Angie Nelson is owner of ASN Virtual Services, [
http://www.asnvirtualservices.com]http://asnvirtualservices.com, and writer of The Work at Home Wife blog. Stop by [
http://www.theworkathomewife.com]http://theworkathomewife.com to get your free report on How to Set Your Freelance Rates.
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http://EzineArticles.com/?Work-at-Home-Communication-Tips&id=4117389] Work at Home Communication Tips