Effective communication makes money, cuts costs

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple to quantify the dollar value of internal communications.

Nevertheless, communiation consultants say there are ways to demonstrate the value of internal communications that will resonate with top management.

For example, customer service representatives may lack specific information necessary to answer questions about a product or service. Internal communicators can find out what information the representatives need, and determine the best way to transmit it to everyone at once. In this way, communication potentially increases sales and eliminates the cost of individual service reps researching the same question.

If the company has multiple call centers, Sinickas recommends working with one at a time, so that its sales results can be easily compared with other facilities. Once the results are available, they should be disseminated through channels such as newsletters and the intranet.

“When you do proactive internal communications, which translates to external, you’re building a cushion of good will. If you don’t have that, it costs you money,” notes Jonathan Bernstein, president & CEO of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc. in Monrovia, Calif.