Communications Health Check: Do we really use communications tools to their full capacity?

After marking 12 months with the Sauce team last month, Mikaila has been reflecting on some of the biggest communications challenges facing clients and what solutions can be put in place to not only more effectively talk to customers, clients and staff but also reduce the cost of doing business.  Here she delves into why it’s so important to ensure you are choosing the right communications platforms from a rapidly growing marketplace of options.

Nowadays, it doesn’t seem a week goes by without a new communication channel, software or program popping up. Such a stacked market of options can be overwhelming, making it difficult to decide which one (or ones) are most suited to your business, customers or internal structure.

With each platform boasting a new or unique functionality, it can often lead us to purchase multiple programs to cover every business need, which can not only be confusing and resource heavy to switch between, but also costly.

And given how much work is completed remotely these days – whether it be to and from customers and clients or between employees – the right communication channels are even more important.

Have you ever sat and counted all the different communications platforms you use in your job every day? Phone, email, SMS, digital messaging, intranet, video conferencing, Whatsapp etc.

That doesn’t even include the specific functionality platforms such as project managers like Slack, Asana or Monday.com.

While the myth that we only use 10% of our brains has been busted by multiple medical journals, the assumption that we only use 10% of our communications channels’ capability is seemingly closer to the truth.

For example, the Microsoft Teams Youtube channel has more than 250 videos explaining individual functions of the program – most of which you are likely able to access today if you are already using Teams for video calling and messaging.

Often businesses will purchase or implement a channel for a specific business need or purpose, but most channels will offer broader capability. So, instead of acquiring multiple platforms, each for an individual need, a one-stop shop is actually more achievable than we might think.

Before investing in a new platform, it can be cost effective (and allow for smoother and more efficient internal processes) to ensure you are utilising the full capacity of channels you are already paying for.

That is where an independent communications audit can be hugely beneficial. An outsourced communications specialist can delve into what is currently working and what isn’t, where you may have double-up of functionality between platforms, or where you might even be able to amalgamate multiple subscriptions into one easier-to-use program – saving time and money. 

Independent communications profressionals are also able to draw from experiences of working with other businesses, have unique understanding of channel capabilities and are not overly influenced by current or historical working arrangements (falling into the ‘we have always done it this way’ trap).

For most organisations doing a health check on their communications platforms can be at the bottom of a long list, but when you consider the financial and resource costs you can save by doing a regular health check of your tools, it is one that shouldn’t be ignored.

Is it time you did a health check of your communications? 

Mikaila Gaskell

Account Director