You go into the office coffee room half-asleep, hoping for some caffeine. Someone starts talking about “synergistic priorities” or, even worse, “dynamic deliverables.” You nod, but your thoughts start to wander. Does this sound like you? The corporate world today is like a loud carnival where everyone has something to say. But does anything really get heard? Visit more on Serge Robichaud

It’s not about doing lengthy video calls or stringing together keywords to communicate well. It’s important to make sure the other person understands. “We value open dialogue,” every business claims. But do they really do what they say? When you really communicate in business, you change your tone, your words, and even your punctuation to meet your audience.

Consider how much a little break in a meeting can change things. Some people can think rapidly, while others take a moment. Have you ever been in a meeting when one person talked so fast that everyone else got lost? You’ve seen communication go wrong. Intent is important, but being clear is more important.

Being precise doesn’t equal being formal. You may add a joke or a cultural reference, like a Star Wars reference, and yet make it sound like a person. A SMS message can be more powerful than an email with four paragraphs. People want things to be clear, short, and have a little personality.

But listening is the most important part. People listen for too little of a time to load their next thinking bullet. Have you ever tried repeating what someone said to demonstrate you heard them? That’s when the magic spark flies and the actual needs come out. It’s like peeling an onion; each layer shows you something new.

Switching gears, providing good customer service isn’t just a matter of checking off boxes. It’s getting your hands dirty and working with your clientele. They want collaborators, not machines that just repeat policy. No one ever said, “That’s outside my scope.” When you see a problem before it becomes a big one, that’s real customer service. Sometimes you get a call at 7 a.m., and other times you get an email at 9 p.m. No one said it would be easy.

The superpower is empathy. When a client is angry, it’s easy to just give them a standard explanation. It’s far better to put yourself in their shoes for a second. Maybe they’re dealing with problems you can’t see. So, a successful service approach is often about being more human than human.

There is also room for small acts of kindness. A handwritten message, an unexpected phone call, or remembering the name of their pet. Those small things? They make people loyal in a way that no loyalty program can buy. That’s when customers become repeat customers and, in the end, your biggest fans.

To bring it back: Every email, phone call, and check-in is either developing trust or breaking it down. Honest, quick, and empathetic communication develops bridges instead of walls. Putting people above processes in customer service makes customers loyal for life. It turns out that the simplest truths in business still have the most power.