Typically, tech startups are known for having a small team with the members wearing a lot of hats. Whether you are making changes to your product(s) or service(s), scheduling time to speak with investors, executing various PR and digital marketing efforts, or addressing customer service issues, communicating internally with your team is crucial.
As a startup, the specialists at our PR and digital marketing firm are always communicating important agency and client information with other team members. We have an efficient system in place where everyone on each respective client team is kept in the loop about the happenings on an account.
Since internal communication is so important at any company, especially startups, we wanted to provide a few tips to help you and your colleagues communicate better and save time in the process.
Keep All Relevant Team Members Informed
The most important part of communicating internally is letting everyone on a team know the most up-to-date status of a project. Whether it’s a new client pitch, talking to an investor regarding ROI, or a development in your content marketing plan, everyone needs to be on the same page. We frequently keep others in the loop by an email Carbon Copy (CC) or sitting in on a phone call with a client.
It is imperative that your internal team is kept apprised of technology updates. Whether there is a functionality or compatibility issue, or even if things are going smoothly, it’s a good idea to schedule regular status meetings to keep everyone informed. This will prevent any confusion or misunderstanding on behalf of your team when they are speaking with potential investors, consumers, or media.
Sending Out Reminders
Establishing an internal system to remind team members about pending projects helps keep everyone on track. The timing of these reminders depends on the team member and the priority of the project. At lotus823, team members typically send another email, make a call, or talk face to face 24 hours after the initial contact regarding an urgent matter and 72 hours for something not as high priority.
Keeping Yourself in the Know
Sometimes, even if you’re not the lead on a project, YOU need to be proactive in making sure the team is keeping up with deadlines. To do this, you need to know the ins and outs of the product, service or account. We’re all human, so that means occasionally someone will forget about a specific task that’s integral to the process. Regardless of your role, communicating any information you can with relevant team members will help you achieve stronger success.
Provide Constructive Criticism
If a member of your team makes an error, it’s an important business practice to let them know what happened and to provide feedback. Constructive criticism is a good way to better your employees; or if you’re on the receiving end, a better way to strengthen your own skillset.
Schedule Regular Team Meetings
Every team’s situation is different, whether they are working remotely or in the same office, but all teams have to meet. At our PR and digital marketing agency, we have staff meetings 1-2 times a month for the whole team as a status update about specific accounts and company progress. Our individual teams (PR, SEO and social media) meet weekly or biweekly to discuss matters imperative to those respective services. Your team might be different, based on travel schedules, meeting schedules and how much you communicate day to day.
Listen to Every Team Member
At tech startups, each team member has their own idea and vision of where the company is headed based on their experience and what they’re doing for the company. It’s important not to stifle a team member’s creativity because you don’t necessarily agree with their opinions. Everyone on your team brings a different perspective to the table, and listening to his or her thoughts can spawn brilliant ideas.
A team that communicates internally is a team that is better suited for success because everyone is on the same page. If you’re team isn’t on the same page, then your tech startup could run into problems.
You know the phrase “no one can love you until you love yourself”? Well, that also applies to your team. Being able to communicate with one another internally will do wonders for your company’s progress since you can worry less about what the situation is and put more time and effort towards resolving it.
It might even be a good idea to write out an internal communications best practices guide that your team references before emailing or talking to their colleagues.
What internal communications best practices do you use at your tech startup? Communicate those with us in the comments below or on Facebook and Twitter!