The Dying Art of Good Communication

I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking, that since the massive upheaval caused to the events industry by the Covid pandemic, certain standards have declined; one of those being communication. Whether it's now “uncool” to respond to emails and phone calls I’m not sure, but I have noticed getting responses from clients potential client or suppliers is often like getting blood out of a stone. I pride myself in having quick response times and good communication skills, but it appears to be a rarer trait. If I do receive a quick response to an enquiry or email I feel compelled to make a point of congratulating that person. But surely that should be a given.

I appreciate staffing levels aren’t what they have been PC (pre Covid), but it now seems to be widely accepted that enquiries can take over a week to be responded to, and emails need chasing up a couple of times before people get back to you. Phone calls go to voicemails and voicemails aren’t acting upon. And as for face-to-face meetings, they’re even harder to pencil in. If you can’t get them on the phone, they’re not going to meet you in person. I often feel like a pest, repeating myself again and again, asking the same questions or just making sure something was received.

A lack of good communication leads to ambiguity and does nothing to settle the other legacy of the pandemic - anxiety. Running a boutique events agency, I’m often left guessing and the last to know of any developments.

I’m hoping things will return to better days, when people weren’t scared to pick up the phone, book in a meeting or offer a simple “thank you” to an email. After all, good communication is what sets us apart, particularly in this industry.