I admire people who have the gift of communicating with others verbally. You know, those people that are simply “charming”. The ones that could get away with anything because they know how to say something and when to say it. Well, I’m not exactly one those gifted people…
Let’s just say my message gets lost in translation. I may have the best intentions, but for some reason, the way I say it sounds negative… even when I’m trying to give compliments (go figure!)
I guess my verbal communication handicap comes from a mixture of lack of time to organize my thoughts, with a pinch of overthinking, and just a tad of ADD.
But writing is a different story.
When I write, I could take the time I need to organize my thoughts and see a clear structure and flow. I dissect my message and think carefully about my intentions and possible reader’s perceptions. This attention to detail in writing has helped me enhance my communication in the business world. So, I put together this packaged list of tips suitable for different situations that we usually deal with in the business world… and you can get this list for only $9.99! Just kidding, it’s free :)
How to Communicate When Delivering Bad News
Let’s start with the tough part- delivering bad news. Nobody wants to be “that” person. The person responsible for delivering these kinds of messages: “your account is overdrawn”, “you are bankrupt”, “oops, we lost your data”, “we erased your website by accident”, etc.
So don’t be “that person”, because you don’t have to!
Take yourself out of the equation.
You are not the one doing this to the customer, it’s just something that happened. For example:
“…we have misplaced your files and we have to recreate them” vs “… your files got misplaced and they have to be recreated”
See the difference? In the first sentence, “we” is committing the mistake, in the second sentence, “the files” just got misplaced- things happen.
How to Communicate When Receiving a Complaint
The secret here is “understanding”. Make the other person feel heard and understood- that’s many times all it takes to convert an unhappy customer into a loyal one. Abstain from feeling attacked at a personal level. Remember that they are complaining about the service, product, or business, it is not a direct attack on the kind of person you are. Phrases to avoid:
- “You don’t understand”. This phrase can make people feel dumb. Change phrase to: “let’s make sure we are on the same page”
- “I told you”. This phrase carries a lot of baggage. We have heard multiple people throughout our life say it: parents, partners, friends. The least thing we want is someone we don’t know telling us “I told you so”. Change this phrase to: “ As we previously discussed”
Example:
“Sir, I have told you that our policy does not accept those type of changes. vs “ Sir, I understand your concern. But, as we discussed, our policy does not allow those type of changes.”
Key Phrases:
- I understand your concern/ we understand your concern
- Let me check what I can do for you/ Let me see if there is anything else I can do for you
How to Communicate When Trying to Close a Sale
This tip mainly applies to service businesses with a selling period of a couple of weeks or months. Once you have gained all the “points” you can possibly get for pricing, trustworthiness, unique value proposition, and any other benefit the buyer is looking for, what can set you apart from the competition are these 3 communication structure tips:
- Show that you are an expert on the service you are offering. This could be accomplished by providing case studies, and applying what you learn from the potential buyer’s business into a real plan.
- Offer a detailed outline of service deliverables. A service idea can be hard to grasp because it’s not tangible, which makes it difficult to measure results. Put your potential buyers at ease by showing them a detailed outline of the services you will deliver to them and a way to track results.
- Demonstrate that you are interested in building a relationship and not just a quick sale. By showing this level of interest, you are letting buyers know they could rely on you if they encounter any issues in the future.
Quick Summary:
- When communicating in negative situations, make the other person feel like you understand and care about their problem.
- Remove yourself from a negative situation by avoiding words like “me” and “we”
- To close a sale, show that you are an expert in your field and you can provide value to the potential buyers’ business.
- Do you have any other tips you’d like to share? Comment and click below to join my newsletter.