Soon, it will be the anniversary of one of the worst uses of E-mail ever. And that serves as a reminder to you to use E-mail only in situations where it is appropriate.
You learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar that anger, sarcasm, and other negative emotions need to be gotten out of voice-mails and E-mails. Negative emotions like that are best left to face-to-face communication where you can see the effect you and your message are having on your receiver.
With all of today's methods of electronic communication, it's easy for people to hide when there's a potential for conflict. Things like ending a relationship by texting, breaking up through voice-mail, and the like, though, make you look shallow and callous. It's obvious that you didn't want to deal with the emotions in person, so you hid behind technology.
This was carried to another extreme nearly four years ago now, in August of 2006, when Radio Shack sent this E-mail to 400 employees - "The workforce reduction notification is currently in progress. Unfortunately your position is one that has been eliminated." Fired, by E-mail.
While it may be easier on you to hide, screen calls, and block E-mails, if you really want to communicate effectively, know when it is appropriate for electronic communication and when face-to-face is really the only option.
Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.
Showing posts with label senders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label senders. Show all posts
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Word choice
In your "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar, you learn to use only words that will mean something to the receivers of your messages. An exchange at the pharmacy today underscored the importance of that.
When a prescription coupon card was presented along with payment, the clerk worked on the computer for a bit and sarcastically said, "Oh, I love this!", sighed, and stomped over to a fellow employee. After the second employee worked on another computer for a while, he came over to explain that the pharmacy had another drug's coupon listed as the "primary" card and this was listed in the computer as the "secondary" card and that's why it wouldn't go through. But, now it went through and everything was okay. But that's why it didn't at first, because the other one was the primary card and not this one.
Those who don't work at that pharmacy, including their customers, really have no idea what any of that means. Nor, frankly, do they care. Pharmacy employees deal with those computers, that software and drug companies every day, so it made sense to them. But they used these specialized terms when talking to a customer off the street. "Here are your pills and it'll be ten bucks" is all the customer wanted or needed to hear.
To communicate effectively, avoid lingo or jargon, specialized language unique to a certain area of interest or expertise. Within your own circle of co-workers, friends, or others that share your experiences, it's fine. But keep in mind that outside of your inner circle, it's really just gibberish. And whenever you use words, terms or phrases that your receiver, for whatever reason, doesn't understand, instead of being impressed with how much you know, they tend to feel alienated and sometimes even insulted.
Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.
When a prescription coupon card was presented along with payment, the clerk worked on the computer for a bit and sarcastically said, "Oh, I love this!", sighed, and stomped over to a fellow employee. After the second employee worked on another computer for a while, he came over to explain that the pharmacy had another drug's coupon listed as the "primary" card and this was listed in the computer as the "secondary" card and that's why it wouldn't go through. But, now it went through and everything was okay. But that's why it didn't at first, because the other one was the primary card and not this one.
Those who don't work at that pharmacy, including their customers, really have no idea what any of that means. Nor, frankly, do they care. Pharmacy employees deal with those computers, that software and drug companies every day, so it made sense to them. But they used these specialized terms when talking to a customer off the street. "Here are your pills and it'll be ten bucks" is all the customer wanted or needed to hear.
To communicate effectively, avoid lingo or jargon, specialized language unique to a certain area of interest or expertise. Within your own circle of co-workers, friends, or others that share your experiences, it's fine. But keep in mind that outside of your inner circle, it's really just gibberish. And whenever you use words, terms or phrases that your receiver, for whatever reason, doesn't understand, instead of being impressed with how much you know, they tend to feel alienated and sometimes even insulted.
Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Clutter, again
To continue the discussions about "What is 'clutter'?" and how the clutter of today's world gets worse everyday - Mignon McLaughlin summed up the problem like this, "No one really listens to anyone else. Try it for a while, and you'll see why."
Humorous, yes. But it's sad, too, because it's true. So many messages are being sent today, often in a rapid-fire manner, that are centered on the person sending them. And the messages tell about important things like, "I just got a massage", or "I just had my nails done and now I'm going shopping", or "I'm having a latte and a bagel". While they might be harmless and even a bit of a diversion for people during their busy days, the messages are each another bit of "noise" or "clutter" that distract your receiver from more important messages. Like your messages, for example.
That's why it is so important for you to stop, as you compose your message, and to think about the person(s) you need to reach. What are they doing? What will they do just before getting your message? What will they do just after? In what environment will they receive your message? Take all of those things, and more, into consideration as you compose your message. For your message to truly be effective, it isn't about writing or saying what you want to write or say. It's about writing or saying what will mean something to your receiver for communication to happen.
And that's what you'll learn how to do in your "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar. Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.
Humorous, yes. But it's sad, too, because it's true. So many messages are being sent today, often in a rapid-fire manner, that are centered on the person sending them. And the messages tell about important things like, "I just got a massage", or "I just had my nails done and now I'm going shopping", or "I'm having a latte and a bagel". While they might be harmless and even a bit of a diversion for people during their busy days, the messages are each another bit of "noise" or "clutter" that distract your receiver from more important messages. Like your messages, for example.
That's why it is so important for you to stop, as you compose your message, and to think about the person(s) you need to reach. What are they doing? What will they do just before getting your message? What will they do just after? In what environment will they receive your message? Take all of those things, and more, into consideration as you compose your message. For your message to truly be effective, it isn't about writing or saying what you want to write or say. It's about writing or saying what will mean something to your receiver for communication to happen.
And that's what you'll learn how to do in your "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar. Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Clutter, again
Obviously, when your seminar is called "Break Through the Clutter", you're going to spend some time learning about what clutter is and how to break through it with your message. So, "clutter" will be discussed here again.
In addition to all of the advertising messages, voice-mails and E-mails, meetings and more that clutter up today's world, people are talking about themselves now more than ever before. With texts, tweets, blogs, and social network pages, people are sending so many messages about their likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests that you have to wonder if anyone is actually receiving those messages. Or, whether it even matters to the "senders" that their messages are heard. The act of sending them seems to be the goal rather than making certain that someone hears them.
An Internet expert described it as people wanting to be the stars of their own reality shows. They get attention. They think people are interested in when they are brushing their teeth, or just had a cup of coffee.
With so many being so interested in talking about themselves, they don't have a lot of time for you and your message, regardless of how important it may be. And that is the environment in which your messages are being heard and read today. That is the "clutter" your message must break through to make an impact.
The key is to make your message different from all of those other messages that are centered on the sender, to focus your message on your receiver. And that's what you learn how to do in your own "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar. It is simple, but it isn't always easy.
Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.
In addition to all of the advertising messages, voice-mails and E-mails, meetings and more that clutter up today's world, people are talking about themselves now more than ever before. With texts, tweets, blogs, and social network pages, people are sending so many messages about their likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests that you have to wonder if anyone is actually receiving those messages. Or, whether it even matters to the "senders" that their messages are heard. The act of sending them seems to be the goal rather than making certain that someone hears them.
An Internet expert described it as people wanting to be the stars of their own reality shows. They get attention. They think people are interested in when they are brushing their teeth, or just had a cup of coffee.
With so many being so interested in talking about themselves, they don't have a lot of time for you and your message, regardless of how important it may be. And that is the environment in which your messages are being heard and read today. That is the "clutter" your message must break through to make an impact.
The key is to make your message different from all of those other messages that are centered on the sender, to focus your message on your receiver. And that's what you learn how to do in your own "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar. It is simple, but it isn't always easy.
Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" communication seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
"Look at me!"
Now, more than ever, it is critical for you to to "Break Through the Clutter" and reach the person you're trying to communicate with by making your message mean something to him or her. With 80-90%, or more, of America's high school students, college students, and post-college adults now regularly documenting and sharing their lives on social media web sites, we are really becoming a society of "senders" rather than "receivers" when it comes to messages. People are talking about themselves, posting their pictures and videos, and tweeting about what they happen to be doing at that particular moment. It's all "me, me, me", and not necessarily in a bad way.
A professor at La Salle says that the rise of these social media sites feeds into two strong currents in the American nature, the need to be a part of a group, and the need to be noticed and be seen as special. So, there's nothing wrong or narcissistic about people always talking about themselves. And, it can make it easier for you when you need to communicate today.
When you practice what you learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar and make your message be about your receiver instead of being about you, your message will stand out from the clutter of everyday life. Yours may be one of the few messages they see or hear all day that isn't about someone else. Yours will fill their need to be seen as special, because yours answers their questions, informs them, or helps them accomplish something. When everyone else bombards them with messages of "me, me, me", your message of "you, you, you" is one that they will want to listen to. And that allows your message to break through all of that other clutter.
Now, more than ever, is the time for you to call or E-mail to schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. Learn what you need to know in order to effectively communicate in today's world.
A professor at La Salle says that the rise of these social media sites feeds into two strong currents in the American nature, the need to be a part of a group, and the need to be noticed and be seen as special. So, there's nothing wrong or narcissistic about people always talking about themselves. And, it can make it easier for you when you need to communicate today.
When you practice what you learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar and make your message be about your receiver instead of being about you, your message will stand out from the clutter of everyday life. Yours may be one of the few messages they see or hear all day that isn't about someone else. Yours will fill their need to be seen as special, because yours answers their questions, informs them, or helps them accomplish something. When everyone else bombards them with messages of "me, me, me", your message of "you, you, you" is one that they will want to listen to. And that allows your message to break through all of that other clutter.
Now, more than ever, is the time for you to call or E-mail to schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. Learn what you need to know in order to effectively communicate in today's world.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Main Problem
At the National Eligibility Workers Conference in Anaheim last week, a woman asked about the subject of my workshops. When told that they were about communicating effectively, she thought for a bit then said, "If you can get people to actually listen, then you can communicate effectively. That's the hard part, nobody listens anymore." She's right. Mignon McLaughlin summed it up very nicely when she said, "Nobody listens to anyone anymore. Try it for a while, and you'll see why."
In this age of blogs, personal web pages, cell phone cameras and more, people really seem to be talking about themselves. In focusing on being a "sender" all of the time, they are losing the ability to be a "receiver".
This is one of the toughest filters you and your message need to overcome in order to reach people today. You can have as little as three seconds to make an impact with your message. That's why it so critical to practice what you learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. That's how you can break through all of those other messages, interest your receivers in actually listening to you since you're focusing your message on them, and continue to reach people with your message. It is simple, but it isn't always easy. And it is more critical today than ever before.
Glad I was listening when she made that comment in Anaheim.
Call or E-mail today to schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.
In this age of blogs, personal web pages, cell phone cameras and more, people really seem to be talking about themselves. In focusing on being a "sender" all of the time, they are losing the ability to be a "receiver".
This is one of the toughest filters you and your message need to overcome in order to reach people today. You can have as little as three seconds to make an impact with your message. That's why it so critical to practice what you learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. That's how you can break through all of those other messages, interest your receivers in actually listening to you since you're focusing your message on them, and continue to reach people with your message. It is simple, but it isn't always easy. And it is more critical today than ever before.
Glad I was listening when she made that comment in Anaheim.
Call or E-mail today to schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
