Nobody likes to deliver bad news, but it can be just as challenging to share something good … when you have to do it in writing. To understand what makes it difficult, you have to consider the role that your written words will play. They essentially take your place when you can’t deliver the message … Read more
Many people have a strong aversion to repetition. It isn’t that they can’t tolerate others repeating a message; it’s that they don’t want to risk echoing their previous efforts when developing their marketing communications materials. The concern about repetition crops up most often in planning for ongoing marketing programs, such as social media or customer … Read more
You’re well aware of the internal structure of your company, and the politics and complex challenges that spring from that structure. When a customer needs something, you mentally consider which departments will be involved and what it will take to make it happen. Your customers view you differently. They see you as a single entity. … Read more
I’m not sure that a welcome mat in front of a business ever made anyone feel truly welcome, or a notation on a receipt saying that it has been someone’s pleasure to serve you made up for the indifferent treatment delivered by the server who dropped it on the table. Businesses put a lot of … Read more
If I mention the word “psycho,”, there’s a very good chance that a certain black and white image will spring to mind: water trickling into a shower drain, slowly being supplanted by a darker fluid, all punctuated by ear-piercing shrieks. There’s also a very good chance that you just shuddered a little. Assuming that image … Read more
I’d like to see more organizations put as much work into implementing their mission statements as they do in drafting them. Mission statements, vision maps, shared goals, value statements and all their frame-worthy cousins fascinate me, though I confess it’s in a cynical way. Everyone has them, but I’m not sure why. I suspect it’s … Read more
The other day, I had a Convenience Store Experience. I didn’t start the day with the goal of having a Convenience Store Experience. In fact, I didn’t even know that such a thing existed. But as I pumped liquid gold into my car, the too-loud oldies music on the PA system stopped. A perky recorded … Read more
Did you realize that medical students in New Orleans are drugging visitors and stealing their kidneys? Or that the toilets in a major U.S. airport are full of venomous spiders? Or that people don’t read anymore, so you need to keep copy as short as possible? Looking for a common thread? It’s simple — all … Read more
A recent visit to a healthcare provider provided an excellent example of how bad customer service — even before an employee opens their mouth — can undo the most carefully crafted business image. The facility for this healthcare provider is brilliantly designed. The interior décor is tasteful, with many deliberate touches and special finishes creating … Read more
Most people don’t agonize about how communication works. We simply do it. If we leave agonizing to the academics, we can break communication into three parts. There’s the composition of what’s going to be communicated, the delivery of that message, and its reception by another party. As a writer who helps companies and other organizations … Read more