Business at the speed of Email!

Have you ever said something you didn't mean in the heat of a discussion or argument? Well, what if those words were written for all to see on a public wall somewhere. Wouldn't you be embarrassed? Wouldn't you wish you could take those words back?

THE PROBLEM

In this day of lightning quick business and communication, email and blogs are like that public wall where all of your words are plastered forever once you hit send (or publish). I know that there are email retraction techniques, but basically as soon as you hit send the receiver has access to your words. And unfortunatley, the receiver also has access to the World Wide Web.

Today, more advertising is done online than ever before. And it is public opinion advertising that matters the most. Public opinion ads are those "editorials" that the consumers put online in reference to a business's services. Go online and write in your favorite product name into any search engine. You are bound to see several editorial comments about various customer reactions who have used that product. They will tell you about the good, the bad, and everything they have experienced with the product and with its provider. To most of us, these comments are like asking our friends about the product ourselves. We trust these reviews because they are unsolicited remarks and represent a "real" person's point of view on the product.

And so it is with our words when we send them on email. Even in frustration, if you do not take the time to review your words before hitting send, you may find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to defend your words after hurting the other person's feelings (even if that is not what you meant to say). A mistake in the syntax of the sentence can be explained if it just "sounded bad" and it is a one time deal. Maybe some word choices could be explained away as a mistake, but there are only a couple of meanings to "I don't ever want to hear from you again" or "You are wrong and I hate you." These types of sentences may not be so easily explained away because they reflect an emotion that you had about the other person. And in the receiver's mind, those words will always be the "truth" deep down within your soul when you speak to them or write to them again.

THE SOLUTION

So how can you be sure to say what you mean?

First of all, never write angrily in an email.  Usually the case is that you are simply reacting emotionally to a situation without understanding what the person really meant to say. And even if what you write IS what you really mean, you can never take it back. Secondly, think about what you want to write, and before sending any email, PROOFREAD it. Read it back to yourself quickly looking for spelling and grammer errors, but read it for overall content as well. Look for the EFFECT of the email message. If you were receiving the message, what would YOU think you were trying to say? Think of the other person who will be receiving the email in particular because you want them to get the right message. But don't forget the most important part. Even if you think the person you are sending the message will get the point, be aware that they may not be the only one reading it.

Who else can read my messages?

The most common message readers are the other people in the room when your friend in sitting at his desk reading the email. There may be some people around who don't like your humor, or just don't think the message you send is appropriate. And especially if you are sending an angry message from your business, you could see your words plastered online very easily for all to see. And that will be advertisement of your "true character" and will seriously detract from your business (and your own) reputation.

THE POINT

Why is this important to me?

It is important to all of us because we need to understand the effect our words have on others in every form of communication.

For business purposes, the people we offend could be our potential customers. And, worse than that, these people could be our worst critics by submitting their unhappy review of our business online. They could easily cause a loss in business with their "real person" account of their experience with our company. A business's lifeblood is its customers - No Customers, No Business, No Jobs, No paychecks. It is as simple as that.

For our personal lives, it is the difference of being happy and being sad. If you are willing to alienate every person from your life and live alone, then this may not apply to you. But most of us would at least like to have one friend, so my advice is to take the "review your email" rule to heart even when conversing with others.

How do I know I am being effective in my communications?

Any communication (verbal or non-verbal) that makes others uncomfortable could alienate you from those you are looking to attract. A simple test is to look at people's faces when you speak with them. If they are looking away all the time, or looking at their watch, or walking away from you, you can fairly assume that you are not grabbing their attention and therefore not effectively communicating with them. If you are the leader, you can ask them to repeat what you said to them in their own words. In the military, we call that a "brief back." It gives the leader an understanding of what the employee (Soldier) thinks the task you described entails. It also shows what they think success of that task looks like. If the employee is correct, the leader has nothing further to discuss. If the employee has missed a key point of the task or does not grasp the definition of success, then the leader has the ability to address the inconsistencies right away. The leader can put the employee on the right track - and the task can get completed the right way. Simple, effective communication is achievable if you learn to use some basic techniques.

Thanks for reading,

Keith