There are a lot of myths surrounding the subject of nonverbal communication. The biggest being the oft quoted statistic stating that nonverbal communication is 93% of communication, leaving verbal communication only 7% of our interactions. Despite the myths, I will agree that nonverbal communication is very powerful for many reasons, but two reasons really stand […]
As some of you may remember, I wrote a post awhile back about the 8 Reasons Organizations Need Standard Operating Procedures. Although I know they are time consuming to write and can be a challenge to keep current, I hope you agreed after reading the post, that it’s critical that organizations have them and why. […]
In January of this year, I first met Tinkerbell. At the time, her name wasn’t even Tinkerbell, she was just “Female, black, Chihuahua, stray,” at the animal shelter where I volunteer. After adopting her, I took her to her first vet appointment. The first question they asked was her name, and “Tinkerbell,” came out of […]
The 25/5 rule is simple. It has two parts: 1. Don’t say something in 25 words when 5 will do. 2. Don’t use a 25-cent word when a 5-cent word will do. If you’re anything like me, when you receive a long text, doctoral-dissertation-length email, or a voicemail that drones on and on, you tune […]
Every year around this time I post communication tips for talking with your child’s teacher. However, these tips are about more than talking with the teacher. They’re about creating open communication and building an effective parent-teacher relationship that will serve you when things are going well and when your child hits some inevitable bumps along […]
Whether an actual letter, a card, or even a short sentiment written on a piece of scrap paper, there’s something very personal and meaningful about taking the time to communicate with someone using pen and paper. First, a handwritten note takes time to produce. There’s no spell check and no backspace key. You’ve got to get […]
I’ve written many articles and blog posts about when and how to say, “no.” I even have a chapter in my book, Practical Communication, on the subject. I’ve written extensively about saying “no” because too many people don’t know how to say “no” to things that are bad for them and people who don’t have […]
About a week ago, I was shopping in a retail client’s place of business doing some “recon” before preparing a customer communication program for their customer care employees. As I watched customers come and go with their various products they wished to return, I noticed a trend. The customers who were calm and politely requested […]
I remember when I first realized how annoying vocalized pauses can be. I was sitting in a college course listening to student presentations, when I began counting the number of times each speaker said “um,” “uh,” or “you know.” These fillers were so distracting, that by the time each speech was over, I couldn’t tell […]
The number one most incorrect quote about customer service that is perpetuated time and again, is: “The Customer is Always Right.” WRONG! Training employees to believe this fallacy and insisting that they live by it is not only wrong, but it’s bad for business. Consider these situations: Would you let a naked customer dine in […]
