“How do I tell my boss that his idea really stinks and not lose my job?”

“Why is my co-worker stabbing me in the back?”

“How do I tell my vendor that we are not going to renew his contract?”

“The person next to me smells and I don’t want to offend him/her, and I want them to stop smelling.”

“Being gentle in the lunchroom and still getting my point across.”

“My boss won’t make a decision and I can’t move forward.”

“My co-worker is an Eyore or Schleprock and I can’t seem to get them to shut up.”

These were some of the questions that I posed the other day. And really, they are all the same question. “You have lost your mind” you say. “There is no way these very different questions are the same at all.” I say, let’s look at where they come from 1st.

All of these questions come from real life scenarios all of us have faced at one time or another. And it’s our ability to deal with them effectively that sets us apart from everybody else. And that is a skill, which means anyone can learn it.

Improve your skill set, improve your life. The more you learn and apply, the better your life becomes.

Earl Nightingale said “A mind stretched by an idea can never return to the original shape.”

So readers, here is the question as I see it.

“How do I make my point effectively while maintaining my relationship with the other person?”

I hear this type of question all the time. People want to communicate better. It is the ability to protect themselves and their self image and at the same time feel comfortable enough to be able to tell someone something that the other person might really need to know while respecting their rights. Think “Simon” on American Idol without insults.

It’s communication with tact. tact n. (takt) the delicate perception of the right thing to say or do without offending, commonly referred to as Assertive Communication.

This is where you are thinking about protecting yourself and at the same time honoring the other person’s rights. Basically, allowing them to be who they are, while you stay the way you are.

So there is some specific language you might want to use. It usually starts off with what is called an “I” statement. It might sound something like this.

“Bob, I’ve noticed some new ideas on that Parker project have come up. And after examining how they might fit with the ideas already presented, I can see some possibility of conflict. How do you see those ideas fitting in with what is already in place?”

“Mary, I’ve heard some comments that were not very flattering and quite frankly, somewhat insulting. I was wondering if there was something that you needed to say.”

“Gerry, I have some news regarding our business relationship. Our contracts are nearing expiration and we will not be renewing our agreement.”

“I am your co-worker and I think we can agree that being told something that needs to be corrected is what all of us would rather have than not knowing at all, and personal hygiene is important for working together, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Susan, I am quite sure of my position regarding ______. I have researched all of the options available and by far, this is the best possible solution.”

“Mark, I am sure that deadlines for the Beech project are in place, and must be met. I can meet those deadlines as soon as I have the go ahead on this memo. When can I expect an answer so that I can finish implementation?”

“Bill, I have only one minute for you right now. If that is not enough time, would later today at 1:00 pm for 10 minutes be enough time?”

In each case, there is not any accusatory language. And I specifically stayed away from making any apologies with any of these statements. When we are communicating most effectively, there is no need to accuse anyone or apologize for our statements. In every example I started off with an “I” statement that lets the other person know that this statement comes from my center and is well thought out. I also wanted the other person to feel they could respond in kind.

These are examples. All of these statements are designed to get you to start thinking about these and other situations and start practicing. Yes, practicing. In order for this to work, you have to take some of these statements and make them into your own. Or don’t use any of them and make your own from scratch. The important thing is for you to try. Practice them on people you know, love and care about. They’ll tell you if it sounded right or not.

Guess which one gave me the most trouble?

That’s right, the personal hygiene statement. It’s because I have to tell someone about something that is actually a part of who they are, not about business or a particular situation. And as long as I am addressing the behavior, I am on solid ground. I can’t address the person, or attack someone about who they are. I can address a behavior though, and as I wrote all of those statements, I really made sure I focused on that thought.

I would love to hear some more examples from any readers who have come across these and other situations, and how you handled it. I will take the top 10 and publish the results right here.

In the next article, we’ll be talking about personality profiling.

Leonard Buchholz is a Certified Trainer, Speaker and Author. If you are looking for a seminar leader that is “High Touch and Low Tech,” look no further. Leonard is known for energetic seminars that involve the participants. Seminar subjects include Customer Service, Difficult People and Difficult Situations, Management and Communications.
Reach him at leonard@bizprotraining.com or call 760-529-5635.

“The type of service provides an indication of the abstract parameters of the quality of service desired. These parameters are to be used to guide the selection of the actual service parameters when transmitting a data through the particular network.”

The Quality of Service can be defined as, “The measure of the degree of satisfaction of the user of the system”.

Quality of Service:

It is not possible to guess what the customer wants. Detailed, sector-by-sector, surveys are required to provide information by transaction on how we are performing and what really matters to customers. This must be followed by rigorous root cause analysis and action to improve performance.

In the ever more competitive environment of telecommunications, the Quality of Service perceived by customers is becoming increasingly important in the battle to win market share.

It is necessary to satisfy a service need before the service encounter can be considered successful or one of quality.

Following is a list of common needs.

• The need to feel welcome.
• The need for timely service.
• The need to feel comfortable.
• The need for orderly service.
• The need to be understood.
• The need to receive help or assistance.
• The need to feel important.
• The need to be appreciated.
• The need to be recognized or remembered.
• The need for respect.

There are four steps in the processing of winning with the customer: -

1. Transmit a Positive Attitude
2. Identify Customer Needs
3. Provide for the Needs of your Customers
4. Make sure that your customers are return.

Importance of quality of service

Quality parameters and procedures are necessary to provide an indication of how well a product, service or the process is. Quality measurements are necessary to study the steps to be taken to optimize resources with revenue and quality could be the differentiator when other factors are equal.

Quality criteria of concern to customers for telecommunication services may similarly be found under the following categories:

Speed: - This quality criterion is expressed by the time taken to carry out any of the service functions.

Accuracy: - This quality criterion deals with the fidelity and completeness in carrying out the communication function with respect to a reference level.

Availability: - Availability is the likelihood with which the relevant components of the service function can be accessed for the benefit of the customer at the instant of request.

Reliability: - Reliability is the probability that the service function will perform within the specified limits for speed, accuracy or availability for a given period, for example, one year.

Security: - This quality criterion deals with the confidentiality with which the service function is carried out. No information is to be supplied to an unintended party, nor can information be changed by an unintended party.

Simplicity: - This quality criterion concerns the ergonomic aspects with which the service feature is dealt with by the service provider. It also includes the customer’s preferred requirements for a particular service.

Flexibility: - This quality criterion groups together the customer’s optional requirements associated with the service.

The Principal point to be noted is that the quality related criterion under the heading ‘Customer results’ has the single largest weighting with 20% of the overall score. A good quality product will satisfy the user’s needs with minimum expenditure of financial, time and human resources. This is one of the fundamental tenets in the understanding of quality.

We are http://www.callcentersindia.com providing resources to everyone in call centers arena and this site is designed specifically to fulfill your information needs regarding call centers with special reference to Indian Call Centers and offshore call centers.

Outsourcing is done to save money, improve quality, or free company resources for other activities. Outsourcing was first done in the data-processing industry and has spread to areas, including call centers. Outsourcing is the wave of the future. The decision to outsource is often made in the interest of lowering firm costs, redirecting or conserving energy directed at the competencies of a particular business, or to make more efficient use of worldwide labor, capital, technology and resources. Call centers are considered as one of the most common outsourced task for companies. In fact, it is also regarded as the first tasks to be outsourced. Peter Ryan, an analyst for Data monitor explained this statement saying that: -

“The call center industry is now looking to adopt more third-party customer care services than ever before. This means that their horizontal functions will be shifting to more profitable requirements. Additionally, the need to satisfy demand from multiple contact channels as opposed to strictly voice-based services will be crucial for success over the long term.”

Benefits of Outsourcing: -

Outsourcing is successful in increasing product quality and substantially lowering firm and consumer costs. Because outsourcing allows for lower costs, even if quality reduces slightly or not at all, productivity increases, which benefits the economy in aggregate. Outsourcing can also present compensation to less developed, typically non western states.

Some benefits of outsourcing are given below: -

1. A good outsourcing firm has the resources to start a project right away. Handling the same project in-house might involve taking weeks or months to hire the right people, train them, and provide the support they need.

2. Outsourcing is control capital costs. Cost cutting may not be the only reason to outsource, but it’s certainly a major factor. Outsourcing converts fixed costs into variable costs, releases capital for investment elsewhere in your business, and allows you to avoid large expenditures in the early stages of your business.

3. Outsourcing always increases efficiency. Companies that do everything themselves have much higher research, development, marketing, and distribution expenses, all of which must be passed on to customers. An outside provider’s cost structure and economy of scale can give your firm an important competitive advantage.

4. Outsourcing is reducing labor costs. Hiring and training staff for short-term or peripheral projects can be very expensive, and temporary employees do not always live up to your expectations. Outsourcing lets you focus your human resources where you need them most.

5. Every business investment carries a certain amount of risk. Markets, competition, government regulations, financial conditions, and technologies all change very quickly. Outsourcing providers assume and manage this risk for you, and they generally are much better at deciding how to avoid risk in their areas of expertise.

6. Outsourcing can help small firms act “big” by giving them access to the same economies of scale, efficiency, and expertise that large companies enjoy.

7. Outsourcing can help your business to shift its focus from peripheral activities toward work that serves the customer, and it can help managers set their priorities more clearly.

Outsourcing Relationships: -

The relationship is based on skill sets held in both the outsourcing company and the company that is doing the work. To have a successful outsourcing experience then the skill set between both companies should be similar, and the trust relationship should be acknowledged. As well, there are social and political reputation issues on both sides of the contract that should be managed as well to ensure that the outsourcing process is successful for both companies.

• If there is a good understanding and strong working relationship between the key management personnel of both teams, then such relationships often tends to last long.
• Also maintaining one point of contact will avoid confusions. Companies can keep one project manager per project or per client.
• Well-defined performance criteria have quantifiable objectives, service quantities, quality, and customer satisfaction and are measurable against other providers.
• Successful outsourcing relationships involve setting up of special executive committees or boards that draw out the best strategies for smooth & effective handling of outsourcing relationship.
• For a successful outsourcing relationship, it is better to have frequent formal review meetings. These meetings can discuss what both teams are working towards and a high level view of the future goals and objectives. Product reviews and deliverable can be discussed at such meetings.

That is what I mean by when recommendations are followed, the outsourcing company and the company that is doing the work will each increase within few months, which represent a statistically significant.

We are http://www.callcentersindia.com providing resources to everyone in call centers arena and this site is designed specifically to fulfill your information needs regarding call centers with special reference to Indian Call Centers and offshore call centers.

A help desk is a system designed to help and support an end-user of a particular product. The help desk system provides information and helps solve technical questions on how to use the product. In today world, many help desks are web-based. Users can go to a company help desk website and find answers to a particular question or problem about the company product.

What is Help Desk?

A help desk is an information and assistance resource that troubleshoots problems with computers and similar products. Corporations often provide help desk support to their customers via a toll-free number and/or website. There are also in-house help desks geared toward providing the same kind of help for employees only.

An easy-to-use help desk that helps organizations automate their customer service and IT support processes to deliver consistent, reliable and superior service to both internal and external customers. A help desk can also be used internally. In all organizations, employees encounter problems with their computers, printers, and other machines. Help desk software helps Information Technology departments manage, sort, and track service requests using the most efficient methods. The results of implementing a help desk are lower overhead costs and higher employee satisfaction and productivity.

Browser based help desk solutions are much less expensive then most existing systems. You can likely purchase a browser-based help desk solution for a price of a single year’s maintenance fees of an existing help desk system. When considering purchasing a help-desk solution, it is advisable to establish how long the help desk product has been on the market and how many people are using particular help desk product versions. The other solution is software-based help desk in which the same consideration must be kept in mind.

A help desk solution is becoming a necessary part of business. Whether for a small startup or large Fortune 500 organization, a help desk can support customers, employees, and suppliers. The help desk will ensure the effectiveness of the company and ensure smooth company operations.

Keep in mind several things when looking to a help-desk solution:
• Who will be your customer on the help desk?
• What is your help desk budget?
• How fast do you need a help desk solution?

Qualities of Customer Service

So what does quality customer service involve? The following ten points illustrate the basics of developing good relations with your customers:

1. Let your customers know that you appreciate their business by thanking them.

2. Remember: a customer who feels valued is more likely to come back for seconds!

3. While it is very important that you’re Customer Service Representatives are polite and cheerful. A response of “I know exactly how to assist you” will have a far greater impact than a polite “I do not know anything about that”.

4. Check and be sure that your packages are arriving within the promised time frame.

5. Customers appreciate honesty. If you promise something, you had better be able to deliver on it. Otherwise, you will be doing your business a great disservice. People are far more likely to repeat stories about poor customer service than top notch customer service. Its human nature — we expect the best!

6. If a mistake has been made or a customer is dissatisfied with the product or service they have received, take ownership of the problem and assure the customer that their concerns are valid. Show them that you are willing to work with them to solve the problem.

7. Be sure that your customers can easily contact you 24 hours a day, seven days a week by phone, fax, or e-mail.

8. A quick response to a casual inquiry will appear professional and therefore establish credibility. As for responding to customer complaints, think of it as damage control! The faster you respond, the more likely it is that you will be able to both repair the mistake and restore the customer’s faith in you.

Overall, your goal should be to create a quality service experience. Help desk is a call center that handles questions about products. The term most often refers to technical support centers for computers/software.

As for the information being available is that when the help desk is accurately and speedily handling all of its calls, the entire business is more productive. This boosts profitability and also promotes customer satisfaction. It is simply not possible to run a help desk efficiently without the use of sophisticated software.

Posted by:
Marketing Team
Call Centers India Inc,

We at http://www.callcentersindia.com are providing you the resources to everyone in the Call Center Arena. This site is designed specifically to fulfill your information needs regarding call centers with special reference to Indian Call Centers and offshore call centers. http://www.callcentersindia.com”

While we all want to increase our profits, one of the most important things to remember is that to build a business that will stand the test of time, you MUST have a strong and loyal customer base. But how do you get loyalty out of a customer, especially in today’s business world? I have outlined a few things that I have helped others implement that have strengthened your customer base. Most of the tips apply to those who have been in business less than 3 years, but if you are a business veteran feel free to “double-check” to see how many of these you do regularly:

* You must research your target audience’s needs and wants. Anticipate any objections your visitors may have about your product offer. Remember, its your business, but you must appeal to your customer’s needs and wants.

* Remember not to use outrageous or unbelievable claims in your ad copy. Don’t say “Biggest or Best” if you are not. People are too savvy online and won’t believe you. Instead of outrageous claims, use testimonials.

* If you are just starting out, pick a good name for your business and product. Your names should be memorable and describe the kind of product your offering. Many people have business titles that are a play on something else, such as the barber who called his shop “The Golden Shears” or “Central Perk” from the TV show Friends.

* Solve your customer complaints by being quick and friendly. The faster you respond, the more your customers feel you care about them. This can almost always bring the customer back to you, and is more valuable than a lower price.

* Never think your customers are satisfied with their purchase. You should be constantly finding new ways to better your products and services.

* Market yourself, as well as your product. Remember products come and go, but you need to promote yourself and your services. Your products are secondary. To promote yourself, you could write articles, ebooks, do free consulting, do speaking engagements, etc.

* Find new target audiences for your products or services. For example, if you’re selling coffee to stores try to also sell it to coffee shops. See if they will let you advertise this in their menu, with a little sticker (reprinting the menus are too expensive).

* Use logos and slogans for your business. They make it easier for people to remember and identify your business. Think of Nike and their “swoosh”. It doesn’t even have to say Nike and you know what it is.

* Try to get a story written in the local paper about your business every 5 years or so. If the “main” paper won’t do it, there are probably a few local papers that you can get to write a story. This keeps you in the public eye & it is free. I have gone to many restaurants, shops, etc, because of what I had read in the paper.

* Offer free samples or trials of your product. This will let people experience your product and attract people to your business. If your in the restaurant business, make a large serving of a new dish and offer your guest samples while they wait for their main order.

* Get involved with the community. Donating your products/services to schools, churches, or sponsor kids soccer or little league teams is a good way to get involved & getting your name out there.

Hopefully these have helped you at least a little bit. Whether you are in a small town or a large metropolitan area, people feel more comfortable if they know who they are buying from and support. Good luck!

Jeff Bunnell is a part-time marketer and full-time Dad. He has worked as a Realtor, Concert Promoter, Computer Tech, Salesman, Manager, etc. Now he is using his experience to help others make additional income on the internet.

For more information go to http://www.easybigmoneymaker.com

There is a cable in the back of my car that cost about $37, with tax.

I bought it because I thought I needed it as an Internet connection, but as it turned out, I didn’t.

It has been dwelling in my car, nestled deep in the rumples of the beach blanket, or half-squeezed into the netherworld between the hatch and the back seat, for better than a year.

Why don’t I return it to the retailer and get a refund or at least a credit toward something else?

I’m not lazy. Heck, I’ll drive a half a mile out of my way to save a dime on a gallon of gas.

My problem is when I imagine returning it, I ANTICIPATE DISSATISFACTION, in the form of poor treatment, having to do verbal combat, and possibly wasting my time by being told to get lost.

I envision walking into the store, being shuttled from one clerk to the next, standing in lines, explaining my rationale more than once for returning the cable, and then being told that the policy prevents them from giving me what I want.

Or, some bozo will tell me with pursed lips, “We’ll only do this ONCE,” which has become somewhat of a mantra of CSR’s at Citibank.

So, there is an unconscious calculus that I do as I am reminded the cable is still residing in the shadows. If it takes me an hour to return the cable, given drive time, parking time, and transaction time, and it puts me into a negative frame of mind so subsequent hours become tainted, I’m losing money, and more important, peace of mind, even if they hand me my cash back.

I’m interested in this because it is an under-reported phenomenon.

ANTICIPATORY DISSATISFACTION isn’t on the radar at all of customer service people and the consultants and pollsters that serve them.

But this sort of dread keeps us from coming back. It eats away at customer retention and loyalty, and of course, it diminishes profits.

Retailers jump through hoops and invest fortunes in advertising to bring us into stores, but then they virtually tell us to stay away if we have an item to return.

“Come back ONLY if you’re buying,” seems to be their lopsided offer.

But it isn’t a good deal, for us, or for them.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the
best-selling author of 12 books and more than
a thousand articles. A frequent expert commentator on radio and TV, he is quoted often in prominent publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Business Week.
His seminars and training
programs are sponsored internationally and he
is a top-rated faculty member at more than 40
universities. Dynamic, experienced,
and lots of fun, Gary brings more than two decades
of solid management and consulting experience
to the table, along with the best academic preparation
and credentials in the speaking and training industry.
Holder of a Ph.D. from the
Annenberg School For Communication at USC,
an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School of Management,
and a law degree from Loyola, his clients include several
Fortune 1000 companies along with successful family
owned and operated firms. Much more
than a “talking head,” Gary is a top mind that you’ll
enjoy working with and putting to use.
He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

Ever since our team returned from last year’s major SEO conventions our team has been ignited with new, bold and innovative ideas. I don’t think there has been any point in our eight year history that we have had a better team assembled. We’ve got more ideas on the table than we’ll be able to implement within the next twelve months. That’s both good and bad. Many of the ideas are simply spectacular but we lack the resources to implement them while maintaining focus on our core business. The price of innovating minds, I guess!

One of the things that has come up over our conversations and strategy meetings is our mission statement. We battled it around a bit and came up with a mission statement that we like and one which everybody in our office can get behind as our overriding purpose:

To provide accelerated, sustainable business growth for our clients through the development and implementation of innovative marketing strategies.

Each word in that statement was carefully chosen. We didn’t want anything that was simply mumbo-jumbo but really reflected how we feel we want to serve our clients. We don’t consider this a final draft however, as we continue to mull it over.

One thing I wanted the mission to convey is that we are in business to serve our clients, not ourselves. But the more I thought about this the more I realized that this sentiment is not entirely true. While we want our purpose to be client-centric we realized that in order for us to properly server our clients we have to serve ourselves as well.

Do what is in the client’s best interest

While I’d like to think tat business is as simple as doing what’s in the client’s best interest, its not. More accurately, we want to do what’s in the client’s best interest provided it does not go against our own best interest in the process. Think that’s the wrong approach? Then go try running a profitable business giving away all your services or products, and not just as a sales gimmick! Wouldn’t your client and customers be better served by such a move? Wouldn’t that allow them to get a higher profit margin or keep more money in their pocket?

It certainly would, but that also conflicts with what’s in your best interests and believe it or not your best interests are also tied to what is best for the client. Clients want us to help them make money. That’s what they pay us for and that’s what we want to deliver to them. But we also want to make money for ourselves and its in our client’s best interest that we do so. Why? because if we are not making money, then anything we do for our clients will be on a short-term basis. If one company does not remain profitable, this effects many others and their ability to remain profitable.

Balancing the best interests of both

Business is about balance. If you only look after yourself then you’ll find that you’re not doing what you’re paid to do. Sooner or later people stop paying you and you’ll closing your doors. On the other hand you can’t only do what is best for others otherwise you’ll wind up in the same place, just for different reasons.

Over the years we’ve struggled with balancing pricing with service. We have consistently improved our services by adding increased value to them but have always struggled to keep them affordable at the same time.

My philosophy on our services has been to never offer a service that is not wholly complete. I don’t want to sell something and then have to tell the client, “well, if you want to succeed now you’ll have to buy this other service too.” And while everything we offer in our services is not always 100% necessary 100% of the time to make our clients successful, it is absolutely important to the overall goal of improving the performance of our client’s websites. Many come to us wanting top rankings but we want to deliver to them “accelerated, sustainable business growth.”

So the balance is to offer services that serve our clients at a pricing level that is affordable but also profitable for us. We strive to provide services that do more than meets the eye, to achieve more than superficial results and to help the business improve in areas that they had never thought about. It’s to serve our clients best interests without neglecting our own. That’s the most important part. The next time someone tries to get you to do something for them because its in their interest to do so, remember this: if it goes against your interests, it often goes against their own as well.

Stoney deGeyter leads a spectacular team of seasoned marketing experts at Pole Position Marketing. You can read Stoney’s blog posts at the E-Marketing Performance blog and more of his work on several well-known SEO and marketing news sources including Search Engine Guide and Web Pro News. Stoney has authored two website marketing books: E-Marketing Performance: Effective strategies for building, optimizing, and marketing your website online and Keyword Research and Selection: The definitive guide to gathering, sorting and organizing your keywords into a high-performance SEO campaign.

There are five pillars for effective costumer service in the health care sector and there are as follows:

1. Knock before you enter. Don’t enter a patient or resident’s room without knocking. You should enter the room with some degree of politeness and decorum. Leave all your negative attitude at the door. Even if the patient is comatose you should show the same respect for their privacy and dignity.

2. Introduce yourself. State your name clearly and boldly. Don’t yell or speak too loudly. Some patients like to be called by their first names while others may like the more formal approach. Make sure you get the correct information about the patient before entering their room. Always appear warm and friendly; remember the patient is a human just like you and may pick up hints if you are not genuine.

3. Set a time limit. Mention the duration of your visit. The patient may be in pain or severe discomfort; setting a time limit adds another dimension to their level of care and your level of service. You may be in the room to administer directly to their needs or indirectly relating to them. Whatever it is let the patient feel empowered even though they are depending on you for their needs and comfort.

4. Explain why you are there. Don’t lecture to the patient. Stick to the point. If you are going to perform a procedure avoid using medical terminology that will make them feel apprehensive. Even if your visit is not directly related to their needs explain why you are there.

5. Thank the patient when leaving. The hallmark of your visit should be to ask the patient if they would like any other thing else to be done while you are there. If their request is not related to your training inform them that you are going to find the relevant personnel to assist them. There may be times when patients are not fully aware of your visit due to various reasons; treat them with the same dignity and respect.

Effective customer service in the health care sector is vital. There are various segments in the health care sector that may have indirect contact with the patient such as; housekeeping, food handlers, maintenance and some persons in administration. This does not mean that those individuals should not practise the rules to effective customer service. Everyone that work within a health care facility or work within the environment of the patient (home care) should strive towards effective customer service. Finally, we must strive to be consistent in our approach for better customer service. This is not a one time experience but an ongoing service aim to please those we serve in the growing health care industry.

OC Tross is the author of the book Another Thought. He is a teacher, artist, and philosopher for over fifteen years. To read more of OC Tross’ philosophy visit; http://www.anotherthoughtbook.com

I had been traveling and “seminaring” this past week and whenever I finish, I like to write about what most of the seminar participants have been asking about.

This past week, I spent a fair amount of time in the “business relationship” area, commonly referred to “Co-workers, bosses and vendors, oh my.”

It seems that most of us have trouble communicating with the people we spend so much time with and understanding their point of view.

It really comes down to the things that we all have issues with.

“How do I tell my boss that his idea really stinks and not lose my job?”

“Why is my co-worker stabbing me in the back?”

“How do I tell my vendor that we are not going to renew his contract?”

“The person next to me smells and I don’t want to offend him/her, and I want them to stop smelling.”

“Being gentle in the lunchroom and still getting my point across.”

“My boss won’t make a decision and I can’t move forward.”

“My co-worker is an Eyore or Schleprock and I can’t seem to get them to shut up.”

This of course is a partial list. Feel free to add your particular situation.

It really is a communication issue, isn’t it?

“So, what. Big deal” you say. “I only spend 30% of my time with them anyways, why do I need better communication skills? If they don’t like me, let ‘em lump it.”

That’s a fair question. Here are some reasons.

Studies have shown that people rate job satisfaction higher that remuneration. And companies that have better internal communications, rate better than those that don’t.
Sooooo, if you want to be happy and continue good relations, it sounds like communication skills would be a great place to start, doesn’t it?

And what better way to start communicating than to really understand your co-workers and bosses personality profiles?

If you knew how they communicate and the best way to reach them, would that be helpful to you? I am talking about a skill that anyone can learn. And once you know the verbal and non-verbal cues, and what to look for, you can then communicate on a level that suits the person you are talking with. It’s called personality profiling.

Pretty cool, huh. Imagine talking to your boss and understanding his/her personality profile so well, that you find yourself talking to them like it is the first time you have ever seen them, even though you have been working with them for several years. It’s like having a secret “people” decoder ring. And all you have to do to use it is point it at the other person and turn it on. All of this from cues that have been there all along.

Better yet, if you are the boss, how about an understanding that goes deep enough that you are able to assign projects to people based on this profile and have them get done, on time, with minimal hassle?

Couple this with a set of skills in Assertive Communications, and you have a powerful communication tool set to help you talk with co-workers, bosses and vendors.

Stay tuned readers. In my next article we’ll talk about some of those sticky situations and language you can use. And of course, personality tests and how to use them.

Leonard Buchholz is a Certified Trainer, Speaker and Author. If you are looking for a seminar leader that is “High Touch and Low Tech,” look no further. Leonard is known for energetic seminars that involve the participants. Seminar subjects include Customer Service, Difficult People and Difficult Situations, Management and Communications.
Reach him at leonard@bizprotraining.com or call 760-529-5635.

Email has become one of our most essential business communication tools; we each may send hundreds of business emails each week. And yet, we tend to send emails into cyberspace without much thought or attention to the impression we’re making.

An effective email is a great way to attract business. Good email practices are crucial in your first contact with a prospective client, and they’re equally important in your follow-up emails.

Put yourself in the recipient’s shoes and try to be as helpful as you can. Put extra thought into organizing the information and transmitting it clearly. The less work the recipient has to do when they open your email, the better. Chances are, they will remember what a pleasure it was to deal with you.

The Subject Line. An effective subject line is clear, detailed and specific. For instance, if you’re emailing someone to schedule an appointment, you might use, “Scheduling a meeting”. Then, you can change the subject line as you solidify your plans (e.g. Confirmed - Mar 9, 2 pm, Starbucks, Yonge & Eglinton).

Handy tip: Your recipient may only be able to see the first 45-80 characters (letters plus spaces) of your subject line, depending on which email program they use. Put the essential information first, use universally accepted abbreviations, and keep it short.

The Point. Be very clear about the purpose of the email. Help your recipient know what response you’re looking for. Conclude your email by stating the action you would like the recipient to take (e.g. “I look forward to hearing back from you with your suggestions”, or, “Please review the available appointment times and let me know your preference”).

Handy tip: If you *are* emailing to schedule an appointment, start by suggesting some times that will work for you. It saves you both one round of emails and gives the recipient a helpful starting point.

The Trim. In most email programs, when you reply to an email the original message appears below your reply. If your email is in direct response to that message, leave it intact. It’s very helpful for the recipient, who may use their original email as a reminder.

Handy tip: People will often reply to a previous email as a quick way of locating someone’s email address. In this case, be sure to trim (delete) all unrelated content from previous emails AND be sure to change the subject line to the new topic.

The Body. Leave some white space in your email. Separate your points into different paragraphs, and ensure that each paragraph is no more than four or five lines long. This will make is easier on the eyes as well as easier to understand.

Handy tip: If you find that you’re making several points in the email, consider sending separate emails with unique subject lines. It will help you both keep track of separate issues.

The Talk Test. Reading your email out loud will accomplish two things. Firstly, you’ll make sure the email “sounds” like you, and fits the relationship you have with this person (not too formal or too casual). Secondly, reading aloud will point out errors in spelling, grammar and typing that you might not notice by proofreading only.

Handy tip: If you’re sending an attachment, double-check that you’ve actually attached the file.

Don’t forget that people often save emails and refer back to them. Others print them out and keep them on file with other information about what you’re working on together. Your email may be around a lot longer than you think, so spend the time to write it well!

Linda Dessau is a writer and coach. Her “You Talk It, I’ll Write It” service puts your great ideas into writing so you can use them to build credibility, relationships, trust and sales. Visit http://www.writeatop10article.com for your FREE Top 10 Article Generator worksheet.