Just How Do You Say It?

Ever heard the statement, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never break me?" According to Wikipedia, it appeared in a publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. That statement has gone rounds. So, is it true? Not actually.

Truth is, words can do more than break a person, a business relationship, an international agreement, etc. And that's to say the least.

Of late, I've been thinking and reflecting about words. Words, you see are a powerful tool of communication.

Of course, you know there are other means of communication, but in this post, we shall look at words and their place in Customer Relationship Management.

Words have tremendous power!

With our words, whether written or verbally communicated, they can build or mar just any customer interaction. And this is true for our day to day interpersonal interactions as well as it is for business engagements.

For instance, with words, enduring relationships are entered into, and with words such sadly, could also be broken.
With words, a business deal is struck, and with words too, contracts get terminated.

You see, in the world of customer relationship, what we say are as important as how we say it.

In a customer service training I had with the members of staff of a particular school, one of the participants, a teacher, got up to admit how some parents actually withdrew their wards from the school, just because of what a teacher said and how she said it.

That drove home the point.

Studies actually show that a good number of customers get to switch over to the competition for reasons due to how badly they were spoken to.

You must understand, that your customers are very sensitive to communication, whether verbal or otherwise. And to a great extent, most customer relationships are largely sentimental for the great part.

So, before you say what it is you want to say to that customer standing before you or over the phone, do well to double-check that line, just before you let out. Think first before speaking, and jump over that temptation of 'flying off the handle'.
It can make a whole lot of difference.

I'd like to hear your thoughts.