How You Communicate Makes All The Difference

“How you communicate makes all the difference in the world. You can say something one way and get a positive response and say something another way and get a negative response.”
-Creating a Healthy Work Environment, Jameson, 2016.

The above statement may be one of the most profound truisms EVER! It is true at home and at work. It is true with colleagues, co-workers, family and loved ones. In business and in sales, how well you listen and how well you present your proposal can make or break the sale. In a relationship, how you speak to and with another can make or break the date, the day, the results of an “issue”, or the relationship itself.

In the next two blogs, let’s look at both of these situations– work and home, as we contemplate this truism.

Let’s start with work. No matter where you work and no matter what your position in your organization, each exchange you have with a co-worker or with a client (or potential client) can be the difference maker as to whether that person performs well—or buys your product or service.

From answering the phone to one on one interactions with someone, do not underestimate the power you hold in your hands with and for that person.

For co-workers, know that you are a leader of your teammates—no matter what your role. You do not have to be the CEO, the President, the owner, etc., to be a leader. Not at all. Each of you is a leader. You are a leader of yourself, your teammates, and your clients. If you do not do what you are supposed to do in an excellent manner, the next person cannot do what they are supposed to do and so on. People on your team must be able to count on you to do what you are supposed to do in a timely fashion and in the manner that is expected in your organization. The flow of any system will be disrupted if there is one person in the “flow” who does not perform as needed and expected. You are a leader of others and your own reliability has an impact on everyone else.

This includes how you communicate with your teammates. Are you straightforward but courteous? Are you a good listener? Do you listen without judgment? If you have a problem with a co-worker or if you are the “boss” and have a problem with an employee, have you studied how to confront another person from a place of care? The purpose of confrontation is not to hurt someone else. Rather, it is to resolve a problem. There are excellent skills related to this process. However, lashing out, angry outbursts, and hurtful slander do nothing to motivate a person to adjust their performance or do a better job. In fact, just the opposite may happen.

However, I am not suggesting that confrontation when there is a problem going on is not appropriate. Of course it is. However, know that how you address the other person (or division) and how you communicate can lead to resolution or rebellion. The former is a better option.

In relationship to clients, knowing what to say and what not to say is critical to either getting new clients or retaining the ones you already have. And, without question, the key to people saying “yes” to your proposal is how you communicate. Don’t just “wing it”. As a team, practice what to say and what not to say. You can make or break the sale—no matter what your role.

So, once again, do not underestimate the power you have in building your business by communicating well in each and every interaction you have with an existing or future client.

Bottom line? How you communicate makes all the difference!!