Create Your Communications Experience

Great Communicating Thoughts

Great communicating thoughts from Nido Qubein - one of the best communicators out there. This list is in his recent "Executive Briefings," and I thought I would cut it down to just the best - but they ALL have value and give food for thought - so here in it's entirety:

• Competence leads to confidence.
• Don't interrupt, but be interruptible.
• Leave every person feeling better for having talked to you -- they'll be happy to see you next time.
• Say what you mean, precisely what you mean, and only what you mean.
• When you're thinking ahead, you can't hear what's being said.
• Forget your ability to think faster than another person talks -- everybody has it, but only the foolish use it.
• Listen at least twice as much as you talk -- others will hear twice as much of what you say.
• It's our enemies from whom we learn the most.
• Talking when nobody is listening is as futile as trying to cut paper with half a pair of scissors
• If you create tension, you get resistance. If you create trust, you get response.
• Objections are what symptoms are to the medical doctor. They point to a problem that must be dealt with.
• Personal communication is hindered by hasty assumptions.
• Self-centered people tend to monopolize the talking. Secure people tend to monopolize the listening.
• You're wasting your time when you try to answer questions people are not asking.
• A "monologue in duet" happens when I think up what I'm going to say while you're saying what you thought up while I was talking.
• With life-long education, learning becomes a renewable resource.
• Make it a habit to say nice things about yourself, to yourself. You'll find that you like yourself better.
• The key to your success is to be sensitive enough to understand what other people want, and generous enough to help them get it.
• Pay attention to others and they will pay attention to you.
• Be interesting by being interested.
• The genius who can't communicate is intellectually impotent.
• The leader who can't communicate can't create the conditions that motivate.
• The organization that can't communicate can't change, and the corporation that can't change is dead.

21 Days to Change a Habit

Maxwell Maltz said it takes 21 days to change a habit. Boo-ya! ...or right on!

Our communications behavior is made up of literally dozens of habits, which we need to know first (video feedback) and practice to modify, improve or change second (practice, practice, pracice.) Maltz proved it in his self help classic Psychocybernetics.

In over 20 years coaching and consulting, my biggest frustration is clients just don't want to practice. If you don't like to practice either, here's a great post that should help get you over that hump - on a good new blog I found by Bert Webb (it's not just the name.)

Humor Sells

Anything that makes anybody laugh has a high probability of selling.

Comcast is our cable provider, with lousy customer service, seemingly monthly price increases - very unpleasant to deal with. Maybe their internet service is better than DSL, but I wouldn't begin to think of calling them. Until they began connecting with humor.

First there was the commercials about the two turtles who loved 'slow', the Slowsky's:

Actually, there's a new one that I love -
"You put the 'I' into leisurely" and "you put the 'gag' in lolligag."

And then a series of commercials that are creative, funny and relate to their product:

Point is, humor sells. It can change an opinion, change an impression, make you want to connect with someone, and persuade an audience to buy into your message. Everybody loves humor. Use it.

Mark Gungor is so funny, he can say outrageous things and get away with it. (And there's a lot of truth in the things he says!) I had never heard of him until I saw him on a recent cruise, and now I'm raving about him. I've seen all four of his DVDs, and he is unique as a communicator. Powerful. Oh, he's also a humorist. And he sells his ideas!

Greetings!

Everyday we give greetings, and this last few days reminded me how they can add - or subtract in customer communications.

I was in Utah with my wife Dru Scott Decker at the Stein Eriksen Lodge with Speakers Roundtable, an amazing group of people. (More about Speakers Roundtable later.)  Stein Eriksen Lodge provides luxury, free DSL (one thing that makes me WANT to give them positive customer feedback), and great service - with one exception.

Outside the registration lobby all their staff members were very friendly. But it didn't feel good as we walked in and out to get to our lodge several times a day. Each bell man and each baggage handler greeted us with a big smile and  "How are you?" I said to myself, 'Well trained.' And then began realizing it was a bit too much the same and not a plus.

As I discussed it with Dru Scott, who is a researcher and author on customer service (and communications), she explained why. Service providers should always add but rarely require. When the bell person says, Good Morning" or "Good day" he or she adds. But when he says, "How are you?" this requires a response even though a ritual answer. Multiply this by five people at the front door. It's a lot of requests for a response.

Amazing what greetings can communicate and add - when done right. Little things make a big difference in our communications.