While everyone has their unique set of priorities and styles for transactions, it is wise for everyone to strategically prepare business communications. The typical people we encounter and remember are:
- Egotistical personalities
- One whose focus is primarily on money
- Extraordinary customer care matters most
Today’s story theme is to answer the question, ‘How do you want others to remember you?’
My Story
I learned to ask many questions in my youth because I never quite understood what most people were thinking. Never a crowd pleaser, I often sat alone reviewing conversations only to recognize one disconnect or more. The act of asking further questions was not to be argumentative but to gain a deeper understanding.
On occasion, my questions set some back on their heels, particularly adults. But no one could argue with my realizing the disconnect or lack of consistency.
The continual reviews of encounters were a perfect training ground for business. I cannot recall an issue with a client in that regard, but I certainly can with management. Inconsistencies were the norm in the corporate sales arena among leadership. An innocent tone of voice enabled me to get away with questioning the varying treatment of employees. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion were unknown. I needed to speak up but with questions to avoid being fired.
Corporate sales and personal encounters, plus the detective television show, Columbo, taught me never to rest until people answered every last question. The famous line from the show was, ‘Just one more question.’ But there was one repetitive line in every episode that was essential for us to prepare for business communications strategically. The one line is,
‘Just the facts….’
Recently, someone attempted to change the details of a personal transaction. The person’s strategy was accusatory to look like they were the only one who knew what they were doing, whereas I did not. But they chose the wrong person. My style is to prepare for business communications strategically. I maintain a backup of everything. Doing so eliminates the need to go to court or the inevitable and petty he said, she said scenario.
All is well that ends well – upon realizing I had a continuing thread of our communications, the person backed off and apologized. Rather than putting the person down, I acknowledged moving on by saying we have all squared away now. A big thank you came my way.
Additional factors that contribute to strategically preparing for business communications are:
- Tracking appointments in a CRM system
- Being punctual
- Honesty above all else
One last note to strategically prepare for business communications is to utilize a backup plan. We all know that sometimes computers give up, electrical storms can kill what is readily available, and documents disappear occasionally. It’s essential today to use a system such as cloud software to protect what we need at the time in question.
Preparation is the key to protecting ourselves against the unnecessary poor word of mouth or litigation.
Your Story: Strategically Prepare Business Communications
It’s always best to focus on building relationships with others but sometimes there is a fork in the road and trouble brewing ahead. That is why it is essential to prepare business communications strategically. The next step is to regularly review whether habitual preparation is still up to date or whether the time is for a newer strategy.
In your quiet time, reflect on recent arguments and troubling situations you may have encountered. Often challenges with others arise due to the lack of clarity in what one wants to convey or people who backtrack on what they initially stated. Technology today simplifies how we may record and revisit prior communications to straighten out the chain of events.
Treating everyone as an equal can work to reduce the tension between you, making people more amenable to finding a better solution. The better approach is to stand your ground firmly, without being argumentative or an act of superiority. It is best to refer to the line above, just the facts, to move forward on a steady footing.
In Conclusion: anger can turn to admiration from the people who see you working to resolve an issue calmly. Above all, from a business standpoint, integrity on both sides is safe, and branding remains positive. It’s always best to work against the win-lose scenario to enjoy a win-win for all parties.
