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TABOO TOPICS TO AVOID WITH CLIENTS AND PROSPECTS
In Minnesota, the weather is a popular topic of
discussion. That's because our dynamic weather
usually provides good fodder; but also because it is
one of the few safe things to talk about to avoid
offending customers and prospects.
Important for marketing/sales pros
This is particularly important for sales and marketing
professionals, who must communicate often with
customers and prospects and avoid "taboo topics"
that could cause the loss of current and future
business. This is critical as the Twin Cities becomes
more and more culturally diverse.
What topics are taboo
I recently asked
several
of my marketing and sales
colleagues in the Twin Cities what topics they
considered taboo when talking to customers and
prospects and here is what I learned.
Familiarity with client key
"Taboo
subjects depend on how well I know a client. A good
rule is to stay away from anything that could negatively
affect your business," advises a local sales consultant.
Don't talk about other clients
The owner of a local communications firm says she
avoids conversations about work when she is
meeting with other clients. "Clients only want to know
that I'm hard at work for them," she says. "This lets
them know that they're important and I'm not too busy
to do a great job for them."
Don't talk too personally
When it comes to religion or politics, a local printing
sales representative believes you have to tread lightly
and not talk too
personally and passionately.
Be aware of body language
"Watch people's facial expressions and body
language to determine if the conversation is out of
their comfort zone," she recommends.
A local marketing strategist agrees. "Sometimes you
can offend people without knowing, so you have to be
aware of their reaction and body language.
Avoid marital, health, financial problems
"In that situation, the best thing to do is to say
'I'm sorry, I was off-topic' and continue on," she
advises. "I
also avoid talking about marital, health or financial
problems. Personal finance problems are totally
taboo because anything to do with money problems
scares off clients," she observes.
Weather usually safe topic
And, when in
doubt, remember that you can always
talk about the weather!
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Welcome to the November 2007 issue of BKM
Consulting Insights Newsletter! This month I focus
on tips for communicating effectively with clients and
prospects, whether via email, in-person, or through
hand-written notes.
Articles include taboo topics to avoid with
clients and prospects, writing effective e-mail
messages, and why hand-written note cards are still
popular in today's "wired world".
As always, I hope you find the articles interesting,
useful, and most of all insightful!
Sincerely,
Barbara K. Mednick
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| WRITING EFFECTIVE E-MAIL MESSAGES |
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Before the electronic age, business writing used to
mean interoffice memos, letters and reports. These
days, however, business writing often means e-mail.
Research shows that e-mail messages often get
shown to more than one person, so good writing is
important. Every e-mail you send reflects upon your
credibility and professionalism.
Information overload
While e-mail is a wonderful business
communications tool, it also presents several
challenges. "Information overload" resulting from too
many e-mails is a growing problem.
Miscommunication can easily happen
Another is the fact that with e-mail, all you have is
your words; meaning that you can't clarify using tone of
voice, gestures, and body language like you can via
phone or in person. That's why poorly written e-mail
messages can sometimes result in
misunderstandings, which can negatively affect
productivity and communication between bosses, co-
workers and customers.
Common writing challenges
Verbose, rambling, and poorly organized e-mails with
typos, grammar and spelling errors are also a
challenge in today's workplace. In the e-mail and
business writing training sessions that I conduct, the
most common writing problems noted by participants
are:
- Wordiness
- Abstraction and jargon
- Unclear, muddled writing
- Repetition
- Poor organization
Legal challenges
Not only can e-mail that is poorly constructed and
riddled with errors and jargon turn off customers and
coworkers, it can also pose legal challenges. The
results of a survey by the American Management
Association and The ePolicy Institute revealed that
one in five companies had e-mail messages
subpoenaed in the course of a lawsuit or a regulatory
investigation. Another 13 percent had battled lawsuits
triggered by e-mail.
E-mail writing training
If your company or organization would like to improve
the e-mail writing skills of your employees and
managers, I'd love the opportunity to conduct a half-
day, e-mail writing training session for you!
Contact Barbara Mednick at 651-486-7007 or
bmednick@bkmconsulting.com.
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| BENEFITS OF HANDWRITTEN NOTES VS. E-MAIL |
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According to the Greeting Card Association, nine out
of 10 Americans say they look forward to receiving
personal letters and greeting cards because cards
allow them to keep in touch with friends and family
and make them feel important to someone else.
Hand-written cards still popular
Although
e-mail, text messaging and phone calls are valued by
Americans for helping them communicate with family
and friends, the majority of Americans say they prefer
the old-fashioned handwritten card or letter to make
someone feel truly special!
Build and maintain relationships
Communicating personally through a hand-written
thank you note also can help to build and maintain
business relationships. This is particularly important
in today's "high-tech, high-touch" world.
Make an impact
While they may seem old-fashioned, these days hand-
written notes are different and they really make an
impact!
Barbara's Brushworks note cards
That's why I created a line of note cards called
Barbara's Brushworks with fresh, original
designs inspired by nature.
No stencils or stamps
Each design is skillfully created with a brush and my
imagination - not a stencil or a stamp. You can view
the various card designs I've created at Brushworks Cards
These note cards are perfect for sending to clients,
prospects, colleagues, friends, and family. They also
make great gifts and you won't find them at Target!
Please contact me if you would like to order some
Barbara's Brushworks note cards at 651-486-
7007 or bmednick@bkmconsulting.com.
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| QUOTE OF THE MONTH |
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"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but
in rising every time we fall."
-- Nelson Mandela
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| ABOUT BKM CONSULTING INC. |
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BKM Consulting, Inc. provides the strategic thinking,
compelling copy and creative solutions to position you
for success. Services include strategic public
relations, marketing communications and
communications training services. BKM Consulting,
Inc. provides services to a variety of clients, with a
specialty in serving colleges, universities and
education-related organizations.
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