Yesterday, I had a very strong lesson in the power of the written word and the impact that it can have in determining the success/failure of a business proposition.
I was doing some work for a client on a tender response. During the engagement, numerous emails were going backwards and forwards to gain clarifications on certain aspects of the tender.
As can sometimes happen, the emails started to become a little less structured as both parties feel that they “know” the person at the other end simply through this communications channel. “Dear” becomes “Hello” which becomes “Hi”. Punctuation and the language used can become less constrained and it becomes, in effect, a casual written engagement.
During one of these email sessions I created a response to a question, re-read the message and sent it off. I received a most direct and unexpected reply questioning the motivation for the response that I had made and the seriousness under which the tender process was being taken.
Alarmed, embarrassed and not a little distressed I re-read the message again and still could not see where the problem was. ThenI reviewed the email to which I had been responding one more time. And there is was. The query and comment that could have been read a multiple of ways. I took it to mean one thing, the writer had taken it to mean something completely different. I could now immediately see what had annoyed them.
I was lucky. A quick phone-call to explain the context and thankfully the person in question saw where the mis-interpretation had come from and we agreed to move on and put it behind us. It could have been so very different.
Lessons learnt?
- If it is an important business based context where a lot rides on the responses, keep the emails formal even if the other party becomes more relaxed. They are the customer, they can do what they want!
- Get someone else to read the written information in case of mis-understandings.
- Triple check each response to make sure that it is not inaccurate or misleading.
Have you had any close calls with your written or verbal communications? What did you do? What did you learn?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Barney Austen, JoeGarde. JoeGarde said: RT: @Accurate communication, a bit of a lesson. http://cot.ag/cbhTM0 << I'm sure it happens all the time – specially when folks get tired [...]
The formality (or otherwise) of your e-mail communication depends very much on the relationship you have / want to foster with your customers.
For example, when I'm dealing with customers with my wedding invitation hat on, I tend to be less formal, more “chatty” and personable… because that's what resonates with the customer. In my dealings with business customers as a freelance commercial writer the communication tends to be more formal and structured… but that very much depends on the situation. It's still a good idea to inject a bit of personality into your writing.
Bottom line: people like dealing with other people, not faceless organisations.
The nuances of language can be tricky, especially with e-mail but it's still important to let a bit of yourself shine through in your business communications.
Thanks for the comments and for reading. Agree 100% on the bottom line that you have as well. The point you make about letting “yourself” shine through in business comms is excellent. I do this – but in this instance became to relaxed. Reading boring interactions does not help either. It's about making sure you get the balance right.
Cheers,
Barney