After my
usual chaotic start to the morning of herding children out of the door, into
the car and off to nursery or school, I breathe a sigh of relief and turn on the
car radio as I drive into work – one of the only times I have a choice about
what I want to listen to!
One
particular morning, I happened to be listening to a programme about the use of
words. The presenter gave an example of how her friend had changed career –
mid-life – and went from being a lawyer to a mediator. As a prosecutor, the
lawyer would use every word as a bullet to knock down the defendant and prove
beyond all reasonable doubt that the alleged offence was committed. As a
mediator, he would use every word carefully to build bridges between two
parties in conflict with each other, with the aim of finding a way forward.
As a
business owner, this story resonates with me. While we all have access to the
same suite of vocabulary in the English language, the way in which we choose to
use it can have a significant impact on the objectives we are trying to achieve
and how we are perceived by others.
From the way
in which we answer the phone, respond to customer queries, present ourselves at
meetings and networking opportunities, to how we promote our services through traditional,
digital and social media marketing, we build a picture in our customers’ minds
as to the sort of companies we are. More importantly, many will draw from these
experiences and conclude whether we are credible, experienced, reliable and
able to deliver a product or service that meets (and hopefully exceeds) their
expectations.
So if you
are thinking about reaching out and engaging with new and existing customers,
suppliers and, if your company is large enough, employees, think carefully
about the way you use your words, how they will be interpreted and how your
marketing and communications can be used to help deliver your business goals.
If you are
planning a new product launch or you are reviewing your marketing and
communications plan, why not talk it through with us? We offer a free 30 minute
phone consultation to talk through your objectives with one of our senior
marketing and communications specialists. We are a
friendly and approachable bunch. Give us a call to learn more about our team
and what we do. Telephone: 01264
860060 or e-mail us.
Charlotte Welland, Head of Communications, Scirum Ltd
