Despite our best efforts, sometimes business communication gets prickly.

• Our client misinterprets an email
• An online discussion goes beyond heated
• Our product or service falls short of complete satisfaction

It happens. How we respond can make a difference between a cactus sting and a bloom.

When the Written Word Stings

Remember when email was the only platform for misinterpreted messages?

Now, your missiles of malcontent take many forms.

• A truncated tweet
• A LinkedIn lament
• A Facebook faux pas
•  A Google+ goof

Your client’s response knocks you off your feet when they misunderstand your intent – or they totally understand an intent you thought did not show.

Let’s first look at how this happens.

#1 You were in a hurry.

Your mind is somewhere else as you send a quick response before heading out the door. And how often has that backfired?

• A typo delivers a very different meaning
• You forget the attachment or all the items promised
• Your tension seeps into your communication in a terse-sounding message

I wish I could say, here’s the solution for perfect communication, every time. If I could, I’d bottle it and make my fortune selling it.

But, then I’m a realist. Let’s instead try a deep breathing exercise.

• When you’re feeling rushed, acknowledge it
• Take a deep breath
• Write your business communication
• When finished, picture your most embarrassing client moment
• Now read it again

Study the Top 10 Signs You Should Not Hit Send. 

Now read it again.

#2 – You were angry/frustrated/grumpy.

Who hasn’t composed a response when angry? Okay, maybe Mother Teresa never did.

The secret is what you do after you pound that last letter or punctuation mark.

• First, acknowledge your anger, frustration, bad mood
• Pound the heck out of the keyboard
• Let ‘er rip
• Savor it
• Print it for future comfort
• Then delete it

Notice the pattern of acknowledgement. Acknowledge you’re rushed, or tired, or angry. Sounds simple, but too often we ignore the feelings.

Acknowledgement is the first step to Zen.

I just made that up – feel free to use it.

#3 – Someone goads you into a response.

I see this happen far more than it should in LinkedIn Groups or forums. I wonder how long before I see it on Google+. With its ease of “conversation,” I expect I’ll see it soon.

There are various reasons it happens.

• The participants are passionate about the topic
• Some people enjoy pushing buttons
• There is a false sense of privacy

That last point has hurt more than one business professional.

We understand there are millions of people on social media – it just doesn’t feel like it.

I love this definition of professional.

“exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace”

I used that definition before.

I wonder if our workplace has gotten too big to comply. I hope not.

Think about this. Have you witnessed a barrage of nasty words hurled at another reader, yet that reader responds in a calm, professional manner?

Who did you have more respect for – the hurler or the hurlee?

Putting the Bloom Back

Pretend you slept through the first part of this post.

I know – would never happen.

Your business communication is out the cyber door with all its warts. Now what?

• Respond to misunderstandings/complaints quickly and whenever feasible, live
• Pick up the phone and, if possible, follow up with a face-to-face
• Apologize and make amends

Hint: don’t embarrass publicly and apologize privately 

None of us enjoy admitting we made a mistake, but a sincere apology and a professional response puts the bloom back on any prickly situation.

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Idea #7 Cactus

In a recent post, 10 business blog ideas were sitting right in front of my face. I looked at 10 items sitting on my desk and used them for blog post ideas.

To demonstrate that I practice what I preach I decided to do a 10-part series, using each one of the 10 main ideas. This post is #7 in the 10-part series.

The 7th item from my desk was a cactus plant. I’ve always loved the cactus plant, especially when a beautiful flower blooms in the midst of all the prickly leaves – kind of like life.

• How about you?
• How have you handled business communication gone bad?

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Helping you Keep it simple, clear & uniquely yours – contact me for help with your business writing needs.

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