As we have been communicating since birth, you would think it would be easy to get it right. It’s just common sense. The problem with common sense is that it is not that common! Problems tend to arise because emotions, knee jerk reactions, irrational thinking, time, and limiting beliefs tend to get in the way. Most of the problems in the workplace tend to stem from poor communication at some level.

One would think in this technological age, with the ability to communicate in so many ways and at high speed, that we should be able to get the message across. This does not seem to be the case. In fact, it can make it worse. Too much reliance on the written word can lead to misunderstanding, and involve too many people in the issue.

The power of communication has been demonstrated over the years. We can inspire, create change, enlighten; or we can hurt, cause conflict, confuse, bully or demotivate. Do we give enough thought to our everyday conversations at work?

Here are 10 tips to improve verbal communication

1. Treat communication as a game of tennis, not a game of golf. Share the air time. Let the other person have their say and don’t monopolise or interrupt. Give them space to finish what they are saying.

2. Remember you have two ears and one mouth, so use them in that proportion. Listen more than you speak. Listening is a great gift to people. Check your listening skills. There is a big difference between actively listening, when you engage your mind, focus, body, eyes and empathy, and passive listening when you just use your ears ( if you’re lucky!) Stop what you are doing and give the person your full attention. Listen for what is not being said.

3. Be open and honest in what you say. If you are not, your body language may well give you away. Build trust

4. Have something worthwhile to say. Ask yourself, is it kind, is it fair, does it improve on the silence? On the other hand, don’t bottle it up, if something needs saying. Unsaid things can build a brick at a time into a wall between you and the other person in the relationship.

5. Learn to express yourself well. It is not just what you say, but how you say it. Tone of voice can change the meaning entirely. Speak with emotional impact, as the heart has to hear, before the head can listen.

6. Never assume understanding. Take responsibility to ensure understanding both for yourself and the other person. This is where so many issues arise. ‘Oh, I thought you meant……’

7. If you have an issue with someone, speak to the person directly, especially if it is a sensitive issue. Don’t talk to others first or gossip. Avoid emails, text, and involving more than the people directly concerned.

8. Adjust your style of communication to match the other person. This is a great way to build rapport and show respect. It is not about saying it how you like to say it, but saying it how they need to hear it.

9. Choose your response carefully. Think about the outcome you are looking for. Will what you have to say and the way you intend to say it, gain you that response? Avoid the knee jerk reaction. We often live to regret it, and once the words have left our lips, it is impossible to take them back for editing.

10. Get in the right assertive mindset. Be open minded, respectful and non-judgemental. Leave your ‘baggage’ at the door. Aim to reach an outcome that meets mutual needs.

Communication is a wonderful and very powerful tool that can be used to great effect. It takes time and effort, but the rewards are incredible when you do.

How can I notify my existing and potential customers that we have changed the company name from Entrega to Swan, and have expanded our services, so that they get a clear message and at virtually zero cost?

From six tables we got 60 possible solutions (in 8 minutes!!) Well done.

1. Keep a close eye on your customers – watch their response
2. Provide a recipe for success
3. Show as a changing menu – more choices
4. Now ‘Masterchef ‘ of your trade
5. Now providing a balanced meal
6. Adding new ingredients/widen the palate
7. Decide what comes first – chicken or the egg
8. Overcome the fear of doing this
9. You can’t make an omellette withour breaking eggs
10. Keep pecking away at it
11. Have a pecking order of customers you need to notify
12. Send them an Easter egg with the message on – a Swan’s egg
13. Be consistent and get it right
14. You now tick all the boxes
15. On your website – press Swan to go through to new website
16. Be friendly – very chatty – use Facebook or Linkedin – twitter
17. Swan Lake – have a beautifully choreographed message
18. Put yourself in their shoes – what do they want/need to know?
19. Be beautiful – before and after story
20. Pink elephant – ‘no you are not seeing things – we have changed’
21. Send them champagne – celebrate with us (Can get little bubble blowing type for less than £1)
22. Send a flower with message on – ‘Forgotten at Valentine’s? – we don’t forget you’
23. Recognise customers are different – short and long message for existing or potential customers
24. Train them to new concept – regular trips to gym approach
25. Use images of new company either photographs or video
26. Building blocks message – not tell them everything at once
27. Dance the quick step – be light on your feet (message)
28. Partner up with someone to help get message out there
29. Go -go – get out there and just do it
30. Conga – use referrals – pass it down the line – joined up message
31. Bounce message from customer to customer – bounce new message about
32. Bounce ideas off trusted person(s) before sending it out there
33. Bounce it back – get feedback on how your message is being received
34. Email the message and check bounced emails to improve customer database
35. Throw it directly at customers – go outside normal realm
36. Set yourself a time limit/deadline to do this by
37. Have a competition for first (10th/20th/50th) customer to reply
38. Send a round robin – think global
39. You now offer a complete solution – well rounded
40. ‘Don’ t take you eye off the ball of running the business – let us do it’
41. Simple terms and simple for them to implement changes needed
42. Cushion the blow – offer an enticement
43. Invite them for coffee – open office morning – business surgery
44. Sit down and talk to them – send example of your services
45. Use lunch/supper club announcements – network
46. You need to be comfortable with the message
47. Make the change effortless – take the message to them
48. Chatty newsletter
49. Create a Swan song that can’t be ignored
50. Survey – 8/10 owners prefer……
51. Post the message to them – lands on their mat
52. Talk to a PR/marketing person – free advice from Business Link
53. Give your customer positive strokes – how important they are to you
54. Seed the pipeline – clarify all the methods open to you
55. ‘We affect the flow to your business’
56. Have a drip feed campaign
57. Send them a magic trick – message – ‘its no magic we’ve transformed’
58. Send chocolate in shape of Swan
59. Go dressed in swan costume to a network event
60. ‘We are delivering our difference to you’

Margaret has promised to let us know which she has chosen.