We have all dealt with the agent, friend, neighbor who begins every sentence on a negative note....and we then become conditioned in our response...noses wrinkle,....ears want to close....eyebrows raise...muscles tense...the "Now what this time..." natural reaction.
What if instead of starting the sentence...voice mail...e-mail ...with a problem... negative....it began with a cooperative tone...an upbeat tempo....a communication that has a far better chance of better reception by the receiver.
Let's try replacing "We have a problem...." (and the natural...oh joy...NOW what reaction) with
-Did you notice that....-Would you mind if....-Do you think we could...-I was thinking another approach might be....You know sometimes I forget to....
The beginning is everything....first impressions...lasting impressions and immediate reactions...we are all human...and some thought on Hello...may mean a better reaction/reception from the receiving party....and ultimately cooperation....and isn't that what this business, relationships, etc. are all about ?
Sally K. & David L. Hanson, ABR, CDPE, CSS, e-Pro,ILHM, REDS
Just a few words can make such a difference! Good advice, I'll be noticing how I start my conversations!
So true Sally and David.........a positive approach works much better in every case...........how about responses too? People need to be more aware of those.........one particularly that I don't like is "no problem"...............to me, that says it potentially "could have been" a problem.
The beginning can often dictate "the end"....tuning out instead of in..
One of the first things I learned in colloquial Spanish was how to politely ask a question or favor.
Good thought Jay...they should teach that here in English 101 ! Have a wonderful weekend !
Terrific post/points ! I have this "TOXIC" Friend, not really a friend anymore, for that reason !TGIF!
Perfect. And, I found out that if you phrase sentences according to type...Visual, Auditory, Touch, etc., you can get even better responses. Thanks for yet another great post.
excellent points ladies...txic...yuck...targeted and positive...ahhhh !
Sally & David ~ I love your positive attitude -- it's contagious! You are so right about starting out on a good note, rather than a negative one. It's all in how it's presented, isn't it? We might as well be happy -- it sure feels a lot better than being miserable. Thanks for a great post!