The Write Response™

Writing to build trust and therefore stronger relationships with your customer can be learnt. Yet the three ways we can all do this, are what my participants struggle with the most. 

1. Striking the Right Tone

2. Showing Empathy

3. Structuring content with FOCUS

Striking the Right Tone

Training writing workshops the striking realisation is that so many of us confuse old-fashioned non-customer friendly formal language, with being professional. When in truth most people prefer friendly, conversational letters that sound like they are coming from real people. In both Singapore and Malaysia I notice that people love using antiquated words like accede, perusal, herewith, forthwith (amongst many others) – which distance ourselves from our readers – who often are our customers. People do not speak like that anymore, and today with our presentations as well as with our writing – keep language simple and real. So keeping it real means writing as we would when speaking, and saying what you mean. Worried it may not sound professional? Well, let’s just try this. Let’s say someone uses “Herewith, please find attached, contract for your perusal. Kindly revert as soon as possible”. Instead, they say “Please find the contract attached here. Kindly look through it and get back to me at your earliest convenience”. Friendlier and no less professional.

Showing Empathy

The art of showing empathy in writing is what many struggle with too. The focus in ensuring accuracy and compliance and to a certain extent, efficiency, has resulted in organisations coming up with “templates” which are power-packed with detail and facts. Useful when needing to be accurate on steps to take and explanation of systems and processes, for sure. Unfortunately, it’s not a case of “one size fits all”. Context and the nuanced needs of individuals are often ignored and the reader gets too much or too little information. Overloading on the policies that govern and the processes that are in place, sometimes make people feel they are being talked down to. This breaks trust. To truly connect we need both facts and feelings paid attention to. People want to be heard and feel that what they have said has resonated. That whoever is “reading my letter cares enough to know that, what I am writing about, is very important to me”, as shared by a friend of mine. I love what Brené Brown Researcher, Author and TedTalk speaker says about empathy. That it is about perspective taking, staying out of judgement, recognising the emotion and reflecting that back to the other. And you may ask, can you do this in writing? Absolutely. Following the same principles of identifying emotion and the issue, you can create empathetic statements. For example, “I appreciate your letter explaining your frustration at missing the deadline” or “I know it must be upsetting to suddenly find that you are not eligible for the card”  – you have identified the EMOTION and ISSUE and expressed it in writing.

Structuring Content with FOCUS

Clarity of message requires structure. And even more so when writing. And when responding to challenging emails it is a lot more than just ensuring you have an Opening, Body and Close. Very often when people feel challenged they may write in a way that is not always clear and with multiple needs being expressed – explicitly and implicitly.

When responding the focus should be in identifying what these are – and yes, this takes time. Once identified, address each in a flow that is logical and easy for the reader to digest. Often with challenging emails, there is a main issue and sub-issues. Not noticing and addressing all of them in your response, may result in a back-and-forth situation that is a waste of time and energy for both parties. The paradox of time – spend time to save time – is what we need to remind ourselves of. So, pause and read and re-read the mail. Identify both the explicit and implicit needs of the writer then prioritise the order in which you will address them. 

When you put all three together your emails will not only be well received – they will stand out. More importantly, when someone receives a response that has all their concerns addressed, they will feel that it’s coming from someone that cares about what they want and need. Your response will have communicated that you are someone with an understanding of their “pain points” and you are willing to take the time and effort to compose a response that is unique to them.

The Write Response can help you, your people and your organisation change the way you communicate via emails, to win people and create loyal customers that want to continue doing business with you. Even when you have to say “no” and when things have gone wrong.

2. Showing Empathy

3. Structuring content with FOCUS

Striking the Right Tone

Training writing workshops the striking realisation is that so many of us confuse old-fashioned non-customer friendly formal language, with being professional. When in truth most people prefer friendly, conversational letters that sound like they are coming from real people. In both Singapore and Malaysia I notice that people love using antiquated words like accede, perusal, herewith, forthwith (amongst many others) – which distance ourselves from our readers – who often are our customers. People do not speak like that anymore, and today with our presentations as well as with our writing – keep language simple and real. So keeping it real means writing as we would when speaking, and saying what you mean. Worried it may not sound professional? Well, let’s just try this. Let’s say someone uses “Herewith, please find attached, contract for your perusal. Kindly revert as soon as possible”. Instead, they say “Please find the contract attached here. Kindly look through it and get back to me at your earliest convenience”. Friendlier and no less professional.

Showing Empathy

The art of showing empathy in writing is what many struggle with too. The focus in ensuring accuracy and compliance and to a certain extent, efficiency, has resulted in organisations coming up with “templates” which are power-packed with detail and facts. Useful when needing to be accurate on steps to take and explanation of systems and processes, for sure. Unfortunately, it’s not a case of “one size fits all”. Context and the nuanced needs of individuals are often ignored and the reader gets too much or too little information. Overloading on the policies that govern and the processes that are in place, sometimes make people feel they are being talked down to. This breaks trust. To truly connect we need both facts and feelings paid attention to. People want to be heard and feel that what they have said has resonated. That whoever is “reading my letter cares enough to know that, what I am writing about, is very important to me”, as shared by a friend of mine. I love what Brené Brown Researcher, Author and TedTalk speaker says about empathy. That it is about perspective taking, staying out of judgement, recognising the emotion and reflecting that back to the other. And you may ask, can you do this in writing? Absolutely. Following the same principles of identifying emotion and the issue, you can create empathetic statements. For example, “I appreciate your letter explaining your frustration at missing the deadline” or “I know it must be upsetting to suddenly find that you are not eligible for the card”  – you have identified the EMOTION and ISSUE and expressed it in writing.

Structuring Content with FOCUS

Clarity of message requires structure. And even more so when writing. And when responding to challenging emails it is a lot more than just ensuring you have an Opening, Body and Close. Very often when people feel challenged they may write in a way that is not always clear and with multiple needs being expressed – explicitly and implicitly.

When responding the focus should be in identifying what these are – and yes, this takes time. Once identified, address each in a flow that is logical and easy for the reader to digest. Often with challenging emails, there is a main issue and sub-issues. Not noticing and addressing all of them in your response, may result in a back-and-forth situation that is a waste of time and energy for both parties. The paradox of time – spend time to save time – is what we need to remind ourselves of. So, pause and read and re-read the mail. Identify both the explicit and implicit needs of the writer then prioritise the order in which you will address them. 

When you put all three together your emails will not only be well received – they will stand out. More importantly, when someone receives a response that has all their concerns addressed, they will feel that it’s coming from someone that cares about what they want and need. Your response will have communicated that you are someone with an understanding of their “pain points” and you are willing to take the time and effort to compose a response that is unique to them.

The Write Response can help you, your people and your organisation change the way you communicate via emails, to win people and create loyal customers that want to continue doing business with you. Even when you have to say “no” and when things have gone wrong.