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July 2010
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Communicate with Confidence
How to Say It Right the First Time and Every Time
(McGraw-Hill)
by Dianna Booher |
Persuade People to Do Something Specific
Stanford economist Paul Romer once observed, "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste." Disaster--whether a natural disaster or a personal one--strengthens character. Likewise, emotion is a terrible thing to waste. Emotion drives action.
If you've moved people emotionally with an appeal (a story about an unjust situation, a great need, a wonderful opportunity), don't waste the passion you've stirred in them. Persuade people to do something specific. People need an emotional release or a sense of closure. Give them something specific to do, decide, approve, buy, or create.
A sales rep for a client organization once wrote a two-page email to his executive team, telling them about a sale he'd lost due to his customer's reaction to the company's credit terms and down payment requirement.
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Following company policy, the rep had asked for 30 percent cash up front; the propsective customer had countered with an offer of 20 percent down payment. The sales rep's credit manager refused to approve the deal, resulting in the sales rep's lost sale. After a long recitation of the story, the sales rep ended his email with this recommendation to his own executive team: "We must make it easy for customers to do business with us. We need to wake up to the realities of the marketplace."
As a senior vice president reading that email, what exactly would you have delegated to an individual or committee to review, consider, or investigate? What would "make it easy to do business with us" mean in this situation? To increase your chances to get appropriate action, people need specifics.
Persuade with a plan in mind.
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Send your communication questions to AskDianna@booher.com,
and I'll respond in this newsletter or in my blog, Booher Banter. |
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Upcoming Public Workshops |
| Strategic Writing™ Workshop |
Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas |
September 13-14, 2010 |
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| Presentations That Work® |
Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas |
September 15-16, 2010 |
 or see the complete 2010 Public Workshop Schedule.
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Booher Celebrates 30th Anniversary |
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Our 30th anniversary celebration
continues with 30% off selected products at www.BooherDirect.com.
This Month's Special:
30% off Communication Combo Pack
(Enter 30FOR30 at checkout!) |
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Booher Consultants, Inc.
2051 Hughes Road, Grapevine, Texas 76051
TF: 800.342.6621 | T: 817.318.6000 | F: 817.318.6521
mailroom@booher.com
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Kari Gates, Editor
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Communication Clues & Cues™
Downloadable Video Tips by Dianna Booher
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No time to read a book? Want bite-size nuggets you can use today to improve your communication skills?
Download this series of quick video tips (1-2 minutes each).
(Works with iPod® and other digital media devices.)
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