| |
| |
|
Coaching Information |
|
|
|
After July 8, Pay This Amount
You undoubtedly go through this, too. A few times a month you gather up the bills coming due and write checks or pay them online. As I was doing some bill payments recently, I noticed the tactic one company uses to get its customers to pay by the due date. It was very simple: "If you pay by this date, pay this amount. If you pay after this date, pay this amount." Now, this was a small bill so the penalty for paying beyond the due date was just a matter of a few pennies, but still, I got the point. While other companies might list the late charge in percentage terms, this one wisely adopted the dollars and cents approach. We see here a case in which a company crosses the sometimes critical divide between the abstract and the concrete. Listing a percentage fee shows the penalty in abstract terms. Listing it in dollars and cents shows the penalty in concrete terms. I don't know about you, but I'm certainly more sensitive to the dollars and cents than to a percentage, if I'm late making my payment. How about you: would you feel more motivated to pay on time if it costs $1.17 or if it costs 2.5% per month? As communicators, we should remain alert to the differences between the abstract and the concrete. It's sometimes a subtle difference, but a critical one. Here are a couple of applications of these differences: When you give instructions, try to work on the concrete side of the abstract-concrete continuum. For example, if you ask a subordinate to carry out a task, then provide details and specifics. In many cases, this might be summed up with four of the five Ws: Who, What, Where, and When, as well as How (we'll get the fifth W in a moment). Or, if you're selling, aim to be more concrete than abstract. For example, I've been writing short ads for my book about newsletters. In writing them, I've found that "Communicating for Results" isn't enough by itself -- I need to spell out what those results might be (such as more sales, greater employee retention, and better membership renewal ratios). On the other hand, if you want to provide context, you might find it more productive to move more toward the abstract end of the abstract-concrete continuum. For example, if you're trying to explain a new strategic direction for your organization, you might refer to conceptual issues like positioning and competitive advantage. This, you'll find, is where Why? -- the fifth W -- fits rather nicely. In a sales situation, you may want to get a prospect to envision a new and better future. In that case, too, you would emphasize the abstract, rather than the concrete. For example, if you're selling a retirement fund, you would likely emphasize the idea of spending more time on tropical islands or with family, rather than going into actuarial details. Finally, remember that abstract and concrete represent two ends of a continuum, and you can choose any point between them. About The Author Robert F. Abbott, the author of A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results, writes about business communication issues in the free online ezine, Abbott's Communication Letter http://www.abbottletter.com; abbottr@managersguide.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Coaching - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Trust In The Moment, and Trust In Yourself Do you often get yourself upset and feeling less than fully confident, as part of your preparation for facing a daunting challenge? You can improve your performance if you let your somatic intelligence lead the way."You move too much to be effective. A Live It Real change happens only when it becomes part of our everyday life. When a change becomes a habit, it isn't something new we are trying, but becomes part of what we do as our routine. Is Your Attitude Destroying Your Health? A positive attitude may bring good health and success. If you have ever read any book about success you will discover how an optimistic attitude will keep you healthier and tremendously increase your chances of success. Embracing Excellence Joey rises before dawn to pack his lunch, eager for morning to arrive so he can board the city bus that transports him to his job at a souvenir production facility. From 8:00 a. Eureka! I've Found It! OK, so it wasn't quite that big of a deal. But I did find the "T" that mysteriously escaped from the word "not" in one of my articles a few months ago. Curbing the Public Nuisance (Part 1) He's been around since the dawn of humanity. His profession is even older than the world's oldest profession. Smelling the Roses: Better Living Through Savoring "Stop and smell the roses," people often say. Then they smile ruefully, because everybody knows there isn't enough TIME to stop or, as my daughter says, to "chill. Why Pacing and Leading is for Wimps! Okay, you have read some books on body language and they all said you must mirror and match, pace and lead.. Tips For Singles On Celebrating The New Year It's four weeks away and you don't have any plans. Many of your friends will be away or out with their significant others. Flying in the Slow Lane Dogs distrust hot air balloons. I gathered this tidbit as my husband and I floated over the mountains in a wicker gondola, listening to the barking chorus that followed us even 3,000 feet into the air. Not Blind, Just No Vision Helen Keller once remarked that there was one thing she knew of that was worse than being blind; it was to be able to see but have no vision.In case you do not know the story of Helen Keller, she was less than two years old when she suddenly came down with a fever that left her unconscious. Our Worst Enemy Who do you consider as your worst enemy? The criminals roamingthe dark streets? Your boss who's killing you mentally andemotionally with stress and harsh words? The people in office who are engaging in graft and corruption, instead of helpingthose in need? We have many implications of who our enemies are; but we haveone common foe who is the main cause of our failures andmisfortunes, and we're not even aware of this opponent. You may not want to admit it, but our worst enemy is ourselves. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: How Do You Change the World? Recently, I saw an exhibition of paintings by a very talented artist. He clearly has a social conscience and his depictions of the pain and misery of disenfranchised and minority people are so vivid and real you can't help but feel the pain in viewing the paintings. Things Are Good Because I Say They Are The subject of positive self talk regarding our goals and dreams reminds me of the childhood story, The Velveteen Rabbit. The boy loves the toy so much that a magic fairy comes and turns the toy bunny into a real rabbit. How to Adopt a Losing Attitude We have all heard the expression, "Where your heart is?, your treasure will be also." Allow me to modify this tried and true wisdom, to create an equally valid point: "Where your thoughts are, your hips will be also. Essence of Awakeness Be conscious, aware, and alert. Pay attention. Be A Champion Communicator by Becoming a Chameleon Recently, I worked with a client who was having a problem with some of the women in her organization. The organization had just undergone major changes, which resulted in different reporting relationships for many of the women. How to Slow Your Spinning Mind Have you ever laid in bed trying to fall asleep, but your mind keeps spinning with all the things you need to do? Your thoughts just keep ticking?We wind ourselves up like a motor when we pile on more things than can possibly get done in the time frame have. When we rush to appointments, speed in the car, load up on coffee, smoke on our breaks and make it to places "just in time", it's no wonder some of us can have a hard settling in for the night. Mid Life Crisis, Life Transitions, & Ontological Coaching Recently I have been watching a TV show called Blowout. It is a reality show about a hair designer, Jonathan Antin who struggles to get his Beverly Hills salon up and running. Receiving Thanks and Praise - The View from the Other Side We demand more from those who provide to us and because we are frequently in roles which deliver goods and services ourselves, we are on the receiving end too - of complaints, frustrations and generally poor behaviour.Why is it that when we are on the receiving end, we miss the fact that we ourselves, when we hang up our service-provider-hat at the end of our shift, often end up as 'customers behaving badly' too?Why do we take our own frustrations out on others, the way it has been taken out on us? Why do we sometimes become the Hyde from our normal Jekyll?So, when someone goes the 'extra mile' to say 'Thank you', or appreciate the actions you have taken? What do you take from that and how do you react? You feel good, I guess.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2008 |
