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You get a text from a friend. She sounds angry.
An email comes in from a client. The tone is one of disappointment.
While you might think you understand the tone in both cases, you could just as easily be dead wrong. And if you respond with an incorrect read in mind, you could make matters much, much worse.
So, before you reply, confirm. This advice holds true for friendships, clients, and especially spouses. Without the benefit of sound, it is easy to misread tone and intention. Subsequently, you could end up having to explain your own easily misread-able response.
The basic rule of thumb is to completely disregard any interpretation on your part. Pick up the phone and clarify if you can. That’s a more direct approach. If you can’t, do not reply using your assumption as a tag along.
The written word is far more powerful than the spoken word. But in that power is a lot of room for error.
You read me?
Even AI can have an attitude. The Sales Vault can teach you how to create content, build a brand, and drive more sales, with AND without the help of AI. Go to SalesVault.pro or call Bill Farquharson at 781-934-7036.
Bill Farquharson is a respected industry expert and highly sought after speaker known for his energetic and entertaining presentations. Bill engages his audiences with wit and wisdom earned as a 40-year print sales veteran while teaching new ideas for solving classic sales challenges. Email him at bill@salesvault.pro or call (781) 934-7036. Bill’s two books, The 25 Best Print Sales Tips Ever and Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing…and How? as well as information on his new subscription-based website, The Sales Vault, are available at salesvault.pro.