To correct or not to correct that is the question? You’re locked in long deep conversation with people you’ve just met and suddenly that little monster of a tongue flops out words that totally didn’t match what you were thinking…instantly you feel embarrassed while tossing the entire evening into the lame brain bucket.
Is there something you could’ve done to keep your newly discovered friendship from being dipped into a sack of left over Sour Patch Kids?
Always remember, the last thing you say is often the first thing remembered. Reinforce what you share by correcting it. Those locked into your conversation will see it as nothing more than you emphasizing a point.
Being a daily writer who’s always in hot pursuit of better words to share, I’m constantly finding myself shoved through a pile of corrections. My good friend Maggie once wrote, “I’m a graduate from a seriously successful university and the way you present your thoughts takes from the human language rather than inspires me to want to read more. I understand your ambitions to be unique but in doing so you continuously create a wall pushing possible fans of your writing away.”
Nice! Finally the reason why Dr. Ronald Mack gifted me with his personal edition of the book On Writing Well…from page one it swiftly explains how this current generation finds no interest in preserving better ways to speak…especially in person. We hear Oprah cough up a couple of cool syllables and off we run to a new set of ears. Don’t get angry while being corrected, at least you’re trying.
Bailiff! Please send in the next case!
Your boss reprimands you via email…the most natural way to react? Instantly send it to a close friend. One problem, rather than hitting forward the mouse reached out and grabbed reply. Guess whose reading the inside news and reviews? What can you do?
Anne Marie Sabbath who authored One Minute Manners leaps out with her bright red super hero’s costume on and says, “Back away from those workday blues!” Waste no time apologizing. Admit your lack of professionalism and move forward. Beginning at this very moment revert all shapes of emotion to the infamous Brady Bunch Rule: Count to ten before reacting. Make that ten in dog years. If you can’t keep it locked up inside please do all you can to wait twenty four hours.
We can build an international space station and telescopes that scrape heaven, create handheld machines that digitally save hours and hours of our favorite pictures, music and television shows and can fight wars from select secret hideouts hundreds of miles from impact but science still hasn’t crafted a device that pulls back an email gone wrong. Until that day…watch everything you write and say!
Next!
In some countries when two parties meet they bow, hug and kiss the left and right cheek. In America business men and women reach out with their dirty sloppy disease filled fingerprints and exclaim, “Wow it’s great to finally get to know you! Here! Have a business card!”
Oh oh…you don’t have one to give back. You can’t instantly cover your mouth and cough. Forget about landing an incredible fist punch! You’re busted!
Not according to Anne Marie…you’ve got twenty four to forty eight hours to enhance a bigger impact by sending a snail mailed letter to their place of business…not only does it feature an incredible cover letter but it features that infamous business card. Business cards were created to enforce a constant connection. By sending a note with the card attached you’ve one upped the relationship by showcasing professionalism and compassion. It shows the person you met that you truly do want to keep your conversations open and moving forward.
Until recently, I being part of the broadcast world felt no need to slam a business card down on a desk top. For someone who talks on the radio everyday it felt like I was saying, “By the way…do you know who I am?” Whatever…as my wife once said to me, “I know people more famous than you…don’t ever walk that path during this game we play.”
What changed my mind had nothing to do with me but everything to do with clients. If I believe in their product it strengthens our relationship when future clients are sent to them. It means a lot to a client when they share a writing instrument with you with their name plastered all over it and the next time they return they see you’re using it. To them, its money well spent. Just yesterday I called a client who recently retired, my goal was to see how he was doing, to share a joke and talk about the future. “How did you get my number,” he quickly asked? His business card also featured his cell phone number. He was truly filled with smiles and large laughs.
As freaky weird as it may sound…clients love to be treated like everyday people. Thanks to business cards, a constant connection can be made via the ambition to constantly maintain great connections.
Every financial magazine on earth brags of one solid shape that’s going to lead America back to its feet…relationship. Be the first to pick up that card and make the call, “Hey Hank…how have you been?”
Growing up in Montana and Wyoming on the rolling hills of farm land and the animals that keep it mowed…the one thing I never fell witness to was a neighbor saying no to branding the herds in the spring while bailing and stacking hay all summer long. They work as a unit to maintain their personal endeavors. None of it would take place if the name on the other line was bigger than the one always ready to lend a helping hand.
Steal their art…
arroecollins@clearchannel.com
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