Customizing your communication to match the way othe
rs like to hear from you will manage your perception, get your remote communication heard or read, and ultimately dramatically increase your persuasive efforts. Here’s how you can do it.
So often we make assumptions about what people need or want from us. Equally often, we’re wrong! We tend to look at what we want, not what they want from us. This is particularly true in terms of remote communication best practices.
When doing our leadership communication surveys, we continually hear about a disconnect between what people think they should do with their electronic communication and what people experience from them. In other words, they may be trying to be thorough and clear, but their audience sees the length of the message and never even reads it or listens to it!
So here’s a radical concept – try asking people about what they have experienced in remote communication in terms of what is preferable for them. Ask them what they’d like to see from you in the future in terms of the electronic communication approach they desire. You can do this with colleagues above, below or across from you.
Here are seven excellent questions you can ask your centers of influence to figure this out and be seen as a better remote communicator:
- What have been your biggest struggles with electronic communication in the past?
- What communication forms are most preferable for you? i.e., scheduled calls; impromptu voice mail messages and electronic messages; email or text?
- How much detail do you like to receive electronically?
- What are the best times to reach you?
- How often do you want to hear from me?
- When are your busiest times during the week?
- Could you send me a sample of an electronic communication you liked and tell me why you liked it so I can give you what you want?
These simple tips will help you manage your perception, get your remote communication heard (or read) and ultimately, dramatically increase your persuasive efforts.
