With the advent of new technology, has social etiquette gone by the wayside? Has communication convenience come at the expense of good manners?
Good manners are an essential part of business – or they should be at least. Clients and customers notice the small things and they definitely notice rudeness.
Pleasantries are not just verbal either. Most people can relate to the feeling of being put off by a person’s demeanor, whether it’s body language, a look or mannerism.
What can you do to ensure this isn’t you? Psychologist and author Kendra Van Wagner believes one of the reasons manners are often ‘lost in translation’ is due to a lack of positive non-verbal communication.
In a customer service context, this kind of communication breakdown is potentially dangerous and could lead to lost business and damage to your company’s reputation through negative feedback.
The majority of communication that takes place between people is non-verbal – so the old saying ‘it’s not what you say but how you say it’ certainly rings true.
To improve your non-verbal skill set, Kendra recommends the following strategies:
1) Pay attention to non-verbal signals
2) Look for incongruent behaviors
3) Concentrate on your tone of voice when speaking
4) Use good eye contact
5) Use gestures and other non-verbal to make communication more effective and meaningful
6) Consider context
Apart from that, as Red PR’s wise business manager Natalie Pollock would say, being an effective communicator is about listening, reflecting and responding.
Without these strategies, it’s impossible to foster positive and meaningful relationships and customer experiences.
