Internal Communications

Workshop for HMFIDate: 17 July, 2015

Trainer: Brian Pereira

Agenda• How and why we communicate; comm. process.

• Do animals communicate? What can we learn?

• Why is it important to communicate well?

• Types of communication.

• Communication tips, etiquette.

• Handling negativity, disgruntled customers.

• Communication channels (email, SMS, calls)

What, why, how…

• Communication (from Latin commūnicāre, meaning "to share" [1]) is the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behavior.

• It is the meaningful exchange of information between two or more living creatures.

• Source: Wikipedia

Do animals communicate?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_formation

Case Study

• Air Traffic Control (ATC) communicating with Pilot

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oq_xEkLRLQ

What happens if you don’t communicate?• Assumption (suppose to be the case, without proof.)

• Presumption (suppose that something is the case on the basis of probability.)

• Duplication of efforts• Working in isolation (not a team player – “me” person or “we” person?)

• Disruption in workflow, process• Loss of time, money, reputation• Efficiency is affected• Accidents, failure, disaster (in mission critical operations)

Why is it important to communicate well?

• Organizations and business are built on People

• Communications is the Glue that binds the organization together

• If people don’t communicate and engage, the organization falls apart

• If we can’t communicate internally, how will we communicate with

customers, partners (externally)?

People + Communications = Organization & Business

Companies that communicate effectively are more likely to report high

levels of employee engagement versus firms that communicate less

effectively.

Types of Communication

The written & spoken word; thought

• Spoken: Pronunciation, fluency of language, choice of words, voice modulation.•

VISUAL: hand gestures, body language, handshake, eye contact, facial expressions, appearance, dress etc – this is collectively the VISUAL element.

• Written: Vocabulary, sentence structure, writing style, how well you articulate, the completeness of the information. Brevity and clarity of the message.

• Thought: Recollection of incidents, experiences from memory. What you read, observe, interactions with people.

Before you communicate…

• Objective or Goal of the communication?

• Who are you going to communicate with? (individual, group;

rank/level)

• What do you want to communicate? Expected outcomes.

• What approach will you use (channels)?

• Timebound, sense of urgency.

Before you speak or write…

• Know exactly what you want to say.

• Listen, research, gather information, group discussion.

• Think of all the possible reactions that the audience might have, and prepare for

that.

• What is the audience profile or industry?

• Formulate your thoughts and ideas.

• Write scripts (consistency) – edit reedit scripts.

Communication Tips

1. Think before you speak. Collect thoughts.

2. Be acquainted with your message.

3. Avoid lengthy explanations.

4. Get to the point quickly (easier for the listener to remember what you said).

5. Know the results you want from your dialogues.

6. Have some knowledge about the person you are speaking to.

7. Persuade the other person to accept your point of view.

8. Proper planning in advance (research).

Communication Etiquette

• Respect (Salutation), empathy• Tone – cheerful, polite, positive, greeting• Smile (talking on phone)• Inform – imagine what the recipient needs in terms of info –

anticipate questions• Brevity, concise• Articulate, clarity• Call to action (next steps, leave message, contact info)

Be sure to…

• Acknowledge• Encourage• Support• Thank• Contribute• Follow-up• Share• Loop in those who should be involved

Handling negativity, disgruntled customer

• Expect conflict, negativity and prepare for it in advance• Use facts – not emotions – keep cool• Don’t be impulsive in responding• Be cordial, polite, yet firm• Be empathetic, but stay with the reality• Be impartial (take the customers side)• Show that you understand - acknowledge what the

customer is saying (Call center example)• Resolution: Provide solutions – not excuses

Communication Channels

• E-mail• Phone calls• SMS

• Phone Apps, Whatapp, Viber, Line, WeChat etc• Social Media (Twitter DM, LinkedIn Inmail, FB messanger• Video conferencing

Email Drafting

Email

• When to use email (purpose)• More details, info, on-record

• What time is best to send email?• People open their mail at different times of the day• Tuesday – Thursday• Two slots: 10:00 – 12:00 ; 2:00 – 4:00

• What does the recipient look at? • From, subject line, auto preview, reading pane)• 3 second comprehension

Email

• How recipients see mail:

1. From2. Subject line + Auto Preview3. Read the first para (Reading pane or click to open)4. Skim through rest of mail5. Eye notices emphasized text (bold, highlighted)6. Visuals and graphics

Email: Design & Content

• Subject lines should be impactful, catchy• Balance of text, images and white space• Avoid embedded JPG images with text • Use plain text or HTML (links)• Brevity, clarity, informative• Tracking code - URL link embedded in mail• Social media links• Include links to information• Opt-out and Opt-in

Email: Best Practices• Delivery and Read receipt confirmations (use link

tracker instead)• Do not use Mail merge from your desktop – use a

reputed ESP service (Mail Chimp, Epsilon etc)• Sender name must be authoritative / use a senior’s ID

or alias/company ID• Allow the recipient to reply – do not use “Do not

reply” or “no-reply” in the from field• Opt-out and Opt-in

Email: Best Practices• People receive lots of email so follow up with a call

the next day• Be consistent with the email communication, over a

long term (don’t lose touch)• Anticipate questions and provide answers/info in your

email• Include all relevant details: Date & time of event,

venue, fees, website, your contact • CTA, Register here (link), call us (no.), download

whitepaper (link)

Phone calls

Phone calls

• Email – next day follow-up call• Call at the right time• If you know the person, use your mobile (screening)• Keep it brief and informative• Show that you care about his time: Is this the right time? Can I call

later? Can I have 5 minutes?• Script

SMS, mobile apps

• Should be used for reminders – third level of contact• On the day of the event – “gentle reminder”• Keep the tone of the message friendly• Don’t spam• What’s App and other apps (tech savvy)• What’s App – can attach a small graphic or document

with details

Thank you!