So last night I took my boy to emergency. (He’s fine.)

And while many friends have had terrible experiences at that hospital, mine was awesome.

It reminded me of how you can begin to build messaging in your business that is principled and effective, so here are my thoughts.

Please lift from this what you will, and ask me questions if you have any.

Ok, here we go.

1. Efficiency + Kindness makes kindness go further.
The triage nurse was effective, efficient and clear. He was also kind, not just to me but Master Bezrington. He even pointed and counted windows so I was left in no doubt where to move to next; helpful at night when worried!

But it wasn’t just this guy who was like it. Everyone was: The registration desk, the nursing team and the paediatrician, too. From asking how to pronounce Beren’s name, to blowing bubbles to make him happy (while testing his hydration levels).

2. Discover where you are before you offer a map.
It sounds like a simple thing, to ask some questions before plunging onwards. But it isn’t. I recently dealt with a real estate agent who ran entirely on assumption, a road which ended in a brick wall (unexpectedly for him, how silly!). At the hospital, questions were asked about even the most apparently minor things, which enabled me to be clear about my consent.

It also made me feel safe! More questions = more trust. Try it out if you don’t believe me.

3. Listen, and accept, and think.
“Listening” in my case was actually listening. But in your case it might be reading and digesting.

Being able to “listen” to what your customers tell you, to accept what they tell you, and then to respond after thinking, is a super power. Especially when dealing with people via email or help tickets. And especially when text is your default.

In our case, everything I said, or asked, was listened to, accepted (even if it wasn’t their jam), thought about. Subsequent comments then didn’t go over old ground, because what I said wasaccepted.

Failure to accept a position results in unhelpful circularity. Think of the last time you called a company that had a protocol and a script!

4. Leave great notes.
Every time you deal with someone, it’s an opportunity to create great documentation. Notes are a goldmine for you in future (from a business development perspective), but they also help your clientele.

Bonus points if you give clients copies!

Not only did the paediatrician go over and explain her notes to us (even apologizing about some inclusions), but she furnished us with a copy and allowed me to ask questions, raise concerns, etc. Imagine the trust points you’d gain with your clients if you did this wherever it was possible.

Some companies (very few) do this for their clients. Others provide copies (a great example is a chat transcript provided by email). Do you?

What makes this about messaging, not individual personality? Consistency.

When everyone does everything the same way, every time, it becomes the message of your business. It shifts the experience away from personalities and accidental happiness, and into culture.

Culture is something you create with every interaction.

In case you missed them, the principles in the above were:

• Be kind
• Be clear
• Be effective
• Respond only after thinking
• Always listen
• Accept what you’re told
• Never go over old ground
• Be transparent and explanatory
• Docs or it didn’t happen.

What’s in your moral code?

Leticia “morality is bigger than God” Mooney

PS. Letting others talk about their experiences is mega powerful, so grab the opportunity to get your 2nd and subsequent case studies for 25% off until the end of the financial year. Go to https://brutalpixie.com/case-studies