“What are words for,
When no one listens anymore?”
– M.P., 1982
Words are incredibly important.
We owe it to our clients, our teams
And our strategies
To mean what we say,
And stand behind the words we use.
We can get into habits,
Over or under-emphasizing words,
Or meanings.
Acting skittish around new ideas,
Or not even mentioning them,
So we don’t upset clients,
By suggesting something they might not want.
Even when it’s important.
For example, I read a strategy that stated:
“We believe this service is essential for you,
So we have budgeted a minimal of time for it.”
But wait,
If it’s essential, why only the lowest amount of time?
If you find the service crucial,
And you incorporate it,
Why not put the maximum effort into the service,
Instead of using “essential” and “minimal”?
[Two words not known to play well together]
Why not: “In our experience, this service is so important that not only should you include it,
But our experience says that X amount of time needs to be in the budget for it.”
Followed by a litany of reasons why;
Lessons learned, previous experience,
Confidence.
Remember your strategy is just as much confidence
As expertise.
The client relies on you to provide them the best option
So they can get the best outcome.
So if there’s an opportunity,
A key to success,
An idea to enhance your strategy,
Don’t waffle – use it.
Own what you say
And how you say it,
And your strategies will be better for it.
