Do It Right. Say It Right.

The Importance of ‘Message’

Today, I’m not going to talk about words, but I am likely to use a lot of them. I want to talk about ‘Message’ (some people call it ‘Why’). By that, I mean what is conveyed by the actions we take, and the decisions we make. Whether intentional, or not, everything we do conveys a message. How that message is interpreted is vitally important. In fact, it’s bloody important. 

Why is Message important?

Message is the summary of everything you do, don’t do, say, don’t say, write, and don’t write. It’s the process, and end result, of the consideration that goes into every action. It’s the choice between transparency, and opacity. It’s how you present yourself to your customers, and it’s how you wish to be perceived.

By understanding this, and understanding your customers, you can work to make sure that you get your Message right. That you are what you say you are.

Time to think - Customer Experience

You’re a mobile phone network. You know that it’s vitally important to your customers that they stay connected, and they don’t want to have to worry about it. You’ve experienced 2 major network outages in the last 12 months, each affecting at least 10% of your users. Your customers are complaining because connection seems worse in some areas, and they can’t send MMS properly. What do you do?

You’re a well-respected car manufacturer. About 8 years ago a faulty batch of airbags was delivered to your factory, and fitted into 50,000 cars. Cars that have a 3 year warranty. Recent investigation has shown that these airbags may not deploy properly when the car is in an accident, but no-one has been hurt yet. What do you do?

What did they do?

The mobile phone network? It didn’t communicate anywhere near as well as it wanted its customers to. Information through the company was very one-directional, and feedback was nigh impossible to give. Customer service representatives dealt with each case on a case-by-case basis, and the support was incredibly ad-hoc. The company refused to admit fault for the issues customers were experiencing, and blamed the handset. They asked customers to take their handsets to their local store, where the phone would be replaced. Upon arrival at the store, the customer found out that they will be without their phone for a week, and was incredibly unhappy. The company continues to deal with hundreds of daily complaints about coverage, MMS, and other issues. 

The car company? They knew exactly which vehicles these airbags had gone into. They knew the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for each vehicle, and are now taking this information to the right authorities to get the contact details for those affected. They are sending a communication to let these people know about the issue with their car, and to invite them in to have the car fixed, free of charge. There is no legal need for them to do this, the cars are all out of warranty, and they are doing it out of their own pocket. Their customers are happy to take their cars in, get the part replaced with a known-good part, and buy another car from this manufacturer in the future. 

The Difference

Two strikingly different levels of experience, both dictated by decisions and actions within the company, and both giving off a very different message. The car company has processes and feedback built into how they worked, that allowed them to identify issues with cars. By bringing this data and a decision based on what was best for the customer together, they are able to avert a crisis of confidence, and limit any damages. 

The phone company? It didn’t know its arse from its elbow. It shouts to its customers about communication, being connected, and always knowing what’s going on; but it doesn’t practice what it preaches. People are unwilling, or unable, to share what they have learnt; and the company is unwilling to take the actions it needs to find and fix the issue. A simple company communication of “We think there might be an issue with our MMS/coverage, this is what to do…..” would have saved a lot of anger, frustration, and loss of trust. 

But I’m not in sales?

Message is not just about sales. It’s about everything that is seen by people, both internally and externally. It’s about ensuring that what you do, matches with what you say; and what you don’t do, matches with what your aims are. 

If you’re recruiting someone, make sure that every step you take during that process does the best job it can at attracting the best people. Are you going to attract people to your business, if they have no idea who you are, what you do, or what they’re going to be in for. (Amazingly, some companies still outsource recruitment to agents who won’t tell the applicant who it is they’re applying for). 

If you’re developing a website/application, the user experience if your message. How the website behaves, looks, and feels is vitally important. If you know that your audience is likely to see your website on a mobile phone, make sure it looks and works as well as it can on a mobile phone. You’ll be amazed how many websites don’t work well/at all on a mobile phone nowadays. 

If you’re giving a talk/writing an article, does what you’re saying match up with the intent of the piece? Are you arguing against yourself during the whole thing? Stay on message. 

It’s as much about what you don’t, as what you do

When it comes to message, what you don’t do can have a greater impact than what you do, as we saw in the example of the phone network. The lack of ability to feedback issues, and communicate between departments, led to issues that directly affected the customer experience, the message. 

They know why you did it

Sometimes it’s not just what you do, or don’t, that is the message; it’s what people infer from those actions. People identify trends, and understand motives. They aren’t nearly as dim as many people believe them to be. Many will instantly see or infer a motive behind a decision, and they’ll run with it. At that point, you no longer have control. 

What to do?

Know your Message. Keep it clear, and close to heart. Ensure that everyone you work with understands what you’re working to convey. Own your Message, and keep it in mind during every decision, before every action, and in every word. If you don’t know what your Message is, or where it comes from, then watch this video, by Simon Sinek. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4

This post is originally from http://samhutchings.co/2013/04/do-it-right-say-it-right/.