One of the keys to Achieving Superior Service and building a service culture is leveraging the building block of “Service Communication”.
Uplifting service providers seek to make each perception point a positive experience for customers, clients and colleagues. Many of these points involve communications: what prospects, customers, colleagues, and partners experience as a result of what has been heard, read, or said.
How your words and images shape the perception someone has of you, or your business, is tremendously important. In fact, as claimed by Peter Drucker, “60% of all business problems result from faulty communication.” How wonderful would it be if you to avoid or minimize 60% your business problems! One way to do this is to make sure your communications are clear, effective and memorable.
Creating positive, memorable communications can be easy. A model called the 4Cs of Truth in Communication stands for Comprehension, Connection, Credibility and Contagiousness. This was used widely in the advertising industry where I spent many years before joining Uplifting Service. I believe this model has incredible value for anyone striving to improve service performance or to differentiate based on a culture of superior service.
The First C: Comprehension
Does your audience easily understand main message or idea? What is being instantly communicated by your communication?
The Second C: Connection
You know your message makes a connection when it triggers an emotional response for your customer. This only happens when a message resonates with meaning and significance for others. When people say “Now I get it!” then you know you’ve got it.
The Third C: Credibility
Your audience needs to believe what is being said and how it is being said. Credibility is the most important “C”. Your audience may understand your message, and even connect with your message on emotionally level, but if they do not believe the message is credible it will make no positive lasting impact.
The Fourth C: Contagiousness
Word of mouth is the best advertising, accumulating credibility as it passes from one person to another. You can make your messages contagious with especially clear, clever or curious messages, images and formats. People love to talk, and they will talk enthusiastically about you when your messages are new, different, and memorable. Or when they include an uplifting call to action.
The perception points in your service communications are everywhere: in your website, literature, social networking, physical environment, product information, packaging, policies, even in the design and messaging of your purchase receipts, office directions and employment applications. Everywhere you communicate you have the chance to be creative, be unique, be memorable.
