Milkshake Chaser

Straight? With a spoonful of sugar? Or with a chocolate milkshake chaser?
Sometimes it's not just knowing what to say, it's knowing how to serve it up.

Ok, all the married ladies are going, "no duh." They know a simple "Yes, we are having leftovers again" might work fine. A big hug and kiss may be good before explaining the $50 designer jacket for Phydeaux the mini wonder dog. But the big nasty scratch on the side of his beloved ski boat will take a better story to put it in perspective. Preferably something involving a noble deed like, "I was rushing to the Mothers of Charity grocery store for more Doritos and Mountain Dew before the game tonight."

Guys on the other hand tend to use the same approach to "Honey, I'll be ten minutes late for supper" as they do for "Oops, the lawnmower ran over your Grandma's prize-winning wisteria."

A good salesman will tell you the same thing. If you're buying a doormat, the clerk can tell you, "ThatwillbetendollarspleasethankyouforshoppingatMallWart. But if you're spending thousands of dollars on a Persian rug, you want to hear the stories about the sheep that provided the wool, and the hunched over artisan who spent a big chunk of his life hand knotting one thread at a time.

In business communications sometimes we forget that. The visitor to my website probably doesn't want to hear about how my love for my pet Chihuahua when I was ten lead me to re-selling glittery $2 leashes from China for $10 online. She wants to know what colors are available, how much it costs and when FedEx will drop it off.

But if you have a disgruntled client who thinks paying you $3000 for six coaching sessions should have him dating the girl of his dreams, a more nuanced, personal approach is needed. Seems the more money is involved, the more it matters what you say and how you say it.

And the closer you get to the things a person really, really values, the more crucial it is to make every word count. The right word, at the right time, in the right manner can make or break a friendship, a sale, or a business relationship.
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