Things To Look Out For

Should your business contact appear to be falling asleep during one of your conversational gambits, it could mean that:

• he’s had a late night

 

• he’s had an early start

 

• he’s suffering from jet lag

 

• the atmosphere in the room is too stuffy

 

• your dialogue is rather boring.

 

Don’t wait until his head falls forward and hits the desk. If you fail to notice until you hear the crash, you’re definitely talking too much!

Keep an eye out too for fidgeting, this could indicate that:

• you’ve lost his attention

 

• he wants a break

 

• he’s irritated by something you’ve said

 

• he finds the conversation irrelevant.

 

Whatever the reason, it’s time to shut up. Close your mouth without delay and smile. Hopefully with a bit of silence you can retrieve a relationship that may have got off to a rather inauspicious start.

When your business contact starts shaking his head, this could mean:

• he wants to say something

 

• he doesn’t agree with you

 

• he simply hasn’t a clue what you’re waffling on about.

 

Again, it’s time to bring your remarks to a swift close.

If you think you’ve lost his attention completely and he’s turned off, try to regain it by asking him a pertinent question. Re-establish eye contact and vary the volume or expression in your voice.

Other Forms Of Oral Communication

Telephone calls

These can be difficult to deal with and can often cause trouble between parties who do not know each other all that well.

First, because you can’t see each other face-to-face, you have to rely on tone of voice. This can be deceptive. He may sound uninterested because he’s talking in a low voice. It may be something as simple as the fact that he’s got a sore throat, or he’s trying to avoid the rest of the office hearing his conversation.

It’s essential to pay attention when your new business contact calls. If he’s on a mobile, you may well get a distortion due to background noise, traffic, airport announcements or similar. If possible take the phone call in a private place so as to avoid even more noise coming from your end of the phone.

Voicemail Messages

There’s an art to leaving successful voicemail messages. It’s simply this: be clear and be concise.

Don’t speak too fast. If you are leaving your telephone number, slow down. Speak slowly while recording the information.

If the message you leave is either gabbled or garbled, it will be impossible for any one to return your call. It helps to leave a date and time when you record your message, so that your contact can respond quickly if time is critical.

Written Communication

The main point about written communication is that whatever form it takes, the recipient cannot see you or hear you. Your contact has no option but to accept what they read. You should pay particular attention to wording and expressions because if it is at all ambiguous, it is liable to be misinterpreted.

Letters

When handwriting letters put yourself in the position of your recipient. Write neatly and clearly and make sure your spelling is correct. It helps to use a decent pen and good quality paper. Impressions count, remember!

With a personal thank you note, use your contact’s business address because it is after all a business relationship, even though you are thanking him for inviting you to a social occasion. Keep your message simple and make it easy to read. Layout is important. Avoid innuendo, sarcasm and doubles entendres.