Miss Communication on the Topic of Miscommunication

As the ways we are able to communicate steadily increase, so does the opportunity to miscommunicate. One advantage of being old, ahem, I mean “experienced”, is that in order to achieve certification back in my day meant having a handle on the English language. I shy away from declaring any sort of expert-level grammar skills, and I will admit that Grammarly has cleaned up every article I’ve posted.

What I feel confident(-ish) about is that my post-secondary level training in written, visual and digital communications have paid off to some degree. And as time goes on, the ratio of creative agencies that can publish error-free work vs. those that can’t is becoming alarmingly lopsided.

Working in the field since the ’90s has given me some insight into what works and what doesn’t. While it would be impossible for us to dig into every communication medium and style, there are a few tips that apply across the board. Whether you’re sending an email, posting to social or writing an article, here are things to keep in mind:

1. Less is More

Have you ever been chatting with someone who takes forever to get to the point? Irritating at least, this trait can become problematic when time is of the essence. In a world full of instant messages, nonstop posts and inboxes bursting at the seams the best advice we can offer is to keep in mind that less is often more. Here are a few tips for streamlining your communications:

• Be Brief. The more concise the message, the less chance of confusion and error.
• Keep it Simple. What is the theme or point of the piece? Does the verbiage and imagery support it?
• Let it Breathe. You don’t need to fill every square inch of ad space, social post or web page. Negative (white) space helps the viewer focus on the message.

If you keep the “less is more” approach in mind when writing content for your communications, all of the following points will be easier.

2. Be Professional

Informal communication between workmates and colleagues is definitely more and more acceptable. Even client communication can be casual in the right medium or when the relationship has reached a level of familiarity.

When in doubt…

• You can’t go wrong with professionalism.
• Like it or not, proper use of sentence structure and punctuation will allow your message to flow better.
• If you’re taking an informal route, be careful that you don’t take it too far. Avoid profanity, nicknames and excessive use of emoji’s.
• Always be courteous.
• Personalize greetings and sign-offs.

In a survey of over 1,000 employees, Live Career found that 81% of participants liked being addressed by their first name in emails and only 6% disliked this practice. SOURCE

At Meringue3.14, we consider it best practice to use a recipient’s first name in our email campaigns. Our own data underscores the findings in the Live Career study as open rates are vastly improved when the recipient is identified by name.

3. Choose Your Words Wisely

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

A few good rules of thumb to ensure that you’re message is NOT misinterpreted:

• Avoid the use of tone or sarcasm in written communications.
• The fewer characters the more digestible the content is. Think Tweet vs. a Terms and Conditions document. Enough said.
• Rambling or run-on sentences can be hard to cipher and cause confusion.
• Avoid using the same adjective too often.
  For example: “The great instructor had some great tips for new cyclists.”
  Better would be: “The experienced instructor had some great tips for new cyclists.”
• Be as clear and precise as possible.
  For example, don’t say: “If you can take the garbage out before you go that would be helpful.”
  If you mean to say: “The green waste bins containing recyclable paper material must be emptied into the dumpster before you go today.”
• Ensure that you’re not inadvertently saying what you DON’T mean by understanding the target audience and/or recipient’s point of view.
  For Example: In England, a jolly good chap is a decent person. In America, it’s a decent pair of leather leggings worn by cowboys to protect their legs! (Reference)

Once you know what you want to say, the most effective communication will say it, repeat it, then say it again!

4. Set an Expectation

You are more likely to elicit a response if you pose a clear problem or question. What is the point you are trying to get across and how can your audience engage?

• Identify the purpose of the correspondence in your title, caption or subject line.
• Expand on it in the message or copy.
• Supplement it with imagery or data.
• Underscore it in your ask or closing comments.
• Request a response by a certain date or time.

A recent study shows that most people are ok with senders requesting read receipts. And most messaging apps will give an indication of received and/or read status. However, this isn’t always sufficient and it can be awkward if you’re waiting for a reply that never comes. Interestingly, the same study flags follow-up emails as one of the most annoying types of emails. So what should you do?

First, if you’re sending something that requires a time-sensitive reply, be sure to clearly indicate the deadline in your correspondence. We have had success in following up emails with gentle reminders, such as “Just making sure you received the email about {insert info here}; no panic on our end but a reminder that today is the deadline to {insert info here}. Let us know if we can help. If we don’t hear back from you by 3 pm today we will give you a call in case there is an issue with email service.”

Communication expectations have changed over the years, but some things never go out of style. Knowing the rules before you break the rules will help you communicate effectively in your marketing campaigns as well as emails and DMs between colleagues and clients.