Everything you always wanted to know about communicating but were afraid to ask.
Communication skills: is there anyone among us who doesn’t want to improve personally or help others in this area?
Here are recent books that offer advice on this timeless topic, illustrating the wide range of issues and skills involved in communication and customer relationships.
The Literate Executive
By Laurie Rozakis, 275 pages (2000), McGraw Hill,
1-800-565-5758, www.mcgrawhill.ca
“Memos with careless typos and poor grammar. Reports that are unclear and uninspiring. Resumes with irrelevant information. How many of these documents have crossed your desk? Now, how many of these documents are you guilty of writing? You’re not alone.”
Effective writing is important in business, and this book provides guidance on getting your point across with a clear business style: writing concisely, selecting words that work, designing documents for impact and avoiding doublespeak, and biased or inflated language.
This book offers tools of the trade for punctuation, spelling, grammar and powerful vocabulary. There are lots of specific examples with do’s and don’ts for:
•memos;
•e-mail;
•letters;
•reports;
•performance appraisals; and
•resumes and other documents.
This practical, detailed guide may be just right as an educational resource for management and professional employees who need help with the written word.
Words Fail Me
By Patricia O’Conner, 228 pages softcover (1999), Harcourt, www.harcourt.com
Readers will find many smiles, along with solid coaching tips, in this book on “what everyone who writes should know about writing.”
A sampling of chapter headings:
•The party to whom I am speaking: know the audience;
•Pompous circumstances: hold the baloney;
•Too marvelous for words: the sensible sentence;
•Grammar Moses: thou shalt not embarrass thyself; and
This could be a style-improving followup to The Literate Executive or a useful awareness raiser for the person who doesn’t realize she has an excessively formal or confusing writing style.
Say it with Presentations
By Gene Zelazny, 154 pages (2000), McGraw Hill, 1-800-565-5758, www.mcgrawhill.ca
This book begins with the audience’s bill of rights — among other things, the right to see the reason for the presentation, to receive value and be respected, and the right to clarity, honesty and practical comfort with timing, visibility and humour.
Key lessons shared:
•anticipate your audience’s three toughest questions;
•begin and end with your recommendation;
•use computer graphics, but don’t overuse them;
•be silent while changing visuals; and
•remember that no one will complain if you finish early.
The author is director of visual communications at McKinsey & Company, and the book’s contents are geared to a management-level readership. Sections cover: defining the situation, designing the presentation and delivery, including the projection of confidence, conviction and enthusiasm.
Message Received and Understood!
By Helen Wilkie, 156 pages softcover (1999), MHW, (416) 966-5023
Toronto-based professional speaker Helen Wilkie provides advice in the form of nine rules for better business writing, lively listening, meaningful meetings and publishable prose.
Here’s a sample, the nine rules for pithy presentations:
•set a clear objective;
•open and close with a bang;
•break your talk into bite-sized pieces;
•make your visuals aid;
•hand out the right things at the right time;
•finish on time;
•connect with the audience;
•tame the butterflies; and
•rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
Explanations and examples get the point across in this brief, easy-to-read book.
PeopleSmart
By Mel Silberman, 251 pages (2000), Berrett-Koehler. Available from McGraw Hill,
1-800-565-5758, www.mcgrawhill.ca
This self-help guide to “developing your interpersonal intelligence” starts with a self-assessment, and proceeds to education and improvement techniques across eight skill areas:
•understanding people;
•expressing yourself clearly;
•asserting your needs;
•exchanging feedback;
•influencing others;
•resolving conflict;
•being a team player; and
•shifting gears.
Both work and home applications are considered. With influence skills, for instance, situations on the job could include leading a change process, making a business proposal, swaying decisions or seeking a promotion. At home, the skills are relevant to family issues, community roles and other relationships.
Secrets of Power Presentations
By Peter Urs Bender, 243 pages softcover (2000), Achievement Group, (416) 491-6690, www.PeterUrsBender.com
This revised edition of the popular book by Toronto-based professional speaker Peter Urs Bender has the following mission statement: “To give you the skills to make power presentations in any business environment –—with improved results for both you and your company.”
Getting the presentation’s purpose clear is the first requirement: to inform, entertain, emotionally touch or move the audience to action. The book covers five “quintessential elements” with a chapter devoted to each:
•speech (topic, vocabulary, voice, delivery);
•body language (dress, eye contact, the hands, smile);
•equipment (visuals, computers, handouts, flipcharts);
•environment (location, layout, lighting, breaks); and
•preparation (publicity, rehearsal, anticipating questions).
This book is a quick read or reference, with illustrations and checklists to help the reader in actually preparing and improving a presentation.
Contact: A Guide to Developing Effective Call Centre Skills
By Jack A. Green, 228 pages softcover (2000), Nelson, www.nelson.com
This practical Canadian guidebook outlines the skills and knowledge needed in modern high-tech call centres. Chapters deal with the call centre representative’s attitude, voice, and skills in customer rapport, listening, questioning, managing the call and handling difficult situations.
Other chapters look at broader issues: creating a positive call centre work climate, managing stress, call centre trends and technologies, and the need for flexibility in style to accommodate different customer and interaction scenarios. A helpful glossary defines terms ranging from ATT (average talk time) to “mycompanyisms,” nasality and “throat voice.”
Stratégies pour communiquer efficacement (How NOT to Take it Personally)
By Vera Held
This Canadian author’s book is now available in French (as well as German and Turkish). Its aim is to help readers set realistic expectations, understand different peoples’ perceptions, listen with generosity and accept others’ speaking styles. It’s organized around “10 action strategies for communications success.”
The English version was published in 1998 and is available from VNH, (416) 785-3556. The recently published French version is available from UMD, 1-800-443-CLUB, www.umd.ca.
PowerSkills
By James Masciarelli,
304 pages (2000), Numbus, www.numbus
press.com
Going beyond communication, PowerSkills is a “system to build top-level relationships for bottom-line results.” Goals include a powerbase of key relationships, leveraging time to accomplish more, making better decisions, developing loyal clients and growing the business.
The book is based on five powerskills: positioning, hunting, coaching, leading and farming. Each is explained and illustrated along with practice tips and resources.
Secrets of Customer Relationship Management
By James G. Barnes, 316 pages (2001), McGraw Hill, 1-800-565-5758, www.mcgrawhill.ca
Strategies for communication are a key element in CRM, and this book provides a comprehensive overview of establishing and building upon long-term customer relationships.
Defining value, measuring satisfaction, handling risks, innovating, using the Internet and marketing methods are all addressed by Barnes, a marketing professor at Memorial University in Newfoundland.
“Neighbourhood retailers have long been recognized for their ability to establish genuine customer relationships, sincere bonds of trust and familiarity that last for decades…(this book) examines their observable, quantifiable relationship-building techniques…for use by any company, up to large, multinational businesses.”
Dealing with the Customer from Hell
By Shaun Belding, 181 pages softcover (2000), Stoddart, (416) 213-1919
A salesperson has a challenging role: to sell, make customers comfortable, to care and to serve as a positive, honest ambassador for the company.
The “Customer from Hell” presents the ultimate challenge. “Like emotional vampires, these customers drain us of all positive energy and replace it with feelings of frustration, anger, and hurt.”
The book offers tips on preventing, where possible, these hellish encounters, and on handling them by following a six-step approach:
•listening;
•echoing the issue;
•sympathizing;
•thanking your customer;
•evaluating your options; and
•responding to the situation.
Ray Brillinger is a senior consultant with the IBM Consulting Group. He provides change management, business transformation and organization effectiveness services to client organizations. He can be reached at (905) 316-4646 or [email protected].
Here are recent books that offer advice on this timeless topic, illustrating the wide range of issues and skills involved in communication and customer relationships.
The Literate Executive
By Laurie Rozakis, 275 pages (2000), McGraw Hill,
1-800-565-5758, www.mcgrawhill.ca
“Memos with careless typos and poor grammar. Reports that are unclear and uninspiring. Resumes with irrelevant information. How many of these documents have crossed your desk? Now, how many of these documents are you guilty of writing? You’re not alone.”
Effective writing is important in business, and this book provides guidance on getting your point across with a clear business style: writing concisely, selecting words that work, designing documents for impact and avoiding doublespeak, and biased or inflated language.
This book offers tools of the trade for punctuation, spelling, grammar and powerful vocabulary. There are lots of specific examples with do’s and don’ts for:
•memos;
•e-mail;
•letters;
•reports;
•performance appraisals; and
•resumes and other documents.
This practical, detailed guide may be just right as an educational resource for management and professional employees who need help with the written word.
Words Fail Me
By Patricia O’Conner, 228 pages softcover (1999), Harcourt, www.harcourt.com
Readers will find many smiles, along with solid coaching tips, in this book on “what everyone who writes should know about writing.”
A sampling of chapter headings:
•The party to whom I am speaking: know the audience;
•Pompous circumstances: hold the baloney;
•Too marvelous for words: the sensible sentence;
•Grammar Moses: thou shalt not embarrass thyself; and
This could be a style-improving followup to The Literate Executive or a useful awareness raiser for the person who doesn’t realize she has an excessively formal or confusing writing style.
Say it with Presentations
By Gene Zelazny, 154 pages (2000), McGraw Hill, 1-800-565-5758, www.mcgrawhill.ca
This book begins with the audience’s bill of rights — among other things, the right to see the reason for the presentation, to receive value and be respected, and the right to clarity, honesty and practical comfort with timing, visibility and humour.
Key lessons shared:
•anticipate your audience’s three toughest questions;
•begin and end with your recommendation;
•use computer graphics, but don’t overuse them;
•be silent while changing visuals; and
•remember that no one will complain if you finish early.
The author is director of visual communications at McKinsey & Company, and the book’s contents are geared to a management-level readership. Sections cover: defining the situation, designing the presentation and delivery, including the projection of confidence, conviction and enthusiasm.
Message Received and Understood!
By Helen Wilkie, 156 pages softcover (1999), MHW, (416) 966-5023
Toronto-based professional speaker Helen Wilkie provides advice in the form of nine rules for better business writing, lively listening, meaningful meetings and publishable prose.
Here’s a sample, the nine rules for pithy presentations:
•set a clear objective;
•open and close with a bang;
•break your talk into bite-sized pieces;
•make your visuals aid;
•hand out the right things at the right time;
•finish on time;
•connect with the audience;
•tame the butterflies; and
•rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
Explanations and examples get the point across in this brief, easy-to-read book.
PeopleSmart
By Mel Silberman, 251 pages (2000), Berrett-Koehler. Available from McGraw Hill,
1-800-565-5758, www.mcgrawhill.ca
This self-help guide to “developing your interpersonal intelligence” starts with a self-assessment, and proceeds to education and improvement techniques across eight skill areas:
•understanding people;
•expressing yourself clearly;
•asserting your needs;
•exchanging feedback;
•influencing others;
•resolving conflict;
•being a team player; and
•shifting gears.
Both work and home applications are considered. With influence skills, for instance, situations on the job could include leading a change process, making a business proposal, swaying decisions or seeking a promotion. At home, the skills are relevant to family issues, community roles and other relationships.
Secrets of Power Presentations
By Peter Urs Bender, 243 pages softcover (2000), Achievement Group, (416) 491-6690, www.PeterUrsBender.com
This revised edition of the popular book by Toronto-based professional speaker Peter Urs Bender has the following mission statement: “To give you the skills to make power presentations in any business environment –—with improved results for both you and your company.”
Getting the presentation’s purpose clear is the first requirement: to inform, entertain, emotionally touch or move the audience to action. The book covers five “quintessential elements” with a chapter devoted to each:
•speech (topic, vocabulary, voice, delivery);
•body language (dress, eye contact, the hands, smile);
•equipment (visuals, computers, handouts, flipcharts);
•environment (location, layout, lighting, breaks); and
•preparation (publicity, rehearsal, anticipating questions).
This book is a quick read or reference, with illustrations and checklists to help the reader in actually preparing and improving a presentation.
Contact: A Guide to Developing Effective Call Centre Skills
By Jack A. Green, 228 pages softcover (2000), Nelson, www.nelson.com
This practical Canadian guidebook outlines the skills and knowledge needed in modern high-tech call centres. Chapters deal with the call centre representative’s attitude, voice, and skills in customer rapport, listening, questioning, managing the call and handling difficult situations.
Other chapters look at broader issues: creating a positive call centre work climate, managing stress, call centre trends and technologies, and the need for flexibility in style to accommodate different customer and interaction scenarios. A helpful glossary defines terms ranging from ATT (average talk time) to “mycompanyisms,” nasality and “throat voice.”
Stratégies pour communiquer efficacement (How NOT to Take it Personally)
By Vera Held
This Canadian author’s book is now available in French (as well as German and Turkish). Its aim is to help readers set realistic expectations, understand different peoples’ perceptions, listen with generosity and accept others’ speaking styles. It’s organized around “10 action strategies for communications success.”
The English version was published in 1998 and is available from VNH, (416) 785-3556. The recently published French version is available from UMD, 1-800-443-CLUB, www.umd.ca.
PowerSkills
By James Masciarelli,
304 pages (2000), Numbus, www.numbus
press.com
Going beyond communication, PowerSkills is a “system to build top-level relationships for bottom-line results.” Goals include a powerbase of key relationships, leveraging time to accomplish more, making better decisions, developing loyal clients and growing the business.
The book is based on five powerskills: positioning, hunting, coaching, leading and farming. Each is explained and illustrated along with practice tips and resources.
Secrets of Customer Relationship Management
By James G. Barnes, 316 pages (2001), McGraw Hill, 1-800-565-5758, www.mcgrawhill.ca
Strategies for communication are a key element in CRM, and this book provides a comprehensive overview of establishing and building upon long-term customer relationships.
Defining value, measuring satisfaction, handling risks, innovating, using the Internet and marketing methods are all addressed by Barnes, a marketing professor at Memorial University in Newfoundland.
“Neighbourhood retailers have long been recognized for their ability to establish genuine customer relationships, sincere bonds of trust and familiarity that last for decades…(this book) examines their observable, quantifiable relationship-building techniques…for use by any company, up to large, multinational businesses.”
Dealing with the Customer from Hell
By Shaun Belding, 181 pages softcover (2000), Stoddart, (416) 213-1919
A salesperson has a challenging role: to sell, make customers comfortable, to care and to serve as a positive, honest ambassador for the company.
The “Customer from Hell” presents the ultimate challenge. “Like emotional vampires, these customers drain us of all positive energy and replace it with feelings of frustration, anger, and hurt.”
The book offers tips on preventing, where possible, these hellish encounters, and on handling them by following a six-step approach:
•listening;
•echoing the issue;
•sympathizing;
•thanking your customer;
•evaluating your options; and
•responding to the situation.
Ray Brillinger is a senior consultant with the IBM Consulting Group. He provides change management, business transformation and organization effectiveness services to client organizations. He can be reached at (905) 316-4646 or [email protected].
