Say What You Do and Do What You Say

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxzSk_n5UtI/XRJscOvFe_I/AAAAAAABGBE/efkKGEeHtUoYzN0AknhpG6RwDOzBMmzLgCLcBGAs/s1600/Thomas%2BGainsborough%2B-%2BMrs.%2BRichard%2BBrinsley%2BSheridan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="1200" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxzSk_n5UtI/XRJscOvFe_I/AAAAAAABGBE/efkKGEeHtUoYzN0AknhpG6RwDOzBMmzLgCLcBGAs/s640/Thomas%2BGainsborough%2B-%2BMrs.%2BRichard%2BBrinsley%2BSheridan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Want to make it easier to have loyal customers? It's all about consistency—consistency in your actions and consistency in experiences.<br /> <br /> Being consistent means that you create expectations and you deliver on them repeatedly.<br /> <br /> You've likely heard the trope: "Your brand is not what you say it is; your brand is what other people say it is."<br /> <br /> And it's true. You can't advertise your brand a certain way and then give people an experience that doesn't live up to what you've promised. Brand and reputation go hand in hand, and your reputation is the result of the things you do and the way you're perceived.<br /> <br /> So if you want to build trust—and trust builds loyalty—you need to do the things that you say your brand stands for.<br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Examples of off-brand experiences</b></h2> <br /> <h3> <b>You're on the hook</b></h3> When I visit hotels, I like the option of reusing my towel. It just feels so wasteful to have them launder my towel after a single use. Most hotels have a card in the bathroom that asks you to think about the environment and reuse your towels (although let's face it: it also helps keep their costs down).<br /> <br /> They position themselves as pro-sustainability ("We're going green!") and give you two options:<br /> <br /> <ol> <li>A towel hanging up means "I will use again."</li> <li>A towel on the floor means "Please exchange."</li> </ol> <br /> So far, so good.<br /> <br /> But—when there are four towels, ostensibly for the family of four staying in the room, and there's only one hook—what message does that send?<br /> <br /> Now I have to get creative, looking for doorknobs, chair or other things around the room to—ah, forget it. I'll just throw my towels on the floor.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> <b>Do you really want to talk to me?</b></h3> Pretty much every brand has some sort of social media presence, if not for branding, then for customer service. Some even encourage customers to "Tweet us for customer service." The unspoken brand promise is that they're present on social media to engage.<br /> <br /> But here's the thing with social media in recent years: It's become just another place to advertise. Social platforms are supposed to be about <i>conversation</i>, which Merriam-Webster defines as an "exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas."<br /> <br /> If you end up ignoring customer service requests or feedback about how you're doing business, you're telling your customers they don't matter. So why put your social handle out there in the first place—to make the masses aware of how great your service is?<br /> <br /> If you make your communications channels visible to the public, then use them. After all, you wouldn't publish an 800 number and not pick up the phone.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> <b>What's the deal?</b></h3> Auto manufacturers are some of the most advanced in digital marketing and are among the largest spenders in advertising. From online influencer programs to virtual reality test drives and online configurators, they test the edges of modern marketing.<br /> <br /> But if you step into an auto dealership when you're ready to buy, you're likely transported back to the 1990s (or earlier). That online configuration you just completed? You need to start all over again. The finance pre-qualification form you filled out on the web? Here's a stack of forms you need to fill out and sign in triplicate. And sadly, some dealerships treat women as second-class citizens and will talk to their husbands when the wife if the one buying the car.<br /> <br /> And when I happen upon an online discussion among dealer-types who are ninety-eight percent opposed to letting customers test drive a car on their own ("feelings don't matter" and "control control control" peppered the discussion), I realize that the dealership portion of the auto industry is utterly, horribly beyond repair.<br /> <br /> If you're spending untold amounts of money on building your brand online and at the corporate level, and an in-person experience tells the customer they don't matter, you don't have a brand. You have an agglomeration of questionable experiences.<br /> <br /> <br /> None of this is rocket surgery, if you'll permit me a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malapropism" target="_blank">malapropism</a>. [Oh, this might be a good moment to explain the significance of the painting above: That's Elizabeth Ann Sheridan, the wife of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, who wrote <i>The Rivals</i>, a play that included Mrs. Malaprop, the famous mis-speaker.] <br /> <br /> If your brand is about sustainability, then it's your job to ensure that everything you do makes sustainability possible. If your brand is about customer-centricity, then spend time with your customers and experience the process through their eyes.<br /> <br /> An uneven and inconsistent experience is going to tell your customers one thing: that you don't know what you're doing, despite what you say in your advertising campaign.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"What you are screams so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you are saying." – Ralph Waldo Emerson </span></i></b>[<a href="https://ctt.ac/pu865" target="_blank">tweet this</a>]</div> <br /> <br /> <i>Image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Gainsborough_-_Mrs._Richard_Brinsley_Sheridan_.jpg" target="_blank">Mrs. Richard Brinsley Sheridan</a> by Thomas Gainsborough, 1786 (Wikimedia Commons, public domain)</i><br /> <i><br /></i>

Say What You Do and Do What You Say

Want to make it easier to have loyal customers? It's all about consistency—consistency in your actions and consistency in experiences...

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How to Turn Customer Woes into Customer "Whoas!"

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CoJaOeOlrQ0/XQKLxer2OmI/AAAAAAABFbk/CNoyeqd69i42v2RX5OPBHWeB5F7tIfIEgCLcBGAs/s1600/John%2BSinger%2BSargent%2B-%2BGassed%2B1919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CoJaOeOlrQ0/XQKLxer2OmI/AAAAAAABFbk/CNoyeqd69i42v2RX5OPBHWeB5F7tIfIEgCLcBGAs/s640/John%2BSinger%2BSargent%2B-%2BGassed%2B1919.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> I'm a Frank Sinatra fan. (That much shouldn't be a surprise.) The lyrics from his song "<a href="https://amzn.to/2Rm9oys" target="_blank">It's Nice to Go Trav'ling</a>" include this line:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "It's so nice to go trav'ling, but it's oh so nice to come home."</blockquote> Travel is a double-edged sword. It can be a sheer delight, with discoveries of new <a href="https://amzn.to/2WKYkMh" target="_blank">foods, smells, and sights</a>. Or it can be a burden, with late-night flights, delays, missed connections, and other unplanned hiccups that otherwise prevent you from reaching your destination in a timely manner.<br /> <br /> Part of being able to survive business travel in particular is to <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/05/the-need-for-serenity.html" target="_blank">get in the mindset</a> that this is part of what you signed up for, and to try to make the best of any situation. It also helps when you do business with travel and hospitality brands that go the extra mile.<br /> <br /> I found myself in just such a scenario recently.<br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Delta Positive</b></h2> I was flying from Detroit to San Jose (SJC), with a connecting flight through Salt Lake City (SLC). While I usually prefer direct flights, this was arranged by Adobe (a client), so I showed up early and settled into the Delta Sky Club. I already had a notice from <a href="https://tripit.com/" target="_blank">TripIt</a> that it was going to be a tight connection, with about forty-two minutes between flights in SLC.<br /> <br /> It was then that Delta notified me that the flight was delayed by about thirty minutes, making the connection even more tenuous.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--1BsNWeCKQY/XQkMypl8duI/AAAAAAABFp0/1uUgmm2BkBscWFKl-NQp30RGXVqbOWsywCLcBGAs/s1600/Delay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="724" height="149" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--1BsNWeCKQY/XQkMypl8duI/AAAAAAABFp0/1uUgmm2BkBscWFKl-NQp30RGXVqbOWsywCLcBGAs/s400/Delay.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> So, I scrambled to see what the options were: the agent at the SkyClub said there was a direct flight to San Francisco leaving in thirty minutes, the travel agent looked into additional flights from SLC to SJC (spoiler alert: there were none), and I went with my go-to move: a tweet to <a href="https://twitter.com/Delta" target="_blank">@Delta</a> on Twitter. I'm only a Silver Medallion SkyMiles member (their lowest tier), so I didn't have high expectations with the last maneuver.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vE_DTJf25Jg/XQkMpVqigFI/AAAAAAABFpw/7cakEnLmnKITE88QxvheQYkEUmYUx5NMACLcBGAs/s1600/Delay%2B-%2BDelta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="805" height="618" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vE_DTJf25Jg/XQkMpVqigFI/AAAAAAABFpw/7cakEnLmnKITE88QxvheQYkEUmYUx5NMACLcBGAs/s640/Delay%2B-%2BDelta.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> After about fifteen minutes, the travel agent got back to me with  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and a recommendation that I just go on a wing and a prayer (yes, I know). And the SFO flight was sold out by that point.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Delta had already replied to my tweet and took things to direct message, with an unexpected level of service:<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oZg8TBRXCsw/XQkM4e_aw9I/AAAAAAABFp4/NV2iPlQSfYsSWKoQmHw9tDbptuowFqcaACLcBGAs/s1600/Delay%2B-%2BDelta%2Breponse%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="753" height="152" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oZg8TBRXCsw/XQkM4e_aw9I/AAAAAAABFp4/NV2iPlQSfYsSWKoQmHw9tDbptuowFqcaACLcBGAs/s640/Delay%2B-%2BDelta%2Breponse%2B1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> All I can say is: wow. (Or whoa, if I'm being consistent with the title above.)<br /> <br /> The flight was indeed delayed, and by the time we arrived at SLC, there was an eighteen-minute gap between flights. With doors closing fifteen minutes before a flight is scheduled to depart that left—check my math here—only three minutes to make the connection. I notified Delta of what was happening during our terminally slow taxi:<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c2LozA4_z3o/XQkTixdJjLI/AAAAAAABFqI/Yt00gpjs7-sCoMTeO6TPqJcpdBj22uudQCLcBGAs/s1600/Delay%2B-%2BDelta%2Bresponse%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="858" height="422" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c2LozA4_z3o/XQkTixdJjLI/AAAAAAABFqI/Yt00gpjs7-sCoMTeO6TPqJcpdBj22uudQCLcBGAs/s640/Delay%2B-%2BDelta%2Bresponse%2B2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Even better than Delta's stellar customer service was their choice of gates. We landed at C5 and the connecting flight was at C6. Talk about luck!<br /> <br /> As the flight to San Jose departed, I took the pilot's advice to "sit back and relax" (have you ever seen anyone sitting forward?) and breathed a sigh of relief that I was nearly there.<br /> <br /> But that feeling wasn't to last for long. Things were about to go sideways.<br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Not HHonored to Be Here</b></h2> The flight landed and I caught a ride to my hotel, the <a href="https://hilton.com/" target="_blank">Hilton</a> San Jose. I'm an HHonors member with gold status, and I usually opt for the digital key when I check in—where you can unlock your room with your smartphone.<br /> <br /> When I approached the front desk to check in, the manager told me that there were no more rooms available. My head began swirling. It was 11:15 p.m. (which translated to 2:15 a.m. back in Detroit).<br /> <br /> I immediately questioned the reality: "Are you sure? I had a reservation." No, all rooms were occupied. There was nothing they could do. But they did make arrangements for me at another hotel.<br /> <br /> "Oh, well that was kind of you. At least I'll have a room—FIFTEEN MILES AWAY!—what?"<br /> <br /> "We're sorry sir, but all of the other hotels nearby are booked as well. We do have a room reserved for you at Dinah's Garden Hotel in Palo Alto."<br /> <br /> Trying not to hyperventilate as I imagined Silicon Valley traffic and trying to get to my 8:15 a.m. meeting that was literally across the street from the Hilton, I went through my mind what the options were.<br /> <br /> So I pulled out my phone and opened <a href="https://www.hoteltonight.com/" target="_blank">Hotel Tonight</a>, one of my favorite apps for handling last-minute travel plans. It showed the La Quinta San Jose Airport with availability, which I showed to the hotel manager. He seemed confused, but I told him I was going to book it.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4Wcuru61y8/XQkfCo8lvhI/AAAAAAABFr8/r644Ls1hYLY7RBwzLc9pJyPMhtzHSR-ZQCLcBGAs/s1600/hoteltonight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="869" height="295" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4Wcuru61y8/XQkfCo8lvhI/AAAAAAABFr8/r644Ls1hYLY7RBwzLc9pJyPMhtzHSR-ZQCLcBGAs/s320/hoteltonight.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> A quick push of the button later and a thumb slide across their logo—a movement so satisfying that it's second only to sliding into a soft comfy bed after a long trip—charged my card and notified me that I had a room.<br /> <br /> Only I didn't.<br /> <br /> The Hilton manager called ahead to La Quinta to verify they had my reservation before paying my cab fare to get there. As you've surmised, the manager at La Quinta didn't have a record of me, and insisted they didn't have any rooms either. After an exasperating conversation that seemed like it was straight out of <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2GmGSNvaM" target="_blank">Seinfeld</a></i>, I hung up and resigned myself to an evening in Palo Alto.<br /> <br /> Oh, did I mention that the flight crew from Salt Lake City had arrived and checked into their <i>four</i> rooms? It doesn't seem right that a Gold HHonors member would get stiffed when checking in <i>before</i> four other guests.<br /> <br /> The Hilton staff assured me that I'd have a room the next day and that they'd take care of the cab fares to and from Palo Alto. I thanked them and got in the cab to head northwest. Along the way, the cab driver told me that there was a power outage at the Marriott, and they unloaded all of their guests onto the other hotels. Hence the state of non-vacancies.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tip</b>: If you communicate clearly and transparently to your customers, they're likely to be much more understanding. Lack of communication invariably will lead to frustration, anger and resentment.</span></div> <br /> Meanwhile I had tweeted <a href="https://twitter.com/hoteltonight" target="_blank">@HotelTonight</a> (foolishly thinking that I'd get a Twitter two-fer on customer service), but their canned response was to contact their team on the phone. I had neither the energy nor the composure to call the customer service number at that hour, so I just replied to their non-reply reservation email and let them know that I didn't have the room that they charged me for.<br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6LYgR3_fp94/XQkiG2DXiiI/AAAAAAABFsI/1NlFX9kmfzMPSCH6fWXoVw__NmRunwGfACLcBGAs/s1600/Dinah%2527s%2BGarden%2BHotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="342" height="410" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6LYgR3_fp94/XQkiG2DXiiI/AAAAAAABFsI/1NlFX9kmfzMPSCH6fWXoVw__NmRunwGfACLcBGAs/s640/Dinah%2527s%2BGarden%2BHotel.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinah's Garden Hotel, Palo Alto</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> I arrived at <a href="https://www.dinahshotel.com/" target="_blank">Dinah's Garden Hotel</a> just after midnight and was greeted warmly and with empathy. It was a lovely retro-looking establishment with a lush pool area and well-reviewed restaurant. The facilities were updated and modern, and the management had a plate of apples and a couple of Ghirardelli chocolates waiting for me in the room.<br /> <br /> The next morning, I was out the door at 7:15 a.m. and had an uneventful ride back to the Hilton in San Jose. The good news was that I discovered that Hotel Tonight had answered my email overnight and would be refunding my money. So far, so good.<br /> <br /> The front desk staff back at the Hilton was welcoming and expressed their apologies for the disruption the night before. They took my email address so the manager could get in touch, and they whisked me upstairs to my room, which was available that early.<br /> <br /> In the room, I noticed this placard, with Hilton's brand promise:<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z52BKOLyYas/XQkjaiKKm6I/AAAAAAABFsU/xTzEltjYrnsMuQwDVBjWrfqVvODVx9IEwCLcBGAs/s1600/Hilton%2B-%2Bmake%2Bit%2Bright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="851" height="474" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z52BKOLyYas/XQkjaiKKm6I/AAAAAAABFsU/xTzEltjYrnsMuQwDVBjWrfqVvODVx9IEwCLcBGAs/s640/Hilton%2B-%2Bmake%2Bit%2Bright.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you're not satisfied with your stay, let us know and we'll Make It Right.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> Knowing as I did that the hotel had its hands full and made arrangements for me before I arrived, I didn't really have any complaints that morning (other than having to relocate so far away the night before). I was simply grateful to have a room.<br /> <br /> But imagine my surprise when I arrived back at the room after a day of meetings, to find this:<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7sHD88HChcM/XQkj7-RiAFI/AAAAAAABFsc/QuP0Xr0T5y4ckqKapcXnFC7bxVCpQlopQCLcBGAs/s1600/Hilton%2B-%2Btreat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1134" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7sHD88HChcM/XQkj7-RiAFI/AAAAAAABFsc/QuP0Xr0T5y4ckqKapcXnFC7bxVCpQlopQCLcBGAs/s640/Hilton%2B-%2Btreat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> This was a nice gesture to try to smooth things over. But here's the thing: did this gesture Make It Right?<br /> <br /> I don't think that it did.<br /> <br /> An HHonors member getting stiffed over a reservation, no communication about the situation before or after (the manager never reached out as promised), and watching other guests check in while I was being exiled to another city: Does a cheese and wine make this right?<br /> <br /> No, what would make it right would be to do something commensurate with the lost night. A bundle of HHonors points, a complementary stay—something, anything to make it clear that I'm valued.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>UPDATE:</b><br /> The manager of the San Jose Hilton got in touch to say that he had written a personal note with an apology and 25,000 HHonors points; it evidently did not get delivered with the amenities. He was thorough and thoughtful in his email, and demonstrated the kind of hospitality that I have come to expect from Hilton (which is why I was shocked that they didn't seem to have met that in what I recounted above).<br /> <br /> I hope to make the San Jose Hilton my hotel of choice upon my return to San Jose.<br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Three brands, three experiences</b></h2> Summing up the interactions, here's how I'd rank them:<br /> <br /> <ol> <li>Delta exceeded my expectations.</li> <li>HotelTonight met my expectations.</li> <li>Hilton fell below my expectations.</li> </ol> <br /> Delta made me feel the most cared about. They knew what I'd be going through and were helpful, going the extra mile without me having to ask. While Hilton made sure I wasn't homeless for the night, their communication was less than stellar and their snack tray didn't make anything right.<br /> <br /> And this is the difference between brands that want to ensure they keep good customers and those that don't care and would rather chase new customers.<br /> <br /> Brands that show empathy—that care enough to take care of you the way they'd take care of their own family when traveling and anticipate your needs—these are the brands that create better customer experiences. That build trust. And ultimately, loyalty.<br /> <br /> When a brand is able to turn a <i>woe</i> into a "<i>whoa</i>," you'll see that the customers they took such good care of will come back again and again.<br /> <br /> Returning to Frank Sinatra, he recorded the Cole Porter song  "<a href="https://amzn.to/2IqqlF4" target="_blank">I Concentrate On You</a>" three times in his career. As an entertainer whose star shone bright and faded many times, it's no wonder, as the lyrics indicate the value of someone who was there for him, especially through difficult times:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> When fortune cries "Nay, nay" to me<br /> And people declare "You're through"<br /> Whenever the blues become my only songs<br /> I concentrate on you<br />         On your smile, so sweet, so tender<br />         When at first my kiss you do decline<br />         On the light in your eyes when you surrender<br />         And once again our arms intertwine</blockquote> <br /> May we be so lucky to have people and brands that inspire that level of devotion from us.<br /> <br /> <br /> <i>Top image credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gassed_(painting)">Gassed</a> by John Singer Sargent, 1919 (Wikipedia, Public Domain) </i>

How to Turn Customer Woes into Customer "Whoas!"

I'm a Frank Sinatra fan. (That much shouldn't be a surprise.) The lyrics from his song " It's Nice to Go Trav'ling &...

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C-Level Executives Should Lose the Attitude When Communicating

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EaFKbO4iJH8/XPlw9ElIJsI/AAAAAAABFWc/5kuqO_pOQTUSQgSoYRJbUsP25LgAIhwzgCLcBGAs/s1600/James%2BCambpell%2B-%2BNews%2BFrom%2BMy%2BLad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1400" height="364" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EaFKbO4iJH8/XPlw9ElIJsI/AAAAAAABFWc/5kuqO_pOQTUSQgSoYRJbUsP25LgAIhwzgCLcBGAs/s640/James%2BCambpell%2B-%2BNews%2BFrom%2BMy%2BLad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Every external-facing executive has had this challenge.<br /> <br /> You're working diligently on advancing your business, growing your customer base, expanding your products and services, improving your bottom line, and telling your story. But there's someone — or even worse, a <i>group</i> of someones — who aren't interested in your best efforts; they won't be satisfied until you shake up your business and bend to their requests.<br /> <br /> When someone like that has a platform to make their voice heard, and they don't take into account any of the talking points or convincing conversation you've shared with them, it can be frustrating.<br /> So frustrating that you just want to unleash on them and give them a piece of your mind.<br /> <br /> Don't.<br /> <br /> Whether you're a CEO, chief communications officer, or a public relations executive and you're dealing with public-facing entities (customers, the media, shareholders, employees, etc.) who haven't quite gotten the gist of your message — or who seem to have an agenda of their own — don't let your feelings of annoyance color your communication.<br /> <br /> Because you know what doesn't look good on any public-facing executive? Contempt.<br /> <br /> Two recent communications from Fortune 10 executives gave me pause.<br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Walling Off Support</b></h2> The first is from Dan Bartlett, EVP of Corporate Affairs for Walmart. In the lead-up to the annual shareholders meeting at Walmart, Dan had a series of tweets that took aim at Senator Bernie Sanders (who has been overly critical of Walmart):<br /> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center"> <div dir="ltr" lang="en"> We welcome <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BernieSanders</a> on his campaign stop to Northwest Arkansas. Here are a few facts I’m fairly certain he won’t acknowledge while describing his outdated view of Walmart. (1/4)</div> — Dan Bartlett (@danbartlett6) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbartlett6/status/1136288798990655489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br /> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none"> <div dir="ltr" lang="en"> No other company in the U.S. is making debt-free college education accessible to more than a million people for about $1 a day. No other company has opened 200 training academies, providing enhanced workforce skill-building for hundreds of thousands just this past year. (2/4)</div> — Dan Bartlett (@danbartlett6) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbartlett6/status/1136288801997893632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br /> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none"> <div dir="ltr" lang="en"> No other company has hired more than 225k veterans in the last 5 years. No other company in America has pledged to avoid emissions in the supply chain by 1 BILLION metric tons by 2030! (3/4)</div> — Dan Bartlett (@danbartlett6) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbartlett6/status/1136288804497756160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br /> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none"> <div dir="ltr" lang="en"> Oh, and we’re one of the largest federal income tax payers, recently contributing nearly 2% of all corporate taxes! (4/4)</div> — Dan Bartlett (@danbartlett6) <a href="https://twitter.com/danbartlett6/status/1136288807328915457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br /> Now, I get that Sanders has been a thorn in Walmart's side for quite a while. And I also get that Walmart has done all of the things that Bartlett notes (disclosure: Walmart was once a client of mine). It must be dismaying to not get credit for the positive developments that demonstrated a move in the right direction.<br /> <br /> But Bartlett's attitude comes off as snarky and scornful, which results in two things: 1) it makes him (and Walmart) less likely to garner praise from anyone who might have been sympathetic to their cause; and 2) actually makes him (and Walmart) seem like he's turning a deaf ear to the initial complaints.<br /> <br /> The "welcome...to Northwest Arkansas" was about as sincere as "with all due respect." He may as well have ended with "Bless your heart."<br /> <br /> If an executive wishes to engage someone in a debate or make a point about valid progress, an open, respectful and upbeat tone will win over detractors, rather than firing bullet points of rebuttals with a flippant attitude.  <br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Generally a Little Better</b></h2> Tony Cervone, the SVP of Global Communications for General Motors, didn't appreciate the coverage that <i>The New York Times</i> was giving to the shuttering of GM's Lordstown, OH plant. In his view, the paper was focused only on doom and gloom and the Times published his letter:<br /> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center"> <div dir="ltr" lang="en"> Tony Cervone, <a href="https://twitter.com/GM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GM</a> communications chief, calls out the <a href="https://twitter.com/NYT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYT</a> for failing to find "optimism" despite job cuts and idled plants.. "You are fixed on seeding doubt and despair." <a href="https://t.co/ETDdcxGWZI">https://t.co/ETDdcxGWZI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/freep?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@freep</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/freepautos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@freepautos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UAW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UAW</a></div> — Phoebe Wall Howard (@phoebesaid) <a href="https://twitter.com/phoebesaid/status/1135912473872125953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2019</a></blockquote> The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/03/opinion/letters/general-motors-lordstown.html" target="_blank">letter</a> was balanced in that it acknowledged the struggles that the workers, community, and the industry is facing, and showed the way that GM worked to find options for employees and for the facility itself (although that is still uncertain). It opened with the observation that "What has been missing is any sense of optimism."<br /> <br /> But along the way, a creeping sense of disdain began to rise. It concludes with Cervone telling the paper how to do its job, insisting that the narrative that he has shared "should drive a sense of optimism, not despair."<br /> <br /> When a company works so hard to show how it's trying to make the best of a bad situation and that effort is ignored, it's disappointing when a publication misses the mark. But if you allow antagonism to seep through while making your point, it can seem off-putting.<br /> <br /> Haughty.<br /> <br /> Disdainful.<br /> <br /> Contemptuous.<br /> <br /> Scornful.<br /> <br /> Prideful.<br /> <br /> Supercilious.<br /> <br /> If you're a public spokesperson of any sort and your communications invoke any of the above adjectives, it's disrespectful. It shows that you don't understand the other side, that you believe their position is invalid, or that your view is the only view.<br /> <br /> It's human to have emotions — especially negative ones. And it's a struggle to keep them in when you're thwarted. <a href="https://amzn.to/2KvRh7K" target="_blank">Heliotropism</a> takes practice.<br /> <br /> Communications executives who demonstrate patience, optimism, empathy, and show their best selves will be respected by those with whom they seek to influence and will reap the rewards in the long run.<br /> <br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "0578412225"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "d7537072a170d9ba2f7896d02122e182"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /> <br /> <i>Image credit: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Campbell_-_News_from_My_Lad_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg">News from my Lad</a> by James Campbell, 1859 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)</i><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /> </i>

C-Level Executives Should Lose the Attitude When Communicating

Every external-facing executive has had this challenge. You're working diligently on advancing your business, growing your customer...

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