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Once More With Feeling

By Admin | 09 April 2021 | Blog

A new book by Jim Shields. Author of “Three Guys Walk Into a Bar”.

How to lead with intimacy – not complexity.

“Your Call is Important to us…“

Yeah. Right.

We’ve all had it… that instant awareness that we are being communicated to by a company not a person. Whether it’s a phone call, an email, a quote to the press, or even a face-to-face conversation with a “fully trained” customer care advisor.  There are words, sometimes LOTS of words.  There are instructions and information.  But where is the humanity?  It’s as though you’re being assessed and questioned by an alien race trying to learn how we communicate by reading kitchen appliance instruction manuals.

Why does this happen?  I mean, all of this was written by somebody, right?  But somehow, when organisations get to a certain size (especially B2B companies), they seem to strip the warmth and intimacy from everything they say or do. Committee driven decision-making, replication of past mediocrity and end of quarter targets are often to blame. As is the desire to seem somehow “professional”. They make sure the world knows that they know lots about what they do.  And the people receiving that communication, even the people delivering it, know that it is forced, stilted and without real meaning. We know it.

And yet – there are still so many companies that communicate with staff and customers in a way which seems standardised–full of homogeneous platitudes generated by Internal Communications and Marketing Departments.

“This is how we have observed you humans interacting.  We will proceed likewise.”

IT’S TIME TO REMOVE THE ALIEN PROBE, PEOPLE.

It is our firm belief that your performance as a marketer, as an executive, as an internal communications manager or as a citizen can be massively improved by communicating with warmth, intimacy and clarity.

In this instant-access social media age, the corporate world needs to make human connections more than ever before.  Most anthropologists and behavioral analysts will tell you that in order to take advantage of our incredible ability to communicate using our natural talents, we need to develop the ability to create rapport.

This book is designed to help you realise which of your communications are falling foul of sterility – and to help you take a chance on personality.  It will build up your confidence in writing as you speak to real people, and help you make creative communications decisions that will create rapport with your customers or employees.

It might mean taking some risks – but surely the biggest risk is not doing anything at all, and ending up like the white rice of communications. Fitting in with everything – but not really leaving a taste in anyone’s mouth.

We hope you’ll join us in taking that chance, and in starting a movement to connect with your colleagues and customers in ways that are warm, intimate and powerful. And just like that first beaming up to the mothership… we think you’ll enjoy the ride.