Care Packages

Care packages...How we loved to receive a box or large envelope in the mail when we were college students! As I mailed the first of what I'm sure will be many such packages to my son last week, I thought about how we could offer better client service with a care package mentality. After all, isn't the goal of the package to show how much we CARE about the recipient?

Successful relationships are built when the communicator is:

C - Creative, Credible, Consistent

A - Articulate, Approachable, Award-Winning

R - Reliable, Reasonable, Respectful

E - Effective, Experienced, Encouraging

Package up your best attributes and make it a point to use them to the best of your abilities for your clients every day.

Communication Barriers

Phrases like "communication barriers" are such an accepted part of the American lexicon that we rarely give them a second thought. Sure, communication barriers exist, but what are they exactly? Today's APR study session caused me to ponder a conventional list of these barriers and develop a corresponding list of current examples.

Barrier - Example:

Fuzzy language - Collateral damage
Misalignment with culture and values - Smoking in public in California
History of distrust - Big tobacco
Distractions - Blackberry/iPhone
Negative influencers - Global warming
Spokespeople with no credibility - John & Kate on marriage
Unreliable media - Polarizing radio talk show hosts
Gatekeepers - Apple's management team
Unfamiliar media - Twitter for the majority of Americans who don't tweet