CLEAR COMMUNICATION: MAKING AN INQUIRY
Imagine the following scenario. You have an inquiry to make either in person or over the phone, and because you know what information you are looking for, you have all your questions prepared ahead of time. When you voice your inquiry you seem to be going round and round in circles and you start feeling that you are not being heard at all. You are frustrated with the other person because you fully know what you want and you are convinced that you are communicating this clearly.
So what is going on? Who is to blame for this impasse? How many of us in a similar situation would point a finger at the person because, “Really, what is so difficult for them to understand?”
Do we ever ask, “Has my communication of the situation been as clear as my understanding of it?”
In many instances when we have a question to ask we understand what we want to get out of the question, but we may not have the right words to ask the question in a way the person helping us will understand.
It is true and fair to believe that having all our ducks in a row beforehand will make the conversation smoother. However, this may also be the inception of our communication challenges.
So how do we communicate for clarity? We can follow these steps.
Please pay close attention to your initial greeting with the person on the other end of the phone or counter, and the response you receive from them. Gauge their demeanour and how they approach the conversation with you. This can be a barometer of whether or not to continue with the interaction. If they seem ready and open to help, pose your question to them. If not, ask for someone who is in a position to help with your specific inquiry.
Briefly state what your inquiry is about. Going into too much detail at the start of your conversation could throw some people off, leaving them to grasp at straws in an attempt to help. Share brief nuggets of relative information incrementally to allow them to process your request.
Pause at intervals to give them an opportunity to repeat back to you what they have understood up to that point. Doing so provides you a chance to clarify any points that might not have been clear enough.
Remember this is new information to them and it could take them longer to catch up to the thoughts you have been mulling over for longer. Be patient and allow them to process the information you share. Try to steer clear of exhibiting any signs of annoyance, impatience or anger, as this might be a sure way of shutting down any reasonable communication.
Where possible, if there is no progress let the inquiry rest for a while and get back to it in a day or so. This allows the other person to find a solution that may be helpful for you and gives you time to clarify any information to help get the response you need.
Whenever we interact with other people, the rules of communication always apply. In etiquette, we aspire to leave a positive impact on anyone we have any form of interaction with. This includes times when we have inquiries or complaints that may be unpleasant. Let us try our best to achieve that by speaking clearly and listening to understand what the other person has to say to ensure positive conversations between us and them.
