全部

How can you use active voice to improve communication with clients?

由人工智能和领英社区提供技术支持

Communication is one of the most important skills for client relations. It can make or break your reputation, trust, and satisfaction. One way to enhance your communication is to use active voice, which means that the subject of the sentence performs the action. Active voice is clearer, stronger, and more engaging than passive voice, which means that the subject of the sentence is acted upon. In this article, you will learn how to use active voice to improve communication with clients.

此文章中的业界达人

由社区从 2 条内容中精选。了解更多

1 Identify the subject and the action

The first step to use active voice is to identify the subject and the action in your sentence. The subject is the person or thing that does something, and the action is the verb that describes what they do. For example, in the sentence "The project manager updated the client on the progress", the subject is "the project manager" and the action is "updated". To use active voice, you need to make sure that the subject comes before the action, and that the action is not hidden by words like "by" or "was". For example, avoid sentences like "The client was updated on the progress by the project manager".

添加您的观点

Prabath Bhaskar

Branch Manager at TEEJAN EQUIPMENT LLC
举报内容
Some tips to use active voice to improve communication with clients Put subject of the sentence first. In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. For example: Active voice: The client approved the proposal. Passive voice: The proposal was approved by the client Use strong verbs. Active voice sentences use strong verbs that convey action. For example: Active voice: The team will deliver the project on time. Passive voice: The project will be delivered on time by the team Avoid unnecessary words & phrases. Active voice sentences are more concise and easier to understand than passive voice sentences. For example: Active voice: The client's request was clear. Passive voice: It was clear that the client requested this

已翻译

赞

2 Use strong and specific verbs

The second step to use active voice is to use strong and specific verbs that convey your message clearly and confidently. Avoid using weak or vague verbs that dilute your meaning or create confusion. For example, instead of saying "The team did a lot of work on the design", say "The team created, tested, and refined the design". Strong and specific verbs show your competence, professionalism, and value to the client.

添加您的观点

3 Avoid unnecessary words

The third step to use active voice is to avoid unnecessary words that clutter your sentence and weaken your impact. Unnecessary words include filler words like "very", "really", "just", or "actually", modifiers like "quite", "somewhat", or "fairly", and redundancies like "advance planning", "end result", or "final outcome". Unnecessary words make your sentence longer, less clear, and less persuasive. For example, instead of saying "We really appreciate your very valuable feedback and we will try to implement it as soon as possible", say "We appreciate your feedback and we will implement it soon".

添加您的观点

Jacki Neal

Staffing Industry Exec.| Servant Leader|Executive Mentor| Waitress to Raylan the Wonder Dog | Helped growth companies add 6500 employees
举报内容
I would like to add, avoid the overuse of the words “we” and “I”. The sentence referenced above, “We appreciate your feedback and we will implement it soon" has too many “we” words. The same information can be communicated with the sentence “We appreciate your feedback and will implement it soon". Using too many personal pronouns makes communication self focused.

已翻译

赞

4 Add variety and personality

The fourth step to use active voice is to add variety and personality to your sentence to make it more engaging and memorable. Variety means that you use different sentence structures, lengths, and transitions to avoid monotony and create rhythm. Personality means that you use words and phrases that reflect your tone, style, and brand identity. For example, instead of saying "We completed the task on time and within budget. We followed the instructions and met the expectations. We are happy with the outcome", say "We nailed the task on time and within budget. We followed your instructions to the letter and exceeded your expectations. We are thrilled with the outcome".

添加您的观点

5 Check your tone and context

The fifth step to use active voice is to check your tone and context to make sure that you are not sounding too aggressive, accusatory, or defensive. Active voice can sometimes imply blame, responsibility, or criticism, which can damage your relationship with the client. For example, avoid saying "You missed the deadline and caused a delay", or "We fixed the errors that you made". Instead, use passive voice or a neutral phrase to soften your tone and show empathy. For example, say "The deadline was missed and a delay occurred", or "We corrected the errors that occurred".

添加您的观点

6 Review and edit your sentence

The sixth and final step to use active voice is to review and edit your sentence to make sure that it is clear, concise, and correct. Read your sentence aloud and check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice errors. Ask yourself if your sentence conveys your message, intention, and emotion effectively. If not, revise your sentence until you are satisfied. You can also use tools like Grammarly or Hemingway to help you identify and fix issues with your sentence.

添加您的观点

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

添加您的观点

Client Relations

+ 关注

给文章评分

我们借助人工智能创建了此文章。您认为这篇文章怎么样？

很棒不太好

举报此文章

How can you use active voice to improve communication with clients?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify the subject and the action

2 Use strong and specific verbs

3 Avoid unnecessary words

4 Add variety and personality

5 Check your tone and context

6 Review and edit your sentence

7 Here’s what else to consider

Client Relations

给文章评分

感谢您的反馈

更多Client Relations相关文章

更多相关阅读内容