Straight Talk

"I have something important I'd like to talk to you about. Can you give me a call?" How many times has someone left this message for you? Does it make you wanna rush to give 'em a call? Of course not.

If you're like me, cryptic messages make you assume the topic is going to be unpleasant. I mean, if it was something good they'd have told you, right?

"Hey, I have extra tickets to the football game. Call me!"

When you have something to say to someone, good or bad, don't be ambiguous with your messaging. I guarantee you, "Hey Bill we have a serious problem with that last order, can you give me a call to discuss," will be far more effective than, "Hey Bill, can you give me a call? It's important." Uncertainty = procrastination.

The rule holds true for all dialog. If you're writing an advertisement, tell the customer exactly what to expect when they come to your store, or visit your website. If you're an author, don't get fancy with your words trying to "lead" people to some big payoff down the road. We're all too jaded to take the bait.

Set clear expectations with people. Being wishy-washy or trying to soften the blow of difficult conversations helps no one. If it's going to be easy, there's nothing to worry about. If it's going to be tough, it's going to be tough! Suck it up.