Crafting Customer Communication Plans

🔊 Have you ever stayed on a customer‑service call simply because the person on the other end sounded trustworthy? 🎧 Researchers from Beijing University of Technology , the The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Memphis recently tested how different AI voices affect persuasion. Their findings were: • 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. A playful “coquetry” voice actually decreased persuasion, especially for male chatbots. • 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Stern voices were just as effective as gentle ones and, in male voices, even increased customer questions. • 𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲. 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀. There was no significant difference between “young” and “old” voices. What mattered was that older‑sounding voices kept people talking longer. • 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. Using affirmative sentences - particularly in female voices - prompted more customer inquiries, whereas rhetorical questions were less effective. For leaders in banking and finance, this isn’t just academic. Voice is the new front door of your brand. A gentle but confident tone can build trust with high‑net‑worth clients. An affirmative female voice can reassure anxious SME owners. Conversely, a playful chatbot might unintentionally undermine credibility. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿: 1. Audit your AI voice scripts. Are you using affirmative statements that invite dialogue? 2. Experiment with different voice personas. Avoid flirty tones and observe how clients react. 3. Treat voice as part of your CX strategy. Integrate data from calls, chatbots and apps so you can personalize the experience for each customer, because customer empathy is your competitive moat. We’ve moved from building “voices” metaphorically to designing them intentionally. The tone of your AI isn’t just a detail, it’s part of the customer experience. Link to research in comments below. #AI #Voice

A few weeks ago, I was coaching a client involved in a major pitch. He used phrases like, "Moving forward, we will amplify the idea. But first, let's socialize it within the team and set up the next steps which will give us the pillars of the project and which milestones we need to achieve first. It's obvious the low-hanging fruit will be an actionable, easy first piece of the puzzle." After about 20 minutes of listening, I stopped him and asked, "What are you trying to say?" To which he replied, "We haven't really worked that out yet." I said, "Thanks for being honest, because that's what it sounds like." Everything he said sounded knowledgeable and professional, but none of it made any sense. He said, "But that's how everyone talks." Why are you doing this course? Is it to sound knowledgeable, professional, and impressive? Or is it to be effective, have an effect on people, so you can motivate them to do something that will help you both? The key to effective communication isn't about filling the air with buzzwords or sounding impressive. It's about being clear, concise, and impactful. Here are a few tips to ensure your communication is truly effective: 1. Clarity Over Complexity: Avoid jargon and buzzwords. They often obscure your message rather than clarify it. Be direct and clear in what you're trying to convey.     2. Purpose-Driven: Always have a clear purpose for your communication. What do you want your audience to do, understand, or feel after listening to you? 3. Be Honest: If you don’t have all the answers, it’s okay to admit it. Authenticity builds trust and makes your communication more relatable. 4. Action-Oriented: Focus on actionable insights. What are the next steps? What do you want your audience to do with the information you've given them? 5. Engage Your Audience: Make your communication interactive. Ask questions, invite feedback, and ensure you’re not just talking at people, but with them. Remember, effective #communication is not about impressing others with how much you know. It’s about making sure your message is understood, resonates, and motivates action. So next time, before you speak, ask yourself: Is my goal to sound impressive, or to be truly effective? The answer will guide you to communicate more powerfully and authentically. #archanaparmar #leadershipcommunication #leadershipdevelopment #leaders

The Communications Specialist Checklist (Save this 🔖) Before you hit publish, send, or approve, run through this: ☑️ Objective clear? What is this communication meant to do—inform, influence, mobilize, or protect reputation? ☑️ Audience defined? Who exactly is this for? Stakeholders, donors, partners, media, or the public? ☑️ Key message distilled? Can it be summarized in one sentence without losing meaning? ☑️ Right platform chosen? Email, LinkedIn, press release, WhatsApp, website, or media pitch—format matters. ☑️ Tone aligned? Formal or conversational? Crisis-sensitive or celebratory? Context is everything. ☑️ Visual support ready? Photos, short videos, graphics—does the visual strengthen the message or distract? ☑️ Fact-checked? Names, figures, dates, locations. Accuracy protects credibility. ☑️ Call to action included? What do you want the audience to do next—engage, share, attend, respond? ☑️ Timing right? Is this the best moment to release it? ☑️ Measurement planned? What does success look like—reach, engagement, feedback, impact? Clear communication is intentional, strategic, and measurable—not accidental. If you’re in communications, this checklist will save you time, stress, and revisions. What would you add to this list? 👇 #Communications #StrategicCommunications #ContentStrategy #PublicRelations #DigitalCommunications #NGOCommunications #MediaRelations #CommunicationsChecklist

Getting ghosted regularly when you try to book time with your customers? Bad news - it's probably not them. It's very likely you...or at least your emails. Too few CSM emails are receiving training on how to build emails that are compelling. If you need to get that call booked, try to make sure that your email is a VIBE. And by that I mean: V - Value. Make sure you've spelled out the value your customer will get from attending (not just listed your discussion points). Instead of "We're going to dive into roadmap, align on goals, etc) pivot to "We're going to discuss X feature. We'll create an action plan on how this can help your team to achieve Z result." When in doubt, include the sentence "Coming out of this meeting, you should.." I - Individualize. Once you've built a bank of these compelling emails to templatize, don't forget to individualize them. Customize each email to your contact's goals, desired business outcomes, and with key details you know about them or their team. B - Better. Just the act of reading your email should provide insights so impactful they can make your contact better at their role or the project at hand. Provide a key tip or insight up front that's custom just for them. For example, instead of "We'll dive into the metrics" you can share "We'll dive deeper into the 8% lift I've seen recently on team adoption of feature X, and how to capitalize on this momentum." E - Edit. You're providing key insights and value, but you need to do it concisely. So write, write, write away. And then edit judiciously to trim anything unnecessary from your content. Become aware of your filler words (look out for every very, really, and just), remove full sentences that don't say anything new, and make sure you're being crystal-clear in your ask (did you forget to actually ASK them to confirm a time for the call??

This is for everyone. Entrepreneurs, professionals, business owners, job seekers. You send emails nobody replies to. You make presentations people forget the moment they leave the room. You pitch ideas that don't land. It's not because your work is bad. It's because your message isn't clear. I just finished Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller and honestly, it changed how I think about communication. His one line that stayed with me: "If you confuse, you lose." Most of us make the same mistake - we make ourselves the hero. We talk about our experience, our process, our features. But the person on the other side of your email, your pitch, your slide deck? They don't care about you. They care about themselves. Their problem. Their outcome. That's exactly what the SB7 Framework fixes. 7 steps. Works in emails, presentations, proposals, pitches - anywhere you need to communicate. 1. Character: Who is your audience? What do they want? 2. Problem : What's frustrating them? Go deeper than the obvious - the internal problem always matters more. 3. Guide : Position yourself as the guide. Lead with empathy, back it with credibility. 4. Plan : Give them a clear path forward. 3 steps. No jargon. No confusion. 5. Call to Action: Be direct. Tell them exactly what to do next. 6. Avoid Failure → What happens if they don't act? Make the stakes real, not dramatic. 7. Success: Show them what life looks like after. Specific. Tangible. Worth wanting. Use this the next time you write an important email. Or build a client proposal. Or present to your leadership team. ----x------- This post itself follows the SB7 framework. You were the hero. Struggling to get people to listen, act, respond. The framework was the plan. I was just the guide. The CTA - Use it in your next communication. The failure - Keep sending unclear messages and keep getting ignored. The success - Emails that get replies. Presentations that get remembered. Pitches that convert. That's what clarity does.

One of the fastest ways to get ignored in Customer Success is sending a "just checking in" email. It feels polite. It feels low pressure. It usually gets no response. Why? Because it gives the customer nothing to react to. If you are new to CS, here is a better way to write emails that actually get replies and give you useful information: Stop saying: "Just checking in to see how things are going." Start doing this instead: 1. Give context immediately Show them you are paying attention. Example: "I saw your team has not logged in much this week." "I noticed your account is set up, but your first workflow has not gone live yet." "I saw you invited users, but no one has started using the feature yet." Now the email feels real. 2. Ask about one specific thing Do not ask a broad question like "How is everything going?" Ask: "What is blocking your team from rolling this out?" "What has been the hardest part so far?" "What were you hoping this would help you solve?" "Is the issue training, timing, or product fit?" That is how you get actual answers. 3. Make it easy to reply in one sentence Most customers will not write you a long thoughtful email. Give them a simple path: "Is the main issue time, priority, or confusion?" "Would you say this is a setup issue or a results issue?" "Did you stop because of bandwidth, lack of value, or something else?" The easier it is to answer, the more replies you get. 4. Offer one clear next step Do not end with a vague "let me know if you need anything." Instead say: "If helpful, I can send the 3 fastest steps to get this live." "If you'd like, reply with the biggest blocker and I'll point you to the best next step." "If it makes sense, I can send a quick example your team can copy." Now your email is useful, not passive. 5. Write like a person A lot of CS emails sound polished but empty. The emails that get responses usually sound more like: "Hey, I noticed your team got close to launch but seems to have stalled. What is getting in the way right now?" That sounds human. Human gets replies. A simple framework for better CS emails: What I noticed What I want to understand What next step I can offer Example: "Hi Sarah, I saw your team has added users but has not started using the scheduling workflow yet. I wanted to ask what is getting in the way right now. If helpful, reply with the biggest blocker and I can point you to the fastest next step." That will outperform "just checking in" almost every time. New CS teams do not need more follow-up emails. They need better reasons for customers to respond.

Most CEOs Don’t Have Time for “a Quick Call”… Not because they don’t want to connect, but because they need more than just another meeting. If you want to get on their radar, skip the generic meeting request and focus on crafting an email that actually adds value. Here’s how we do it: 1. Pinpoint Their Priorities - Not just “I know your industry,” but actual, relevant details. - Check LinkedIn, press releases, or their company’s website for recent updates. - Mention a specific initiative or challenge they’re working on. Show you’ve done your homework. 2. Connect with Relevant Insights - It’s not about what you do—it’s about how you can help them. - If they’re focused on expanding market share, highlight a success story or actionable insight showing how you’ve helped similar businesses achieve that. - Keep it brief and practical; no one has time for fluff. 3. Be Clear on the Value - Avoid vague promises. State the benefit upfront. -Instead of “We can help you,” try “Here’s how we helped [similar company] increase customer retention by 25% in six months.” 4. Close with an Invitation to Engage - Open the door for dialogue instead of pushing for a call. - A simple “Would love to hear if this resonates with your current objectives” makes it easy for them to respond. --- A well-researched, thoughtful email doesn’t just get noticed—it starts a genuine conversation. CEOs aren’t looking for meetings; they’re looking for solutions. #EmailMarketing #ColdEmail #Personalization #CEOMarketing #SalesStrategy

The customer support team hit every KPI last quarter. 99.2% CSAT. 2.3 minute average handle time. 94% first-call resolution. The CEO said "exceptional performance!" Then I read the actual tickets: Ticket #47291: Customer called about wedding catering delivery that never showed. 150 guests. No food. Reception ruined. Support response: "Sorry for the inconvenience. Here's a full refund and 20% off your next order." Ticket closed in 90 seconds. Satisfaction survey: 5 stars. Metrics: Perfect. But here's what the dashboard couldn't measure: That couple will never use our service again. They'll tell this story at every dinner party for the next decade. Their friends will choose the competitors. The reality: One "perfectly handled" ticket. Lifetime value lost: $12,000. Word-of-mouth damage: Immeasurable. I started digging deeper into other "high-performing" tickets. Found dozens of these stories hidden behind green metrics. A birthday party disaster marked as "resolved." A business meeting catastrophe labeled "satisfied customer." Anniversary dinner failure tagged "case closed." Each one a perfect score in our system. All of them a brand-damaging story in real life. Yesterday, someone watched Sarah from the support team handle a similar call. Customer: "The flowers for my mom's funeral never arrived." Sarah didn't offer a refund. Sarah didn't close the ticket in 90 seconds. Instead, she said: "I'm going to personally make sure we get flowers to the service. What was your mom's favorite color?" Handle time: 18 minutes. Resolution metrics: Failed. Customer retention: Guaranteed for life. We're measuring efficiency when we should be measuring empathy. Tracking speed when we should be tracking stories. The best customer support doesn't show up in quarterly reports. It shows up in customer conversations five years later.

My post about tone of voice was surprisingly well received, so I feel safe to share another opinion.. In business writing, consistency matters more than distinctiveness. Lots of companies tinker with their 'brand voice', when they should fix poor writing in the customer experience. Before I get dragged in the comments: consistency doesn’t mean always having the same tone. It means always writing in line with your values. At Monzo, sometimes we were funny, sometimes we weren't, but we were always warm and friendly even on difficult topics. The standard is improving, but I still can’t see a brand that writes well all the time (even Monzo, though we tried hard and got close). The stronger the voice, the bigger the disconnect. It’s jarring to have a big personality sometimes, and corporatespeak elsewhere. If you have a strong brand voice in 20% of your comms, that’s not your brand voice. The other 80% is. Debt collections, returns policies, customer service responses, Ts&Cs, FAQs. People outside brand marketing look at ads and go: “Yeah it’s nice, but you just want to sell me something.” They feel that way partly because the rest of the writing they see doesn't get the same level of care. A well-written empathetic answer to your problem has a much bigger impact on brand loyalty than a TV ad. Maybe this is why big brand marketing budgets don’t always lead to high customer satisfaction scores. This is a bigger problem if you’re a service company. Brands selling physical products have fewer written touchpoints. But if you're a bank there are thousands of ways customers see your writing, and they are your customer experience. So if you want to be seen as trustworthy, don’t do an ad about the concept of trust. Fix the bits of writing which make you look cold or shifty. It’s much cheaper and more likely to change how customers feel. (Then put the ad out.) Getting everyone aligned behind an approach is tough. Lots of people write or review writing, with different priorities or ideas of what good looks like. It’s why I reframe ‘tone of voice’ as ‘writing principles’. People who work on complex, serious customer comms are more likely to see the value when you explain writing in those terms. It was telling that it was mostly people in brand strategy who had issues with reframing ‘tone of voice’. Writers who spend their time on customer comms, rather than dealing in concepts, were (almost) universally on board, because they understand that it's actual experiences which matter. And you need to win over a lot of people to make those experiences better. Changing writing means changing processes and ingrained habits. How brands write is a reflection of their culture and core values, and a contrast between writing styles shows what a brand really cares about. You're not customer-centric if your legal terms are incomprehensible, no matter how lovely your marketing is. But a company that always writes well all the time? That would be one of a kind.

There's a voice AI team I talked to last month that was celebrating. Their dashboard looked great—78% containment rate, 3.8 minute average handle time, escalation rate down 15% from launch. Then we pulled ten "successful" conversations at random. Three were users who gave up and hung up—counted as contained because they didn't escalate. Two got factually wrong information but didn't realize it—counted as successful because the conversation completed. One asked the same question four different ways, got four different answers, eventually said "fine whatever" and hung up—also counted as contained. Six out of ten "successful" conversations were actually failures. Their metrics were lying to them. The problem is that most teams measure voice AI using call center metrics designed for human agents. Containment rate, average handle time, escalation percentage. These metrics assumed that if a call didn't escalate and lasted a reasonable amount of time, the customer probably got help. That assumption breaks completely with AI. AI can burn four minutes of someone's time, provide confident but incorrect information, and never escalate because it doesn't know it failed. The metrics show green. The customer leaves frustrated or misinformed. Traditional metrics measure efficiency, not effectiveness. They measure what happened to the call, not what happened to the customer. For humans, efficiency and effectiveness were correlated. For AI, they're often inversely correlated—the AI can be very efficient at providing a terrible experience. The metrics that actually matter are different: Did the user's problem get solved? Was the information accurate? Did the conversation break down? Did escalations happen for the right reasons? Did the user accomplish their intent? These are harder to measure. They require understanding semantics, not just call disposition codes. Most teams don't have this infrastructure, so they measure what's easy instead of what matters. The result is voice AI that looks successful in dashboards while quietly failing customers. Teams optimize for containment rate and accidentally optimize for users giving up. They celebrate efficiency improvements that are actually experience degradation. The teams actually succeeding with voice AI have shifted from call center metrics to AI-specific quality metrics. They measure resolution quality, conversation breakdown rate, information accuracy, appropriate escalation, intent completion. Their actual success rate is 20-30 points higher than teams using traditional metrics. If your voice AI metrics were designed for human agents, they're probably lying to you. The question is whether you want to know the truth.