Communication

September 30, 2012

Own the phone

I’m not ashamed to admit that in my youth I spent some time selling credit cards in a call centre – it paid some bills, the people were nice and I learnt a lot. For two consecutive summers, that unexpected call during Corrie was me. Although not the most fun job I’ve ever had, I was actually quite good at it; easily exceeding my target of three an hour, every hour, every day…

One of the reasons I was good at it was that I quickly learned how to ‘own the phone’.

Most people make a call or answer one so they can speak to people. There’s a conversation, a back and forth. It’s a sound-based medium and people expect sound. It struck me that most awkward points in a telephone conversation aren’t when both people are trying to speak, it’s when no one is.

Silence just isn’t what you expect to happen on the phone. It’s awkward, it makes people uncomfortable and they want it to end. So how did I use this little insight to my advantage?

Well, I worked out that when I asked a question and then said nothing, the silence would build pressure. The pressure would build and build. Eventually, the other person would answer. Not because they wanted to, but because they wanted the silence to end. Once they’d answered my question, I knew they’d answer all my questions, that they’d want to avoid that awkward silence.

Now, this little trick didn’t help me persuade more people to sign up for a credit card, but it did mean that people listened to me and answered my questions. They took me seriously and I didn’t waste leads.

The flipside is true too. If you ask a question and the other person doesn’t respond, the pressure builds. If you rush in with another question or clarify your original question, then you’ve lost. Deep down, they know they don’t have to answer your questions. They don’t have to talk to you. You’ve lost that call and you have wasted a lead.

Only one person can own the phone.

September 13, 2012

eBay’s new logo

Today, eBay launched its new, much more pared-back and grown up logo. It’s split opinion, but change always does.

After taking a more considered look at the logo, one clever design element really struck me: the letters look like they’re not standing on the same line. The ‘e’ and the ‘a’ look like they’re behind the ‘b’ and the ‘y’. It’s a neat visual effect that’s been created through clever colour selection and by minimising the spacing between the letters.

It’s a clever nod to the old design. Well done eBay.

September 12, 2012

Will banking resurrect its reputation?

I imagine most readers will instantly snap: “No!” They’re probably right, but some of the language used recently by Antony Jenkins, Barclays’ new chief executive, and his counterparts over at Deutsche Bank, makes me think that it’s not a bad outside bet.

One statement, in particular, chimed with me. Jenkins said:

“Our ability to build a franchise over time depends on our reputation.”

He’s thinking long-term and he’s thinking about reputation. Andrew Hill over at the FT points out that Jenkins isn’t the first bank chief executive to trot out this kind of language, although Citigroup’s Chuck Prince wasn’t battling the kind of heavy regulatory onslaught today’s banking leaders are.

In a previous post, I noted the increase in the level of fines the FSA is levying; I’ve updated the chart to include the 2011 and 2012 figures. It quite starkly demonstrates how much more muscular the FSA is being in its role. Moreover, we know the FSA isn’t issuing fines at anything near the levels its US counterparts are.

So, with a hardening regulatory environment, increasing political scrutiny and a raft of new global, regional and national regulation and legislation heading its way, I think it’s a safe bet that these new attempts to address reputational issues might succeed.