En väldigt intressant liten post om The art of conversation från Ryan Morrison & MacMillan Ltd..

Tydligen har författarna bakom Cambridge University Press’s kommande publikation Cambridge Grammar of English skrivit ihop några tips - högst relevanta för företag som verkligen vill kommunicera med kunder/användare. Läs hela pdf:en.

  • Conversation is a two-way process. Don’t talk about yourself or just give your own ideas about things. Ask others directly for their views and listen to what they say.
  • Show interest in what others have to say. Remember personal details about them. Be a good listener and give positive feedback to what people say. Ask follow-up questions.
  • Conversations are visual too. Be aware of body language. A friendly smile and tactful humour help conversation to flow. (Maybe that’s the display advertising component? - Ed)
  • Don’t keep changing the topic. It is better to pursue one or two topics than to keep trying to juggle too many subjects. Don’t be afraid of shortish silences. They can allow people thinking time.
  • Be polite at all times. Do not interrupt others too much when they are speaking. However, when you feel comfortable in a conversation, interrupt calmly and in a friendly way to challenge an idea or point of view.
  • Conversation becomes debate when ideas are challenged.

Här också ett litet exempel på vad som kan hända när man engagerar sig i kunder/användare och vad de har att säga - Companies reaching out to bloggers and the viral effect

Ett litet utdrag:

…Kyle [Kyle Johnson - Saturns Communication Director] left several comments to Chris’ post, giving Chris a heads up about online forums for Saturn fans, and inviting Chris to contact him at any time. Many companies are beginning to understand why it’s important to reach out to bloggers, and monitor what they are saying about their company.

But look at this post and take Chris out of the equation for a minute. Notice that as soon as Kyle commented, almost every comment from that point on (including Chris’) were to Kyle. Chris’ readers were obviously excited by having a rep from Saturn stop by, and they instantly responded to the chance to interact with him.