Do this before you write to a colleague or customer

A colleague had a bizarre experience recently.

While browsing the website of a well-known electrical-goods company, she idly clicked the Get Help button.

But instead of taking her to an FAQ page or opening a live chat as she’d expected, to her horror, the button started a live video call.

Suddenly, she found herself facing a young and equally startled shop assistant, who was sitting in what looked like the back of a dimly lit storeroom.
 

Constant connection

Call me old fashioned, but this does not feel like progress. I pity the poor soul who clicks that button while scrolling on their phone in the ‘smallest room’.

Yet this fresh customer-service hell nicely illustrates a challenge we all face in our ever-on world of digital communication:

We’re connected to everything, everywhere, all at once.

When we send a message or email, the person who picks it up could be doing anything. If you’re lucky, they might be relaxing with a cup of tea. But they’re just as likely to be busy and stressed, and so a lot less receptive than you expect.

The trouble is that, when we write, we’re almost always in a completely different situation and state of mind from the person who will read it.

We’re usually focused on whatever we’re writing about. We’re dedicated entirely to thinking about it and typing it out. But the reader might be dropping the kids off at school or running late for a meeting.

I’ve yet to hear of anyone who writes reports while stuck in traffic jams. And though I’m sure more than one person has attempted to bash out a proposal during a boring Zoom call, I doubt it ended well.
 

Big mistake

Sure, the reader could be sitting at their desk and just as focused as you. But they could also be in a waiting room, trying to use your document to distract themselves from the whine of a dentist’s drill as it excavates a root canal behind a door just a few feet away.

You just don’t know.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in any business writing has always been to fail to stand in your reader’s shoes. If you don’t get the response you were expecting, that’s often why.

But in the digital world, writing with empathy has become more challenging than ever. So it’s important that you know how to get it right.
 

Avoid the empathy trap

Most of us develop the power of empathy at a very young age (around four or five). The trouble is that it’s all too easy to forget to use it when you’re sitting alone at a laptop, especially when you’re facing a deadline.

Millions of years of evolution have programmed us to focus on ourselves and our own priorities when we’re stressed or under pressure. Zooming out to imagine someone else’s needs and wants can be especially difficult.

So here are some resources to help.

First, this article explains how to avoid the me-first mindset in five easy steps.

Then, Catie Holdridge’s detailed, practical guide on writing to customers with empathy will help you connect better with colleagues too.

And this course from our writing experts will show you how to connect with your customers to turn them into loyal advocates for your brand.

But whoever you’re writing to, always remember this: they could be anywhere, doing anything.

Image credit: GaudiLab / Shutterstock

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Author: Rob Ashton

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Rob Ashton is the founder of Emphasis and posts mainly about writing and the brain – a topic he's been researching for seven years. You can read more of his work in Writing Matters – our weekly bulletin of career-building writing advice backed by science.