Talking Too Much Without Ever Saying a Word

If business owners took the advice I gave pet owners as a certified professional dog trainer, they’d be more heard.

On Day 9 of 30 days of writing every day, I'm being blunt with you. Here is why you feel like you're exhausted communicating with your clients (kids, spouse, coworker).

Are you ready for this?

You feel like you're putting in a lot of effort because... you are.

Chances are, you're doing too much. Saying too much. Expecting too much without providing actual direction. Here are the top translatable tips for dog AND business owners.

GET TO THE POINT & STAY THERE A SECOND 👉

Take out the fluff. You do not need a bunch of adjectives, pleasantries, or thinking out loud in your communication.

Instead of saying, "Leave that alone" say, "Leave it."

Instead of, "Go to bed" say, "Bed."

Instead of saying, "Hey dumb dog, why do you keep begging at my feet?" Say, "Bed."

If you want action fast, make the path to success clear and easy. Reinforce the success consistently. Then give them time to make it a habit. That applies to dogs and people.

Fight the urge to repeat yourself. Sit in the discomfort of quiet after you give a directive, make a suggestion, or offer feedback. Be okay with leaving some details to spare.

STOP REINFORCING ATTENTION SEEKING BEHAVIORS 👉

Whatever is reinforced is more likely to occur more frequently. While negative reinforcement may immediately stop a behavior, it does not contribute to long term behavior success. Said alternatively, it just suppresses the underlying need.

While responding to a text at 11:30pm will quiet the client for the night, it will also reinforce the behavior itself, increasing the likelihood that it will happen again.

Instead of reinforcing attention seeking behavior, ignore or redirect it.

Next time a text comes through at 11:30pm you have two options; ignore it or give a directive such as, "Please send all official requests like this to my email. I will respond during usual business hours."

BREAKING ROUTINES & BOUNDARIES OFTEN 👉

Inconsistency breaks trust in your leadership and decreases the dog's ability to focus on other variables.

As the leader of your client experience, it's up to you to set your boundaries and routines. Make sure you set them intentionally so you're proud and eager to enforce them. There is nothing worse than an unreasonable boundary that you consistently allow (and sometimes invite) to be broken.

JUST GIVE IT TIME 👉

Sustainability takes time to grow. Give your client time to respond. Time to think. Time to decide. Count to 10 before word vomitting all the reasons they need your service.

And while you're at it, give yourself time. Time to grow. Time to settle. Time to dream.

Everything doesn't have to be done RIGHT NOW and some really great things just take some time to gain traction. Start small. Celebrate small wins and up the ante when it's time to stretch.

HERE'S THE DEAL

You don't need to communicate more. You need to communicate better. Clear direction. Consistent boundaries. Less chasing. More patience.

Your clients are not dogs, obviously. But the principles of communication, reinforcement, consistency, and trust are surprisingly transferable.

And if you're exhausted from constantly repeating yourself, following up, explaining, reminding, or trying to convince people to do what you've already asked them to do, maybe the answer isn't more communication.

Maybe it's less.