It is said that people don’t remember what you say as much as how you make them feel. So what implications does this have for language learning? It means that it’s not only important that we learn grammar and vocabulary, we also need to learn how to make people feel good. Communication is so much more than simply speaking and understanding words and phrases. There is also a cultural element which needs to be addressed if we are to be good at communication. This is why, in my training sessions, I always ask ‘Who do you want to talk to?’
Understanding our clients and prospects has to go far beyond the translation of their words. We can have the best products or services in the world but if we can’t communicate in a way that makes our clients feel good then they might not notice what we are selling.