I am totally convinced that the most important skill in the world is simply - the ability to communicate well. Most of us shrug off the fact that we don't speak or write well, without realising how much this will cost us over a lifetime. Not just in money terms, but also in emotional terms.

If you don't communicate well, chances are you will never be successful in any business. It's not a genetic thing - anybody can learn the skill, at any point in their lifetime. It's important because this is the basic tool you use whenever you make a sale; or do any marketing; or handle any complaints. Being a human being is about communicating.

Some years ago I discovered this in a big way. One of my clients - in 1989 - phoned to complain about lack of service from my technical team. When I asked my guys for their comments they were astounded. They had spent more than 20 hours researching, diagnosing and fixing the problem. In their dedication to fixing the problem, however, they hadn't wasted time in telling the client what they were up to. And that's why I got the call complaining of bad service. From that moment on we had a simple rule. Keep telling the client what you're doing - even if you're not doing anything! Would you believe that this same client was much happier being told regularly that nothing was happening, than having to wait while we toiled to solve the problem!

But it's not just about dealing with clients. It's also about dealing with your staff and family.

And it's about practising. Just over a year ago I encouraged my brother to start writing to prospects about offshore investing - his field of expertise. His initial efforts were dreadfully formal, as befitted such a sombre subject! But as he became used to writing every 4 or 5 weeks, his ability to communicate via email improved dramatically. Here is a piece from his latest article on hedge funds, which I think is hysterically funny:

I am getting more and more queries about hedge funds. Investors and advisors are piling into this investment medium and (as per usual) many of them are not doing their homework. They hear of fantastic returns at dinner parties and immediately it's off to the races again. Ever heard anyone tell you at the table of the losses they took? It is not fashionable to say, "I invest in a good, solid diversified value fund which gives me a healthy dividend and should provide with a steady return over the next 5 years." In this day and age it is much more impressive at a dinner party to say you are in the money on a bull put spread but are considering buying call options on Harmony as you are bullish on gold, short Dimension Data as it is a crock, bearish Technology because everyone is, long financials because a stronger rand reduces the possibility of higher interest rates, the straddle of lamb is medium rare, you have a stop limit order on the Moet and Chandon that the drunkards at your table are drinking like Grapetiser, and you will give the chocolate mousse a miss and rather settle for a vanilla swap . At that stage you hear thunder and lightning outside, phone your broker in a panic and get the hell out of your position on the weather as you have an option on clear and sunny weather the next day.
[reproduced courtesy of Mike Carruthers who then goes on to explain some of these fascinating terms You will find Mike's free course on offshore investing at canda1@autoresponder.co.za. It's an email course spread over a few weeks, and if you're receiving it you will also get copies of his monthly email - more educational than commercial, and getting more humorous by the issue.]

But the real point I want to make is that the only way for you to improve your communications skills [assuming that they might need some small enhancement] is to practise. That means writing a little more. A good way to start is by putting a bit more effort into emails - where nobody cares if you make mistakes - but where people buy if you write well.

And forget all that nonsense you learnt about grammar in school. Who really cares what an inverted dangling participle is, or why you shouldn't split your infinitives? I don't, and nor does anyone reading your writing. Learning grammar is like being taught to cycle without being allowed to get on the bike! So what if you fall off a few times - that's part of the learning process. If it reads good, it is good!

Increasingly we will be communicating via the written word - email and SMS - and it is really useful to be competent. There are hundreds of great books on how to write well. I have listed my favourites below. [I re-read these every few months to refresh myself.] If you click on any of the titles you will connect to Amazon UK - the bookshop where I do most of my browsing and buying.

The Ultimate Sales Letter - a superb book on crafting exceptional sales letters
Read This! business writing that works - simple, easy to read book on how to write well and get your point across

Having said all of that about writing well, almost every word-processor on the planet has a spell-check facility - and that includes Outlook Express and Outlook [the 2 most common email programs]. Use them! It makes your emails much easier to read and makes you look like a literary genius. Which can't be too bad. Good luck.

© Peter Carruthers, www.petesweekly.co.za

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