Adding emphasis to individual words and phrases is essential to clear communication. Emphasis will focus the customer’s attention, clarify meaning, and make your message more engaging.
The January issue of Customer Communicator, the training and motivation newsletter for frontline reps, highlights the importance of emphasis in avoiding miscommunication.
The following example shows how the meaning of a simple sentence changes when emphasis is placed on different words.
To hear the changes, slowly say the following sentence out loud, “I did not say she lost the coat.”
Now, repeat that same sentence, but this time with emphasis on the word in red.
“I did not say she lost the coat.” (If you didn’t say it, who did?)
“I did not say she lost the coat.” (Did someone else lose the coat?)
“I did not say she lost the coat.” (Did you say she lost something else?)
The use of emphasis is a subtle, yet powerful tool, that focuses the listener and clarifies meaning.
Explainers like this appear regularly in Customer Communicator newsletter.