Ms. Dochen

Social Media & PR

Effective Communication: Remember what Mom taught you

By Dee Dee Dochen, Founder & Owner, DDD Marketing Communications

Whatever happened to the hand-written thank-you note? - and other tried-and-true nice-isms that will help you stand out from the crowd...

My friends laugh when I tell them that, as a child, Mom used to have us write rough drafts for thank-you notes. When our 100-year-old grandmother passed away and we were going through her things, we discovered the source of Mom's M.O.: There, in a stenographer's notebook, were pages and pages of thank-you note drafts, written in the hand of dear Grandmother Belle.

Another Mom-ism that I remember lovingly is how she would say, "If you're bored, read the dictionary." Sure enough, that big, heavy book became a fun and often intriguing source of activity, as I'd flip through pages and discover new words.

Any wonder that my brother and I chose careers in the corporate communications world? More than 25 years later, we still agree that our most valuable professional communication education came not from any college course, but from Mom.

For all of us, communication - both verbal and non-verbal - is an integral part of our daily world. And as the world moves faster, as our fingers do the talking, and as the sense of urgency drives our ability to knock out scores of brief, electronically transmitted messages daily, some of the valuable communication skills that our moms taught us run the risk of being overlooked.

Earning an intangible Ph.D. from Mom's School of Communications, and then taking those well-honed skills out into the marketplace, can be the single most influential factor affecting a business relationship.

Curious about what other effective communication skills my friends and colleagues had learned from their Moms, I polled a few. In addition to my brother and me, my source group included a lodging industry sales trainer, a journalist for a major-market daily newspaper, a real estate developer, a national freelance writer, a magazine publisher, an attorney and a couple of very respected public relations pros.

The tips, all tried-and-true, will do more than just make your Mom proud. They just might turn a client's or customer's eyes toward you, rather than to your competitor.

The Power of "Thank You"

When it's Just You

Telephonically Speaking...

That Written Word

Still laughing at the notion of writing rough drafts for thank-you notes? Put some of your Mom's advice to the test. You, your client relationships and your bottom line will be happy that you did.

Dee Dee Dochen, Principal of DDD Marketing Communications since 1994, utilizes a mix of marketing communication strategies to help companies sell more, do more or communicate better. Working with hospitality since 1980, Ms. Dochen helps companies "manage their message" by working solely or with a network of affiliated professionals who share a commitment to excellence and enthusiasm for results. Ms. Dochen is an active community leader, involved with organizations that support the arts, children with special needs, human and civil rights, and education. Ms. Dochen can be contacted at 713-432-7575 or ddd@dddmc.com Extended Bio...

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