Which sentence sounds more comforting?

10% failure sounds like a lot, right? The way you 'frame' what you are writing has an impact on your customer. Imagine you work at a beauty clinic, and you have to answer the customer who's just emailed asking about a procedure that could go wrong. Your answer is: There's a 10% chance of failure. How do you imagine they would feel?

It is all about the words you choose and what they mean. The idea of failure is usually related to doom and gloom; it never gets the battle hero's welcome! Success, on the other hand, is glorious and met by confetti and victory salute!

Watch this video with Patrick Barry, the author of Good with Words: Writing and Editing. In this University of Michigan workshop, Patrick presents a brilliant example of the effect of the words 'deny' and 'award' on people's choice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywYUU2u76b4&ab_channel=MichiganLaw

✱ Choose your words carefully and make sure they provide an accurate message. What do you prefer? 75% lean beef or 25% fat beef

Photo by rawpixel.com on Freepik Reference: Good with Words: Writing and Editing by Patrick Barry (Book) Why Good Writing Skills Matter In Customer Service by Sarah Brodsky