Leap Before You Write That Letter Of Apology – Guest Post By Brad Shorr

February 25, 2008 · by Joanna Paterson · in

A while back I ran a post offering some technical tips on writing letters of apology.

Technical tips are all well and good, but Joanna’s February focus on taking the leap got me thinking.

Writing a good business apology really does require a few psychological leaps. Make those leaps successfully, and the words in your letter will quickly fall into place.

# 1 Take the leap and admit you made a mistake

Few of us like to admit a mistake to ourselves, let alone in writing to a customer or business partner. Business is competitive. We don’t like to lose. We don’t like to admit weakness. But have you ever heard a politician or famous sports figure make a public apology that didn’t sound like an apology at all?

How did it make you feel? Resentful? Frustrated? Aggravated?

That’s exactly how a customer will feel if he or she reads a letter of apology that doesn’t apologize. (Let me add that it is not wise to accept responsibility for a mistake that was not yours. That, as my earlier post explains, can lead to trouble.)

#2 Take the leap and explain what happened

People are more likely to accept an apology when they understand why the problem or breakdown occurred.

Yet companies are reluctant to offer details, not only because they are fearful of being viewed as disorganized, inattentive, or incompetent, but because they are uncomfortable revealing the inner workings of their processes and procedures. Get past it. The more transparent you are, the more forgiving customers will be.

# 3 Take the leap and ask for forgiveness

I wish I could say it’s enough to admit a mistake and explain how it happened, but it wouldn’t be true.

Just as sales people must ask for order in orders to receive them, you must ask for forgiveness in order to receive it. It’s a hard thing to do, to ask for forgiveness. But I do believe that in business, as in life, ask and you shall receive.

# 4 Take the leap and give freely

Companies typically offer customers a discount or some other form of consideration to make up for an error – this is good.

However, if the company slips out of apology mode and into negotiation mode in the process – this is bad. Making a gesture of apology in exchange for another order is not much of a gesture, and could have the opposite effect of what is intended.

# 5 Take the leap and do make changes that prevent it from happening again

In many organizations, “change” is a four letter word. But mistakes offer an opportunity for improvement, so embrace them.

Remember – those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Problems apologized for but left uncorrected will be repeated as well, perhaps until they drive customers into the arms of a competitor.

Don’t let it happen to you! Customers are too hard to find these days.

How do you get ready to write a letter of apology? And how do you feel when you get a letter from a business that didn’t make the leap?

Let me introduce you to Brad – although I think a lot of you will know him.

Brad Shorr is a sales and marketing consultant who lives near Chicago, Illinois. His company, Word Sell, Inc., provides strategic consulting, sales training and coaching, and business blog and other online marketing services. His blog explores issues of interest to small and mid-size business – sometimes quite seriously, but often with a touch of humor.

Brad’s also a long-standing reader, commenter, supporter and friend of Confident Writing – and now the first person to guest write here twice! His first post was on 9 Steps to Clear Business Writing.