PSA: A client in Lisbon told me my work emails were 'too formal and robotic'

I started adding one personal line about the local weather or a cafe I liked, and response rates jumped by about 40%. Anyone else get feedback that changed how you communicate with clients from the road?

4 comments

4 Comments

jessica7072mo ago

Wasn't there a guy whose client thought his reports were too cold? He started adding a single dumb joke at the top, and suddenly they loved his "personality." It's weird how one tiny human thing can totally change the vibe.

claire8721mo ago

Wait, was that the same story where the joke was literally just "Why did the report cross the road?" or something equally terrible? It's kinda amazing how a tiny bit of weirdness makes people remember you're not just a robot typing numbers. @the_sam I bet your boss's fun fact thing felt super forced at first, but somehow it just greases the wheels a little. I guess people just need to see that there's a real person behind all the boring data.

park.miles2mo ago

Wait, a single joke did all that? That's wild... feels like we're all just one dumb line away from being "warm" or "cold".

the_sam2mo ago

Honestly, it's all about the small talk. My old boss made us put a "fun fact" in every client update, and it felt so dumb. But it actually worked to break the ice every single time.