A Question Mark or a Period?

Today I want to stress the importance of communication. It seems like people nowadays don’t believe in a question mark or a period when they’re communicating with others. Even with my kids - are you asking me or are you telling me?

When communicating with your clients or with businesses that you work with, you need to be clear about what you’re trying to say and your delivery. There are times when a question is more appropriate, and other times a statement is sufficient. While you can’t control how someone receives what you’ve said, you can control your delivery.

Transcript

0:40

Welcome back to tacos, tequila therapy, and the tea. What's your girl Patrice be? I have been super busy over these last couple weeks, so I missed you guys, but I'm back. I wanted to talk about today. How important communication is, and I do believe that, I have mentioned this to you before, but it has been some things that have just just dropped in my spirit lately when it comes to communication in business life relationships. It's a period on this. I literally believe that people nowadays do not believe in a question mark or a period. When we talk about a question mark in a period, it's how we say things. Are we asking a question or are we making a statement? And this time around it's like, hmm. I have experienced having asked this question amongst my, you know, to my kids like, sir, who you talking to?'cause I got two sons. Y'all know I'm trying to sell often. I do. And that's 25 cents for both, even though the value keeps depreciating. But I've, I've had to say in the simplest form, I asked my oldest son, like, Hey mama, take the car. I need to run up the street. And I have to look at him and ask him, is that a question mark? Was it a period? Because are you me or are you telling me? And sometimes I don't even think people realize that making a statement gets you a certain reaction, and the question mark might be a different one as well. So it's like, who are you talking to? I tell you guys the story. I had a new guest booking an appointment with me. Now, first of all, she hadn't been to the salon in a very long time. She felt like she needed an appointment immediately, and in my mind, that's not an emergency. But customer service was still there, right? Like, Hey, let's see what we can do. And so Well, she booked an appointment. The day of the appointment, an hour before she's supposed to come, she sends me an email stating like, Hey, I've had some car trouble. I have to do X, Y, and z. I am going to be 30 minutes late period. That part was already offensive enough, like you haven't even gotten into this chair and you are now telling me it wasn't a ask of, would it be okay? Should I still come? She then proceeds to double space, go down a little bit more and write another statement of, I did a lot to get this appointment. I prefer not to reschedule. Ms. Ma'am, who are you talking to? And the fact that there's a period, there wasn't a question mark. It wasn't a sense of humility. Hey, I really feel bad for what's happening right now. I really wanna come. No, this woman was talking to me as if it was a statement. You are now telling me and anybody to know me. Now I got to tell you. Let you realize who you dealing with and what are you what, how we function at the design studio, right? But those things happen in relationships as well in our personal relationships. Husband, wife, fiance, boyfriend, girlfriend. Are you asking or are you telling? But sometimes that comes in a different form, right? So having a conversation. With a friend, and when you have, you know, your partner, your wife, your husband, and you are feeling a, some kind of way about the situation, right? But instead of stating like, Hey, I'm not feeling so comfortable with this. Is this what's going on? Right? The statement of, oh, you awfully friendly with them. It is a statement, it's an accusation, and it makes that whole situation differently. So what you get back is fire and feel like, why are you so upset with me? I just asked the question. Well, sentence structure, says that that was a statement, which gives you a whole different reaction when people do not realize the difference between a question mark and a period. and you see it often, and I have been in a space where I've had to, and I hope you guys get something from this too, is that you, I then have to ask the person with a question so I'm clear before I give my response. Are you asking me or are you telling me? Because some people feel like, well, I didn't yell. I may not have snapped my neck. I didn't give any energy behind it. It didn't appear that way. Right. Why would you have a problem? No. The problem is, is that you have made a statement and you're not asking me, you're accusing me before you even ask, or you're telling me something that you're going to do without asking. Is it okay with me? So when you look at the other person as, what energy did I just give back? It isn't always them. It could be in your tone, your energy, or the lack of a question mark or a period. My oldest son learned real quick, like, Hey, when I turn around and I realize his sentence structure wasn't. What I need it to be. Is it a question mark or a period? He changes it immediately and then we discuss it because there's a difference between that. I don't know who you're talking to, and some people don't even realize that they're doing it, but when we are talking about business and how. We are talking to the guests or they talk to us, we have to establish a relationship of how do I want to be treated in my business. I do not assume or make a statement to someone I'm asking, and how can I help you? But I don't know if it's like, Covid or you know, did they get covid a couple times or was it the damn vaccine? Did you get the booster that makes your ass crazy And talk to people like you ain't got no sense, but I don't know who people think they are. Who do you think you are? Who are you talking to? Who we gotta hear ourselves and we learned sentence structure back when we were in elementary school. A lot of us went there. A question mark and a period. Are you asking or are you telling? But yeah, some of these, some of these customers just done lost their mind too. Right. Or some people wonder why they single, but you don't even how to talk to people. You don't even know the difference between the question mark and a period. And sometimes even when I hear it or I see it in the salon of just like, what in the world? Who are you talking to like that? What could that be like at home if you lack it Here, you don't even know how to talk to a stranger who is providing you a service. What does that look like at home? Yeah, TAs, my thoughts. Y'all think it's covid? I don't know. Makes me wonder. How about in 2023 before it is, let's learn the difference between a question mark and a period. How he talks to people determines what you get back in energy. And I guess with that being said, it may not be how you say it, but it's what you say that matters. And while we can't control how someone receives it, we can definitely control our delivery. And believe me when I tell you, even if you didn't yell, have a face, snap your neck. What you said is a loaded statement of a problem. But I'm gonna leave y'all with that this week. Until next time. I know you guys had options and you chose to spend it with me. So thank you, thank you, thank you. And don't forget, follow us on all social media platforms, Instagram, Patrice Starr. The salon is the Design Studio md. Like Doctor or Maryland,'cause that's what I do. Facebook, all of those things, we are out there. Follow us and don't forget to share the podcast. Pass it on, share with a friend, have'em join me. Come on into the T with your girl, Patrice. Be and have a wonderful day on purpose.