Everyone talks in code!

How often have you left a meeting with a customer or your boss telling yourself he likes my ideas. Only to find later that you didn't get the sale or your boss has told everyone that you are crazy.

As we get older it seems to us that everyone talks in code. No one tells us what they really mean. Everything is hidden behind a veil of double talk.

But all is not lost. We found a copy of the code breaking manual on the web site of that well known code breaking magazine, Harpers Magazine.

It's no ordinary code. This is special. We had many discussions before we decided to reveal the secrets of the code to you.

This is the code you need to understand what us Brits are talking about.

It was found on a wall in the European Courts of Justice and released to the world, by a journalist for The Economist (who else we hear you ask) in 2004. We thought it so important to your survival in the world that we have reproduced it here.

We hope it will change the course of the war against failed communication and create the foundation for ongoing successful conversations.

What they say: I'm sure it's my fault.

What is understood: It is his fault.

What they mean: It is your fault.

What they say: I'll bear it in mind.

What is understood: He will probably do it.

What they mean: I will do nothing about it.

What they say: I was a bit disappointed that . . .

What is understood: It doesn't really matter.

What they mean: I am most upset and cross.

What they say: By the way/Incidentally . . .

What is understood: This is not very important.

What they mean: The primary purpose of our discussion is ...

What they say: I hear what you say.

What is understood: He accepts my point of view.

What they mean: I disagree and do not want to discuss it any further.

What they say: Correct me if I'm wrong.

What is understood: Tell me what you think.

What they mean: I know I'm right-please don't contradict me.

What they say: With the greatest respect . . .

What is understood: He is listening to me.

What they mean: I think you are wrong, or a fool.

What they say: That is an original point of view.

What is understood: He likes my ideas.

What they mean: You must be crazy!

What they say: Very interesting.

What is understood: He is impressed.

What they mean: I don't agree, or I don't believe you.

What they say: You must come for dinner sometime.

What is understood: I will get an invitation soon.

What they mean: Not an invitation, just being polite.

What they say: Quite good.

What is understood: Quite good.

What they mean: A bit disappointing.

This may not be a complete list terms used in the code. The sources may be limited. But, it does give an insight into the way we communicate. It gives you a starting point to assess how often, when and where do you talk in code.

Good Luck

Graham and Julie www.desktop-meditation.com

To improve your intuition, initiative and energy levels. Please go to: http://www.desktop-meditation.com It's free.

In The News:
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%2520News/1936770/cid=1254444536ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNF428YEp89lEGtEkW_fCUvIDWjUMwBRIEF: Comcast launches bcustomer service/b improvements in Greeley/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTrading Markets (press release),nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Comcast recently launched several bcustomer service/b enhancements in the Colorado that will improve the way the company serves Greeley, according to a Comcast b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%2520News/1935565/cid=1254444536ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNEAxL6Uo8soPaAUwnHtJVvKzBQGOAAs utility rates increase in Duluth, Minn., so do number of shut-offs/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTrading Markets (press release)/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%2520News/1926543/cid=1254444536ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNEC29ayIy88aeSXTTzo33GZv_7Y7wHard times, but furniture makers not sitting tight/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTrading Markets (press release)/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%2520News/1921067/cid=1254444536ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNGHU0fcJajrAEsoW_pH0NbRbSuKAwQwest cuts nonunion work force/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTrading Markets (press release)/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1254444536hl=ennobrall 196 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/10/prweb1456394.htmcid=1256403403ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNFtJJmAT-z_rbtWYsF4WkjoxO7ivgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=NuD4AIsalE0Jimgurl=www.prweb.com/prfiles/2008/10/10/1456394/gI_0_0_CarnivalUKCare.jpg width=80 height=53 alt= border=1brfont size=-2PR Web (press release)/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/10/prweb1456394.htmcid=1256403403ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNFtJJmAT-z_rbtWYsF4WkjoxO7ivgCare Team Wins Prestigious bCustomer Service/b Award/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPR Web (press release),nbsp;WAnbsp;-/font nobr18 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The award, sponsored in part by the Institute of bCustomer Service/b, celebrates the effect and impact of excellent bcustomer service/b on the consumer and b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_10697194cid=1256502666ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNGL6hIrMCRPO-TrdQFcgQHofymFmgbService/b stars/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fRed Bluff Daily News,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By RICH GREENE-DN Staff Writer Doug Hamblin, Sandy Barnard, Spencer Pike and Whitney Luna receive the Best Junior bCustomer Service/b Award from Shasta b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sundayvision.co.ug/detail.php%3FmainNewsCategoryId%3D7%26newsCategoryId%3D131%26newsId%3D654073cid=0ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNGPtW307PJeZjDUy5RHfRnYiRJ8iAEmbrace bcustomer service/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSunday Vision,nbsp;Ugandanbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1I read with sadness Davies Kamanzi’s letter in The New Vision of September 12, entitled “bcustomer service/b vital for businesses”. He had gone to bank school b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://dailykenoshan.com/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D6919%26Itemid%3D110cid=0ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNEfgFUbXFMkDXJyi5yjXiaamP3BHgDMV bcustomer service/b centers closed October 13 (Columbus Day) for b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Daily Kenoshan,nbsp;Wisconsinnbsp;-/font nobr7 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Division of Motor Vehicles#39; (DMV) bcustomer service/b centers and phone centers throughout Wisconsin will be closed for business on Monday, October 13, 2008, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://jobs.nwsource.com/careers/jobsearch/detail/jobId/13955786/viewType/rss%3Frssref%3Dstnwcid=1256293575ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNGdy3yEXoVAvu5R1iWH92VsgrHBaASenior Business Analyst/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSeattle Times,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr23 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The bCustomer Service/b Finance Strategy and Analytics team is responsible for supporting the bCustomer Service/b Organization. As a Sr. Financial Analyst, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/How-to-Beat-Irksome-Automated-Customer-Service-Systems-64794.htmlcid=0ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNGuDCWZ98Hr_hHOQrPdl_lYIT-H-wHow to Beat Irksome Automated bCustomer Service/b Systems/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCRM Buyernbsp;-/font nobr14 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Jon Yates One of the most enduring bcustomer/b-bservice/b complaints is the poor performance of automated bcustomer/b-bservice/b systems, writes Chicago Tribune b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.courant.com/business/hc-att1009.artoct09,0,351759.storycid=1255565140ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNECl9jm5VjyJZfk0pg_PFdDLAgSnwState Criticizes AT amp; T Plan To Move bCustomer Service/b Jobs/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fHartford Courant,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobrOct 8, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By LYNN DOAN State officials, fearing that ATamp;T#39;s bcustomer service/b will suffer, denounced the copany#39;s plans Wednesday to relocate 60 bcustomer service/b jobs b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.myrecordjournal.com/site/tab1.cfm%3Fnewsid%3D20157037%26BRD%3D2755%26PAG%3D461%26dept_id%3D592709%26rfi%3D6cid=1255565140ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNHLjJzUVZS9_LlXhEACJUWTx9OGaAATamp;T lays off 60 workers/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMeriden Record-Journal/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.norwalkplus.com/nwk/information/nwsnwk/publish/News_1/DPUC-ordered-to-include-AT-T-closure-plan-in-its-review-of-AT-T-quality-of-customer-service-cases2523.shtmlcid=1255565140ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNFPXHINzG0YIcwPz1siE9OdfAiHiADPUC ordered to include ATamp;T closure plan in its review of ATamp;T b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNorwalk Plus Magazine/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp%3FS%3D9145675%26nav%3D3YeXVeidcid=1255565140ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNFN3ll6pGIAMkWS2OiG6VhSZxVFLQATamp;T cuts 60 jobs in Conn./a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWTNH/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp%3FS%3D9145675%26nav%3D3YeXcid=1255565140ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNEiOWVLGOdffl6RQydoxproTf1mfAnobrWTNH/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1255565140hl=ennobrall 47 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://consumerist.com/5062201/melissa--dougs-sky-high-customer-servicecid=0ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNFG01lPaF2_xPFVqokSyVLnrUnb1gMelissa amp; Doug#39;s Sky High bCustomer Service/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Consumerist,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The Melissa amp; Doug toy company helped Tracey#39;s daughter pick up the pieces after she accidentally crashed her month-old block plane into the ground, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/independence-blue-cross-celebrates-customer/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BDDCE8D08-4B15-4A21-B082-A8F7530DE373%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1255897521ei=sFHxSIW4G43W6gOS1dmyBwusg=AFQjCNGv119k6ndf2cepkuWR9uaEXhIspgIndependence Blue Cross Celebrates bCustomer Service/b Week/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobrOct 9, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1PHILADELPHIA, Oct 09, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- In recognition of National bCustomer Service/b Week, Independence Blue Cross (IBC) honors its more than b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
customer service - Google News

Making The Most Of Newsletters

Newsletters can be wonderful tools for communicating with your customers... Read More

Take Care of Yourself Before You Take Care of Your Customer

One of the most important questions people ask when they... Read More

Modern Call Center Solutions - Keeping in Touch is the Key

Call center solutions solve a range of age-old problems. As... Read More

Make Your Customer Your Friend

The simplest way to describe a 'durian' (pronounced doo-ree-ann) is... Read More

I Wont Tell My Lawyer but I Will Tell You

A general counsel of a large international consulting firm told... Read More

Oil Change Customer from Hell or Hoax; You Decide

Evacuation, "E-Vac" Oil System for Oil ChangingHow do most mobile... Read More

Empowering Customer Service Vital

It never fails to amaze me how many companies have... Read More

The Number 1 Rule for Businesses - Be Professional

Have you ever walked into a store and things looked... Read More

11 Moments of Truth

These moments come when a customer or client?1. Hears someone... Read More

Five Ways To Wow Your Client

Running a business is about providing goods and services to... Read More

Be A Resource

What is one of the greatest ways to add value... Read More

Make Sure You Get The Customer Perspective

Businesses that fail, often forget to seek out the customer... Read More

What?s in a Name?

Different people call their Customers by different names. If they... Read More

Sorry, No Customer Service After 4:00 P.M.

A few months ago, I wrote about ingenious styles of... Read More

You MUST Sweat the Small Stuff

It's The Little Things That Make or Break a Small... Read More

Your Voice Print

"Mountains are built one pebble at a time and climbed... Read More

The Dissatisfied Customer

We, as small business people, naturally dislike complaints from our... Read More

Renewing Customer Loyalty

Every business loses customers, but not many do much about... Read More

Dealing with People - Words to Avoid

You probably realise how the wrong tone of voice and... Read More

Customer Service A Chickens Way

Anyone who knows me knows my favorite fast food restaurant... Read More

Five Tips to Calm Cranky Customers

1. Tis the SeasonRecognize that everyone is frazzled during the... Read More

Over Deliver - The Key to Customer Satisfaction

Client satisfaction starts with meeting or beating the contractual obligations... Read More

The Great American Customer Service Unawareness Campaign

Q: I'm so sick of you so-called business experts always... Read More

Get Customers to Stop Calling You--12 Easy Ways to Save Money with Online Customer Support

Despite rumors to the contrary, the Web is not dead.... Read More

Clients?Do You Really Need Them?

Running a successful business takes a lot of energy and... Read More