Have you ever purchased a new product or service only to be confused by the unclear directions given regarding its usage or assembly?

Recently, I went to a big box office supply store and bought colored gel pens.  When I opened the package to start my project I just couldn’t get any of the pens to write and ended up just putting them aside on my desk.  I was in the same store the other day and at the cashier desk the store was featuring the pens so I asked for a piece of scratch paper and selected a sample pen to see if I could get it to write.  The clerk proceeded to tell me that there is a very tiny cover over the top of the pen that needs to be removed in order for the pens to write.  I am now using the pens I purchased thanks to the chance encounter at the cash register!  These pens were produced by a name brand manufacturer that has been in business for years.  Yet when I reexamined the packaging no where does it state anything about the tiny protective caps on the pens.  Instead the manufacturer assumes the user will figure it out.

And speaking of pens… Even the government makes mistakes when it comes to clear, concise directions.  The census forms many people are now receiving in the mail do not list anywhere in the directions for this standardized form whether to mark answers with a pencil or pen.  Turns out when you call the census phone lines the answer is blue ink is preferred so the answers are clearly seen by the scanners.  Because this information is not listed in the 16 page direction booklet, there will be many census forms returned written in pencil, black ink, red ink, felt tip pens and the scanner may not read them properly.

Problems with unclear directions don’t happen with just pens.  These types of situations happen every day including at your business.

For example: When you’re giving directions to employees, including your management staff, are you giving clear, concise directions?  Or do you often assume that your directions are understood?

What about the directions for the products or services your company provides?  Are they written in language appropriate to the end user?

Lost revenues, returned products, customer complaints, delayed projects are just some of the results directly related to unclear directions.  So take a few minutes when giving directions, either verbal or written, and think about whether they are clear enough for who it is intended for.  It will save you and your company a lot of confusion, reduce a lot of stress and not be costly to your business’ bottom line.