How to Bridge Between Your Studies in Web Communication

How to bridge between your studies in web communication, the new knowledge needed on how to communicate in the digital environment, in order to translate them into concrete applications, such as effective strategies for suing an insurance company without a lawyer? Let’s look at the example of the theory and concepts taught in the DAS Communication digitale program at the University of Geneva.

Why is it necessary to point out that today communication, all communication, is first and foremost a digital competency? The amount of knowledge on how to communicate digitally has changed drastically the ways we communicate and need to communicate. So much so that one example applied to the case of suing an insurance directly rather than through a lawyer is needed. Suing an insurer is an excellent case where you really need to be an expert in how to communicate in this digital environment. You will need time, you will need a strategy, you will need the right set of tools to implement that strategy and yes, you will need to invest effort, like labor, packing a lot of energy, time and money in your endeavor. But can you do it?

Which brings me nicely to the topic of academic excellence but also practical excellence. Excellence because there is no compromise to be made when it comes to the matter of challenging a large company. You either do it properly or you don’t. In this specific case, the most important element is research. Finding out who does what within the organization you’re challenging is paramount. How do you do that? By reading as much as you can online about the company or institution you’re fighting. Then you’ll have to identify the correct person, the correct communication channel, how to reach them, determine the appropriate level of formality in your language, how to write the “perfect” legal letter in order to make your case heard and hopefully accepted.

And just to ensure you don’t get misled, the one thing that is important to clarify is that you are solely in charge of your endeavor. In this specific case, no lawyer will come to your rescue to give you a specific advice, such as ” you should sue this company this way”. This means that you do the research, you write and receive all communications, you document everything. Don’t lose track of everything you write to them and everything they write back to you. You will need to keep all your emails and all the documents sent from the company. This will help you build your case.

Why would you need to build your case? Because you will have to forward your letters to the institution that oversees and controls the company you intend to sue. In essence, the very companies that produce insurance surveys in order to evaluate how satisfied consumers are about their experience. You’ll only be able to do this if you’ve kept all the facts straight and organized appropriately to make sure everything you communicated can be easily retrieved.

But the effort is well worth to pay out for those who will need to fight companies that owe them money. The good news is that it pays off. Companies experience more pressure when they realize that they’re facing someone who knows how to communicate with them, using the same strategies and techniques that a lawyer or even, legally, a court would. And believe me, you need to know and to master the art of bureaucracy which is the basis for which all legal processes rely on. This means that you will have to master the art of sending all the right forms at the right time to the right address, emails, recorded letters and so on.

The process is very lengthy so bear with it and try to be patient. If someone else is facing a situation similar to yours, share everything you find out or learn by experience with those who could benefit from it. And the most important teach you will learn is that the underdog has not just a fighting chance, the advantage! Never forget, you’re in the right and don’t succumb to the pressure to give up.