Tell them, Tell them, Tell them.

A savvy public speaker once shared his formula for effective communication with me.  He said, “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them you told them.”  In other words: 

• Preview the message: 

Summarize what you have to say and why it is important.

• Present the message: 

Give the body or details of your message.

• Recap the message: 

Briefly repeat your message and restate its importance.

Repetition is critical to effective communication because, even though we have two ears, we still miss a lot.

Knock Their Socks Off

Begin Communication Strongly and End with Emotion. 

Jump in with both feet with your first words.  It’s o.k. to appear totally sold-out to your message. Enthusiasm demands attention. Don’t worry if you appear a little fanatical.  Remember, a fanatic is only someone who believes in something a little more strongly then you do.  The reason people respond to such passion is because much of life is so predictable and mundane. Make them feel alive!  Oh, they may think you’re a little nuts -- but that never stopped me.

As you close your talk or write the last paragraph speak from your heart.  Tell them why this is so important to you.  Tell them why this is the right action and why you are committed to it no matter what it takes.  Let them know how you feel, why it is worth taking the risk and how things will be better.  Your passion and emotion will motivate your audience to action.  
 

Great Communication

Share Personal Antidotes and Illustrations. 

If you want to get the attention of an audience and hold their attention, then tell a story. Storytelling is the most powerful means of communication known to man because it’s personal and memorable.  

Storytelling was critical before people could read and write. It is still runs deep in our DNA. Similar to storytelling, sharing a personal antidote or illustration can also engage an audience. This can endear you to the listener because it makes you more real. The listener thinks, “He’s just like me.”  

Whether storytelling, sharing antidotes or illustrations, the result is that the audience’s defenses go down; their attention goes up and they will absorb more of your communication.

"Look at any great enterprise and invariably its mission drives its strategy, not the other way around. And it all starts with a story."  Greg Satell

What is the best way to communicate?

Should what you have to say be delivered in person or through a letter, text or email? 

It is best to communicate in-person when you are trying to persuade, when you want an immediate indication of response, when you are praising performance or when dealing with a matter of discipline.   
 
It is best to communicate in writing when you have a complicated matter to present, when the audience will need time for evaluation, when you are setting policy, or when an in-person meeting is impossible.
 
No matter if we have an audience of one or thousands, whether our communication is spoken or written, take care in how you communicate so our message is received.  It is critical to know the audience, balance what we have to say with what they want to hear, use simple language and use the right method of communication. Doing so will help achieve our desired result: Message Received and Understood.