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.

Communication

Use Simple Language

Why do we use big words?  Do they make us feel smart?  Do they cover-up insecurity?  Whatever the reason, using complicated language to demonstrate competence is our enemy.  It is a certain way to lose the audience’s attention.  Here are three things to keep in mind when considering which words to use.

• Big words are out. All great speeches, advertisements and modern persuasive writing use common everyday language.
• An audience adores someone who can make something complicated seem very simple.  If you have a complex or technical message to communicate first try it out on the most junior person you can to evaluate if it communicates.
• Get to the main point fast.  If you don’t, you’ll lose your audience. 

Balance What You Have to Say with What They Want to Hear.

I was running a publishing company when a mentor told me “George, communication occurs when you balance what you want to say with what the audience wants to hear.”   He was pointing out the problem that when we prepare for a one-on-one meeting, a speech, or written communication we tend to focus on what we want to say and what we want the receiver to do - to the exclusion of considering their needs.   
 
Your message will fail if you neglect to take into account the needs of the reader or listener.  Ask yourself: what are their needs and what is it that would make them more successful?  Put yourself in their shoes and consider: how does the message sound, what’s in it for them, how does it improve their life and how are they inspired?   Consider testing the message on a select few just in case you have missed something that could derail you.