Communication clarity is really hard in the 21st century… a mantra I have recited over and over in this space. Why is it hard? Because there is so much “noise,” competition for mind share, distractions, news flashes, posts, texts and alerts, emails… all of it conspiring to pull our attentions spans in many directions all at once. I say and write this all the time… this is the world we are living in.
But how do we get heard in that kind of a world? How do we avoid just being another contributor to all the noise?
The best way to compete and be heard in a noisy world is not just to scream louder. We won’t get heard over the noise by making a bigger noise. No. In fact, the best way to compete and be heard in a noisy world is to “show up” and contribute something that is well planned, clear, and has easily-understood value. Make it easy for your audience. Make it clear why they should listen… why you (or your idea) are valuable for them… how you will save them time, or build their bottom line, or make them better at something that is important to them…. what you are asking for… what problem needs to change, and how you will solve it.
We spend a lot of time talking to people in lots of organizations… smart people… thoughtful, diligent people. And we are always amazed how many people make their communication harder than it has to be.
Clear, simple, valuable communication is the answer in a really noisy world. And it starts with your preparation. When your preparation is based on clear and simple questions that you ask yourself, the more likely that you will create communications that are clear and simple. Questions like:
What do I want people to hear and remember?
What does the audience want/need most from me?
What do I want from them?
Why is this topic valuable? Why does this “thing” need to happen? What problem are we solving?
Questions like these, among others, are at the heart of great business communication preparation. And anything that drifts beyond your answers to these questions should be cut away. Get rid of it. It will only clutter things up.
Keep it simple. Ask yourself simple questions. Limit yourself to simple answers. And then build around that.
Don’t make it harder than it has to be.
Have a great day.
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Does your team:
– Overwhelm the audience with too much detail?
– Make things too complicated?
– Fail to ask for what they want or need?
Does your organization:
– Waste time because of poor internal communication?
– Take too long to make decisions?
– Struggle to clarify and frame discussions?
Do your leaders:
– Exhibit poor executive presence?
– Lean on incomplete communication skills?
– Fail to align the organization?
We transform teams and individuals with repeatable toolsets for persuasive communication. Explore training, coaching, and consulting services from The Latimer Group.
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