Ah...communication.
We all do it.
In fact, I’m communicating with you RIGHT NOW.
But here’s the thing about communication - though it seems to be the simplest thing
in the world, something we're taught when we're young - something that we have deeply ingrained
in our human selves - SO many people seem to struggle with it SO much.
"So.. umm.. you wanna...uh....um..." Peter Parker
"Wanna what?" Mary Jane.
"I don't know" Amazing Spider-man
Whether it’s trying to pitch your idea to a potential customer, explain something important
to someone unfamiliar with a concept, or even just getting the word out about what you are
working on, communication can be tricky.
“It's not easy that's for sure and I don't have the best track record” Juno
[Scene from Whiplash]
So, today’s theme is all about the ways in which I’ve observed companies and people
failing miserably at communicating and what to do about it.
Let’s roll.
“Autobots roll out!” Transformers
My name is Tara and this is ...Truly Social.
The first and most frequent way I see people and companies failing at communication is
by assuming that people are following along with what you are doing.
You’ve heard the old saying, “Assume makes an ass out of U and Me,” right?
Well, as crass as the saying is, it’s true!
The only people who care what you are doing are your competitors and your mom.
For everyone else?
Well, they have a lot of things on their minds.
You need to communicate clearly and effectively.
And no, posting it as a Facebook update doesn’t count.
People are still bound to miss it.
"I must have blinked and missed it' Titus, Kimmy Schmidt
I have a video that's all about this subject.
The second most frequent way I see communications fail is when someone treats their audience
like they are idiots.
“I'm smart you're dumb, I'm big you're little I'm right you're wrong and there's nothing
you can do about it” Matilda
Even when the information is dense, or tricky, you need to treat your audience with respect.
Too many messages either talk down or at the recipients.
People aren’t generally stupid, they just don’t have time to unravel big concepts and
ideas that you've worked for years on. It's YOUR job to make
the message clear and interesting.
The third communication blunder is about not listening.
"You're not even listening to me!"
"No, I heard you. You said a bunch of words, right? Look at this!" Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Yes! You heard that right.
Communication isn’t a one-way stream.
It’s about listening WAY more than it is about speaking.
By listening, you know what is on people’s minds.
By listening, you understand what makes your audience tick.
By listening, you hear feedback and improve your own messaging.
By listening, you know that right now probably not a good time to post that message
because the news is melting down. Again.
[Spongebob yelling and melting down]
So, then how do you become a good communicator?
Number one: Know your audience.
That means listening (like I just said) on a regular basis and understanding what
they are thinking, dreaming, worried about...
It means that you understand their language and rules of engagement.
It also means that you know when to communicate and when to stay silent.
“Alright, zip it” Dr. Evil "You can't even..." Scott
"Zip it!" Dr. Evil, "Z-zih! Zip!" Austin Powers
Sometimes NOT communicating is the best communication course of all.
Number two: Share MORE.
It seems pretty straight forward, but the more you share and the more broadly you share
it, the more likely your audience is to get a glimpse into what you're working on
and, potentially, become interested.
I put out these videos every week and I have close associates and friends who are surprised
that I post them weekly as they only see them now and again.
Number three: Be relevant.
When you DO share, make sure what you share connects to what people care about and understand.
Tie the message back to what they know.
When someone pitches their startup idea, for instance, they will sometimes tie it back
to what the investor would already know.
So: “We’re the uber for babysitting.” or “It’s like Spotify, but for books.”
Number four: Make it a story.
Stories are the- trojan horses of the message world.
When you package your message in an interesting story, it will stick.
Even better if you tell a story that really connects with the listener.
Something that they can relate to.
If you can connect their experience with yours, your message will stick even better.
"That's an attention getter" Smokey and the Bandit
And number five: Get out of your echo chamber.
This one seems pretty self-evident, but it can be one of the hardest things to do.
I see people do this all of the time and stay in their comfort zone,
and only talk to people that already understand their message.
Therefore, never evolve.
I make it a regular practice to tell my story or convey my message way
outside of my usual network and comfort zone. This way I can learn how to get
more and more clear.
It’s messy at first, and uncomfortable. But after talking to enough people and hearing
what they repeat back to me when they start to understand,
I start to recognize what my most clear message sounds like.
And number six: Stop being so precious.
“My. Precious. AHHH!" Gollum, Lord of the Rings
In order to get an idea across, sometimes you have to drop the complexities of
that message.
Let your message get a foot in the door and, once you are in, THEN layer on the nuances
and subtleties and all of the ways in which it's different.
“Smooth, very smooth stuff, very classy, I'm learning a lot from you right now."
Always Sunny in Philadelphia
There are so many people trying to get their ideas heard and messages across every day
and most of these communications fail.
“What We've got here is a failure to communicate" Cool Hand Luke
Good communicators are few and far between, but it’s important to learn from them because
a message or an idea is no good without an audience who understands it.
My name is Tara and this has been ...Truly Social.