The Secret to Reviving Boring Communication
As entrepreneurs in a world of constant contact, we are forced to juggle endless forms of communication. From proposals and pitches to emails and lectures, communication has us continuously spinning our wheels. Not only are we ourselves tired, but we are tired of trying to craft messages that get our point across.
It should come as no surprise then that we are desperate to remedy our tired, flat-lined communication styles. But, what’s the cure?
CPR.
Clarity
Clarity trumps cleverness. Our brains are wired for survival, so we naturally gravitate to what is simple, unfussed and easy to understand. When something is clear, you don’t have to think twice about what you’ve read or heard. You’re ready to make the decision.
How can you nix the clutter? First, be a ruthless editor. A fellow entrepreneur recently told me nothing she pins goes out the door the day it’s written or recorded. Make a habit of reviewing something the next day, with fresh eyes, so you can edit out unnecessary phrases and fluff. Secondly, use contractions. Write like you talk and cut to the chase. And while you’re at it, ignore the thesaurus. Stephen King’s On Writing teaches this so well: Yes, you could use a big, frilly word or, you could clean out the junk drawer of writing and use short, concise words.
Personality
People buy from people. So, spice it up! Professional communication CAN show personality. Your spelling, grammar and delivery must be faultless, but feel the freedom to incorporate a healthy dose of character into your communication style.
Resonance
Good communication strikes a chord. Makes our hearts speed up and our heads nod. The most effective way to communicate resonance? It’s to get inside your audience’s head and out of your own.
Using your target’s verbiage is valuable, but also spend time “empathy hacking” as copywriter Ry Schwartz says. Consider these questions:
What do they… Say about this issue? Think about this problem? Do when it comes to this?
By taking the time to disconnect from your own thoughts, you are able to more clearly focus on your audience and ability to resonate with them.
So there you have it: inject a little CPR into your business communications and rev things up a bit!