Chris Shigas, VICE PRESIDENT
Find the Right Message
If you could tell the world one thing about your company, what would it be? Whether you are making a new business pitch, delivering your elevator speech, holding a press conference or chatting with a neighbor, there are global truths for effective communication. Here are a few ideas to make your messages more easily consumed, so you can start changing perceptions and shaping beliefs.
Brevity – The most common pitfall in communication is trying to say too much. The message gets lost. Americans are bombarded with messages. People are armed with television remote controls and are willing to use them. In fact, the average television news sound bite is only seven to 10 seconds long. The average quote in the newspaper is less than 20 words. If you try to say too much, you are actually saying nothing at all.
Simple Sentences – Write your messages like you talk. Use simple sentences. Subject, Verb, Predicate. It is how we verbally communicate. In college, we learn to write term papers in a superfluous scholarly language. Stop it. We want to communicate in a simple language, so that people can digest our messages. The public is not going to invest a high degree of cerebral capital into what you have to say. Let's make it easy on them to hear our messages.
2nd Person – "Tonight at 11, we’ll show you how to keep more money in your wallet." Speaking and writing in 2nd person grabs you. It perks you up. It demands your attention. It wouldn't have the same effect if you heard, “Tonight at 11, we’ll show the public how to keep more money in their wallets.” It almost seems like the latter example is talking to someone else. Poor communicators have a bad habit of talking and writing in third person. You want to communicate directly to your audience.
Branded – Many spokespeople brand well at the beginning of an interview. They use the name of their company or organization in their first answer. But then, it is so easy to fall into a bad habit of using pronouns. “Our mission is this…” or “We are proud of that…” The problem is that you can’t be sure which sound bite a reporter will use. The reporter might not use the branded sound bite from the beginning of the interview, instead choosing one of the later sound bites. Ouch, a missed opportunity. Effective communicators are comfortable branding their organizations and getting the maximum value out of their sound bites. Listen to NASCAR drivers brand their sound bites. They have mastered the idea.
Consistent – Keep your messages consistent across all of your communication tools. Use your key messages in press interviews, on your Web site, in your brochures, on your blog, in your newsletters, in your email blasts, etc. You get the idea. Your key messages should be pervasive throughout your organization. Don’t change your key messages with every press release. You want to hit audiences over the head again and again with your key messages. I am not being literal, of course.
Blunt – I am a big believer in blunt communication. Never assume that anyone will understand an implied call to action. If you want a sale, ask me to buy it. If you want me to call my legislator, tell me. It is important to include a call to action in your messages and don’t be shy. Empower your audience and put your messages to work for you.
