Communication – How to get your message across

Anyone who is in the business of communicating information to others will have a basically similar approach; – if they are to be successful that is! Teachers, lecturers, instructors, trainers, coaches or marketers have to have three particular attributes to achieve their aims.

1. In-depth knowledge of their subject plus a High level of skill in a practical subject.
2. Infectious enthusiasm for their subject
3. The ability to Communicate their knowledge, skill and enthusiasm to others.

It is essential to have all three of these attributes; – even two out of three won’t cut it. Here’s why:

Without the knowledge/skill you have nothing to communicate. This knowledge and/or skill must be acquired or you will simply be firing blanks in the direction of your listeners. In an earlier article I mentioned the need to get the attention of your audience at the very start before following up with your information or message. This is very true but you must have a strong and informed message to deliver or people’s attention will soon wander. This applies to marketing sales letters just as much as it does to a teacher’s lesson to a classroom of seven year-olds.

Infectious enthusiasm will communicate itself in the way you deliver your message. When Walls first produced their sausages, the company researched what potential customers thought about when sausages were mentioned. The answer came back overwhelmingly; – it was the sound and the smell of sausages cooking which came immediately into people’s minds. When preparing their first promotional campaign the company realised that they must “sell the sizzle” to really connect with their customers. This is true of any situation where information is to be passed on; as someone once said: “People won’t care what you know if they don’t know that you care.” Learn to “sell the sizzle” whether you are doing a presentation or writing a sales letter.

Communication skills are obviously an essential too. You may have a comprehensive knowledge of your subject and/or great technical skill; you may have the enthusiasm of a nine year-old but if you don’t know how to communicate all that, you might as well give up and become a plumber. (Not that I have anything against plumbers!) People will go away thinking: “He obviously knows his stuff and it’s very important to him, – but I just don’t get it!”

All these three attributes are vital if you are to ‘get through’ to people. If you do the job well your audience/customers will acquire the knowledge that you have, feel the same enthusiasm which you feel and be fully informed by what they have heard or read. You will have succeeded and you will have passed on to others the seeds of success too.