Kittens and Puppies
This has little or nothing to do with kittens and puppies, and it was kinda mean of me to suck you in on emotion. On the other hand, I think the title alone makes my point, because you are now reading this.
We humans are funny about communication – we all respond instantly to the call to the heart, time and time again, yet when the shoe is on the other foot, we tend to use blunt force to make our points.
What grabs attention? Well, obviously kittens and puppies. But so do tanned and buff torsos and ruggedly handsome faces. Little kids, funny hippos, and teddy bears. And have you ever noticed that when you walk into the “drug store” you have no choice but to promenade through the heady scents of the cosmetics section? What about festive music in the department store? They want you to party with their merchandise, right through the cash.
We are who we are: highly emotionally driven creatures. Which then makes me wonder why professionals who make their living communicating with their clients and their public use language which is dryer than dust.
You would never do this yourself, of course, but how often do you receive an important business communication from a bank or a lawyer or bureaucrat which grabs your attention with such scintillating verbal art as “Please be advised that we would kindly like to draw your attention to ….”
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m not suggesting kittens and puppies in professional correspondence, but for heaven’s sake, let’s remember a few things about the way we ourselves respond to communication:
1. We like it brief and to the point.
2. We respond first with the heart, then with the brain.
3. We have the attention span of …… what?
See Justice John Laskin’s comment in the red box, below.
Nuff said.