Quicky Communication Refresher

I’ve done a lot of posts, workshops, webinars, and platform talks about communication, so here’s a quick reminder of some of the key points we’ve covered:

● Shorter is better than longer

● When it has to be longer, chunk it up for easy digestion.

● Spellcheck and predictive typing can save your day.

● Spellcheck and predictive typing can ruin your day.

● Dn’t froget two prufreade!

● We all love visuals and graphics. Use them liberally.

● We all love stories. Make them work for you.

● Use point form where you can.

● We all have the attention span of a gna…. What?

● It’s not about you, it’s about them.

● If they don’t trust you, they won’t listen. First build trust.

● Speak to the heart first and the head will follow.

● Your job is to get the listener across a scary bridge
and over the learning chasm. Hold their hand all the way.

● Skip the windup.

● Technology, used well, can give you an advantage.

● Technology won’t save you from being stupid or boring.

● You’re not just informing, you’re building a relationship
which will remain long after they forgot what you said.

● Don’t forget what your mother said about counting to ten!

● Reduce word count 10-30% and you will be thanked.

● The most important part is the opening hook.

● The second most important part is knowing when to stop.

Notice that I used bullets instead of numbers. Why? Because 21 numbered points looks like a long list, 21 bullets you don’t notice. Lots of little tricks, right? Want more? Give me a call.

Similar Posts

  • The Income Tax War Act

    It was 1917. Canada was just fifty years old, barely out of colonial status, and deeply committed to Britain’s European war– a war like nothing before, brutal and costly. The federal government was financially exhausted and needed money. The clever solution was a temporary tax on personal and corporate income. Temporary, yes, but the Finance…

  • The Duty to Align

    We know that the Alignment Principle tells us that everything is peachy when the Giftings of the professional align perfectly with the Needs of the client. The professional gets to be well compensated for doing what he or she loves to do, and the client gets a fair price for the exact result they needed….

  • The Hollow Men

    A friend and fellow Canadian Association of Professional Speakers member, Nathalie Plamondon-Thomas (https://thinkyourself.com/) , recently wrote “Studies reveal that 85% of people suffer from a lack of self-confidence, while 70% admit to experiencing imposter syndrome.” What I’m sorry to report is that this applies, perhaps even more so, to professionals and entrepreneurs. You see it…

  • Meic and the Sticks

    My dog Meic is a very clever fellow, if somewhat obsessive-compulsive. He’s highly trainable, so long as you can get him to focus. And recently, Meic has taught me a really important lesson about myself. Meic loves to fetch. Balls, sticks, frisbees, whatever. He’s a natural athlete, flying high to bring down the frisbee or…

  • Corporate Symphony

    Last week I learned about excellent corporate communication the hard way. Long story short: I fell over my dog in the middle of the night and broke my ankle. I spent all next day at the Ottawa General Hospital. Once the pain subsided I had lots of time to observe a large organization communicating internally,…