Know your audience
It doesn't matter how much you know if you don't know your audience.
Persuasive communicators do the work required to understand their listeners and speak their language.
Within every organization there are multiple languages spoken at any given time: the language of marketing, finance, operations, sales, senior executives...
If you want your words to be received, and to create positive change, start by listening rather than talking.
Complete this checklist to ensure you really know your listener(s):
What’s on their mind?
What challenges are they facing?
What opportunities are they chasing?
What words resonate with them? What jargon should be avoided? (Speak their language. Your aim is to resonate; not alienate.)
When you have completed speaking with them, what do you want them to think, feel, and do?
This process is not easy. And, it’s often skipped.
No wonder so much of our communication inspires no action. We’re not speaking the language that lands.
Do the work others aren’t doing.
Get the results others aren’t getting.