Management 4-1-1

How do you create a message ensuring your ideas are understood, remembered, and are impactful?

Regardless if you’re talking to a small group of employees, internal counterparts, direct reports or customers – having your message stand out is critical to your success in making an impact.

Below are a few perspectives to communicate your messages in a way people will remember (and yes…please keep your clothes on)!!

Keep it simple: Find your core message, keep it simple and singularly focused.  Sentences are better than paragraphs. Two bullet points are better than five. And easy words are better than hard words.  Same goes for presentations – 3 slides are better than 5. {note: this does not mean to cut down on material to keep it short.  It means make sure your message is focused and communicated in the most concise way possible.}

Lead with the End: When presenting a message, start (and finish) with the punch line.  That is let people know what they should take-away from the message, as well as any expected actions.  Too many times, we wait until the end to unveil the “Ta-Da” moment.  Starting a message with a clear signal of what you want, will allow the receivers to process the information using a different set of “ears”.

Be specific: Abstract messages are rarely remembered.  The more specific a message, the more likely people will understand what you mean and are trying to achieve.  In Chip Heath’s book, Made to Stick, he outlined a story about Boeing’s effort to launch the 727 passenger plane.  He compared the goal of “the best passenger plane in the world” to the goal of “The 727 must seat 131 passengers, fly nonstop from Miami to New York City, and land on Runway 4-22 at La Guardia.”  Having a more specific message of what Boeing wanted to achieve, allowed an organization of thousands to get behind what needed to be done to design the 727.

Tell ‘em why they should care: People remember things when they care about them.  This is equivalent to answering the question, “What’s in it for me?”  Some call this the higher purpose message or the rally cry.  In the end, if you want your message to be remembered – tell them why they should care.

Tell a story: Stories are easier to remember than a set of facts.  Stories can also make a message more tangible and personal.  It could be an anecdote.  It can be a story of how someone overcame a similar challenge. Perhaps a story through the lens of a customer.  Either way, the story should connect the audience with the core message (which is simple, right?).

QUESTION: How do you ensure that your messages are remembered?

Good meetings don’t happen by accident.  They happen because someone has taken the time to prepare themselves and their meeting participants. When you have a well planned meeting - magic happens.  They begin (and end) on-time; massive action takes place during shorter meeting timeframes; and people walk away with a sense of purpose and accomplishment.  And when you have a poorly planned meeting – you can get the meeting from hell.

Here are some ideas to help run a high-powered, results-focused meeting.

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I wanted to share a tip I received a number of years ago, which has greatly improved my business writing style and effectiveness. The simple tip is …. use the first sentence to clearly and concisely tell your reader what you want them to do with the email you are sending. That’s it – pure and simple!

Let’s take a look at two examples of an email I put together. Both emails are asking for the same thing. The first is what I would call an average email, while the second I would consider vastly improved by making one small change.

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Each year, as I approach our annual users conference, Taleo World, we get into the full swing of putting together our presentations. I thought I’d share some thoughts that I’ve picked up around giving good presentations. Hope they help you too.

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