6 Tips for Communicating in a Way That Truly Resonates
Today we are overwhelmed with messages. Some are just 140 characters long. Others are much longer, but they are constantly bombarding us — trying to lure us to acquire and consume information (then repeat the process over and over). Technology — social media specifically — allows for constant communication, but easy communication doesn't necessarily translate to messages that are received, understood and capable of driving action.
At a time when people are tweeting, blogging, e-mailing and more 24/7, the best way to genuinely connect and create change is via truly human, in-person presentations. Everyone in your organization should know how to present and communicate your messages with clarity and passion.
To help you get started creating presentations that really stick with your audiences, here are a few tips on how you can incorporate repeatable sound bites:
Create crisp messages
Picture each person you speak to as a little radio tower empowered to repeat your key concepts over and over. Some of the most average-looking people have 50,000 followers in their social networks. When one sound bite is sent to their followers, it can get re-sent hundreds of thousands of times.
Craft a rally cry
Your rally cry will be a small, repeatable phrase that can become the slogan and rallying cry of the masses trying to promote your idea. President Obama's campaign slogan, "Yes We Can," originated from a speech during the primary elections.
Coordinate key phrases with the same language in your press materials
For presentations where the press is present, be sure to repeat critical messages verbatim from your press materials. Doing so ensures that the press will pick up the right sound bites. The same is true for any camera crews that might be filming your presentation. Make sure you have at least a 15- to 30-second message that is so salient it will be obvious to reporters that it should be featured in the broadcasts.
Use catchy words
Take time to carefully craft a few messages with catchy words. For example, Neil Armstrong used the six hours and 40 minutes between his moon landing and first step to craft his historic statement. Phrases that have historical significance or become headlines don't just magically appear in the moment. They are mindfully planned.
Make them remember
Once you've crafted the message, there are three ways to ensure the audience remembers it: First, repeating the phrase more than once. Second, punctuating it with a pause that gives the audience time to write down exactly what you said. And finally, projecting the words on a slide so they receive the message visually as well as aurally.
Imitate a famous phrase
Everyone knows the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Well, an imitation of that famous phrase might be "Never give a presentation you wouldn't want to sit through yourself."
The future isn't just a place you'll go. It's a place you will invent. Your ability to shape your future depends on how well you communicate where you want to be when you get there. When ideas are communicated effectively, people follow and change. Words that are carefully framed and spoken are the most powerful means of communication there is.
Nancy Duarte is author of "Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences" and CEO of in-person, online and mobile presentation agency Duarte Design.
