How Do You Communicate?

News Flash … My name is not ‘Hey’, got it? So, don’t waste your time sending me emails, text messages, or other communication addressed to Hey. They go straight to the great repository in the Cloud and never get opened.

How can you be more effective at communicating with the audience you are trying to reach?

The key is to find common ground to allow communication to occur naturally and seamlessly. For this to happen you must first learn more about the audience you are trying to reach. How do they communicate today and in what form do they like to receive information from others? Also, what does your targeted audience like, or dislike when dealing with people outside their inner circle?

Finally, is there a language barrier that must be overcome to ensure your message is getting through? It has been written in song that “music is the universal language and love is the key”. However, in the business world, it’s not that straightforward. There are 6,912 main languages and 39,491 alternate language names and dialects worldwide. Add to this all the social media jargon (OMG, LOL, #hashtags, etc.) and that’s a lot to deal with when you are trying to start a conversation with the broader marketplace.

So, what should you do (or change) to ensure that your message not only gets through to the intended audience, but is well received and acted upon?

This can represent a major challenge for businesses attempting to enter new markets either regionally or globally that are unfamiliar with local customs, languages and preferences. Here are some tips that will help you improve communication with prospects, clients, partners and suppliers in any market space.

  1. Know your audience. Take time to get to know me before you send out the first email, tweet, etc., or ask me to “Like” your business page on Facebook. People do business with people they know, like and trust. If you don’t take the time to know me and build that bond of trust, then the answer will always be “No” or a no response.
  2. Tailor the message to your audience. Don’t leave them scratching their heads thinking, “Why am I receiving this correspondence, or is he/she talking to me”. Be interesting, and leave no doubt in their minds that this communication is meant for them.
  3. Have something important to say (and say it well). You don’t have to be a great writer to develop content that resonates with your audience. Speak from the heart and/or your knowledge of the topic and your experience, and the value will show through.
  4. Be respectful of their time. Time is money, so net it out! No lengthy Sales Letters.  Give them a summary with links to the details, so they have access to more information if needed. Always stay on topic while moving the conversation (and the relationship) forward.
  5. Keep the content fresh. You will want to periodically change up your headlines, offer, content, etc. to maintain interest and keep them coming back for more. Make sure to include a call-to-action so they know next steps when they are ready to engage.
  6. Don’t over-communicate. I don’t want to see the same tweet or post 5-6 times per day on Twitter, Facebook, etc. from the same source. Refer to #4 above. Send out messages on different days and at different times to ensure they’re seen by a broader audience, and are not viewed as over-kill or spamming.
  7. Select the right media. How does your target audience like to receive communications from third parties – phone, email, text, social media, etc.? If you don’t know, find out. Choosing the right media will enable you to not only reach a broader audience, but could also dramatically improve response rates.

Want to have great conversations with your target audience that will lead to successful future business relationships? Find that common ground to enable you to rise above the noise and establish those seamless conversations, regardless of the language, communication and media challenges.

What you say and how you say it will ultimately create a lasting perception, either good or bad, of you and your business. Before hitting the send button, make sure it’s a great one.

Enjoy the journey!

John

COPYRIGHT © 2021-24 John Carroll

Are You Ready for the Next Wave?

February 10th marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year for 2024. Chinese New Year 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, symbolizing power, strength, and luck. A good primer for this article.

The start of any new year always brings with it a lot of promise, energy and excitement. There are new calendar year business and prosperity plans, New Year’s resolutions, and a high level of enthusiasm and anticipation about the prospects for the future. But let’s be honest … we all start out the year with great intentions, enthusiasm, BIG dreams, and BIG goals.

So, why do those grandiose plans seem to get derailed so early in the year?

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Why Do We Lie?

Yes, this I know to be truth, we all lie. In fact, by the age of four, 90% of children have grasped the concept of lying and it is all downhill from there. According to a study by the University of Massachusetts, 60% of adults cannot carry on a 10-minute conversation without lying at least once. Most lie an average of three times during that brief time span.

FUN FACT: The average American lies eleven times per week. I do not lie that much, so I know some of you out there must be raising this average with all your tall tales. (Probably a lie on my part).

Why do we feel compelled to lie?

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The Next Level of What?

“Take your business to the next level.”

How many times have you read, heard or said this phase, or a derivation of it? Probably so often that it barely registers at this point. Yet we continue to overuse it in describing our goals, or what we want to accomplish for clients. However, have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “The next level of what?”

What exactly does this mystical “next level” look like? Is it fame, fortune, retirement, financial independence, peace of mind? Do you have a clear vision of what the next level means for you or for your business? And what is required to get there?

If you don’t have a clear vision of what the next level looks like, then how do you expect it to become a reality?

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Are You All In???

We hear this question a lot these days, and not just because the World Poker Tour is in full swing. It is a great thought provoking question to consider, particularly if you are struggling in your business or personal life. It is also a question asked frequently in a spiritual context.

However, let’s focus on the commitment that is required to be great and to build a great company.

Are You All In???

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Master Networks CONNECT 2017 event in Allen, Texas along with 225+ other entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the country. It was an excellent two-day conference with great content and inspirational speakers including Chas Wilson, the co-founder and president of Master Networks.

During his talk, Mr. Wilson posed the ‘All In’ question to the general audience and this became a somewhat consistent theme throughout the conference. The All In question essentially boils down to accountability and commitment.

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Are We Having Fun Yet?

Well, 2022 is rapidly coming to a close. So … are we having fun yet?

In the business world we are notorious for putting fun last on our list of priorities as a New Year kicks off, and as a result, never getting to it. We’re so darn busy throughout the year trying to meet our annual objectives and “putting out fires” that we don’t set aside time to have fun.

With what we’ve suffered through these past few years that needs to change.

The negative trends in business as a result of the pandemic, downsizing, restructuring and economic uncertainty have collectively taken a huge toll on the workplace. And a huge toll on the workforce tasked with doing more with less.

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How’s Your Heart Today?

It’s a question I posed to a dear friend recently, for a different reason, who has been going through a difficult time. However, it’s a great question and one we should ask ourselves to start each day.

Why?

Because we’re headed in a direction that will ultimately lead to dark consequences for America and for mankind. Unless we change our thinking, make major societal changes, and fix our heart problem.

Today our country suffers from a heart problem. At an early age we learned to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and love from hate. We were taught to love one another, despite our differences. But is this how we operate in our daily lives?

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Time to ‘Get Your Books’

Yes, this month signals the end of those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer and “Back to School” time for the kiddos. What about you? When was the last time you attended a class or made an investment in yourself? If it has been awhile, then it’s time to ‘get your books’.

“Formal education will make you a living; self-development will make you a fortune.” – Jim Rohn

What is the best way to prepare for future success? By continuing your education and personal development. Although the landscape of formal education has changed over the years the one thing that has remained constant is the requirement for life-long learning and growth.

“People who will be the most successful in our fast-paced global society are those who are able to grasp new ideas and concepts the quickest and put them into practice.”

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Innovation Is Not That Hard

Innovation is something that is sorely needed – in our businesses, in our communities and in our country. Yet despite its benefits, innovation is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.

In the business world, innovation is often described as “The process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. Think of the GE slogan, “We Bring Good Things to Life.” However, I tend to favor Scott Berkun’s definition, “Innovation is significant positive change.”

What does significant mean?

In this broader context, significant is a 30% or more improvement in something. So, you could argue that any time changes are made to anything that results in a 30% or more improvement, you’re innovating. To simplify further, innovation is not invention.

Think of the BASF slogan … “We don’t make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.”

This makes innovation a little bit easier to tackle now, doesn’t it?

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Is Today Your ‘When’ Day?

When will you begin writing that first book you keep talking about? Make a firm offer on the dream home you have wanted? Take that dream vacation? Move your career in a bold new direction? Start the exercise program you have been putting off? If not now … When?

Is today your ‘When’ day … the day your life really takes off?

Stop dreaming and take action. Let’s face it, we are all procrastinators to some degree. It is part of our nature, a part of our DNA. However, if we are going to live the life we’ve always dreamed about, then at some point in time we have to put a stake in the ground and take responsibility for making it happen.

As a child, I was a BIG dreamer and had a long wish list of things I didn’t have. My dear sweet mother had a great way of bringing me down to earth. When my ‘Wish List’ got to be too much for her she would say, “Wish in one hand and poop in the other, and see which one fills up the fastest.”

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