How to Share Your Message

Appeal to Everyone

Good leaders are great communicators. I like a rousing speech but am aware that not everyone does. Being able to use words, tone and body language to appeal to all four personality types is how the best speakers reach the widest audience. This applies to managers, marketers and sales people.

It is important to have a clear message and for an audience to understand what happens next. After all, your message is only as effective as its implementation. I hope that you write answers to the three questions I pose each week. If so, you already have a comprehensive framework for managing, marketing and selling to people.

Clarity often means repeating yourself. I tell clients that they have not told anyone until they have told them 10 times. People are stubborn, quick to move on, or want someone else to confirm that going ahead is okay. Your message is most likely to land with an organiser, who co-opts it into the instructions they give others. The clearer you are, the less risk that your message is misrepresented.

Assume Nothing

I worked with a CEO in New York who had a favourite phrase he repeated all the time. People often say “I am assuming that” before making a point. This CEO would pounce saying “Assume nothing”. This served two purposes. It was a way to remind everyone the value of data-driven decisions, rather than guesswork. More than that, it was a clever way to diffuse tension. People often make assumptions about what others think and this is how conflicts start. Rather than assume anything, ask for clarity on an issue before making your point. This will earn you a reputation for being thoughtful and respectful of others.

Whatever level you are at, you must be able to communicate on calls, in meetings and when speaking in public. A clear message makes you memorable, especially when it is delivered in an unexpected way. Comedians are masters of telling a story, while hiding the twist that delivers the hilarious punchline. Your audience is allowed to be one step ahead of you, but never more than that.

I am often surprised by how people find it difficult to explain what they do for a living. A software developer describes the features of an application, while a researcher talks about a project they are working on. You should be able to describe your job and what your company does in ten seconds. For example, I help small businesses scale with processes that I have refined over 30 years of managerial experience. This covers what I do, who I do it for, how I do it and why. Try writing down the role you aspire to this way. If anyone asks why you want a promotion, you have a ready-made answer.

Once you have this introduction you can develop 30-second and minute-long versions. There is no need to run longer, because if you spark interest then people ask questions.

The ADVISE Model

When presenting, I use the ADVISE model to maintain focus on my message and to speak without notes. After any presentation, the audience forgets about half of it within an hour. A week later they may remember 10% and you want that element to be your message. Here’s how the model works:

Alert – a question or bold statement that grabs attention. It must be related to your topic and the answer to the question be yes. For example, when presenting the ADVISE model I ask “Do you want to give memorable presentations?” and not “Do you struggle to get your message across in meetings?”

Define – a second question or statement that clarifies what you will be talking about. It is here I give the statistics about how much of a presentation is forgotten.

Verify – this is where I introduce myself, with my 10, 30 or 60 second introduction.

Illustrate – use a metaphor, analogy or case study to reinforce your message. Use all three when making longer presentations, and include additional case studies.

Summarise – wrap up with a summary of your message in five steps. Note a common problem shared by your audience, highlight the standard way of addressing it and why that does not work. Then note your alternative and the positive outcome it generates.

Echo – a three-step conclusion, noting your message, your solution and the positive outcome to be expected.

The golden rule of communication is not to talk too much. In presentations you must answer the questions forming in the audience’s head. That’s when people think “this person is speaking to me”. In meetings, ask the opinion of others and encourage discussion wherever possible. We don’t learn anything while we’re talking.

Questions to Ask and Answer

1. Do the people I work with know what is important to me?

2. Do those people know why it is important to me?

3. Do they know how to do what matters to me?

Whenever you are ready there are three ways I can help you:

1. The Profit Through Process Planner: My flagship course on how to design and invigorate a business that scales. I share 30 years of managerial experience and the latest business thinking.

2. Resolving Team Conflicts: A free email course tackling an issue that no one ever teaches you as a manager. This is an excellent introduction to one of the foundational understandings of The Profit Through Process Planner.

3. Schedule a Call. I have a dwindling number of spaces to work with leaders one-to-one.