There are six things every great communicator does – whether you’re giving a huge keynote or trying to run an effective senior staff meeting. The first: You have a truly provocative, useful idea.
What does provocative mean in this context? It means that your idea provokes attention, thought, discussion and action. The best ideas do more than just grab your attention for a second (that’s what cat videos are for). They make you think. They make you think enough that you want to talk about them with other people. In fact, they are so interesting that you want to act on them.
Interest is entirely subjective. If you’ve got something (an idea, a product, a service) that can really help a particular population, show that you understand their need and have addressed it in an elegant new way. Empathy + ingenuity + accessibility = loyal and devoted fans.
Originality is essential. If you see the same things everyone else sees, you don’t have something to add to the conversation. Thought leadership requires thoughts that haven’t been expressed before. Caution: something stunning, saucy, and unique is bound to attract eyeballs – but you must have the substance to win the hearts and minds and keep that attention.
Think of articles you’ve read or keynotes you’ve attended. What ideas have you heard that you not only shared with people but chased them down to discuss? What ideas have you actually acted on? If an idea inspired you to change the way you work or live, it was a provocative and useful idea!
[This post appeared on LinkedIn on 3.3.16.]
[…] your message. Is it provocative, useful, original? If not, start over. Look at your industry. What is being said? How does your message build on or […]