I recently worked with a CEO to prep him for a broadcast media tour. Throughout the whole training, my sage colleague Peter Shaplen kept reinforcing two essential points: keep it simple and make it personal.
TV audiences, who get maybe 1 – 3 minutes to see and hear you, make decisions viscerally. They look up from what they’re doing and make a subconscious judgment – does it seem like you care about what you’re saying? Do you mean it? And then, after making that snap judgment, they might listen to some of what you’re saying, while doing eight other things.
I recently sat down with Renee Pelton, who works with lawyers to design and build the slides they use in jury trials. To persuade a juror, you really have to make things simple. One idea. One message. No complex multi-layered arguments allowed – at least not if you want to win over the jury!
The thing is, keeping it simple is great communications advice for almost every situation. Choose one theme. Use the simplest possible language to convey it. Save the nuance for strategy conversations with your senior staff.
One more thing – make your message personal too. Tell stories. Bonus points for stories about your own experience. Tell us how you feel about what you’re talking about. Why? Because you are a real person. And, lest you forget, it’s real people who are listening to you, whether at your all hands, on TV or from a keynote stage.
So, when you’re stepping onto the CNBC set for your 3 minutes, if viewers unconsciously decide you’re credible and a decent person, that’s your victory. If they hear and retain a fragment of your very simple message, that’s your triumph. In fact, that’s all you really can do.
Less, especially in mass communication, is more.
Communication is the essential last mile in finding and motivating the right teams, acquiring strong allies, powerfully bonding with customers, and capturing mindshare with compelling stories. Nothing will serve you and your vision better than developing exceptional communication skills.
