AS I ALWAYS SAY whether I’m talking with my kids or a client, don’t use a big word when a diminutive one will suffice.
I just came across this (very real) description for a company online:
Leveraging synergies to set the underpinning architecture to the overarching policy structure that governs processes to ensure that a global solution is provided to meet the increasingly demanding needs of the system in a world where change is the only constant.
Can you tell from this description what the company does?? Me neither… And it doesn’t help that the company name is an acronym.
I call this corporate gobbledygook, likely created by a large committee. It’s a waste of space. They’re trying to sound ‘highbrow’…but this emperor has no cloths.
Say What You Mean
In the over-communicated world that we live in your small business clients and prospects don’t have the time to figure out what you’re trying to say. Say what you mean and get on with it!
As small business owners the temptation is always there to want to make ourselves seem bigger than we are…however trying to sound like an over bloated corporation, speaking ‘corporate speak’ will do more damage to your growing small business than good.
Honesty Sells
As John Jantsch, author of The Referral Engine (Portfolio, 2010) says “…capture what’s real about your product or service. Honesty sells…”. In The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White (Longman, 2008) which is a must for anyone who writes BTW, Element 14 is to simply, “Avoid fancy words”.
When was the last time you looked at your company mission statement? Can you bring it down into “real words”?
Bottom Line: Don’t bedazzle your message with big multi-syllabic words or sentence structures that you need a map to navigate, it will only work against you. Keep it simple. Keep it direct. But most of all keep it real.
Sometimes communicating on multiple levels confuses the message you’re trying to convey. A confusing message will always work against you. Take this protest for example:
All channels of your communication need to be moving in the same direction: visual, audio, text otherwise you’re working against yourself.
Whether I’m lecturing on the subject of radio, writing for media or how to market your small business, one of my main mantras is that sex doesn’t sell…fear sells! It’s one of those pesky survival instincts that we still carry around from our caveman days.
If your message isn’t relevant to my immediate situation (and survival) I won’t pay attention to it. Craft your message so that it’s relevant to my immediate situation and your message will be burned into my memory.
What’s On Their Mind
Think about what’s on the mind of your potential client as they are discovering your message. Are they exposed to your message while reading a magazine? What’s the subject of the magazine and how can you craft your message to coincide with what they’re thinking about? Perhaps they are exposed to your message in the form of a poster in a hockey arena…how can you create a relevant message to sell your product/service?
Being Relevant
If you’re a home decorator and you’ve decided to attract all of the hockey Moms of your neighbourhood at the arena with a poster, play up the fact that while they’re “…stuck here at the arena, who’s updating the look of your home so you won’t look ridiculous when all the other hockey Moms come over for coco later”…?
How can you make your small business message relevant for the places you’ve decided to do your marketing?
One marketing message for all situations won’t work, you need to make it relevant!
Sometimes the art of communicating ideas is about the art of communicating through color. I’ve been aware of the Pantone annual report for several years, as many other Montréalers do, I have friends who work in the fashion business and use the info religiously to plan their work.
Last year the Pantone color of the year was Turquoise, in 2009 it was Mimosa, in 2008 it was Blue Iris, etc.
Well, this year (2011) the Pantone color of the year is Honeysuckle:
Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.
You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, a color is something that is beyond words…it’s primal.
Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues…[it] may also bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer. – Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®
Color goes inside of you and activates something in your soul, it communicates an idea that just goes without saying.
Color is a powerful communication tool, so how are you going to get it working for you?
Contrary to popular belief I’m not in the voice over business…I am in the storytelling business. Every script I receive is a story in one form or another and I’m hired to tell that story. If you’ve attended one of my lectures you will already know that this is my core approach to everything I do.
That said look at this awesome :30 second story, told without a voice over at all:
Well, I’ve finally gone and done it, I’ve just stepped on to the Twitter stage. After months of considering adding it to my social media network I gave in to the urge. Whether you’re already in it or considering adding social media to your mix of communication devices here are 3 simple rules to remember:
1. Pull, don’t push. Social-media newbies often make the mistake of being too aggressive. Some people might respond to new Twitter followers with a ‘Thanks for following. Visit my Web site for a free … [insert whatever promotional message you’ve seen.].’ Social networks are about conversations that build relationships, not indiscriminate come-ons.
2. Forget about social-network omnipresence. No one expects you to be everywhere, choose the sites frequented by your customers/clients. At minimum, establish a presence at the big three. Think of them this way: LinkedIn is your business suit, Facebook is business casual, and Twitter is the 24/7 ongoing cocktail party.
3. Be yourself. If it’s still available, use your own name as a handle and your headshot as an avatar, even if you’re networking on behalf of your company. I believe that in social media people would rather relate to and build trust with other PEOPLE, rather than brands.
As quickly as social networking media is developing so are the rules of the game. Making yourself familiar with online protocol will smooth your path to online success.
David Tyler is a creative communicator and voice over talent with 35+ years of experience in the broadcasting.
His mantra of ‘Stop Communicating and Start Connecting’ is his counsel to anyone attempting to use media, old or new, broadcast or online.
He writes and lectures on “The Art of Communicating Ideas.”
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