Here’s another installment in my continuing my series on the 7 habits of highly effective communicators.
HABIT 2: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
Know what you want to say and what point you’re trying to make before you communicate it. Begin with the End in Mind means to make a conscious effort to visualize what you’re trying to communicate and how you’d like it to be received. It means spending time collecting your thoughts before communicating and envisioning the gist of your message.
How to incorporate it:
One of the best ways to do this is to create what I call “one sentence to clarity.” It means stepping back, either literally or figuratively, from the words to create a single-topic sentence that quickly, clearly and succinctly explains what you’re trying to communicate. Create a headline, if you will, that will help you keep your message and thoughts on track and, consequently, make it easier for your listener or reader to understand. For example, my one sentence to clarity for this blog post might be: “Give my readers practical steps for better communication based on Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits book.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Stephen R. Covey’s famous self-help book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
The book, which has sold more than 20 million copies, has been called the most influential business book of the 20th century. It stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for five years and has been credited with changing the lives of multitudes of people.
So in honor of the book’s milestone anniversary and its common-sense principles, I’ll be offering my take on the Seven Habits (as they relate to effective communication, of course).
HABIT 1: BE PROACTIVE
Like life, relationships and so many other things, effective communication doesn’t just “happen” by accident. It takes focused energy, thoughtful word choice and leveraging the proper communication vehicle to send, receive and understand a message. Choose to make better communication a part of your life and work.
How to incorporate it:
Proactive communicators work at tailoring their message for relevance, refining it for understanding and improving their communication delivery. Begin by recognizing your areas of strength and opportunity. Then take a small improvement step each day, such as instituting a three-count silence after someone else stops talking and before you start; paying careful attention to not repeat yourself to make your point; or using Twitter to practice concise writing and thinking. Also, consider enrolling in a writing workshop; hiring a communication coach; implementing new-to-you techniques from books and blogs; and soliciting constructive criticism from your boss, peers or others whom you respect.
Are you guilty or innocent of complicating your message and thereby making it less clear? Let’s find out.
Do you favor big words over small ones? If you say “utilize” instead of “use,” you’re guilty.
Have you created your own language by turning a noun into a verb? Really now, if you say “bulletize,” give yourself another guilty.
You’re guilty again if you craft sentences that rival those of Charles Dickens. Learn to self-edit (delete words and condense phrases) and to chop sentences into two or more thoughts.
Are you driven by your organization’s lexicon, throwing buzzwords and acronyms into every (or even a single) sentence? Guilty again. Save the jargon for emails to your boss. Instead, talk to your customers about what matters most to them in a way they (or even your own grandmother) can understand.
Post your worst sentences here and I’ll give a few of them a before-and-after makeover.
1 CommentToday I’ll conclude my series on relevant content (though I’ll continue to address it as a general topic here). Let’s look at our final characteristic: Engaging.
First, let me say that there is no formula for creating engaging copy. That’s because what I find engaging, you might find silly or what you find engaging I might find distasteful. I’ve said this dozens of times before and I’ll say it again … you gotta know your audience. And that means knowing who they are, what they like, how they talk and what inspires them. Only then can you create copy that’s engaging.
Of course, if you don’t know enough (or anything!) about your audience, ask! Talk to your customers, conduct focus groups, do surveys, meet with them face-to-face, monitor what they’re saying online and more. Do anything you can to confirm your audience assumptions. Remember, the more you know about your audience, the more you can speak directly to what is important to them. It’s job #1 to know your audience.
Now, let’s get back to engaging copy.
Engaging, says Merriam-Webster, means: “tending to draw favorable attention or interest.”
What draws attention and interest (in addition to other relevant content such as video, audio or graphics) is, of course, word choice.
Take, for example, Chipotle. They do a great job of engaging their customers through the use of quirky, not-so-usual words and phrases. On the other hand, PetSmart’s product-focused site contains very little verbiage, making it more engaging for someone who knows what they want and is ready to buy.
Engaging content — and therefore relevant content – is whatever draws your reader in and compels them to action. That action can be contacting you, bookmarking your site, buying something, signing up for a newsletter, etc.
So, how engaging is your copy? Does it draw favorable attention or interest? Take my 4-point quiz to find out.
1. When it comes to your audience, you:
A. Never give them a thought
B. Think of them only in a vague and general sense
C. Take them into account when creating web copy but not as much as you could
D. Use copy to talk with them like an old friend
2. When it comes to word choice, you:
A. Love to show off and use big, expository language
B. Prefer the “tried-and-true” language found in your marketing materials
C. Try to include some words and phrases your audience will find familiar
D. Pick words that are fresh, descriptive and easily recognizable
3. First-time visitors to your site would say your web site copy is:
A. Fine or adequate
B. Nice or pretty good
C. Good or better than average
D. So good they don’t see “copy” … they see a solution to their problem
4. Your copy makes your site visitors:
A. Want to click away
B. Experience a little frustration and confusion
C. Get comfortable
D. Feel inspired and connected
Score: A=1, B=2, C=3
If you scored 4-7, give yourself credit for brutal honesty; but realize you’re also missing the mark on leveraging the power of the web for your business or brand. It’s time to invest in a total copy makeover.
If you scored 8-10, you’re right where most people are, which means you have a tremendous opportunity to differentiate yourself from the pack. Breathe new life into your copy with a rewrite.
If you scored 11-12, you’ve got great copy. Give yourself an “attaboy” or “attagirl,” and then make a plan for your next copy move, including adding to and refreshing your copy.
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