Check out this video, also on surprises!
Right. Let’s go!
Bad communication is predictable and therefore boring. It sometimes contains bad surprises (no-one likes those). Examples:
- The email/presentation/phone call is negative
- You try to impress with 100 words of eloquence when 10 conversational ones would do a better job in less timeIt features over-used phrases and generic images
- You appear to be bored by your own subject
- Your material lacks any emotion or relevance
- You ramble with no clear purpose
- They already know this stuff anyway
Good communication contains good surprises (people like good surprises). Here are some unexpected things that your audience might actually enjoy:
- Something humorous/silly/light-hearted
- Conciseness
- A personal experience
- An original photo
- An item from this morning’s news
- Something improvised
- A combination of some – or all – of the above
What Else?
You’re the expert, right? Invite questions, get a conversation going. Challenge yourself, it’s fun and shows that you know your stuff.
What’s the Point?
Communication should engage your audience’s mind, not just inform!
Conclusion:
Surprise them with something GOOD. Try one or two things from that list (the second list, genius).
Tomorrow: The Objective
Pingback: Points of Articulation -