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Brain Circuits
How to be remembered for the right reasons #2: Get into their world
In the second of a five-part series on effective communication for leaders, Robert Vilkelis sets out a four-step framework for translating your expertise into audience impact.
1. Assess your communication. How tailored is it?
Too often, we broadcast from our own domain of expertise, speaking a language of technical details and operational concerns while our audience wants something else entirely: our impact on their priorities. Consider the following statements. Which best describes your approach?
i. “When I prepare my talk, I concentrate on…”
- a. Explaining the details of my topic clearly.
- b. What my audience cares about.
- c. The key decision-makers I must convince.
ii. “My content is…”
- a. Technically precise and centered on operational facts.
- b. Focused on the strategic impact and business benefits.
- c. A blend of data and storytelling to engage everyone.
iii. “When facing an audience with differing priorities, I…”
- a. Include something for everyone.
- b. Speak directly to the most crucial group for my goal.
- c. Stick to my main points and let people take what they will.
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2. Get into your audience’s world
To get into your audience’s world, you must first map it by asking the right questions. Before you plan your communication, ask yourself these empathetic questions:
- What does my audience really do every day?
- What do they genuinely care about?
- What do they value, and how can I deliver it?
- How can I give life to their concerns and prove I can solve them?
Answering these questions shifts your perspective from transmitting information to solving problems.
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3. Apply the “So what?” test
Now you need to translate your message into your audience’s language. The most powerful tool for this is a simple question: “So what, from their point of view?”
For example, I once faced a problem with messy employee application data. In my world, the problem was an operational headache. When speaking to my boss, I applied the “So what?” test.
- My problem: The data is messy.
- So what, from his point of view? We can’t use the data to inform our recruitment strategy.
- So what? It would require many paid hours to clean the data.
A data-cleaning issue was instantly reframed as a strategic blind spot and a waste of resources. The proposal to fix the system was approved immediately.
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4. Prioritize ruthlessly
What if you are addressing multiple “worlds”? The COO wants efficiency, the CFO wants cost savings, and the Head of Sales wants revenue. You cannot be everything to everyone: to be effective, you must prioritize ruthlessly.
Identify the individuals or groups in the room who are most crucial to enacting your goals. While a large group of managers might seem important, if you alienate one C-suite executive with budget authority, you will fail. Focus on the segment of the audience that is most aligned with your goals and has the greatest power to bring them to life. Speak to their world first.
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Key takeaway
Impactful communication is an act of deliberate translation. It requires you to leave the comfort of your own expertise, map your audience’s world, and frame your message in the language of their most pressing concerns.
Authors
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