We are back with the next tip in our better communication series (introduction | tip 1 | tip 2), exploring how to solve business problems through better communication. Let’s dive in with tip #3
Your Business Problem: People are checking out during our meeting. I have no idea if they are engaged or not.
You can lose your audience’s attention in 8 seconds.
In the virtual world, it’s probably even shorter. Yet how often do you open meetings with “Hi, thanks everyone for joining today’s call. Today we are going to talk about…” giving our audience an excuse to tune out. We call this LBOW: Lovely Bunches of Words.
Try: Cutting through the distractions and keeping their attention with a SHARP.
SHARP stands for Stories, Humor, Analogies, References, and Pictures. This is your menu of options to create an engaging experience that provides direction for your audience. Using a SHARP creates an emotional connection with your audience so that the message is enduring and resonates. We are all bombarded with data points, and you have to cut through the noise to connect emotionally and make your message more memorable.
SHARPS are everywhere! All you have to do is live your life to find them. Notice in your day-to-day, personally and professionally, where you can pull stories and references into your messages. No matter where you find them, good stories, humor, analogies, references, and pictures can be a powerful way to communicate ideas in business. They can help you to:
- Explain difficult concepts in a simple way: Analogies and References can help you to break down complex concepts into smaller, more digestible pieces. This can make it easier for your audience to understand and remember your message.
- Make your message more memorable: Stories can help make your message more interesting and memorable. This is because stories are more likely to stick in people’s minds than facts and figures.
SHARPs are powerful; make sure they’re in your messages.
Some Of Our Favorite SHARPS
- Story: JFK’s historic speech motivating and inspiring the nation to reach for the moon.
- Analogy: Inspiration from the Boston Marathon
- Reference: Olympic Gold Medalist, Simone Biles: “Practice creates confidence. Confident empowers you.”
- Stories, Humor and Analogies: Our favorite SHARP user of all time – Sir Ken