If I tell you to vote (don’t worry this is not an election or political message, thi is about deminstrating a point with an idea we can all relate to now) for this party, or that a particular policy is wrong – would you immediately accept it? However if I explain why I have arrived at my opinion, might you have a chance to decide if it is valid?
If I tell you I want to go for a lap around a race track, do you know if I am referring to a video game or something real? A Touring Car or Formula One? Am I talking local or overseas? You can not make any of those assumptions, no matter how well you know me unless you ask.
Are you guilty perhaps of the same sins in the way you engage with people?
Do you believe that everyone is truly on the same page as you when you communicate with them? Is there a chance you have skipped over some facts? Perhaps you have assumed a level of knowledge or a view on things based on personal experience without sharing the details?
From the video
When you’re thinking about marketing, how much do you assume what people are thinking and how much do you actually know?
Miscommunication represents one of the biggest stuff-ups as far as marketing is concerned. There is so much that can be achieved if everybody is on the same page. You think about it how many times you’ve had that in your own personal life where you’ve thought that someone thought one thing and what you actually thought was something completely different.
You have to make your communication clear. Don’t assume anything. Make sure people are on the same page. Test it. Ask them. Have a conversation. Because it can make all the difference to the consequences for your business short and long term.
Get the communications right and everything is so much smoother than when you make assumptions.
The intent of a brand is nothing without an explanation
We all know of stories of people who have not spoken to each other in years. Too often the reason is based on a misunderstanding, an assumption one has made about the other. Don’t let your brand be guilty of turning away audience members because your messaging is incomplete.
If for example, your brand wants to be portrayed as helping people, remember it could be easily turned into being seen as exploiting them. The explanation, details, sharing of the background and story needs to be made accessible. It needs to be authentic.
Summary
Remember, marketing is not always about going direct to clients to try and sell them something. You are also marketing your ideas to staff, investors or suppliers. No matter who the target, poor communication can have long term impacts on your brand.
Ask yourself this question every time you put together a new communication:
Will your audience have the same understanding of what you are saying as you have in your mind?
It is always better to assume they don’t have the same perspective or knowledge and explain things in more detail or better yet have a follow-up conversation to check with them.
Sometimes having an independent person, who has limited knowledge of your brand, come in and assess your communications, can be very revealing. By the same token, surveying your audiences will also help you clarify your messages.
Important final tip
If you want clarity – tell a story and don’t just give them the facts. Stories help engage people and are without doubt more memorable than just plain facts.
Take a look back quickly at this article, I have carefully woven through several partial stories to demonstrate what I mean.
Telling stories to deliver key messages and doing it from a position of authority is the key to successful engagement and opens up real opportunities for better quality sales.
Contact us today to have about your marketing messages, Let us help you get on the right path to success.
