Communication Should Be Straight Between the Eyes
by Paul Deffenbaugh | 1 November 2019 12:00 am
Communication that is direct gets better results
In political terms, it’s called spin.
This kind of obfuscation is especially prevalent in online situations. I recently visited a company website and for the life of me I could not figure out what services they offered. The explanation used so much jargon that only an insider with deep knowledge of the industry could figure out what the company provided.
This is common and a result of the current information environment.
We are all so bombarded with information from so many screens and through so many media channels that subtlety goes unnoticed, only the most direct communications can cut through the constant drone of noise surrounding us.
The consequence of being bombarded with information is that we are all becoming less trusting in the messages we do see. You only need to look to the vast and entrenched divide in politics today to see this is true. We are so cynical that we can’t even agree on facts.
In that environment, where every person encounters your message with an element of distrust, any spin or obfuscation only undermines the trust further, making your message less likely to be heard and believed.
You can’t be successful in business today unless you can build trust. In all marketing materials, you have to say exactly what you mean and deliver the message to your clients and prospects like a bullet between the eyes. Direct. Specific. Impactful. You don’t want people to have to guess at your meaning because the moment they take to guessing is the moment they begin to move onto the next message and distrust creeps into their perception of you, your product or your service.
I have a belief that if you can define the message, you become the leader. With all the publishing platforms at our disposal today, all of us, every one of us, has the opportunity to define a clear message and establish ourselves as an expert and leader. But unless you state that message with clarity and specificity, you are squandering the opportunity.
If you want to build trust, hit them between the eyes.
Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/straight-between-the-eyes/