Page 87 - The Voice of Authority

As an effective communicator, your challenge is to un-
derstand that context—and adapt your style to that of the
other person to achieve your purpose. Otherwise, your
conversation will prove to be as fruitless as trying to play
a tennis tournament with someone who refuses even to re-
turn the ball.

Be Repetitious
Businesses run their ads for weeks, months, and some-
times years. Lawyers tell their story as they make opening
remarks, as they question their own witnesses, again as
they cross-examine the opposing witnesses, and as they
summarize to the jury. Television sportscasters describe
the play fans have just watched for themselves. Politicians
insert the same talking points in stump speeches, debates,
and campaign ads. Singers repeat the refrain after every
verse.
Why? People hear what they expect to hear. They don’t
hear what they don’t want to hear. To overcome that nat-
ural tendency to tune out, you’ll need to repeat your mes-
sage in multiple ways, at different times, using different
methods to get your point
across.
According to the latest
research of what actually When someone says, “I
works to communicate a don’t get your point,”
new strategy, for example, adding detail doesn’t
here’s the drill: necessarily do the trick.
Consider the words,
Provide regular up- structure, context, focus,
dates on progress. and frequency. If you get
Celebrate successes as a blank stare, beware.
they occur.

Is It Clear? 75