Speed Dial:
60-Second Marketing Insight Newsletter
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Get to the Point to Get Your Way: The Secret to Effective Corporate Communications
You're much more likely to get what you want in everyday business communications when you start by giving away the
ending.
Think about what you often deal with now. Rambling memos. Excruciatingly dull reports. Another
poke-a-pencil-in-your-eyeball presentation. Doesn't anyone here know how to cut to the chase?!
It’s not that you’re some self-absorbed egomaniac. It’s that you've got 600 other things to do, and if you just
knew what people wanted & why, you'd take action and then get back to work.
Exactly. That’s what your audience usually thinks, too.
A Simple Four-Step Process for More Effective Business
Communications
The beginning/middle/end approach we learned in school doesn't serve us well at work. Want to
get your way more often? Get to the point. Here's how:
1) Start with your reason for communicating, letting people know why they should care and what
they should do next.
2) State your key conclusion/ recommendation/ need. Briefly.
3) Summarize the 3-5 explanations that brought you there.
4) Repeat what you’d like your audience to do.
That’s all most people want, in terms of effective business communications. Have your backup data ready (and know
it inside & out) in case it's needed.
Hard Work That Pays Off
I've leveraged this process for more effective corporate communications since my early days as
a brand manager. It works. . . and it takes work. You need to understand what you want to achieve. You need to
know what will motivate your audience to share your perspective. You need disciplined thinking and focus.
There's one and only one reason to do all that extra work: it pays off. You'll see real results as you begin
pushing your projects ahead, winning key customers, and aligning people to your views.
So get to the good stuff: when it comes to effective corporate communications, just skip ahead to the
ending! Try it this week yourself, and I'll see you next Tuesday here on Speed Dial.
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"The difference between the right word and almost right one is the difference
between the lightning and the lightning bug."
- Mark Twain
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