How Can you be an Effective Communicator?
There are many different answers to this question but let’s consider three important steps in the process of communicating. These are foundational no matter what medium you use. They will serve as our M.A.P.
1. Message: What is it you want say?
First need to determine “what is the key message you want to deliver”?
Try writing this out in one or two sentences. Once you have your key idea, build your presentation around a few simple points to communicate your message. Most people will only remember a few points so try to keep those clear. A little test you can do – after you read this page is to write down as many things as you can remember. I am hoping you get at least the 3 main points - Anything beyond that is a bonus. You can have more than one point but you should keep your main points to a minimum. When was the last time you heard (and remembered) a 15 point message?
2. Audience: Who are you saying it to?
You need to know who your audience is in order to better target your message. People of different ages, cultures, genders etc. all respond differently. Corporations that spend millions to get a message out understand the importance of targeting audiences and use highly targeted advertising. You want to target the right message to the right audience.
Think of this like playing soccer. You must know where you need to shoot the ball in order to score. Otherwise you will spend your time running around the field without ever scoring (although you might score by mistake). Far too many presentations spend too much time “running around on the field” and never cross the goal line. Don’t let yours be one of them. Find the goal and aim at it.
Here is an example to illustrate the importance of knowing your audience:
Your sister just got married and you shot hundreds photographs of the wedding and the reception. You then take them all to work and make your coworkers sit and look at them all. What do you expect the response will be like? Most likely, not a very positive one and a lot of bored looking people. However, if you were to take those pictures and show them to your sister’s and her new husband the response would be completely different.
The key here is to correctly match your message to the right audience. The negative response from your workmates had little or nothing to do with the technology you use to show them the pictures. You could have produced a fantastic high definition video, or had hundreds of beautiful digital photos and you would have had the same response: workmates would be bored (although there might be some interest in the technology you used) but your sister would be thrilled. If you hit the right audience with the right message it almost does not matter what you use. Technology does not make your message interesting!
If you are a missionary on home service and you are speaking to a church that has supported you then they are an interested audience. This is a good place to start. What is it that these people might be most interested in? Not everyone will be interested in everything but that is ok. You may want to ask people in the audience, or the people that invited you to speak – what are people most curious about?
Knowing and targeting your audience is Scriptural. Jesus clearly understood his audience and how to reach them. For example, when Jesus spoke to fishermen he used language that they could identify with.
3. Path: What is the best way to reach your desired audience?
You may have heard it said: “many paths, one destination”. While I do not believe this is true when it comes to salvation I do believe it can be true in communication. There is not one correct way of reaching your audience.
Part of selecting the path is deciding if it will be funny, informative, entertaining, challenging, dramatic, etc. Any of these, or combination of these will work with different mediums but again remember that different people are good at different things. If you are not funny then it may be best not to try to be. Stick with what you are comfortable with or good at.
If Kim is not good at public speaking then perhaps a video might work better. If Jake has great public speaking skills but no ability technically then it would be better for him to speak. Kim could still do some public speaking and Jake could still use video but the key is to rely on your strengths (or the strengths of others – perhaps a friend who has strong technical skills and who would help with a video)
It is never a good idea to use technology just to use technology. You will NOT wow your audience with fly in effects on PowerPoint. Most of your audience has grown up on Hollywood blockbuster type effects so the standard of excellence is very high. What you bring to the table is reality. Think of how popular reality TV has become (and most of it is embellished). People like real life drama that is different from their own life. Share things that are different from what they are used to. For example, perhaps you live in a country with no regular electricity etc. Use some of this to create interest in what you are doing.
Technology is only a tool - a conduit of communication – it is not the goal. It should never get in the way of your message. If do not feel you are able to produce a video or PowerPoint presentation then find some other way to get your message across. If you have the right message aimed at the right audience you will be fine. There is nothing wrong with a simple presentation. Remember people relate to people not to technology.
What pathway you use to reach your audience may also come down to what resources do you have available to you. If you have no video camera then your choices are narrowed down. No video can be preferable to a poorly produced one. Again, there is nothing wrong with simple – using still images from a good quality digital camera can be as/more effective than video if used properly. In video people tend to shoot way too much and make their videos way too long. Leave your audience wanting more not the exit.
Use technology to cross promote your message by using different media. For example, you may find that a regular Sunday morning is just not the right forum to ask for financial support for your ministry. Of course there will be people there interested in supporting what you are doing and you could mention a video is available to those who are, or something like that. A newsletter is fine but with DVDs running at 30 to 50 cents each, it is almost just as cheap to do a video you can give out to people as part of the support package. Or you could put the video online and give people the link to it. A website is also a good place to put general information as well as an area for financial giving.
Conclusion:
When ever you are going to put together a presentation do not forget the M.A.P.:
MESSAGE (what is it you want to say?)
AUDIENCE (To whom do you want to say it?)
PATH (what will you use to reach them?)
1. Message: What is it you want say?
First need to determine “what is the key message you want to deliver”?
Try writing this out in one or two sentences. Once you have your key idea, build your presentation around a few simple points to communicate your message. Most people will only remember a few points so try to keep those clear. A little test you can do – after you read this page is to write down as many things as you can remember. I am hoping you get at least the 3 main points - Anything beyond that is a bonus. You can have more than one point but you should keep your main points to a minimum. When was the last time you heard (and remembered) a 15 point message?
2. Audience: Who are you saying it to?
You need to know who your audience is in order to better target your message. People of different ages, cultures, genders etc. all respond differently. Corporations that spend millions to get a message out understand the importance of targeting audiences and use highly targeted advertising. You want to target the right message to the right audience.
Think of this like playing soccer. You must know where you need to shoot the ball in order to score. Otherwise you will spend your time running around the field without ever scoring (although you might score by mistake). Far too many presentations spend too much time “running around on the field” and never cross the goal line. Don’t let yours be one of them. Find the goal and aim at it.
Here is an example to illustrate the importance of knowing your audience:
Your sister just got married and you shot hundreds photographs of the wedding and the reception. You then take them all to work and make your coworkers sit and look at them all. What do you expect the response will be like? Most likely, not a very positive one and a lot of bored looking people. However, if you were to take those pictures and show them to your sister’s and her new husband the response would be completely different.
The key here is to correctly match your message to the right audience. The negative response from your workmates had little or nothing to do with the technology you use to show them the pictures. You could have produced a fantastic high definition video, or had hundreds of beautiful digital photos and you would have had the same response: workmates would be bored (although there might be some interest in the technology you used) but your sister would be thrilled. If you hit the right audience with the right message it almost does not matter what you use. Technology does not make your message interesting!
If you are a missionary on home service and you are speaking to a church that has supported you then they are an interested audience. This is a good place to start. What is it that these people might be most interested in? Not everyone will be interested in everything but that is ok. You may want to ask people in the audience, or the people that invited you to speak – what are people most curious about?
Knowing and targeting your audience is Scriptural. Jesus clearly understood his audience and how to reach them. For example, when Jesus spoke to fishermen he used language that they could identify with.
3. Path: What is the best way to reach your desired audience?
You may have heard it said: “many paths, one destination”. While I do not believe this is true when it comes to salvation I do believe it can be true in communication. There is not one correct way of reaching your audience.
Part of selecting the path is deciding if it will be funny, informative, entertaining, challenging, dramatic, etc. Any of these, or combination of these will work with different mediums but again remember that different people are good at different things. If you are not funny then it may be best not to try to be. Stick with what you are comfortable with or good at.
If Kim is not good at public speaking then perhaps a video might work better. If Jake has great public speaking skills but no ability technically then it would be better for him to speak. Kim could still do some public speaking and Jake could still use video but the key is to rely on your strengths (or the strengths of others – perhaps a friend who has strong technical skills and who would help with a video)
It is never a good idea to use technology just to use technology. You will NOT wow your audience with fly in effects on PowerPoint. Most of your audience has grown up on Hollywood blockbuster type effects so the standard of excellence is very high. What you bring to the table is reality. Think of how popular reality TV has become (and most of it is embellished). People like real life drama that is different from their own life. Share things that are different from what they are used to. For example, perhaps you live in a country with no regular electricity etc. Use some of this to create interest in what you are doing.
Technology is only a tool - a conduit of communication – it is not the goal. It should never get in the way of your message. If do not feel you are able to produce a video or PowerPoint presentation then find some other way to get your message across. If you have the right message aimed at the right audience you will be fine. There is nothing wrong with a simple presentation. Remember people relate to people not to technology.
What pathway you use to reach your audience may also come down to what resources do you have available to you. If you have no video camera then your choices are narrowed down. No video can be preferable to a poorly produced one. Again, there is nothing wrong with simple – using still images from a good quality digital camera can be as/more effective than video if used properly. In video people tend to shoot way too much and make their videos way too long. Leave your audience wanting more not the exit.
Use technology to cross promote your message by using different media. For example, you may find that a regular Sunday morning is just not the right forum to ask for financial support for your ministry. Of course there will be people there interested in supporting what you are doing and you could mention a video is available to those who are, or something like that. A newsletter is fine but with DVDs running at 30 to 50 cents each, it is almost just as cheap to do a video you can give out to people as part of the support package. Or you could put the video online and give people the link to it. A website is also a good place to put general information as well as an area for financial giving.
Conclusion:
When ever you are going to put together a presentation do not forget the M.A.P.:
MESSAGE (what is it you want to say?)
AUDIENCE (To whom do you want to say it?)
PATH (what will you use to reach them?)
