Learning the fundamentals of communication started at a very young age for me. Growing up all of the neighborhood kids walked more than a mile to and from school every day (something NOBODY should do anymore if they are not an adult). But walking to elementary school for me was normal and it gave me a great sense of how to effectively communicate. It taught me something very common that just isn’t quite so common anymore… common sense.
My common sense has brought me a long way in life and I’ve turned learning common communication skills as a kid into my major in college. From my education and experience, I like to break communication down into two simple categories, do’s and don’ts.
A few of the communication DON’Ts include:
- Presenting yourself, company, brand, product or services as something they are not
- Claiming your product or service capabilities do things they really can’t
- Confusing people with messaging too difficult to understand
- Getting too technical when the situation doesn’t call for it
- Creating materials that are unappealing and useless
Some of my DO’s of communication are:
- Listen and fully understand a client’s needs before trying to provide the best solution
- Establish a tone of voice and deliver messages clear and concise
- Use consistent language with print, social channels, video, advertisements, billboards, etc.
- In a team environment, relay project deliverables in a manner everyone comprehends
- Deliver completed projects that meet or exceed expectations
This is only a short list because a major key to effective communication is to keep it simple. Don’t get too wordy. There is so much information out there these days someone will move on, quickly. No one should have to read too much to understand simple things like; what your point is, what you can do for them, why they need what you are talking about, how they can benefit from it and when they can get it. Don’t just speak. Strategize, plan, coordinate and then communicate messages clearly for the best impact.