Business & Brand Communication: The Impact Of Your Words Matter

Coming from a family of orators – both my parents gave a speech, Voice of Democracy, in a high school competition. It’s quite a romantic story how they met each other. It has given me pause recently when giving professionals feedback on the impact of their communication, the different venues of delivery, and the power of their words.

Where did we miss learning that in each unique venue your communication will land differently? For example, I now know my mother is intellectually stimulated and that is how my father attracted her, with his voice and words. She heard him via radio delivering his speech before she saw him (it got even better since he was rather handsome). The impact of his words was not just WHAT he said, it was with the pace, the fluency and the rhythm of his words and the sounds of his voice combined. Mother said she fell in love with him before she ever met him, just by listening to his message.

How can your communication work for you in the same manner? You might not want everyone to fall in love with you physically, but what if you want them to fall in love with your message, your business, and your brand? Then the impact of your words takes on a whole new meaning depending on how and where they are delivered. A presentation or speech has been the accepted norm of communication over recent years. It is very effective when done well. When you understand all the components of a good presentation, you are on the track to attracting your ideal client, customer and audience with your message…

It is not about having:

• JUST a good opening
• Tell em what you are gonna tell them
• Tell them
• Then tell them what you told them.

That is LAME and very old outdated advice. It’s a recipe for disaster in a world where people can tweets about you, and in 5 seconds,  slam your credibility. If you are thinking all communication is the same in today’s business environment, wake up to the empowered audience.

It is about having:

A speaking style that aligns to who you are as a brand and a speaker.

• An opening that is powerful and has your audience’s FULL attention
• Keeping your message to three main points – our brains like short and sweet
• Bridge and connect your points with good stories – GOOD stories
• A strong close is one that is a piece of the body of your message and ties together at the end and makes everyone go AAHHHHHH

Great places to learn how to be a more effective speaker are:

Toastmasters International – They are an international company that has local groups where you can learn presentation skills at your own pace, with peers as mentors. They use the most effective training I have seen. It allows you to go as fast or as slow as you can handle the learning process. It is orderly, simple and easy to use.

Speakchat – is a community of speakers that focus on up-leveling their skills every year. They are a collaborative group. They are supportive of seasoned, as well as new speakers. They meet via Twitter every Monday using the hashtag #Speakchat at 9:00pm EST.

Another area that is vastly misunderstood: Interviews

That we will leave for my next post: How to have a positive communication impact with interviews.

Image Credits: [flickr / Rusty Sheriff] [flickr / Stewart Ho]