Where does effective communication start? It’s the appropriate awareness of your audience and engaging with them in the way they are most open to receiving your message.

The problem communicators face is they don’t approach their tradecraft in this way. They make assumptions based on what they “think” their audience looks like and engage them in ways that turn people off or in ways that are easy to ignore.

Become Empirical

To be successful in communicating, first put yourself in your audience’s shoes. As a matter of fact, before even taking this step, find out the kind of shoes your audience has. Don’t assume, instead research and investigate. There is way too much data out there now for any organization not to have a verified view of their intended audience. Here’s a well written article from Forbes on why this works.

Think About the People Who Will Consume Your Content

So now you know exactly who your audience is and what they look like. Armed with this information, you can match the words you use and the ideas you convey to how your audience bests consumes them. This makes your message come across as well-thought-out and shows your audience that you care about what is important to them. It’s all about being genuine.

Don’t Forget Your Audience is Made of Real People

Sometimes organizations get wrapped up in increasing the overall size of their “list”. They begin to measure the success of their program only in aggregations. Don’t lose focus on that fact that your audience is comprised of individual human beings. Each person has different perceptions, perspectives and life experiences. That’s why the most effective communications come from diving deeper into the people that make up your audience.

You’ll Notice the Difference

Do you think that Yoda trained Obi Wan Kenobi the same way he did Luke? No! They are both Jedis, but very different people. How you communicate with your audiences depends on the composition, tastes, desires, needs, and styles thereof. When you decide to start being thoughtful and empirical about your audience – like Yoda – and about the people you are trying to communicate with, you will be more successful.

If you need help trying to figure out how to use or transition to this approach, we can assist. Give 24 a call today!

I think Yoda sums it up best, “Already know you that which you need.”