What’s the biggest problem facing business communications today? The overwhelming desire among many people to make things more complicated than they are, or need to be. But simple does not mean “dumb.” And clear does not mean “basic.” Use these four questions to help improve your skills as an effective communicator:

Big Question #1: “What are we trying to do?”

We¹ve all sat in meetings with people who drone on and on with jargon-laden “corporate speak.” Honestly, no matter how complicated something is, it’s not necessary to use a lot of fancy terms to talk about it. In fact, the simpler the better. If you can¹t sum up a marketing strategy or a corporate business plan in a concise sentence or two, there¹s trouble ahead…and not just because your colleagues’ eyes are glazing over with boredom and incomprehension.

Here¹s the problem: Few people ever ask “What are we trying to do?” because they don¹t want to admit they don¹t get it, and because the question itself sounds kind of dumb. But in reality, it’s often a very smart question. If you can¹t get a simple answer to this simple question there’s something inherently wrong with whatever it is that’s being considered.

So next time things aren’t completely clear, go ahead and ask “What are we trying to do?” And keep asking it until everyone reaches a point of clarity that lets them move on to the next step.

Big Question No. 2: “Who are we trying to reach?”

Always consider your audience. Every organization has an audience or multiple audiences that it’s trying to target. For example, internal audiences might include:

– Administrative staff
– Managers and supervisors
– Executives and top leadership

Communication to each of these groups should be tailored to what they need to know and what¹s most important to them. External audiences are the same way. You might have:

– Patients
– Providers
– Payers

Before you do anything, stop to consider exactly who needs to get your message, and what¹s the clearest and simplest way to get it to them?

Big Question No. 3: “What¹s the best way to get there?”

OK. So you know what you want to do, who you want to reach, and what each audience needs to know. Now what’s the best way to get there? There are so many channels of communication available to us these days – print, online, broadcast, face to face, social networking, etc. How does your target audience prefer to get its information? What¹s the most appropriate channel? What about using multiple channels?

We often see print publications with stories that should never be in print. Print is about explanation and context; it¹s not about timeliness. Online media is about speed, action and choice, so stories must be formatted so they can be read quickly. Give readers actions to take now. Allow them to choose if they want to read more. Face-to-face communication is best for things that are immediate and emotional. It¹s about conversation. Too many managers and executives hold meetings and then don¹t let anyone ask questions.

You get the picture.

Big Question No. 4: “Why should anyone care?”

The most important question of all, and one that is too infrequently asked: “Why should anyone care?” Perhaps we are afraid of what the answer might be. If you can¹t explain why people should care about your company, product, or service, then why bother promoting it? Once you can figure out why people should care about your message, you¹ll be much better able to formulate and communicate a compelling message.

Adapted from a workshop and webinar presented by journalist Jim Ylisela.

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