The Three Fundamentals of Effective Communications

There are countless tools for communicating with clients, prospects, partners, and employees. Choosing the right one is important, but good communication doesn’t start there. Before you begin any project, take a step back and make sure you are following these three fundamentals of effective communications. You will achieve much better results on the backend if you invest the time up front.Define your objective

If you don’t know the purpose of your piece of communication, then why are you creating it in the first place? Sometimes we’re so eager to get a project done and simply “check the box” that we fail to establish what we’re trying to accomplish.Defining your objective prior to creating a piece of communication will help you better tailor your message to fit the purpose, identify the appropriate tool to use, and measure your success afterwards. It will also help prevent your communication from turning into “noise.”

Identify quantifiable objectives when possible, such as getting 50 people to register for an online seminar, educating 100% of your employees on a new process, or driving 30 new prospects to your website.Know your audience

The more you know about your audience, the more likely it is you will reach the right people with a message that resonates with them. Identify both professional and personal characteristics about the audience:Professional
Title
Organization
Industry
Business issues
Pain points

Personal
Age
Gender
Information sources
Interests
Social issues that matter to them
Use this information to generate target lists, determine the best communication methods, and write copy that’s compelling to your audience. Not knowing your audience will not only cause the current communication to fail, but may also have longer lasting implications. People will begin tuning you out if your messages are not pertinent to them or don’t provide value.Identify key information to share

This may seem obvious, but it’s sometimes missed. Leaving out key information could cause your communication to backfire. If you’re promoting a solution, identify the benefits it provides your audience. If you’re sending an invitation, include all the pertinent details and logistics surrounding the event. If you don’t share the right information, you won’t meet your objectives, and you could end up frustrating your audience by generating more questions than you answer.

It’s important to point out that these fundamentals are universal, regardless of industry, organization, or solution. Apply them first and your message will resonate more with your intended audience, and your results will reflect the labor of your efforts.