When speaking to an audience, how can you ensure you’ll reach them? How can you connect to each and every one of them? When you have to deliver a message to various individuals, they’ll be filtering what you say based on their different personalities, values, and communication needs. So how can you be consistent in getting your point across so you don’t get filtered out by any of them? If you can’t connect to them, not only will they tune you out, they’ll resent having their time wasted.
Welcome to Part 1 in our 4 part series "How to Connect to 97% of your Audience"
Cultural, gender and generational differences aside, these communication tips cover 4 specific areas you need to be aware of to get your point across to the diversity of personalities in your audience.
I have a quote “Find the need and feed the need”. When it comes to effective communication, you need to implement these tips so you can connect to them AND keep their attention.
1st tip is to speak to the needs of the largest chunk of your audience members; the Motivating personality.
These are the people who are your natural ‘motivators’. It’s in their DNA. They like to get motivated; they like to motivate others; like an enthusiastic and passionate salesperson, politician, orchestra leader, coach. They are persuasive - and they are more easily persuaded themselves when you speak to their needs.
What’s their big burning question that you need to answer? Why. And the best way to answer their why is with benefits. The motivators are motivated by positive benefits. As they are listening to your message, be it subconsciously, their predominant filters are constantly searching and questioning for this.
“Find the need and feed the need” The Motivators in your audience will filter your message and form their concepts around how you address the benefits of Why. If you don’t address it, you’ll lose your impact, won’t connect to them, and get filtered out.
So in structuring your message, you can engage the motivators by answering simple questions such as:
What’s in it for me?
Why does this information benefit me?
How does it benefit my customers, the success of our business, the bottom line?
Why and how will it benefit my family, my relationships, life in general?
This is what will motivate them to connect to you and your message and in turn, the Motivators will rally around your message and embrace your point.
We’ve all heard that benefits sell. That’s why Part 1 of this series is about the tip that will engage the majority of the personality and communication needs in your audience. About 40% of your audience will be Motivators. The average speaker will engage 40% of the audience. A masterful communicator will have far higher odds.
Stay tuned for the other 3 tips to help you ‘nail it’ as a master communicator who can connect to 97% of their audience. Oh, and if you’re wondering about the other 3%? I’ll cover that in the 4th part of this series.
LornaMcLaren
Training Specialist in Effective Communication, Conflict Resolution, Stress Reduction
LornaMcLaren.com
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