Communicate to Influence summary

If you want your message to be heard, you need to rise above the competition. And with mobile devices making it even tougher to get people’s attention, it takes a strong voice to rise above the noise.

Online content has become part of what’s known as the attention economy, with increasing focus on mobile devices, to the point where messages from other people are pushed aside.

There’s more than one way to communicate, and if you want to deliver your message in the best way possible, it pays to understand the different styles.

The Deckers have created a Communicators Road Map, consisting of four communication styles from which you can pinpoint your own. If you want to deliver your message in a way that moves your audience to action, you should aim to transition to the fourth inspiring style.

Now that you have your style, it’s time to prepare your delivery. You need to remember how important your appearance and mannerisms are. Believe it or not, non-verbal communication is the most important component of clear communication.

So consider how these four simple yet powerful tools can help you make the most of visual communication.

If you were in the audience and the presenter was mumbling or whispering, it’d be understandable if you decided to walk out and spend your time elsewhere. This is why the sound of your vocal delivery is considered the second most important factor in effective communication.

The worst voice you could use is the slow monotone drone. It can make any message sound dreadfully dull.

If you don’t want your audience to forget what you’ve said the moment they walk away, you need reliable ways to emotionally connect with them.

This is exactly what SHARPs do. They are: Stories, Humor, Analogies, References, and Pictures.

Let’s continue with the final three SHARPS: Analogies, References (which also includes quotes), and pictures.

Analogies are a way to anchor an unfamiliar concept to something that is more easily understood, which makes it extremely useful if you’re dealing with a complex subject like astrophysics or microtechnology.

If you’re trying to win over an audience, it makes sense to understand exactly what they want, right?

Indeed, once you’re aware of what’s relevant to your audience, you can start to design your message specifically for them.

Once you understand your audience and your content, it’s time to put that information into a structure, which is where the Decker Grid comes in handy.

The Decker Grid is essentially a template that helps you to organize and identify all your main points and themes.

Being a great communicator is more than just talking clearly and making a point. With the combined power of your presence, voice and the right words, you can change the way people think and behave.

This makes an expert communicator a powerful influencer, but to reach this level you need to avoid the fixed mind-set in favor of a growth mind-set.