How can I find a consistent way to communicate with a group that minimizes misinterpretation? Executive Presentation Skills

June 13, 2011

If all people were the same and we all had equal Executive Presentation Skills, this would be an easy question to answer. There are four different communication styles at least, and actually several hundred combinations of communication styles. Each style has a way they need to hear information in order for them to absorb it and process it.

It is often very hard to get one message out to all people. But with Impression Management Professionals seminars, there are ways to minimize the misinterpretation that can happen:

KEEP IT SIMPLE!

You need to make sure you have great clarity in what you want the audience to do and what information they need in order to do it. Don’t add fluff. Don’t add facts that are unnecessary. And don’t have a lot of justification.

You then need to think about which medium most people have access to and would rely on for the type of communication you’re doing.

Does everyone have e-mail and read it daily? If so, is this information appropriate to share via e-mail? If it is something that is highly controversial, there is a high probability that it will be misunderstood. For something that can make a large impact on your corporate culture, I recommend that you deliver the message in person, followed up by an e-mail or memo that reinforces what you said. This is far better than just sending out an e-mail which can be easily misinterpreted.

Will they need to refer to this information again and again? If so, it is probably best to provide it in written form for their use.

Is it a message you expect them to deliver to customers? If so, it is best to have a written message they can refer to that is written in the way they would have to speak it to the customer. This is so important I am going to repeat it again: If this is a message you expect them to deliver to the customer, it is best to have it written in the way they need to speak it to the customer. This will minimize misinterpretation due to personal style differences.

If you want more quick tips GET your own copy of “How to Get Your Messages to Cascade Down.”