123ArticleOnline Logo
Welcome to 123ArticleOnline.com!
ALL >> Marketing >> View Article

Be Better Understood By Learning This Simple Habit..

Profile Picture
By Author: David Brewster
Total Articles: 3
Comment this article
Facebook ShareTwitter ShareGoogle+ ShareTwitter Share

Wouldn't life be simpler if you didn't have to repeat yourself? If every time you attempted to persuade someone of something, they got the message first time? If your instructions were carried out without fault - first time, every time? My kids have taught me a powerful lesson in making these happen more often. I have two young daughters, aged four and seven. Statistically, they probably have around 1,500 to 2,500 words in their respective vocabularies (compared with a typical adult's vocabulary of about 20,000 words). And boy do they ask a lot of questions! Two of the recent favourites were "what makes the wind blow?" and "what is a government?". What got me thinking was that, with a bit of thought, it was possible to answer these questions using only words from the girls' limited 'personal dictionaries'. So why do we adults need all those extra words? On the surface this seems like a ridiculous question. Obviously we need extra words in order to be efficient with our communication. Most of these extra words summarise concepts it would be just too hard to explain in full every time. Why would an accountant want ...
... to refer to the 'amount remaining after expenses have been subtracted from revenues' when he could simply say 'profit'? Why would a chef want 'to remove the browned bits of food from the bottom of a pan after sautéing' when she could just 'deglaze'? What the experience with my kids has reminded me is that the efficiency we gain from using our own specialist words entirely depends on the listener or reader understanding them. This is a truism we often lose sight of. When it comes to communicating, most of us have a tendency to err on the side of efficiency rather than effectiveness. In other words, we tend to choose words that make it easier for us to send our message than for our audience to receive it. What you should do is the same whether you are communicating with your customers, your staff, your family or anyone else. You need to take responsibility for ensuring that your audience understands the language you are using. I learnt my lesson because young kids are pretty good at letting you know that they don't understand. But adults don't like to appear ignorant. If they don't understand, they often won't let you know. Ultimately this results in very inefficient communication. Think simple. If you're not always properly understood, try listening to yourself for a time. Identify words and expressions you use that may not be clear to others. Think about how you might replace these expressions with 'Plain English'. Think like a teacher - not an expert. Then if you want a real challenge, try and explain what you do to a four year old. More thoughts on this subject at http://www.businesssimplification.com.au/articles/issue5vol2.htm

Total Views: 117Word Count: 480See All articles From Author

Add Comment

Marketing Articles

1. Hmlc: The Leading Branding Agency Redefining Brand Excellence
Author: HMLC

2. Ppc Agency In Delhi By Marketers Zone
Author: Nikhil Ratra

3. Digital Marketing In The Modern Era: Strategies For Long-term Success
Author: Dash Buddy

4. Speak With Care, Resolve With Confidence – The Essential Guide To Call Center Excellence
Author: Shan Tait

5. How A Restaurant Pr Agency Grows Your Brand
Author: Tempt Agency

6. How Cloud Accounting Applications Transform Modern Accounting Practices?
Author: Robert Noble

7. The Rise Of Cheapest Bulk Sms: Shaping The Future Of Marketing
Author: SMSDeals

8. Integrating Chatbots And Automation For Smarter Lead Capture
Author: Barry Elvis

9. Boost Practice Through Proven Dental Marketing Solutions For Lasting Growth
Author: Expert Dental SEO Company

10. Online Vat Consultant Services For Remote Teams Include Rapid Business Solutions
Author: Richard jhon

11. A Complete Guide On Programmatic Abm In B2b Marketing
Author: tim seifert

12. Result-driven Branding Agency In Maharashtra
Author: Gatitaa Technology

13. Poster Board Rental In Toronto – Comotion Exhibits
Author: divyam

14. 12 Proven Ways To Get More Followers On Instagram
Author: Followers Rich

15. What To Expect From An L&d Analytics & Metrics Certificate Program: A Complete Guide
Author: Nilam

Login To Account
Login Email:
Password:
Forgot Password?
New User?
Sign Up Newsletter
Email Address: