Communication That Gets Noticed

Obviously, communication tends to work better if you get people’s attention.

A perfectly-crafted message is wasted if no one sees or hears it.

Prioritize: not every email should be labeled “Urgent” or “Time Critical” the same way not every segment on the news should be called “Breaking News.” Overusing those stress-inducing labels dilutes their impact and people start to tune them out. Save them for top priorities.

Use the right medium for your audience. Some people like face-to-face. Some prefer texts and emails, so that they can think through their responses or have the details in a checkable format.

Start a group message with a “hook” to get people’s attention. Don’t bury the lede. If a sound-bite can capture your takeaway or call to action, then use that and repeat it for emphasis. If humor is appropriate (or “shocking” like the image in today’s post), then use it to get people to plug into your message.

(image source: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=9924436584258568&set=gm.2097481824074316&idorvanity=706962166459629)