As public affairs people our job is to communicate, help members of our command (specifically our bosses) communicate and guide our organization’s communication.
We communicate to audiences.
Audiences are disinterested.
It’s 2020, there’s a lot going. There’s plenty of distraction. No matter how important, relevant or exciting you think your topic is, your audience has a different take.
Simple Tips to Share:
- Accept that the audience does not care. Start your communication, or your communication planning, with this in mind. You’ll do better.
- It’s about them. Take an audience-centric approach. Start with why and explain to the audience how your information impacts them.
- Care About Time. Time is our only limited resource and the audience has little of it. The shorter you are, the better. (Not the other way around boss)
- Be Different. The audience has heard this all before. If you’re doing or saying the same thing that’s been said, why are you saying it? Either stop communicating or figure out how to be different.
No matter what you’re communicating, if you’re whining about the lack of resources for PAOs or a subject matter expert is giving a class on something which will save lives, the audience could not care less. No one cares about your tweet. Your blog is long, lame and boring. Your class sucks. Your boss’s talk is too long.
It’s ok – because what you’re saying is important or you wouldn’t be saying it.
You can change your audience’s mind.
Be the communications leader in your organization. Help communicators and audiences connect.
Now go and do likewise.
Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Emaia Rise
