Everything -- and I'm about to tell you about it. But the absolute core of great communicating hasn't changed at all.
It's not about you and your skills.
It's not about your subject.
It all starts from this basic principle:
Know Your Audience!
Talking so others listen starts with understanding those others, first! Then basing any presentation, one-on-one encounter, meeting, or negotiation on what the audience wants, needs, and cares about.
Now, this audience orientation comes in two flavors.
- What you should know about any specific audience you're going to talk to so you can adapt your approach each time
and
- What basic facts you should know about any audience you're communicating with today to learn how they listen now.
In order to build a great repertoire for you as super-communicator, you need to learn these two approaches. They are the foundation for building any kind of communication, especially at work.
What You Need to Know First
The rest of the book will show you how to analyze any specific audience and what techniques to use to reach them. But we must begin, in the first two chapters, with the same basics -- truths that exist now for all the audiences you'll talk to.
Understanding what's happened to us as a society and how we've changed our communication with each other -- this is a cornerstone for building successful communication on any level today. Another is understanding more about the disparate groups in today's workplace and what they each need. You'll be surprised by lots of this, recognize yourself, and say "never thought about that," about others.
So let's begin gaining some perspective on where we are now, to give you a base for going forward and learning the new skills I'll show you. Let's now discover:
- How we currently listen and learn, and where talking still fits in
- What motivates us to listen; what's important
- What else is happening in the workplace that affects how you'll communicate with each other successfully
