Thanks Giving In Our Communications

What comes naturally for many is to communicate, motivate and persuade others, sounding a bit like an opera singer: “Me. Me. Me. Me.”

When you speak and write to others from a perspective of gratitude, you create the foundation for leveraging the seventh “C” in the 7Cs of Persuasion. When you COLLABORATE, others will be significantly more receptive to you, and for whatever it is that you’re communicating, you and your audience (of one or one thousand) will be drawn into you.

The more challenging the topic of what you’re communicating, the greater the need for you to have “Thanksgiving” in your words and tone.

What are some of the more challenging topics/points/needs for you to discuss (in business as well as in your personal life)?

Sailing and Relationships

I’m sitting here, icing my left knee, and thinking about the good point that Bob Frazer wrote, that listening will produce strong relationships. It’s amazing to realize how much we learn when we listen…to clients, family and friends, even strangers.

Have you ever asked, “So, how are you…really?”

Try it. Then be silent. Be an active listener.

This also reminds me of a great quote:

“There is a rule in sailing where the more maneuverable ship should give way to the less maneuverable craft. I think this is sometimes a good rule to follow in human relationships as well.”  - Joyce Brothers

You Know What?…

We surveyed hundreds of newspaper readers. What do you think they said was the section people read first?

Headlines? No. That ranks fourth.

Sports? No. That ranks second.

Comics? Yes.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons why the major dailies are struggling.

What do you think the other three most popular sections are?

Gain Market Share Now – Part 2

Now that you’ve done your research and have an advanced understanding of your audiences’ needs and what compels them, the next two steps will move you closer to making market share gains (see Gain Market Share Now – Part 1).

3.  Refine and strengthen your offers and calls-to-action.

Your offers need to be more competitive: present more options, greater discounts or incentives. And…this is key…the language used to ask your customers or donors can be and needs to be more action-oriented. We write copy and scripts that promotes emotion, rationale, and directs action.

(To be more competitive, make sure a thorough competitive analysis gives you the necessary information to have an edge.) 

4.  Utilize proven marketing and sales tools and approaches.

Be sure you know works and why. And don’t underestimate the chances that there are tools and processes that will produce better results.

If your game is business-to-business sales, don’t just nurture prospects, net more sales calls and sales closings with a solid system and more effective presentation and sales skills. Ask me about our system that will secure sales calls at a higher rate than you’re seeing right now.

If you are conducting direct mail (for business or fundraising), the optimal mail-piece or combination of mail pieces can make a world of the difference. We’ve been able to double a client’s results with the right mail-piece.

What’s working well for you now? What’s not producing the way you wish?

You Know What?…

Your listening ability is the one sense that diminishes the most after you eat a meal.

Gain Market Share Now – Part 1

Even now, and perhaps like never before, there are two types of market-share you can and should seek to gain: 1) Share of awareness, especially among new target audiences; and 2) Share of dollars, whether you are selling products, a service, or fundraising. The short-term benefits will help you thrive during this more challenging economy, and you’ll be shoring up gains that will propel your growth when the economy improves (and it will).

Here are the first two of seven steps marketers and fundraisers alike can and should take now to gain market share:

1.  Listen anew to your audiences. Their thoughts, feelings and needs have changed.

Do your research. Ask the right questions that get to the heart of what they need, what will motivate them, and what they need to hear and see from you.

2.  Refine and strengthen your primary and secondary messages.

Solid research will produce the necessary guidance for adjusting your messaging so that you can apply the first “C” of the 7Cs of Persuasion, “Customize”, to be more persuasive.

To be adept at customizing your communications, you have to ask the right questions. Do you know what to ask and how to ask?

Who do you need to motivate?

How good are you at motivating and persuading, when it comes to your target audiences, your colleagues, or any of your constituencies? How good is your organization at it?

You’re likely to work hard at ways to be more motivational and persuasive, especially if you are a professional, a communicator, someone responsible for helping your organization grow.

This blog provides musings on how organizations and people motivate and persuade, to offer direction for professionals who want to improve the way they motivate and persuade.

I’ll often write in the context of how what we see in this multi-media and interactive world relates to or can be found in The 7Cs of Persuasion, my “must have” list of communications elements for effective persuasion.

You’ll eventually read a few points and a question that brings it back to you, how you communicate and how you compel individuals and target audiences to do what you want.

For now, here’s your first question…

Who do you need to motivate?

(Click the post title above then scroll down to submit your comment.)