The first ingredient is to focus on the big picture before diving into details, thinking about the audience and what's in it for them, to keep them engaged. The second ingredient involves adopting the role of a storyteller rather than just a presenter, using PowerPoint as a tool to complement the story. Lastly, in today's world of complexity and information overload, simplification is crucial. This includes using simpler words, clear explanations, avoiding jargon, and replacing convoluted language with straightforward terms, as simplicity is seen as a powerful communication asset.
The best communicators express ideas simply. And to do that, says Carmine Gallo, “you have to connect with people in a language they understand.”
Gallo is an author, communication coach, and lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. For him, the cornerstone of good communication is empathizing with an audience enough to truly speak their language. “Think about the audience first,” he says. “If you cannot speak the same language to different stakeholders and adapt the language for those different stakeholders, you’ll never get anything done.”
On this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Gallo and host Matt Abrahams discuss how we can simplify our language and weave relevant stories to translate and tailor our communication for our audience.
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