Say what you mean, mean what you say

Say what you mean, mean what you say.

Pretty simple, right?

Wrong.

Many people have been credited with saying this phrase…who said it first I can’t confirm, but that’s not what we’re here to debate. The meaning behind the phrase is what’s important.

At its essence, communication is about a sender and a receiver. The sender encodes a message and the receiver decodes it – with an inevitable amount of “noise”happening between the two. This noise can be caused by reasons of circumstance, background, or psychological factors which contribute to how someone understands and digests the message they hear. Unfortunately, studies – and history – show us that most communication fails miserably! People will interpret your words the way they want to interpret them, which means it’s critical to choose them wisely.

The importance of a carefully crafted business message is so important. The words you choose, the tone, inflection, etc are all considered a part of that communication package that is headed to the receiver. Tell your audience what it is you do. Tell them what you have to offer. Tell them why it’s great, but most importantly how it can help them solve their challenge, or fulfill their desires….in a way that is clear to them. Say it in plain language. Don’t bamboozle them with acronyms and industry jargon or fluff. Don’t be too cryptic or ‘clever’, and certainly don’t be antagonising or patronising.

And mean it! Like, REALLY mean it. Be honest. Put positive intention behind it. Be genuine. People will always see through the bullshit. Don’t get caught out.

Mark Twain once said, “the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

Ultimately we all want to sound clear, smart and confident. If you want people to believe in you and in what you say, speaking clearly and with conviction is a good place to start.

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