What separates an amazing communicator from everyone else? What makes an entertainer funny, a writer intriguing and a politician inspiring? On the surface, entertainers, writers and politicians may not look like they have a lot in common, however, they do share one common attribute: heightened awareness of their target audience. To connect with your audience, you must first understand your audience. Whether you’re writing or speaking, being generally aware of your audience will help you connect and captivate, and come up with quick-witted responses. Just observe any stand-up comedy routine or political speech: the best performers understand their audience inside and out, and know exactly which buttons to push. The Ultimate Awareness-Expanding Routine Below is a typical routine of what many communications professionals do on a regular basis to expand their awareness and improve their communication skills: 1. Go for a walk You must understand yourself, your motivations and biases […]

For many, “political correctness” is a pejorative term and comparable to some form of Orwellian thought suppression. Some may find it annoying: We have all experienced a moment when we had to double check an email to ask ourselves, “Will this offend someone?” But is politically correct communications such a bad thing? From now on, we should call political correctness what it really is: an inclusive and aware form of communications that is sensitive of the needs and concerns of others. From a professional communicator’s point of view, it makes sense to be more inclusive as it opens the doors for further engagement with our audience. Just remember that no matter how good your services, your audience will automatically tune you out if they perceive you as out of touch or uncaring. It’s not about you; it’s about your audience I’m sure many of you have witnessed the below scenario […]