Gary's Newsletter 362: Three Questions for Communicators

THREE QUESTIONS FOR COMMUNICATORS

Last week I spent two days with a young Christian psychologist who has a growing private practice and lots of visionary ideas about the future. We met to talk about his life: his career, family, lifestyle, opportunities, relationships, and walk with God. Mostly we considered my friend's communication skills and discussed three important questions that need to be answered before anyone gives a talk or writes an article or book.

What do I want to say? I once knew a preacher who was a powerful orator and an impressive speaker. But whenever I heard him speak I went away wondering what he was trying to say. In contrast, Andy Stanley suggests that we should never stand up to speak (or sit down to write) until we can answer these questions: What is the one thing I want my audience to know and what do I want them to do about it? Without clear direction and purpose, messages are ineffective and quickly forgotten.
Who is my audience? Somebody has said that "a hunter who chases two rabbits misses them both." Similarly, a speaker or writer who tries to reach everybody, risks missing everybody. "Know your audience" is a cardinal rule for good communication. Effective communicators may use the similar content with different audiences, but they never give the same message in the same way twice. They always work to craft their presentations to each unique audience.
How will I reach them? Ponder this from Stanley and Jones' book Communicating for a Change: "Are you willing to...create a delivery system that will connect with the heart of your audience? Are you willing to abandon a style, an approach, a system that was designed in another era for a culture that no longer exists? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone in order to step into the lives God has placed in your care?" For maximum impact, good communicators constantly adapt and sharpen their methods as well as the content of their messages. How does this apply to you?