What does Bonds’ new TV campaign teach us about communication?

I’m loving the new Bonds TV campaign, ‘Protect yourself from yourself’, which is airing at the moment. Have you seen it?

You can check out the ads here and here. If you can’t watch them right now, here’s a quick summary:

Two men are shown in high-pressure situations. One is talking to a women he likes, the other is delivering an important business presentation. Problem is, they’re both let down by their clothing. The man in the park flashes, er, far too much when he bends over to pat his dog; while the businessman’s nervousness has resulted in obvious sweat stains under the arms of his shirt. Of course, Bonds’ solution is to protect yourself with their men’s undergarments.

As a professional communicator (and a bit of a PR nerd at that), I probably pay more attention than most to the advertising and marketing campaigns I see. And this one really caught my attention.

Why?

Whatever business you’re in, communicating effectively is so important. Billionaire investor Warren Buffet, who overcame his own fear of public speaking, was quoted as saying, “You’ve got to be able to communicate in life and it’s enormously important. Schools, to some extent, under emphasize that. If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential.”

When I teach public speaking and media interview skills, one of the most important messages I try to get across is to avoid anything that distracts from what you’re saying. When it comes to appearance, that might mean avoiding loud patterns, large dangly earrings, revealing clothing or towering hairstyles. In terms of what you say, it means being wary of the tone and pace of your speech as well as avoiding any repetitive verbal ‘tics’.

Ultimately, you want the emphasis to be on what you’re saying – not what you look like. Not your flashy necklace or the way you keep brushing your fringe out of your eyes. It’s hard enough to grab and keep your audience’s attention; don’t give them a(nother) reason not to listen to you!

I think the Bonds TV ads are a really good example of this lesson in action. In both crucial situations, the unwanted flaws in the men’s appearance distract from what they’re saying – so much so, that their audience can’t focus on anything else.

In the end, the businessman’s presentation is a disaster and the girl in the park makes a quick exit.

There are plenty of opportunities in your personal and professional life to express your personality and individuality. Sure, you can argue that people shouldn’t care what you look like (pit stains or not) – but the simple truth is, most of the time, they do.

Do you really want to take the risk that people won’t be able to focus on what you’re saying, and that all your hard work will go to waste?

Save the theatrics for another day. And while you’re at it, pull up your trousers and wear some deodorant.

Making your words work for you

Jane Speechley has spent years teaching people effective communication. She shares her secrets to being ‘heard’.

Why is it so important our words work for us?

Making every word you write or say work for you is perhaps more important now than ever before.

We live in a wonderful age where information is faster-moving and more accessible than at any other time in our history. Written communication particularly has boomed; think about how often you write an email or text message, send an instant message, post a status update or tweet.

We’re all aware of the opportunities that are offered by digital media, but these exciting new channels come with a flipside as well.

Many of us are dealing with information overload; we’re overwhelmed by a constant stream of bite-sized pieces of information. As a result, each of us has learned to actively reach out, select and ‘pull’ the information that interests us. What this means for business is that you have to work much harder to catch and keep your customers attention.

What is the most important part of effective communication?

The critical part of communication is ensuring your listener, or reader, hears (and understands) what you are saying. Don’t assume the intent with which you say something is how the recipient interprets it.

There are some vital keys to ensure you get your message across:

Don’t be tempted to use longer or more complex words when a simple one will do. You might think you sound more impressive, but if your audience doesn’t ‘get’ the message you’re trying to send, your communication hasn’t succeeded.

Focus on providing only a couple of clear messages that you want your audience to remember. Waffle on, or share too much and you risk creating ‘noise’ in which your intended message will get lost.

Effective communication is about more that the content of your message. The style of language, the design of your document, your tone of voice, body language and even the medium you choose to communicate through all send a message about you and what you’re trying to say.

Poor communication often results when these don’t align, for example, being overly formal on social media.

What are the most common mistakes people make?

As a professional communicator and teacher, the most common mistake I see is poor spelling and grammar; just think about the impression you have after reading something that’s poorly written with lots of errors. 

Communication consists of a number of factors that send a message about you, beyond just the content. What do your mistakes say about you? Unless the message you’re trying to send is that you’re careless and lazy with little attention to detail, spelling and grammar mistakes aren’t a good idea.

What role does emotion play in communication?

Emotion is an important factor in communication, both in terms of the actual content of your message and also what you or your audience are feeling at any given time.

Some words send a stronger message than others and seem to positively jump off the page. For example, newspapers use the terms ‘passed away’ or ‘did not survive’, rather than ‘was killed’ or ‘murdered’. You need to think about emotive words, or what I call ‘red flag words’ in your communication and use them or avoid them as the circumstances necessitate.

Even the most innocuous of words has, at some time, been taken the wrong way by a listener who’s tired, angry, defensive or frustrated. Understand that how your audience member is feeling – both before and after your interaction with them – will affect how they remember and reflect upon their experience with you.

What role does Visual/Auditory/Kinesthetic tendancies play in communicating?

The theory is that human expression takes place on a number of levels – visual, auditory, kinaesthetic – and that we each have an innate preference for any (combination) of these, which affects the way we learn and communicate.

The problem arises when communicating with people who have a different style to our own. You won’t necessarily know what suits your audience and if you’re communicating with a number of people at once, chances are they have different preferences.

The solution? Present information in a way that touches on all styles. For example, deliver a verbal presentation that includes a visual presentation and practical activities as well. Also, try to stay closely attuned to your audience. Look for signs of interest, energy and comprehension – or lack thereof – and again, be willing to adjust your approach accordingly.

How do you feel about email v phone v face-to-face communication?

Certainly, each communication channel has its strengths and limitations but we should also remember language tends to be dynamic and evolving. So, as we’ve begun to communicate more in writing, we’ve developed ways to express tone and emotion (for example, using emoticons and acronyms like ‘LOL’).

From a business perspective, etiquette usually stipulates that you respond to enquiries in the same format they were received – return a phone call with a phone call, and so on.

The greatest risk technology presents for communication may be the speed in which we can act and react. This level of accessibility and convenience offers extraordinary opportunities for business, but should be considered with some measure of caution. The old rule still applies – act in haste, repent at leisure!

What are your best tips for effective communication?

I think the most important thing is to understand the value and importance of communication. It’s not just something you pay a professional to do; it’s the way you interact everyday with your family and friends, your suppliers, colleagues and employees, current and potential customers.

If you’re aware of this, and you’re actually conscious of the way you come across to people and how they receive you, that’s a great step toward more effective communication.


This article was originally published in emPOWER magazine in July 2013 at http://www.empowermagazine.com.au/make-your-words-work/

Seven common PR mistakes charities and non-profit organisations make

The doom and gloom financial news of the last 12 months has even the most established non-profit and charity organisations shaking in their boots, tightening their belts and keeping their hands in their pockets.
In an uncertain environment, the public relations budget is often the first to be cut – even though it is, of course, during these challenging times that you most need to promote your work.

The key is learning to be even more clever about your communication. To begin with, Jane Speechley – Director of Canberra-based consultancy Charismatic Communications – has prepared the following list of the seven most common PR mistakes charities and non-profit organisations make.

1. Overlooking the importance of strategy.

This element sits rightly in first position and is probably the most common mistake I see in my work with non-profit and charity organisations.

I can’t impress enough the importance of a sound strategy, yet it is so often written off as ‘something only PR people are concerned with’, or pushed aside for the excitement and appeal of the actual tactics.

Many organisations spend countless hours crafting the perfectly-worded mission, vision or charter – yet without a strategy to guide how these values are integrated and communicated through your everyday work, they’re just words on a page.

A strategy cements your organisation’s purpose and priorities: it provides a roadmap for your future activities, time and resources; and a benchmark against which you can measure ideas and proposals before deciding whether or not to proceed.

Even if you can’t afford to engage a full-time PR professional or agency, find someone to learn about your organisation and develop a strategy that you can implement yourself.

2. Forgetting your non-profit status.

This sounds like a blinding glimpse of the obvious, but many charity and non-profit organisations don’t take advantage of the full range of benefits available to them, to support their communication activities.

These can range from the well-known community service broadcasting to discount rates on advertisements, exhibition stalls and other services, and even access to free online advertising and website analytics. Remember your volunteers can provide vital assistance and fresh ideas throughout the year – not just during peak event and campaign periods.

While not exclusive to non-profit organisations, the internet offers a wealth of useful resources if you know where to look. These might include libraries of free or low-cost images, basic photo and movie editing software, and simple programs to make your own animated web banners.

Share the tricks and tools you find, and ask around for pointers to others!

3. Being afraid to say no.

When a fast-talking, professional and well-intentioned advertising agency rep is on the phone telling you about their big idea for your cause, it can be all too easy to get caught up in the promise and potential without stopping to consider whether this idea will really work for you.

Consumer awareness groups often say, ‘it’s not a bargain if you don’t need it’, and that’s the golden rule here as well.

Hopefully, if you’ve followed step one of this list, you should have a strategy against which you can check your priorities and resources! Regardless, it’s useful to remember there are very few truly free tactics in the world: sometimes the expenses are hidden in the background, and sometimes the greatest cost is to your time and energy.

Responsible management of your resources means sometimes having to say no to those who want to help you.

4. Being unwilling to say yes.

Just in case the previous point leads you down a path of cynicism and defensiveness, it’s important to also acknowledge the value of remaining open to new ideas and being willing to embrace innovation in your communication activities.

Well-established non-profits, especially the larger ones, can be surprisingly bureaucratic in their approaches. However, the way people access information continues to change at a rapid pace and your tactics must keep up if you wish to remain at the forefront.

Some of the most effective and cost-efficient strategies require you to take a small risk and try something that’s new or even a little ‘scary’. In this category you might find social networking, mobile communication, new fundraising ideas and less-common forms of advertising.

It’s unlikely you’ll be able to rely on the same old methods, no matter how well they’ve worked in the past - sure, you might get by, but you’ll never really thrive.

5. Not accounting for human hours.
Often, communication tactics that are low in cost are heavy on the time required to implement and maintain them. Many a cost-effective strategy has stumbled because an organisation hasn’t allowed for the human hours needed for these ideas to reach their full potential.

I’ve prepared numerous strategies for organisations where the available financial resources are minimal or non-existent. When this is the case (and even when it’s not), I ask the client to give me a ‘human hours budget’ – to tell me up front how many hours per week, per person, they’re able to dedicate to implementing the strategy.

I then manage this budget, prioritising and apportioning hours against each tactic, in exactly the same way as I would handle a dollar allocation.

If you wish to take this approach a step further, you might even consider placing a dollar value on your time so your final evaluation more closely reflects the real cost of each strategy?

6. Skipping the evaluation.

Even the most skilled and experienced public relations professionals are guilty of occasionally skimming over the monitoring and evaluation section of their communication plan – and it’s a mistake you make to your detriment, especially when resources are tight.

Put simply, evaluation is how you know what’s worked and what hasn’t, which allows you to best determine where to direct your time and energy in future.

In a pinch, evaluation methods don’t need to be particularly sophisticated but should always focus on outcomes (that is, indications of behaviour or attitudinal change) rather than outputs, such as the number of posters produced or hits on a website.

Simple tricks such as ‘keying’ your communication – that is, using slightly different contact details on each tactic so you can clearly and immediately identify the source of any enquiry – can provide very accurate results at no extra cost.

7. Underestimating the appeal of a good story.

Don’t worry too much if you can’t afford hi-tech gadgets, special effects and flashy campaigns. Research consistently shows potential supporters are most affected by real-life stories and testimonials. Don’t just tell people that you’re doing good work – show them the difference you’re making.

Work out what is unique and compelling about your cause and use it. Can you illustrate your work with images of cute animals? Can you show the improvement you’ve made to one child’s life? Can you provide useful information to benefit a large portion of the community, for example, in preventing bushfires or lowering the risk of cancer?

A well-written, relatable story or example of your work is likely to be your most powerful tool. Include the whizz-bang gimmicks if you must, but not at the expense of your story.

This article was originally published by the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) in December 2009 (and can be viewed online here).