Which of the following will damage the credibility of the author of routine messages?

3 MIN READ

There’s no doubt about it. If you can successfully express yourself on paper and in person, you will be perceived as smarter, friendlier, and more persuasive than your less articulate peers.

Simply consider two people competing for a job or a piece of business. The candidate who communicates more effectively will win every time, even if they are less qualified.

In marketing, the way you present your business is critical, whether you are meeting prospects in person or you’re reaching out online.

So don’t let poor communication ruin an opportunity or damage your credibility!

Here are seven common communication mistakes to avoid when writing or speaking so you’ll keep that stellar reputation of yours intact.

1. Lack of a goal

Many people create an outline for a presentation or start writing without first thinking about what they want to accomplish with the communications piece.

Before you prepare your content, write one sentence – no more than 25 words – that clarifies your purpose. Return to this sentence when you find yourself drifting from it.

2. Failure to consider the audience

The communicator who forgets her audience will never relay their message successfully.

Assessing who will be reading your content or listening to your presentation is critical. This knowledge will lead to enhanced connections with the people you most want to reach.

3. Absence of a compelling message

You must have something substantive to say. Even if you know your audience and relate to them personally, you will fail if you don’t provide a clear point of view, a Call-to-Action, or useful information.

Work to bring the necessary balance of substance and style to your communications.

4. Ineffective language

Many writers and speakers mistakenly believe that puffing up their language when they communicate will make them sound more professional or knowledgeable.

But the best language is simple and clear.

Write and speak as you normally do in professional situations. After you write something, read it aloud to listen to how it sounds.

When giving a presentation, speak to the audience as you would if you were having a one-on-one conversation.

5. Muddled delivery

You may have a clear goal, a great message, and sufficient audience knowledge, but if the communication is not presented in an appealing way, it will fail.

In writing, delivery involves making the piece as readable as possible.

Use bullets, bolded words, sufficient space between paragraphs, and visual elements to entice readers.

Avoid excessively long words and paragraphs.

When speaking, delivery is enhanced with the proper use of voice, posture, gestures, visuals, movement, and audience interaction.

6. No personality

I recently had a colleague review a proposal I was sending to a client.

She called me to say that while the proposal said everything it needed to say, she couldn’t hear ‘‘me’’ in the piece at all.

I revised the proposal to give it some warmth and a more personal tone and delivered a more effective piece.

Don’t be afraid to let yourself shine through in your writing and speaking.

Even the best message cannot be successfully conveyed without a human touch. Use stories, real-life examples, and humor to bring yourself into your work and enhance your connection with audiences.

7. Failure to rewrite or rework a piece

The rewrite is a key part of preparing a communications piece.

After you write something, take the time to review it. Delete extraneous information, tighten up sentence structures and strengthen any weak words.

For presentations, leave time to rehearse a couple of days ahead of time. You’ll hear things that don’t sound right or think of things to add.

Any communications piece that is put through this revision stage will be more successful.

Though overcoming these pitfalls requires investing more time and energy into each communications project, it will make all the difference in your marketing. Your audience will thank you for it!

Content from this post was originally published in the MetroWest Daily News and has been updated to reflect current best practices.

Maureen Condon, PMG Principal

Before Maureen Condon became one of the Principals of PMG in 2006, she was a writer and a business owner – which explains why she specializes in content marketing and strategy. Covering topics that will help businesses get real, measured results from marketing – success you can see in numbers – Maureen likes to back companies in their efforts to create a strategy, a compelling message, and programs that connect with prospects, clients and influencers in ways that drive sales. And she does so, with panache!

What is the main challenge that authors of routine messages?

How can routine messages impact your credibility?

Which of the following is least crucial to most routine message development?

What is a characteristic of a strong routine message quizlet?