The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.
In Communication class in Business School, we learnt that there’s a difference between what people usually say and what they actually mean; and how to basically decipher actual meaning behind words and gestures, especially in a business setting. We learnt the science of inductive & deductive reasoning. We learnt gestures in different cultures and races; the difference between an African shaking his head from left to right (which usually means "No"), and a Chinese person doing the same thing. To further deepen this knowledge, we were constantly 'forced' to work in different multicultural settings, solving real life problems.
The importance of effective communication cannot be overstated, in business and in daily life. Undoubtedly, the sharing knowledge and information process cannot function without communication. As a result, companies cannot operate, and humanity will be drowned in the abyss of ignorance. Wars have been averted based on effective communication, and wars have also ensued as a result of poor communication or lack thereof.
On a basic level, Communication is a process of sending and receiving information among people. Now, some skills are needed to not only ensure that information is SENT & RECEIVED, but to ensure that what was sent and what was received are the same, including, how you talk and how you listen.
In business, as a startup, it is assumed that you have a unique approach to solving a real problem and that is why you exist. Your customers are your audience. For customers to discover your product/service and connect to it on an emotional level, this is where a strong communication and an engaging story comes in. Communication, however, is not the first thing that comes to mind for a start up. “Build a good product/service that sells itself” is a mantra that works, until it doesn’t.
In life, in general, your audience could be your husband, wife, children, co-workers, students, subordinates, neighbors, rapist, arm robber, terrorist, kidnapper etc. Different audiences and circumstances require different approaches, but still keeping to the fundamental principles of effective communication.
Here are some stories to show you the importance of effective communication strategy — the lessons that any startup or person could learn.
1. Speak and Understand the language of your audience
A German coastguard arrived work, first day on the job. As soon as he sat down a distress call came through the Comms, and the man on the other end was saying, "Hello Hello can you hear us? We are sinking!" "We are sinking." "Can you hear us?" The German coastguard then replied, "What are you 'thinking' about?" In the German accent, "th" when pronounced sounds like "S" and vice versa. It is one of those popular cross-language anomalies. Needless to say what happened to the sinking crew!
Lesson: It takes more than just the ability of saying the proper words in a native language to be UNDERSTOOD. This also goes for gestures and body language as well, like the head gesture I mentioned above. Your woman's or child's "No" could mean "Yes" LOL. Or "No but Yes" You know what I'm talking about! For Start Ups, how do people talk about the problem you are solving? Where does this conversation happen? Are you responding to what they are asking? Move from an outsider status into a conversation participant as quickly as possible. Be your audience or put yourself in their position.
2. Your Uniqueness prevents you from being heard sometimes
There is a individual whale in the Pacific Ocean that sings at 52 Hz frequency, which is much higher than all other whales do. That makes his singing unrecognized by other whales, leading the whale to become an epitome of loneliness and alienation.
Lesson: As a startup, you are unique in many ways. Yet the uniqueness of your story should not be confused with an obscure way of communicating it. If the former gives you an advantage, the latter may put you at risk of becoming a lonely whale. In life, for effective communication, don't assume that your audience knows what you know or function on the same wave length as you do. Dumb it up or down if you have to. Like I always say, "Assumption makes an ass of you and I"
3. Listen more - Don’t talk for the sake of it
So, this woman decided to pray until an angel shows up. She was so focused and fixated that she got so upset when someone tried talking to her as she continued praying. She didn't let the person break a word, so the angel, who came to respond to her prayers, shrugged his shoulders and left.
Lesson: A huge part of communication is actually listening. It is only when you listen that you RECEIVE information or feedback. In life, if you are focused on just talking and "getting your point across," then you may as well be talking to yourself in a dark room. You are not communication effectively. In business, When you are telling a story to the world, be prepared to receive a feedback and to respond to it. Some businesses have a proactive strategy about feedback, in that they seek for it as opposed to waiting for it to come to them; they ask customers how they feel about their products/services. This is very effective. Don’t tell your story just because you are supposed to. For a Start up, successful communication entails listening as much as talking.
4. The way you say things affects how you are perceived
A student (a human chimney) at a retreat asked the head monk whether he can smoke while meditating, to which the monk responded with a stern look. The next day the student confided to the monk that he spends a lot of time smoking and asked whether he can meditate while smoking LOL. The monk said it was a very creative idea to add more mindfulness and purpose to the student’s day.
Lesson: Same thing said differently can suddenly give a whole new meaning to your audience. Make sure how you communicate does not get in the way of what you are trying say.
5. Have your internal communications on lock
A rather goofy wife was just stepping out of the shower as her husband was getting in. She then threw on the bath robe when someone rang their door bell. She opened the door and it was their even goofier neighbor who was standing in the doorstep. “I will give you $500 if you take your bathrobe off for me,” said the neighbor. The wife obliged and got the money. The neighbor was gone as the husband came down asking who visited. When the wife replied that it was the neighbor, the husband asked, “Did he mention anything about the $500 he owes me?”
Lesson: For any startup, internal communications are just as important as external. Having every member of your team on the same page ensures that everyone tells and knows the same coherent and cohesive story. Otherwise, you risk running a disjointed entity without a clear vision on the current state of things. You can't afford to be telling different and sometimes contradictory stories. Functioning as a team works in business and life in general.
6. Mean what you say and say what you mean
Everyone knows the story of the boy who cried wolf and how it turned out. No one believed the liar who eventually spoke the truth.
Lesson: When you tell your story, mean it. When you talk about your startup, a story that lacks integrity will not get you far. Whether you are selling fake products or suck at customer service, you can only fool people once, unless they don't have a choice. In today’s society, the bullshit detectors are precisely fine-tuned and ingenuity is not tolerated. In life as well as in business, it is twice as hard to change a bad reputation than it is to make a good one.
Communication is the key to any relationship, business or otherwise. As social beings, we can't function in any capacity without effective communication. With a startup, you form a relationships with your customers and employees. Don’t assume that your audience knows what you know. Do not skip creating the context for your content. When you truly understand your audience’s language, deliver a clear message, listen as much as you talk, and mean everything you say, you have a better chance to get your point across and achieving your set goals.
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