When you communicate, you want people to engage instantly. Do this, and they’re more likely to buy into what you say.
So include something engaging, early!
For example, I could have called this Tip "Communication advice", with an opening sentence of "Here’s a technique I call ‘pivoting’".
Dreadful.
I’ve already blown my First Impression.
Instead, there are two ways to have an engaging start:
- Start with them – include their #1 priority
- Start with you – think what you were going to say, and then pivot it, so it includes what they want to hear
So, if you’re talking to someone who wants to export into Belgium, I could:
- Include the phrase "exporting into Belgium" in my title and intro; or
- Pivot my current title ("communication advice”) to add their priority ("Communication advice to help you export into Belgium")
I know this sounds obvious. But one look at your inbox will show how poor titles are! Let me guess – you’ll see "FYI", "update", "catch-up", etc.
But now review your Sent Items. And your most recent documents, meeting titles, first slides…
Action Point
For your next communication, ensure you have a great First Impression. Either start by thinking of their #1 priority, or pivot what you were going to call it.
And for more tips on how to master this, and other critical techniques, there are hundreds more here: www.andyboundsonline.com