Last week we talked about a communications strategy. Today, we really need to talk about how that strategy works hand in hand with your audience.
Communications specialist Mary Munter has divided up the task of figuring out your audience into four relatively simple steps.
1. Who are they?
2. What do they know?
3. What do they feel?
4. How can you persuade them?
I’d like to discuss each of these in more detail. While the categories are Munter’s, the detailed discussion is mine.
Who are they?
Say you’re speaking to a large group (as seen in the picture above) about a new way of thinking about marketing (say, the Contrarian Way). Say, this group is full of very experienced salespeople. They have helped the company grow leaps and bounds. A new CEO has hired you, the new sales director (or an outside consultant) to persuade the sales teams about the new approach to sales. (Aside: First of all, I wouldn’t start out with a giant presentation, but bear with me.) You would need to know demographics of these sales teams: age, education, ethnicity, years they’ve been in sales. You’d need to find out if they are interested in moving to a new approach to sales: do they have strong opinions about it? You’d also need to think about their communication style. Do they like to be involved in developing a new sales approach or are they okay with having you teach it to them. And of course, there is always someone that the CEO knows from the sales teams that is like a leader of the pack you might say. If you could convince those people to listen to you, perhaps they will help others to listen to you. Lots to find out. How do you find out this information? That’s where a pre-presentation questionnaire would be helpful. They can list their name, how many years they’ve sold, what products they’ve sold, what they think about the selling process, etc. You can also ask the CEO for the information. But the best way to get good reliable information is to ask. Instead of immediately jumping into your presentation, host a Q&A. Warm up the sales teams, get them interested. Decided on a consult/join format, present your initial credibility, and then build on that to tweak the presentation in the right way.
What do they know?
We’ll continue with the sales team scenario, if you don’t mind. Now, obviously, these sales teams know a great deal about selling. They know a great deal about their customers/clients, how people can be persuaded to buy, what time of day is the best time to call, and on and on. So you’re not going to have to educate them a great deal on the background of marketing or the company. However, you will have to educate them on this new contrarian style of marketing. Most of the audience won’t have even heard of it. Story is the best way, I think, to engage an audience, and to introduce new concepts. Perhaps a story would be good here. Perhaps not. It depends on what information you’re attempting to impart. Another thought: there may be folks who need a lot of information and folks who don’t need much. Some may appreciate a story; some are bored. Can you attend to both needs at once? Sure. In a speaking situation, it is more difficult to engage two groups in different ways, just because you’re speaking. So, those who don’t want a story may get one and vice versa. However, previous to the presentation, why not include the information you’d give to those who need more in a handout? That way, if the people who just don’t want to rehash something they already know aren’t interested, they can skip it.
What do they feel?
How’s the sales teams’ morale? Are things going well? Are things going badly? If they are experiencing massive success, they might not be that inclined to agree that the sales model needs changing. However, even if that’s the case, you can still present (a softer approach) some ideas on how to move gradually over to a contrarian sales model. I think that in this case, even with a pre-presentation questionnaire and a pre-presentation handout, there is no reason to flip the tables entirely and go in a different direction. I think if I were presenting, I’d come prepared with specific trouble spots with the old sales model and I’d definitely use the consult/join approach with these folks who are on the front lines of sales in order to find out where they are having trouble with the sales model. Then, I could recommend slight alterations to the model, not whole-hog reorganization tactics. I think I’d feel more comfortable with that approach and I think the audience would recognize my initial credibility and would grant me acquired credibility because I’m not coming in forcing them to change just because I say so.
How can you persuade them?
Munter highlights three different approaches to persuasion: persuade by using audience benefits, persuade by using credibility, persuade by using message structure. As I already mentioned, I see no reason to attempt to persuade using my credibility. In this scenario (we’re still at the sales team presentation, remember), my credibility is only as good as I respect the knowledge and experience of my audience. Thus, a message structure is best. I would open with a general overview of some of the issues the sales teams have been having, then immediately go into those problems and possible solutions (engaging the audience along the way). I’d use a two-sided structure, presenting the old sales model’s way and then a new sales model approach to the problem. I’d ask the sales team to just try the new approach and to please report back on how it went. I would want the audience to feel we were all in this together and if something didn’t work, well, then I’d change, not force them to change.
Of course, my scenario is just that: a possible scenario. I don’t think many of you are facing an entire reorganization of your sales model. But if you are, remember that change is hard to take, even for the most flexible of employees/clients. As a communicator, as a persuader, the best approach is to make it attainable, seamless, and to try and make it less of a trauma than it could be. But I may be unrealistic. If I were global empress, I’d make that approach mandatory, that’s for sure.
