The BIGG Successs Show
Are You Smart Enough to Say It Simply?
Two tips to communicate more effectively. Read our show summary at biggsuccess.com.
Welcome to The Big Success Show. Today we ask, are you smart enough to say it simply? The Big Success Show with George and Mary Lynn. Oh, you dumbfounded over there George? Look, and I say I don't understand the question. We were recently in a situation that involved a doctor and an intern. Now the intern explained to us what was going on and we understood almost none of it. We had these blank stares on our faces and he just kept going. He kept going right on like the energizer bunny, right? He talked in all of these medical-ese type terms and we would question him about them occasionally. Finally, I think we just gave up because every time we questioned him, he just compounded with even more technical terms. Now he was a fantastic guy but he completely missed the mark on communicating with us. Then we got to talk to the doctor and she was able to explain everything in human terms. We fully understood what she was saying and whenever she would use technical terms, she would quickly explain what that meant in layman's language. And so it occurred to us that she was smart enough to say it simply. And you know George, women are much better when it comes to communication than men so. So you're saying women are smarter than men, is that what you're saying? You said it. I'll tell you what, I hate to burst your bubble here dear. But I don't think it has much to do with gender. I really think it has to do with three other factors that caused this miscommunication. And the first one is this, personal characteristics. Now we'll look at this on two opposite ends of the spectrum. On one end, there are people who lack self-confidence. Maybe they're novices in the profession, somewhat new to the subject they're trying to explain. So they're not that sure of themselves yet and they're uncomfortable talking about it. So then they talk about it in a way that they learned it in technical terms and it's really kind of a nervous reaction. That's right. And then on the other end of the spectrum, there's people who are egotistical. You know, they truly are experts in the subject and they want you to know how smart they are. They may even be arrogant about what they know. They're very smart, but they're not smart enough to know that it pays to get their message across. The second factor that can cause miscommunication, lack of communication skills. This is about preparation. All they think about is that they have a message to relay, but they don't put any thought into how they will relay that message. They're very skilled in their professions, but they just don't know how to communicate with the average Jane or Joe. And closely related to that, the third factor, people skills. Now, whereas the second factor involved, preparation, this is really mid-stream. When they're talking, they're not able to read the people they're talking to. If they get the blank stare you talked about earlier, Mary Lynn, it just doesn't register with that person that, you know, your audience doesn't understand this. These people are brilliant in their profession, but they lack the ability to connect with people, especially people outside their profession. So coming up, we're going to share two tips to say it simply. Today we're talking about keeping your message simple, and there are two questions to ask yourself about your audience before you try to communicate with them. First question, what is their level of understanding about the subject? This is going to determine how you form your message. If you're talking to a colleague, well, you can go crazy with all that jargon you love, but if you're talking to someone outside your profession, keep it simple. And the second question is this, what do they need to know? If the cliff notes version will do, don't recite the whole book. Determine what's really important and leave out all the rest. They'll ask you if they want to know more. Yeah, just remember the acronym KISS. Keep it simple, stupid. Or Mary Lynn is one of my students once said, keep it stupid, simple. And everybody made fun of him. And it's like, you know what? He's actually onto something. Because if you think about the person at the lowest level, and that's who you communicate with, you'll get your message across. And a real simple way to get your daily dose of the Big Success show is to go to our website at Big Success. That's big with 2gsuccess.com. Subscribe to one of our feeds and select the option that's most convenient for you. That's also where we have a written summary of today's show, and let's get our big quote for the day. Our big quote today comes from the French philosopher Voltaire who said, "Wiwiw." That was simple. That's right. Actually Voltaire said, "If you wish to speak with me, define your terms." And limit those terms to terms of use by your audience. Next time, we'll offer some guidance to a business owner who's going through tough times. And until then, here's to your Big Success. The Big Success Show at B-I-G-G Success.com. [BLANK_AUDIO]