It's a phone, not an appendage

A recently published list of phone tips for job seekers serves as a good reminder for you, too. The column of tips mentioned several examples of what not to do when talking on the phone. Tales of hearing someone flush a toilet during a phone conversation, of having the other person's words drowned out by wind noise because he or she is outside while talking, and of radios, kids, and dogs being so loud in the background that communication is nearly impossible are becoming all too common today. As phone use becomes more and more ever-present in today's world, it's easy to forget that you should treat each conversation as a special opportunity to communicate with someone. And that means that you should give them your undivided attention.

The practice of talking on the phone while driving, while shopping, while typing, while ordering food at a restaurant, and even while watching TV, means that your phone conversation suffers and your other activity suffers, too (see the 5/1/12 blog post). Multitasking doesn't work. That's why people are dying and killing others along with them because they're trying to drive while on their phone or texting. When you stop whatever else you were doing and focus on your phone call and the person(s) at the other end of the call, you can concentrate on communicating. Then and only then can you use the skills you learn in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar to help you communicate effectively.

If it's important enough for you to call someone, or for them to call you, it's important enough for you to care about your conversation. Put the focus on the other person and think about your conversation from their perspective. Will they be able to hear and understand you? Do you need to have this conversation at a later time when it's quieter for each of you, or you have better cell reception? Can you finish your conversation without any interruptions from other sources? Take all of this into consideration and you will make a better impression on the other person, and you will enjoy a more effective conversation.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing so.

You need to have handouts

Today, when you speak to a group, the emphasis is always on handouts - have your handouts to the organizers by a certain date, rate the quality of the speaker's handouts on the evaluation form, print out your slides and use them as handouts, etc.

This won't make you popular with the people who asked you to speak, but you should do all that you can to fight the handout fetish. Considering today's short attention spans and considering the "clutter" of everyday life in terms of forms of communication and various stimuli, handouts are a distraction instead of being an aid. Holding your audience's attention is tough enough. Why would you willingly hand them a reason to not listen to you?

More and more researchers are coming to the conclusion that multitasking is a myth. Yes, people can do more than one thing at a time. But it's becoming apparent that they can't do more than one thing WELL at a time. When the anesthesia is taking effect on the operating table, you don't want the last thing you hear to be the surgeon asking the nurse to bring his phone closer so he can check his text messages and E-mails. You want him to be focused on you.

People have different cognitive learning styles - some need to read things to understand them, while others need to hear things instead of reading them. But when you give your audience handouts - a meeting agenda, a proposal, your resume, or anything else that is written - it divides their attention between the written word and the spoken word. You are, in effect, creating interference for your own message. And that's self-defeating.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business. But don't expect there to be too many handouts. Call 913-631-2985, or E-mail bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Phone calls passe`?

It may already be true. Phone conversations seem to be almost a thing of the past. Particularly when you're trying to reach a younger audience with your message, reaching out and touching someone just isn't your best strategy anymore.

Loud, annoying cell phone calls made in public are falling by the wayside, replaced by text messaging. On one hand, it's great to not have someone in a restaurant or airport lounge forcing everyone else to listen to his or her phone conversation. On the other hand, a brand new etiquette needs to be followed now in this day of individuals focusing on their phones and ignoring those physically in their presence.

What does this mean to you? Several things, including practicing Economy of Words, and utilizing the most efficient forms of communication possible. In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn the importance of editing your message so that it has a better to chance to break through the clutter of everyday life. With text messaging, you have no choice but to edit. In your seminar, you learn how to decide what to keep and what to edit out of your message. The voice-mail and E-mail strategies covered in your "Break Through the Clutter" seminar teach you to even use "Subject" lines to convey key points of your message. This is even more critical today if you've reached the point where you need to text or E-mail someone just to find out when you can call them.

While it may seem "old school" to call someone when you need to communicate, there are subjects that are still best left to face-to-face, or at least phone conversations, so that you can explain complex issues and gauge your receiver's reaction. That's another skill you'll develop in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, information that's now even more critical for you in today's fast-paced world.

Call or e-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

OMG

The landscape of communication is changing with today's kids. Perhaps you spent hours on the phone with your friends when you were growing up. Or perhaps Instant Messaging on the computer was your generation's way of "talking". Texting is now the most dominant form of communication among those 12-17 years of age.

Here are survey results for you: nearly two-thirds text friends everyday while less than one-third talk on a cellphone with friends everyday; only 14% talk to their friends on a land line today while more than double that amount never use a land line to talk to their friends; and the median number of texts sent on a typical day is now 60, up from 50 in 2009 (for girls, the median is 100).

What does this mean for you and your communication style? Several things, beginning with editing your message. Abbreviations, such as the title of this blog post, might be handy. But you must be certain that your receiver understands what those abbreviations mean. You also need to focus on framing your message in a way that fits texting and will have an impact on your receiver.

These are among the communication skills you and the members of your group will develop in your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar. It's information you need now and will need even more in the years to come. Call or E-mail today to schedule your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing so.

Footprints in cyberspace

Colleges and employers, both current and prospective employers, can and do check an applicant's digital footprints to help determine who might not be a good fit for their school or business. Tweets, photos and postings on social media sites, blog rantings, search results and more, can give screeners a clear picture of an applicant's behaviors and activities. Too often, it's not a very flattering picture.

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn that focusing your message on the other person(s) is one of the most important things you can do to communicate effectively. As a part of that, you learn to think about your audience - what they're doing, thinking, and feeling, what they'll do just before getting your message, what they'll do just after getting your message, and in what environment they will receive your message. You learn how to differentiate between different audiences and how to tailor different messages to those different audiences.

Those are the skills you also need to apply to creating your Internet presence. Some like to call it the "Grandma" test - if you wouldn't want your Grandma to see it or read it, don't post it. Consider who will see your posts and photos, who might see them at a later date, and decide what is and isn't appropriate for each potential audience. Gear each posting and photo toward the appropriate audience and only the appropriate audience. If your friends will think you look great with your tongue out and a drink in your hand, great. Show them that. But keep in mind that you might not want everyone to see that particular pose.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. Help them get the skills they need to communicate effectively, and safely, in today's world. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Think, before you send

Unthinking people do foolish things all the time. But today's technology too often lets you take your faux pas "to 11", to use the line from "This is Spinal Tap".

In the U. K., a job seeker E-mailed a note and his resume to 4,000 head-hunting firms. He's "Unthinking Person #1" in this story. They each got the same note. The E-mail had the names of all recipients visible. Each recipient could tell that no effort was put into the job search.

"Unthinking Person #2" is the head-hunter who took exception to being included in the mass E-mail. He wrote an expletive-filled reply that included "it's nice to know you are taking this seriously and taking the time to make us all feel special and unique", and told the applicant that he was too stupid to get a job in banking. Further, he attacked his competitors at head-hunting firms, calling some of them obscene names. Then, he hit "Reply All".

As you can imagine, both #1 and #2 are looking for work now.

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn the importance of striving for Zero Defects in your messages. You learn that proof-reading is critically important. You learn to check your emotions when creating your messages. And, you learn to put the focus of your message on the other person, understanding what he or she is thinking, feeling, and doing when receiving your message. This story shows two individuals who would have benefited from putting that knowledge to use. Don't let this happen to you.

Call or E-mail today to schedule your own "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.

Twenty-five words, or less

Several college and universities have begun having admissions applicants answer essay questions using only twenty or twenty-five words. That's right, your chance to make an impression and to be accepted to the college of your choice can now hinge on 25 words, or less.

The questions can be a little off-beat, too, which perhaps lends itself to such short answers. Questions such as, "Best movie of all time?" are giving the schools new and more personal insight into a candidate's make up.

In your "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar, you learn the importance of editing your message for length and time. You learn that you may have as little as three seconds to make an impact on the other person with your message. And you learn how to put the important (to them) information early in your message. Now, it appears that this might be a skill you also need to develop to get in to college. And, if that proves to be successful for schools, you can imagine that such questions will be used in job interviews of the future, too.

Real-life communication skills and the tools you need to master in order to communicate effectively, all presented in a humorous and entertaining fashion. That's what you get when you schedule a "Break Through the Clutter" Communication Seminar for your group or business. Call or E-mail today, to schedule your own seminar, 913-631-2985, bkthrucomm@aol.com. You'll be a hero for doing it.