EAE News
How to communicate effectively and persuasively nowadays
04 de May de 2020
Communicating effectively and persuasively is not an easy task because communication is an artform that needs a great deal of preparation and practice. With this in mind, the lecturer in Online Marketing at EAE, Eduardo Irastorza, recently gave a webinar in which, as well as listing and examining the elements that he considers most important for achieving good communication, he also gave some hand tips for turning our message into an unbeatable ally.
Would you like to find out what he said? Let’s check it out!
After a short introduction, Irastorza started discussing the main topic by defining the key terms used in the conference.
Communicating:
Firstly, the lecturer defined communicating as “managing to ensure that each of the parties involved in the conversation understands the arguments put forward by the other party correctly”. He also explained that one of the greatest allies of modern communication is the large number of digital channels available, as well as the possibility of using big data to establish more direct communication between companies and their customers.
Efficacy:
In terms of being effective, Irastorza defined efficacy as “obtaining the planned and desired result of any action”. To achieve this, he stressed the importance of having clear objectives. “A good communicator always keeps their objectives in mind.”
Persuasion:
Last but not least, he defined persuasion as the ability “to convince others with arguments, so that they adopt the same point of view, highlighting a greater benefit”. On this point, he emphasized that persuading is not the same as imposing, which is why a benefit is offered.
After defining the key terms, he went on to underline the importance of order to ensure effective communication. What is orderly communication? To achieve it, we have to take the following points into consideration:
- Checking out the terrain
First of all, we have to see how the land lies. According to Irastorza, “the best communication comes from people who adapt to the terrain that they are interacting on”. He emphasized the importance of setting the scene, managing the stage and conveying confidence.
- Identifying the objective:
In the second point, he once again emphasized the objectives, with the lecturer adding that it is crucial to “determine what we aim to achieve with the communication we are engaging in”. He then warned that “conversations fail when we don’t have a clear idea of our goals or the topics”.
- Defining the strategy:
Thirdly, he focused on strategy: what steps will we take and how? “Winston Churchill did this in the Second World War when he decided that they would first closed the English Channel so that the fleet could later control the Suez Canal”, explained Irastorza. It is a matter of establishing a specific and concise strategy, he concluded.
- Visualizing success
He went on to underline the importance of visualizing success. “Drawing a mental map of how you can achieve the success you are striving for gives you strength and motivation”. Focusing then on self-motivation, he referred to the “All Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby team who, at the start of each game, sing and announce to their rival that they should prepare to be beaten”. Anticipation and sharing responsibility for the goal are great allies.
- Executing the action
In terms of execution, he asked how best to carry it out and how to communicate. In response, he emphasized that “we have to manage our tone, silences, how to spread out the words and play with the rhythm. These are fundamental elements for keeping our audience alert”.
- Evaluating the results
Lastly, he emphasized that we will never manage to progress without evaluating the results “The success of consultants such as KPMG is based on the fact that they weigh up their results in order to find solutions to the problems”, explained Irastorza.
After finishing these points, the el lecturer went on to give a series of practical tips for talking in public:
- Taking in plenty of oxygen and breath
- Be prepared
- Aim to succeed
- Feel comfortable: clothing, lights, silence, etc.
- Take care of your appearance
- Go at your own pace
- Laugh at your mistakes
- Immerse yourself in the topic: experience it and convey what your feel
- Relax and enjoy yourself
- Try to make a mark
Being the conference came to a close, one of the participants asks how to share responsibility with their target. In response, Irastorza recalled what Kennedy said when he became president: “Ask not what America can do for you, but what you can do for America. We have to involve our target, make them form part of the process, as this is one of the best tools for achieving effective and persuasive communication”.