Direct versus indirect communication

Be direct.

Get to the point.

Be concise tell it like it is.

Don’t sugarcoat it.

Just get to the point quickly.

You’ve heard all these things your whole life right.

Well guess what.

It’s not really true.

Now I’m not suggesting you lie beat around the bush but in every single opportunity when you’re trying to communicate with someone you have to look at a number of factors.

What’s their interest in what you’re talking about.

How much do they trust you like you even know you.

It’s not true that the most direct communication is always going to be the most successful.

Now this is not a course on dating and romantic relationships.

But think back when you were in high school or middle school there was typically always one person typically a guy and he would just call or text the 10 most attractive people in the school and ask them out on a date.

Hey you want to go out with me.

What typically happened to that person.

They all said no.

It was just too direct.

He was clear on what he wanted but it just is too off putting.

So it’s not in.

That’s why you typically don’t see 30 minute infomercials as 10 second commercials an infomercial is a form of communication.

It’s one we like to make fun of and people like to think it doesn’t have an impact on them.

But infomercials the 30 minute long commercials spend a lot of time making the case telling a story telling benefits bringing you in being interesting talking about your concerns before they ever ask you to pull out your credit card number and purchase something.

So I want you to go into this whole learning experience on communication skills with an open mind and realize it’s not about being fast concise the most direct.

It’s about putting forth your ideas in the warmest environment possible so they can be received in the best possible way so that the person or persons you’re speaking to really understand you and feel good about you and your messages so they’re more likely to understand you.

Remember your messages perhaps do what you want go where you want to go or join you in some greater enterprise.

So I do want to just get you to kind of scratch off this idea that more direct is always better.

Sometimes it is but sometimes it isn’t.