Today, in the era of the Internet, information flows are as powerful as never before.

Those who manage the information manage the world!

In this environment, incorrect or incomplete transmission of information can do harm to your business and private life, preventing you from achieving your goals.

So how to become a great strategist in communication?

In 2002, Sandra and Michael Rose developed and published their “Communication Strategy Framework” in the book named “Business Communications: A Cultural and Strategic Approach.”

This strategy will guide you through the process of planning and organizing messages so that you can avoid communication barriers, increase understanding and get a good response from your interlocutor or audience.

The strategy consists of four elements:

• Communication.
• Audience.
• Message.
• Channel of communication.

1. Communication.

Treat yourself as a communicator who needs to convey messages to an interlocutor or audience. This will help you to plan performances more consciously.

Answer these questions:

• What are the goals of communication?
• What is your reputation? Do people trust you and your arguments? How can you improve the level of reputation, considering your goals?
• How can you inspire trust in the audience? Do you share the views of your listeners?

A clear understanding of the goal may seem superfluous because we are used to thinking that we always have a purpose. However, the goal is what you should put at the forefront. All the following steps should be subjected to your goal.

2. Audience.

Think about the needs, preferences, requirements, education, and skills of your audience. That will help you to hit the bull’s eye with your message, that is, build it according to the specificity of your listeners.

Answer the following questions:

• Who are your listeners?
• Is there a subgroup with an entirely different point of view and needs? What do you know about this subgroup or person? What does it know about you?
• What does your audience know about the topic of your speech?
• How can you motivate the audience?

It happens, you don’t know your audience. If so, allocate some time to think about who you are dealing with. Write down all your thoughts and then find out as many information about the future listeners/interlocutors as you can, preferably from people who know these people well.

3. Message.

At this stage, you need to think about the style of speech, the tone, and the structure of your message. It should be accurate and doesn’t contain any mistakes. Answer the next questions:

• What is your goal – to convince, entertain, consult or inform? What style of speech and tone is the best for this goal?
• Whether your message should be formal or informal?
• Do you think the audience will agree with your words?
• How often does the audience disagree with what you say? Do you have enough time to understand each other or change the mind of the audience?

Choose the communication strategy, considering the length of your speech. Also, it’s worth considering whether your audience will sit or stand.

4. Channel of Communication.

• What the best communication channel for your goal?
• Do you need to record your speech? Do you need video?
• Did you take into account the cultural factor? People of some cultures prefer a tete-a-tete conversation to a public performance.
• Will the emailing be effective?
• Is it possible to use Skype as the platform for your performance? Is it expected to be as effective as an offline meeting?

Whichever channel you choose, make sure that you have the opportunity to understand the feedback correctly. This will help you to make a conclusion and adjust your communication strategy.

Naturally, not always do you have the opportunity to prepare for the performance carefully. When you have some free time, study the communication strategy and make every effort to convey your message! Good luck!

About The Author

This is a guest post by Lucy Adams, a skillful blogger and essay writer.