The Communicator's Golden Rule: Make Listening as Easy as Binge-Watching Netflix

We've all been trapped listening to a speaker where our minds wander to grocery lists or counting ceiling tiles. And that's the last thing you want when you’re speaking.

The Golden Rule: Make listening EASY for your audience.

Here are your DOs AND DON’Ts:

1) Don’t Use Jargon 

Speakers sabotage themselves by throwing around unexplained acronyms, assuming everyone knows what "ROI" or "KPIs" mean. If you decide to use jargon, make sure everyone in the room knows what you’re talking about. 

2) Don’t Make Us Do Mental Math 

I learned this one the hard way. I opened a story with “It's 1986 and I'm 22 years old..." and I lost my audience immediately. They stopped focusing on what I was saying and turned into human calculators trying to figure out how old I am. So, always start with "Today I'm 61, but let's go back to 1986…"

3) Don’t Go Off On Tangents 

This is speaker kryptonite. We suddenly remember a funny thing that happened last week at our cat’s birthday party and spend five minutes blabbing about it. Meanwhile, your audience drifts away along with your point. Many of us think these anecdotes are wonderful, but it’s better to be concise. Just ask yourself if that thing you really want to mention amplifies your point.  

4) Do Provide Context

Don’t name-drop people unless we all know who they are…"As Jenny from accounting always says..." Who's Jenny? And don’t assume everyone knows about current events, history, former partnerships, projects, etc. Give them the context they need. 

5) Don’t Bury the Lead 

That said, some speakers bury the point by going overboard on context. Twenty minutes of background later, we're wondering if there's actually a point to the story. Let your audience know quickly why they should care about what you’re saying.

6) Do Sew Up Loose Ends 

I learned this the hard way when I told a story about having a heart attack at age 42. After mentioning my neighbor drove me to the hospital after my young son got off the bus, audience members asked, "But where was your son? Was he home alone?" I'd left a crucial loose end untied, and instead of being moved by my story, they were worried about him. (My three kids went to a different neighbor’s house.)

7) Don’t Assume Your Passion Translates to Theirs 

I love music. And if I could be anything in the world, I’d be a rock drummer like Phil Collins or Neil Peart. Or Taylor Hawkins. Or maybe Chester Thompson. 

See what I did there? 

I assumed you cared. (And I bet you don’t.)

It’s vital to know if your passion is something your audience cares about too. Many speakers assume their enthusiasm automatically translates to the audience. So they spend ten minutes on details that bore everyone else. It’s okay to mention your passion if it adds to your story, just be careful not to go overboard.

8) Don’t Show Us How Smart You Are

It's alienating to an audience when you spend too much time showing us that you understand big words. You don't need to use them, in fact, you'll communicate much more effectively if you don’t. 

9) Do Connect the Dots 

Don't make your audience work to figure out why your story matters. Just tell them. Don’t assume they get the moral of the story because often, they won’t. And sometimes there are many themes in one presentation. So voice the one that matters to the audience. Help them see the connection between your experience and their world.

The Solution

Make it easy to understand you. Tie up loose ends. Provide context upfront so we're not doing mental gymnastics. Explain why your story matters to us, not just to you.

Great storytelling isn't about impressing people with big words or complex theories. It’s about connecting with them. Your audience's brain power should go toward absorbing your brilliant insights, not solving the mysteries of your vocab. 

Make that connection effortless. Because let's face it, that's exactly what we're all hoping for when we sit down to listen.