8 seconds to make an impact
“Rule number one in communication is to imagine you are talking to a real person sitting in the audience.“
I’m just having a well-earned cup of tea after a morning of filming for a new marketing video. Filming is often both fun and anxiety-making at the same time. One must try and look good, sound good and remember to include the important points. Even after twenty years of doing this I still find it hard to get all of that right at the same time!
Luckily though, I recently re-read the great marketing messaging book 8 Seconds by Paul Hellman, which has lots of simple but powerful pieces of advice, one of which I’m going to share with you below.
When crafting a message, rule number one is to imagine you are the audience or talking to an individual the audience. I like to imagine a specific individual as the ‘muse’ to whom I am talking. Usually, it’s a real person that I know who fits the persona of the audience I am addressing. This makes the conversation feel a bit more personal and helps to ensure that I am speaking in a way that I would in a normal conversation.
Beyond that there are three things you must get right.
First, be clear on the purpose of the communication, make sure it’s something that your chosen audience will value, not just what you want to tell them.
Secondly, decide on the ONE message you really need to convey, say it clearly and repeat it for emphasis.
Lastly, remember to tell your audience what action you would like them to take. This ‘call to action’ should be simple and inviting.
Here’s hoping that I did my job well this morning and the video will tick all those boxes.
This week let’s remember these simple guidelines in all our communications and keep on practising to get things right! And do take a read of 8 Seconds – it’s worth it!
