Meet Your Listeners Where They Are

Jonathan Swift once said, “Good manners is the art of making those feel easy with whom we converse.”  Writing in Inc., Alison Davis, CEO of Davis & Company, echoes the sentiment, contending that the biggest communication mistake we can make is forgetting our manners by not taking our listeners’ needs into account.
 





When it comes to communication, Davis says, bad manners can take many forms. Among them:
 

• Using words and terms that are difficult for your listeners to comprehend;

 

• Not providing a context because you assume people know most of what you know;

 

• Choosing a means of communication because it's convenient for you, even if it doesn't work for them;

 

• Responding to questions as if those who ask are "dumb" or annoying;

 

• Wasting people’s time by not getting to the point.

 
We agree. As we’ve long said, it is critical that you know your audience and meet them where they are—not where you wish they were, or where your last audience was. Understanding what your listeners need in the moment encourages them to understand you in turn.
 
We want to hear: Can you give us an example of how learning about an audience’s needs ahead of time served your message well – or when failing to do so caused a problem? To join the conversation, click "comments" on our Community of Practice Forum.
 
If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion.

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