Toronto

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Switch your hat and wear their shoes

Five key communication tips

June 03, 2009 -- No matter what you say or how you say it, sometimes it seems that your clients, prospects, friends, family, co-workers, managers, and recruiters just don't get what you're trying to say. Is it because that's how they are - or is the real problem… you?

"It's easy to assume that everyone thinks precisely like you do. But they don't" says Randall Craig, author of the best-selling career planning book Personal Balance Sheet, "They each wear their own thinking hat shaped by their own experience, education, and training."

To communicate powerfully during a presentation, in an interview, in your written reports, or in the social media, always:

1) Put yourself in the shoes of your audience.

2) Identify and categorize the people who will read your memo or listen to your presentation

3) Understand the expectations of the interviewer/reader/audience.

4) Predict their reaction to your message.

5) Use words or phrases that have strong positive or negative connotations with your audience.

Adds Craig: "For your message to be effective, consider your audience's perspective: Switch your thinking hat and wear their shoes."

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Randall Craig is North America's foremost expert on career planning and work-life balance. He is the author of the popular Leaving the Mother Ship, The Working Resume, the best-seller Personal Balance Sheet Practical Career Planning Guide, and the just-released Online PR and Social Media for Experts. For more information, please visit http://www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com

Randall Craig can answer all questions about career planning, networking, job search, and workplace issues.

Randall Craig, CFA, MBA, CMC

President

Pinetree Advisors Inc.

416-256-7773

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Randall Craig, CFA, MBA, CMC

President

Pinetree Advisors Inc.

Toronto

416-256-7773

416-256-7763

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