Communication Moments Matter

This isn’t about politics.  It’s about communication.

The lead up to the Presidential Primary brought a lot of speculation and anticipation.  The headlines in December and January told the story of where the momentum was headed:

Dallas Morning News 
“PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER MICHAEL BLOOMBERG RISES IN THE POLLS”

New York Times
“MICHAEL BLOOMBERG SURGES IN THE POLLS”

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was quickly capturing the attention of the electorate with his multi-million dollar ad campaign, “Mike will get it done.”     

His moment to show the nation that he was ready for the biggest political stage came when he joined the Democratic Debate in Las Vegas. It was his critical communication moment to convey his vision, his policies, and earn the public’s trust.  

The headlines the next day told the story of how it went:

Washington Post
“BLOOMBERG’S DISASTROUS DEBATE PERFORMANCE” 

New York Times
“HOW BLOOMBERG FUMBLED THE DEBATE”

Bloomberg had spent millions teeing up the public with anticipation of what he could be, but that progress was floundered because he was not adequately prepared to perform on the debate stage.  

Instead of getting a well-polished candidate with a clear vision for the future, the audience got what one pundit called “a deer in the headlights who seemed unprepared.”  He failed in his critical communication moment, and because of it, his window of opportunity abruptly closed. He withdrew from the race two weeks later and $400 million dollars poorer.

He is now exhibit A in the case for ‘communication matters.’  

Preparing for every communication moment (whether it’s a national debate or a company meeting) can be the difference between:

success and failure, 
clarity and confusion, 
profit and loss.

To make sure you capitalize on your communication opportunities, follow these two P’s:

PLAN:  Even if you don’t write down every word, assemble an outline of what you want to say.  List your takeaways. Predict likely questions. And select stories to illustrate your key ideas. The more prepared you are, the better your communication outcome.

PRACTICE (and practice and practice):  Talk out loud--in the car, in the shower, or in an empty huddle room.  Practice your tone, cadence, and enunciation. Get your brain and mouth working together.  Without ‘out-loud’ practice, your presentation will never be as effective as it could be. Reach your communication potential with practice.  

In the end, don’t commit the multi-million dollar mistake of Michael Bloomberg and be unprepared for your critical communication moments.  Instead, recognize that COMMUNICATION MATTERS! and use the above advice to improve your odds of success.