Its what people read
Have you ever wondered why some people seem so much better that others at writing their articles?
Why can some people seem to write those words that seem to cut straight through the clutter of our crowded lives?
Why are some articles remembered and shared while others are forgotten and never spoken of?
The answer to these and other such like questions lie in the way we use our words to influence and motivate others. It is critical how our words connect thought and emotion.
Let me regress for a moment. Here is a little background. As a pastor, I present sermons and teaching weekly. Over the last year, circumstances have arisen that has moved me to speak or teach more impromptu than I have in the last decade. (That means – I don’t go with notes or an outline.) The congregation and those present have gotten more from those moments. The hours spent preparing for a “presentation” do not appear to be as effective. Is there a reason for this?
To relate to this even more – the same seems to be true with my article writing. Why is that? Why is the response to my articles so “flat”?
I am in the local library back in October looking for books on a website I am thinking about. I see this book – “Words That Work”. Dr. Frank Luntz wrote this book and the title caught my attention. The expression he used at the end of his title gave me one of those “eureka” moments.
You know – the light bulb all of a sudden goes off. This simple yet profound statement blew me away. It was like a revelation from God. (And yes – maybe it was. You know – one of the “hit me between the eyes with a baseball bat” moments.) Here it is:
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SAY, IT’S WHAT PEOPLE HEAR
How many times have I made a similar statement in my counseling with individuals. Physician – heal thyself. I want to take it a step further, to this thought.
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU WRITE, IT’S WHAT PEOPLE READ
TO FINISH THE STORY – I checked the book out and read the book. Boy am I in trouble. I am breaking a lot of communication rules. Thinks like – I am writing for myself. I am too technical. I am not connecting with the hearer or the reader. I can go on with this list.
So what do I need to do about it.
Once I have identified my problem, I need to do something about it. So this is what I did.
First I bought the book for my library. Now I can write in it – put my notes, underlines, highlights, etc in the book directly so I can peruse it anytime I am reading or looking at it. (part of me being technical.)
Second, I have added it to my annual read thru list. If you don’t have one of these, you should. I have 2 books at the top of my list. The Bible which takes me all year as I read about 15 minutes a day for this purpose. My second book is “A Tale Of Three Kings” by Gene Edwards.
In this book I plan on keeping it on my list at least for the next 3 years. I also plan on going thru it this year slowly. Like a chapter every 4 weeks (13 chapters – 52 weeks = 1 chapter every 4 weeks.) As I have read thru the book once, it will allow me to digest it better.
But how do we know when we have learned a matter?
As one of my instructors of old shared with me – you demonstrate that you know the subject matter when you can completely explain it to someone else so that they can comprehend it. This brings me to where I regressed.
The effectiveness of the message we want to bring lies in the way we use our words to influence and motivate others. It is critical how our words connect thought and emotion.
Think about this.
You can have the best message in the world. However, the person on the receiving end of that message will always understand it based upon his or her own emotions, preconceptions, prejudices, and preexisting beliefs.
It is never enough to just be correct, reasonable or brilliant. If you are to find the key to successful communication, you will have to take the leap into your listeners or readers shoes. You will have to know what they are feeling. You will have to understand what they are thinking in the deepest recesses of their mind and heart.
How the receiver perceives the message is the reality of the message.
For our writing to be effective, they should both explain and motivate. The words need to trigger emotion as well as understanding. They cause someone to think as well as to act. When our words fail to have the receiver get a vision, they lose their effectiveness
You and I have a monopoly only upon our thoughts. Once these thoughts are put into words that are shared, they are no longer our own. The act of sharing our thoughts is not a conquest, but rather a surrender. When we share our thoughts, we are sharing with the world. The world will then interpret our thoughts. The result being they will most likely shift and distort our original meaning.
We have all stated something along the lines of “But that is not what I actually meant.”
The task that is before us concerning our writing is simple to describe, and difficult to do. We must go beyond our understanding and look at the world from our reader’s point of view. The reader’s perception is greater than that of our “objective reality”. We need to be reader centered.
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU WRITE, IT’S WHAT PEOPLE READ!
Recent Comments
1
LOL I think it all comes down to perception.