Next level communicators empower their audience.
Next level communicators empower their audience.
I’m writing this on my day off, which means I just returned from the golf course where I shot my best round of the year, and I have my last golf instructor to thank. Some years ago, I went to fix my awful swing. After watching me hit a few balls, he not only told me he could help, but would teach me in such a way that when the wheels inevitably fell off in the future, I would know exactly what went wrong and how to fix it. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing: A coach pretty much said he was going to make the complex golf swing so simple, I would never need to see him again, therefore leaving plenty of money on the table. And that’s what he did. Through his instruction, he gave me the tools to not be dependent on him again. This is what next level communicators do- they empower their audience.
John Milton Gregory gets to this when he writes, “The true function of the teacher is to create the most favorable conditions for self-learning…True teaching is not that which gives knowledge, but that which stimulates pupils to gain it. One might say that he teaches best who teaches least.” According to Gregory, great communicators aren’t necessarily the most knowledgeable, or entertaining; but next level communicators inspire and empower their audience to take the content and make it their own. This is where becoming skilled in the art of application sets extraordinary communicators apart.
Some years ago, a communicator I had mentored wanted me to listen to some of his talks. It had been quite awhile since I heard him, and so I watched a few of his messages. When we hopped on a call for my feedback, I told him how his messages were always inspiring (He’s a master storyteller), but the problem is I always leave his talks excited and at the same time not knowing what to do with what I just heard. There’s a ton of communicators like this. They tend to be amazing illustrators, whose messages are like going from mountain top to mountain top. The problem is grass rarely grows on mountain tops, but is found down in the valleys. So while the “views” I get in their talks are amazing, I don’t really leave fed and empowered to live. That’s frustrating.
You want to empower your audience with your messages, try the following:
What’s the purpose? Before you construct the talk, write out what you would like for your audience to be or do as a result of your message. This will keep you from just dumping content on them, or merely captivating them with one amazing story after another. How do you want them to change, or live, as a result of your time together? What ways do you want them to be different? Once you’ve written out the purpose, force yourself to be disciplined in your outline and delivery to make sure you come through on the purpose.
An action oriented outline. If you want to empower your audience, be sure to frame your main points as action items. In a few days I’ll be speaking at a church, and my three points are: Don’t stop witnessing. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop rejoicing. My explanations will be geared towards why those things are important, along with illustrations to inspire them towards action. My whole aim is to set the table for them to do something as a result of our time together.
The big two. Remember our introductions should capture the audience's eyes (attention), and the felt need their hearts, and our conclusions should reach their feet (actions). To get there, we need to do two big things as we close: Ask them, “Will you ______,” and show them, “Here’s how”. In a Christian context, this would be, “Will you come to Christ,” and, “Here’s how to do that.” You can tailor these two things for whatever talk you are giving, but you have to make the big ask (Will you?) along with showing them how to do that.
What I’m reading:
Contentment: The Secret to Lasting Calm, by Richard Swenson, MD.
