BROADCASTS.com

Published: Nov. 24, 2018, 7:19 a.m.

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Jargon and buzzwords are the killler of attention span.

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When you have a message to deliver to the masses and it contains a steady stream of marketing jargon, digital buzzwords and corporate-styled sayings, you will lose your crowd faster than Greg Norman losing a golf round at his peak after leading all the way.

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And for that matter sport-themed metaphors are just as bad, if not worse, because despite the number of people in to sport, there are actually even more people NOT into sport. Especially when that sport is quite niche, like spectator golf.

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We get it. You have a message. You have a lot to say. You have a mission. And all those things are important. But you are responsible for putting all that passion and knowledge in to a neat bundle that people can understand, otherwise you\\u2019re wasting your time. No one is hearing you, because the only people listening are already your dedicated fans.

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This goes especially for small business. You are up against competitors in big concrete boxes with millions in sales and millions in advertising budgets. So when you get stuck in a rut of conversation with your clients and customers where you are constantly talking about what you are interested in, you are squandering a chance to get to know what THEY are interested in. And we all like to deal with a friend. Not a ranting politician.

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Achieving this comes down to a very important first piece of research you should do before you embark on a journey to speak to your customers either online, in person or in a conference or workshop setting. Know who your audience is. And there\\u2019s three great ways you can learn that.

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Look at the topic of your conference, podcast, Facebook page or community. Chances are if that topic is the reason for people being there, then that\\u2019s what you should be speaking on. Despite your mission, passion or motivation for that day, you are the one that needs to meet your audience where they are at - not they having to meet you where you are at.

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Read a bit from the people who have written before you, or if it\\u2019s a speaking occasion, then check out those who are speaking before you. If people are moving from their content to yours quickly, it can be helpful to provide a kind of gentle ramp between what they were presenting and what you\\u2019re presenting.

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Listen to the conversations around you. Read the interactions online. You can learn a remarkable amount from just reading and listening. So many speakers and social media influencers want to walk in to a room or a forum and just launch in to a Shakespearean rant. The key to being better able to hold attention, is spending some time before you speak or write, simply turning up and shutting up.

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I\\u2019d love to hear your thoughts on how you manage to better maintain and foster attention in your business. Email darwin@clickstarter.com.au or follow Clickstarter on Facebook.

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And remember, if you\\u2019re not doing something to get known, get found or stay known this week, your business is standing still.

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