Whether you’re talking about Sales & Marketing or horsemanship, core principles of communication factor greatly in the success of your efforts.
For example, be clear. Ambiguity is a source of frustration for all involved.
Be consistent with what you’re communicating… and how you’re communicating it. Repetition leads to retention.
Be brief. The quicker and cleaner the message, the more efficient the communication process becomes.
Above all, craft your message from the recipient’s point of view. Speak their language. Put things in ways they can understand and relate to. A big part of that is having a real appreciation for what motivates them. Build in rewards every step of the way. Rewards they value. Then, there are virtually no limits to what you can accomplish.
And never forget to do your groundwork before you ever think about saddling up. It’s rarely fun. You get your hands dirty. You sweat. You get tired. But you can’t get where you want to go without it. If you get complacent or think you can get away with shortcuts here, you’re in for some painful lessons. On the plus side, the harder the setback the more you tend to improve your work ethic next time around.
In the end, the whole process can be a lot of work. But the results are worth it. You establish a sense of trust and mutual respect. Strong bonds and loyalties develop. And if you do your job correctly, you wind up with a powerful partnership that will last a lifetime.