BUSINESS & LIFE: Effective and influential communication

I thank the Dominica Council on Ageing for recognising and awarding VF Inc for “unwavering support over the years,” and working with the DCOA in the furtherance of its goals. I congratulate the DCOA on its successful first ever “Health and Wellness Rally,” held on September 28, 2014 and wish God’s continued blessings and guidance as it continues to work in furthering the wellbeing and dignity of the elderly.

On Wednesday (Sept 24), VF Inc organised the book launch of “The Pin Drop Principle,” by David Mills and G. Riley Mills at the Garraway Hotel and the presentation on “Effective Influential Communication.” It was well received and I thank all those who attended the event, the media, Quick Link Production, Horizon Promos, the companies we met during their stay in Dominica, the Fort Young Hotel, Garraway Hotel and VF Inc.’s staff for ensuring a successful first visit.

David Lewis and G. Riley Mills are co-founders of Pinnacle Performance Company, a global training firm that teaches the Pinnacle Method to thousands of professionals each year. Lewis is a former Fortune 500 executive, film producer and screen actor. Mills is a regular speaker and award-winning writer with twenty years of professional acting experience.

This week, we give an overview of the Pinnacle Method of effective and influential communication. This method, according to the creators David Lewis and G. Riley Mills, is a performance based communication method based on the time honoured delivery techniques that professional actors used to deliver credible and compelling performances to their audiences. Before we delve in the topic we start of with a definition of communication. For me, communication is the oil that keeps the engine of relationships (whether at home, work, church or play) working smoothly. It is critical. For Paul J. Meyer, it is “the human connection – …the key to personal and career success.”

How then do we ensure that not only the engine has oil but also its oil is adequate and effective to keep the engine working perfectly? How do we ensure that human, and I add, heart connections take place? How do we ensure our communication is effective, that our message gets communicated how we intended it and leads to the action we intended? In short, how do we ensure our communication is purposeful? Lewis and Mills posit that for communication to be effective, the audience must be engaged, for unless the audience is engaged, the audience cannot be persuaded. You must connect with your audience and not just on a head level, you must connect and engage the hearts of your audience, if you were to move them, if you were to get them to act.

Lewis and Mills further posit that for communication to be effective, it must be clear, concise, confident, credible and compelling: the 5 C’s. Let us explore them more closely:
1. Clear – Be sure of your intent and what you want communicated. If there is no clarity in your mind of what you want said and done, it is very likely that your message will be ambiguous and not lead to the desired outcome
2. Concise – Clarity and preparation assist with conciseness; getting your message across with the smallest amount of words. If you know what you want said and done, and you have also prepared, one does not have to add fluff or repeat things incoherently.
3. Confident –If you appear or are unsure of your message or don’t believe in your message then your audience will not believe in it. In all likelihood, they will miss the message. Confidence leads to trust and trust leads to credibility.
4. Credible – Your message and you must be believable. One must be mindful of exaggerating or speaking untruths. One must ensure that there is consistency with what one says and what one does. Your words and actions must match. Credibility is critical to get people to act and move.
5. Compelling – the creation of the desire/impetus to act with a sense of urgency. This builds on the four other elements particularly clarity, confidence and credibility.
Lewis and Mills propose a methodology to ensure our communication meets the 5C’s, the Pinnacle Method, and it comprise:
1. Analyse your audience – who are they? What is the history of the relationship with you? Are they willing participants?
2. Understand the reactions/changes you want your message to produce – What do you want of them? What is your intention, what are your objectives? How do you want them to react after they have heard your message?
3. Modify our delivery to achieve the reaction/changes desired – Vary your approach based on the message and audience. In some instances you may be required to be solemn, others enthusiastic and passionate, others calm and reassuring and in other forceful and direct.

It is important that the delivery matches the message and audience. There are three main forms of delivery: verbal (our words), vocal (our tone) and visual (body language). When there is alignment, synergy and consistency with the methods, they are equally important in getting our message across. When there are inconsistencies between them, visual and vocal dominate. The study by Professor Albert Mehrabian reveals that when what we say is inconsistent with how we say it, the numbers stack up as follows:
1. Verbal – 7%
2. Vocal – 38%
3. Visual (body language) – 55%

This gives credence to the adage, “it is not so much what you say as how you say it, that’s important. And as Lewis and Mills said throughout the week they were in Dominica, we need to focus on “Intentions! Intentions! Intentions!”

So this week and in the coming weeks, whether it is communicating with your children, friend, colleague or manager, put this Method into practice and let us know how you fared! The Book “Pin Drop Principle” is available for sale at VF Inc.

Until we meet again, may the Lord continue to Keep Us in the Palm of His Hands.

I can be contacted at [email protected] or via Tel: 767 275 0566.