While giving a presentation to a group of sales representatives, I noticed their phones seemed to have a magnetic effect on their hands. Some seemed to be taking notes on their computers—but I had no way to tell if they were memorializing my brilliant ideas or catching up on their emails. I was speaking to them, ironically, about communication. They were genuinely interested in my topic, but they found it hard to concentrate. They were a distracted audience.

Distraction is here to stay. Research shows that people distract themselves every few seconds. Whether they are daydreaming or feeling the urge to grab their phone, they are not fully in the moment. The universal presence of smartphones and tablets provides an endless supply of diversions, ranging from emails to articles to that old standby, Candy Crush. Gone are the days when, as in the Lincoln-Douglas political debates in 1858, the audience sat attentively for hours while each speaker presented his case. Now we are lucky to get someone to go 10 minutes without looking at their phone. So how can we capture the audience before they pick up their device?

Classic Ideas for Capturing Focus

Plan your speeches to anticipate audience distractibility and use these tips to increase the likelihood that your audience will pay attention.

Put your main point first. People are paying the most attention at the beginning of your message. Start with a hook that grabs their attention, such as a question, statistic, anecdote, or quotation. Then deliver the main message within the first two minutes to ensure it is received. Don’t start with history or background. Cut to the chase.

Use clear, simple language. If you simplify your speech to a primary school level, people will find you easier to understand. Even if you know that all your listeners are college grads, if you speak at a secondary-grade level (e.g., 12th grade), they are likely to disengage.

Language level is a combination of sentence length and vocabulary. Vary the length and rhythm of your sentences but keep your average length low. Use short, familiar words in place of vocabulary that you think will make you sound smart. Instead of utilize, say use. Instead of taking it under consideration, say considering. Don’t say prior to; instead, say before.

How Can We Retain Our Audience’s Attention?

Even if you’ve prepared a knockout speech, your listeners are likely to feel twinges of distraction. Given the atmosphere we live in, how can we retain our audience’s attention?

First, realize that people pay attention to what they find valuable. Your audience will make a snap judgment when you begin speaking, deciding whether your material will benefit them. Demonstrate unequivocally that listening to you is the best thing they will do all day.

Even after you have won your audience members’ attention, you will have to work to keep them engaged. Marianne Fleischer, speechwriter and presentation skills coach at Fleischer Communication, has decades of experience helping presenters lasso the wandering listener. She points out that most people have an “automatic guessing machine”—they believe they know what you are going to say, so they don’t have to listen to you. She suggests that speakers disrupt this automatic process. Here are a few ways to re-engage your listeners.

• Ask a big question. Challenge your listeners by asking them a riveting question such as, “Why do you think we’re here today?” or “What do you think is the biggest cause of business failures in our society today?” Get them talking and let them share a bit of their own experience—they will then be more likely to listen to you.
• Tell a killer anecdote tailored to the audience: Always have two great, targeted anecdotes ready to go in case you need to bring back a distracted crowd.
• Change something. If you’re standing up, sit down. If you’re sitting, pop up from your chair. Walk around the room. Walk to the other side of the podium. Say something funny. Surprise them.

These tips will help you keep your listeners on their toes. When they don’t know whether you’re about to pop a question or call on them, they will be more alert.

Speaking to an Online Audience

The tips listed above will help you create powerful presentations, but challenges linger when speaking online. For example, it’s frustrating when people keep their cameras turned off. Speaking to a sea of black boxes does not inspire great performance.

If many people in your audience have turned off their video, point out that it is more respectful to other group members if people turn on their cameras. If you are a manager or instructor, you can say that having the camera on is required. When I present online writing training, I always call on people without cameras to answer questions first.

People pay attention to what they find valuable.

When people work on multiple screens as you speak, it’s tough to keep their attention. Multitasking is rampant despite research showing that it ultimately makes people less productive. People feel more productive when they are juggling six balls in the air, and they may be unwilling to let their other work wait while they listen to you. If I see someone looking down at their phone or at another screen, I call on them, asking them to answer a question or comment on something I have just said. We need to keep bringing them back to our presentation.

By accepting that some people are bound to be distracted during your presentation and preparing to deal with distractions, you will find it easier to keep your cool when someone in your audience pulls their phone out of their pocket and starts scrolling while you’re speaking. Provide solid value, put verve in your voice, and keep the audience on its toes: You’ll win back your listeners’ attention.

Click here to read more articles on writing and speaking to a distracted audience.

5 Ways to Cut Through the Noise and Write to Distracted Readers

4 Ways to Build Relationships With Language

Cultivating Authenticity as a Speaker

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The managing director of a large wealth management company recently complained to me that his staff seemed unable to forge warm relationships with the firm’s clients. “They are reluctant to pick up the phone or invite the client to lunch,” he lamented. “Even their emails veer between formal and stilted or breezy and inappropriately casual.” Recognizing the need for improvement, the firm hired me to work with them, and soon, their team showed a greater awareness of practicing the language of connection.

Effective verbal or written communication is crucial for building strong relationships in the workplace. When we write at work, we aim to engage our readers and achieve a specific purpose, such as gaining approval, obtaining information, or fostering collaboration. However, if readers feel that you do not care about or understand them or that you have disregarded social norms they value, their minds may close. Then, you will fight an uphill battle to get your point across.

Here are four ways to build rapport and inspire greater loyalty and satisfaction in your readers.

1. Spell their names correctly

I was coaching a senior accountant at a regional accounting firm, helping him compose a proposal for a prospective client who was leaving their current firm. “Did you ask them why they are changing service providers?” I inquired. “Yes,” he replied. “They said that the other firm consistently spelled their name wrong.”

Losing the client was a blow to the original firm, yet they lost the business through a simple error.

Most of us want our names handled correctly. More important, remember that people generalize. In this case, the client concluded that their accountants did not know or value them, neglected to proofread, and were careless about details. These conclusions led them to jump ship.

Be especially careful about using the right form, particularly if a person’s name is commonly spelled several ways, such as Stephen/Steven, Alan/Allen/Allan, or Kelsy/Kelsey.

2. Open with a comment that shows you know who they are

Open by making a pleasant comment that falls within professional boundaries. For example, if they mentioned in your last conversation that they were taking a cruise, write, “I hope you had a great time on your cruise.” If they recently had a child, say you hope the parent is getting enough sleep.

Let the reader know that you are not simply using them for business purposes. The more the reader feels seen and understood through your opening comment, the more open-minded they will be to your message.

3. Use personal pronouns such as I, you, and we

Business writers often default to fall into using the third-person pronouns rather than using the more colloquial and humanizing tone of the first-person, second-person, and first-person plural pronouns.

Writing “The firm has changed its policies” sounds formal and cold. “We have changed our policies” sounds like you are taking responsibility for the change. Similarly, “Clients are urged to change their passwords regularly,” sounds stuffy. Instead, you could write, “We recommend that you change your password regularly,” which sounds like friendly advice.

4. Match your reader’s tone

Be aware of your readers’ age, educational background, job role, and English proficiency, and write with words that suit the individual reader. Avoid starting emails with “Hey,” which many people find maddening. However, if they always address their emails to you with “Hey,” you can match their style.

If writing to a non-native English speaker, avoid idioms. “We’ll have to tear the Band Aid off” is meaningless to a foreigner. Similarly, saying “It’s raining cats and dogs” conjures confusing images.

Instead, use clear and direct language that is easy for all readers to understand, regardless of their cultural background.

These are just a few examples of ways to build bridges with your colleagues and clients when you write to them. Of course, the best way to connect with other people is to actually care about them, and show them with your language.

Click here to read more articles on Building Relationships with Language

The Art of Conciseness: 5 Ways to Master Brevity

The Language Of Leadership

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In today’s whirlwind business environment, concise communication is crucial. With emails, reports, and memos flooding inboxes daily, the ability to streamline your business writing can ensure that you are the person whose messages are read and understood. Conciseness saves time for the reader, although it might require the writer to apply more little grey cells. As 18th-century British lexicographer Samuel Johnson wrote, “Easy reading is hard writing.” Here are some strategies to help you master the art of brevity in your business writing.

First, embrace the principle that less is more. Instead of padding your sentences with unnecessary words or phrases, aim to be brief. Words like “just,” “very,” and “most” are often unnecessary, as are many adjectives and adverbs. Shorter emails and documents are easier to read and require less time and effort from the reader. In an age of endless inputs, it pays to streamline the reader’s experience.

1. Write shorter sentences

Long sentences dilute the potency of your message. Aim for an average sentence length of around 20 words as measured by Microsoft Word or another readability tool. Disciplining yourself to write shorter sentences makes your writing easier to read and increases the odds that your communication will succeed.

In addition to trimming excess words, pay attention to the structure of your sentences. Aim for simplicity and coherence, avoiding convoluted phrases or awkward constructions. Instead of writing, “Not only did the merger not contribute to productivity, it actually created unwieldy challenges in the corporate culture,” you could write, “The merger did not contribute to productivity and created unexpected challenges to the corporate culture.” Break up long sentences into shorter, more digestible chunks, and use transitional words and phrases to guide the reader through your writing smoothly.

2. Prefer the active voice

Additionally, opt for the active voice whenever possible. The active voice makes your writing more dynamic and reduces wordiness. Instead of writing, “The report was reviewed by the team” (passive voice), say, “The team reviewed the report” (active voice). According to an article in The Harvard Business Review, brain research indicates that we comprehend active sentences more quickly than passive ones. This is because active sentences follow a more natural, subject-verb-object structure, which aligns with how our brains process information. Using the active voice helps your reader grasp your message.

3. Write with verbs

Another tip for streamlining your business writing is to substitute verbs for unnecessary nouns. Rather than saying, “Make a decision,” simply say, “Decide.” Instead of writing, “We are taking it up for consideration,” write, “We are considering it.” When you can choose between using words like “request,” “work” and “need” as either nouns or verbs, opt for the verbal form. So instead of writing, “as per your request,” you would write, “as you requested.” This shortens your sentence and makes you seem more direct. Similarly, instead of saying “provide assistance,” say “assist.” By cutting out unnecessary nouns, you can convey your message more advantageously.

4. Use straightforward language

Minimize using jargon or overly complex language. While it may seem impressive to use industry-specific terminology, it often alienates readers and obscures your message. Instead, opt for clear and straightforward language that the average non-technical reader can understand. Remember, the goal of business writing is to communicate ideas clearly, not to show off your vocabulary.

5. Remember to revise

Lastly, remember to revise ruthlessly. After drafting your message, review it with a brutal critical eye. Great authors revise their work ten or twenty times–surely, you can tweak an email twice. Look for opportunities to tighten your prose, eliminate redundancy, and clarify your message. Remember, every word should serve a purpose and contribute to the effectiveness of your communication.

Well-structured, concise messages convey efficiency and professionalism. They demonstrate that you value the reader’s time and have put your thoughts into a clear, direct format. You might have to stretch yourself to absorb these new habits. However, by keeping your sentences short and to the point, preferring the active voice, and substituting verbs for unnecessary nouns, you can streamline your communication and ensure you deliver your message effectively.

So the next time you sit down to compose an email or draft a report, remember: Less is more.

Click here to read more articles on clear writing:

How to Take Your Business Writing From “Average” to “Great”

The Language Of Leadership

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