The Importance of Communicating with Clarity

I spoke with a client today about poor communication, which seems ubiquitous in both written and verbal communication. She told me about a letter she received from a car manufacturer. The letter began, “At XXX Company, we are dedicated to providing vehicles of outstanding quality and value. As part of our continual efforts to ensure customer satisfaction, XXX Company would like to advise you of a voluntary Customer Support Program that has been initiated for your vehicle.” At the top of the letter, in bold, was “CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM NOTIFICATION.” She said it took her a good 90 seconds to realize that it was a recall notice. 

Car manufacturers used to send out recall notices. Everyone knew what that meant. “Customer Support Program Notification?” What is that supposed to mean? If my client, a highly educated woman, was momentarily confused by this, how was this received by the general public? Intelligent people strive to communicate precisely and accurately by defining terms, using correct names, universal labels, and analogies. If you want to improve your communication, here are some things you can do:

Know your audience. Understand the specific characteristics and needs of the people with whom you are communicating, including their demographics, interests, level of knowledge about the topic, and cultural background. This is part of where the letter from the auto manufacturer fails. It would not be easily understandable by some of the demographic groups to which it was sent. 

Aim to be concise. Communication is primarily about word choice. And when it comes to word choice, less is more. The key to powerful and persuasive communication — whether written or spoken — is clarity and, when possible, brevity. This is another problem with the recall notice. It does not quickly get to the point. 

Be specific. Avoid using imprecise language. Instead of saying something is “weird,” “nice,” or “okay,” drill down. 

Be sure. The best way to prevent miscommunication and assumption is to be sure everything is understood. Ask your audience to explain what they understood from your message. If their understanding is unclear or incorrect, simplify your communication and try again.

Get rid of the slang. Whether it’s teen speak or business jargon, slang clouds your communication. Action items? How about a to-do list? Bandwidth? Try “How much time do you have?” Buy-in? Just say “endorsement!”

Don’t fill the void. People are often uncomfortable with long pauses in verbal communication. Resist the urge to fill the void with words. Silence is perfectly fine. 

Communication will always present challenges. There will always be misunderstandings and miscommunications that must be resolved, and unfortunately, corporate messages aren’t always what we want to hear, especially during difficult times. Building and mastering effective communication skills will make your job easier, even during difficult conversations. Taking the time to build these skills will certainly be time well spent.