Just like a good speech writer, to speak your audience’s language means getting out of your own head. Ultimately, it requires a merging of your knowledge and intentions with the interests, concerns and needs of those you want to reach. But we’re jumping ahead of ourselves. First, you’ve got to know who your audience, or audiences are.
Typically, organizations focus their attention on who contracts their services or buys their products and telling them why they should. But you’re limiting your impact if you don’t take time for some internal research that thinks through the full spectrum of who your different audiences are.
For instance, let’s say you’re the foundation of a school district whose responsibility is to provide essential funds for student programs and resources the district wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. Obviously, fundraising is a major focus. New donors would be a primary audience. Existing donors and maintaining the lines of support you already have would also be a priority. What about the business community and the value a thriving school district means to them? Student families, district employees, state legislators; each of these audiences have unique perspectives that you must address to motivate action.
Like it or not, your audiences aren’t just those who support you. Don’t avoid thinking about the cynical voices in the room. In the example of a school district foundation, an especially challenging audience is members of the community with the capacity to donate, but who don’t have children in school and don’t see what relevance you have for them. We can spend a whole episode on addressing challenging audiences, and we will, but for now I encourage you to listen to our past Minute with Messaging titled “Proclaiming Relevance.
Now, once you’ve thoroughly identified all your audiences, what does it mean to speak their language? Well, to go back to the analogy of a speech writer, it’s a matter of putting yourself in their place and speaking to their unique interests and concerns. A universal message, if you’re the school district foundation, is “please make a donation so that we can continue offering student programs and buying resources the district can’t afford without us.”
But potential donors want to know what kind of impact their support will make. Existing donors want validation that they’ve put their money on the right horse, so to speak, and want to know what you’ve accomplished, and will accomplish, thanks to their support. The business community wants to hear how what you do benefits their employees or the marketplace they serve.
Speaking your audience’s language means getting out of your head and in to theirs – understanding and connecting with what’s important to them and communicating the solutions you offer.
I’m Kelli Newman and this has been a Minute with Messaging™. For past episodes of a Minute with Messaging, and to learn how your organization can benefit from Newman & Newman’s communication strategies, visit our website at NEWMANandNEWMANinc.com.
