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Communication A.P.P.E.A.L.

Written by: Sue Brundege

Article Overview: To succeed as a business owner, you need to create and refine your "entrepreneurial voice." I believe that voice has three components: your private voice (what you say to yourself); your public voice (what you say to the world); and your personal voice (what you say to clients). These three voices, while distinct, still need to align and resonate with one another to successfully run your business. In this article, I offer a perspective on what makes your communication appealing -- those qualities you can cultivate in each of your three voices to be more confident, genuine, and effective in every area of your business and your life!

Communication A.P.P.E.A.L.

Why is it that there are some people you can happily listen to all day long, while others you wish would take up the art of mime? What makes some people more charismatic than others? I think it boils down to A.P.P.E.A.L. These individuals communicate in a way that's:

Articulate
Powerful
Personal
Ethical
Authentic
Leveraged

Think about public speakers and authors who have had an impact on you. They're generally very clear about what they have to say, and say it with strength and authority. Yet they connect with you; their message affects you in a personal way. They are generally true to their values and themselves, and their communication reflects that, even over time. Finally, the words they use inspire you to take action in some way, even if it's to attend their next speech or read their latest book or article.

So is there something inherently special about these people that make them appealing? Are they born with this charisma, or can it be cultivated? I think the answer is both. Some people are naturally gifted communicators -- perhaps it's in their genes. But (for those of you who don't currently consider yourselves good speakers or writers) I absolutely know that can be cultivated through awareness and practice.

Let's break this down to see how you can raise your level of communication appeal.

1. Articulate. Whether you're speaking to one person or one thousand, being articulate doesn't necessarily mean being clever or having a big vocabulary. It boils down to knowing clearly why you're communicating, who you're communicating to, and what you want your receivers to come away with. Do a little planning, and you too can become more articulate!

2. Powerful. Being powerful doesn't mean loud or overbearing. It means being passionate about your topic and believing in your own words. Think of Ghandi -- quiet, unassuming... and very powerful. Because he was passionate and believed in what he had to say. Align those two things and you become unstoppable.

3. Personal. In trying to sound knowledgeable or important, it's easy to lose track of the real purpose of communicating -- to "make common" or connect. By infusing your words with the underlying purpose of connecting, you make a greater and lasting impact on everyone you come in contact with.

4. Ethical. This comes down to practicing what you preach; conversing, speaking and writing in a way that aligns with your values and actions. This doesn't mean that other people have to agree with you, but they will respect you for that consistency.

5. Authentic. No one will use the same words you do, in the same way, with the same effect. Ever. Celebrate that difference. While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it only flatters the other person. Be naturally yourself and you'll be amazed at how positively others respond to you.

6. Leveraged. Some people communicate for the sake of hearing their own voice, but at the end of the day, communication is really about action and influence. In general, you communicate because you want someone to think differently, feel differently, or act differently. By consciously understanding your motives for engaging with other people, you can choose to communicate in a way that leverages what you want (in a way that's ethical and authentic, of course.)

So being appealing isn't as mysterious as it seems. The common thread in all of this is to understand yourself, your message, and your audience well -- the rest will flow naturally from your unique qualities!

What can you do today to raise your communication appeal?

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Article Tags: charisma, communicators, genes, good speakers, level of communication, mime, public speakers, receivers, vocabulary



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