Techniques For Communicating Your Most Radical Creative Ideas
Talking to people about new ideas is always a challenge. But it is something that creatives and entrepreneurs encounter all the time. They have to find ways to explain and present new concepts to people in a language they understand.
Communicating with people effectively is something that top business leaders take very seriously. The ability to understand where other people are coming from and get ideas across in a way that they find valuable is essential for making money .
This contributing post explains how to effortlessly communicate your ideas to others...
Explain Concepts Without Jargon
If you’re at the top of your field, jargon can be very helpful. Certain words are conceptual shortcuts that you can use to get your message across to your peers.
However, when communicating your ideas to a wider audience, you should exercise caution. The average person won’t automatically understand you.
Explaining concepts without jargon means finding ways to use simple language effectively. Ideally, you want to translate big ideas into simple heuristics people can understand.
Acknowledge The Strangeness Of Your Ideas
Radical ideas can often sound a little strange to people when they first hear them. So, for that reason, you need to make some accommodations in how you talk about them.
The best strategy is to accept upfront that the idea sounds a little different from the usual. That way, you immediately empathize with your audience and appear alert to their emotions.
Once you’ve done that, you can then go on to help them learn more about the ideas. By taking their perspective, you avoid making people feel bamboozled and get them on your side emotionally.
Be Upfront About What Your Ideas Can Achieve
Ideas are great, but what a lot of people care about - especially in the business world - is your ability to translate them into outcomes.
If you’ve had a eureka moment, try to avoid turning it into an academic exercise. Instead, look for ways to make it concrete and practical for people. Again, this approach will help to get pragmatic members of your audience on your side. If something seems useful, then they will likely consider it valuable. It’s not just “pie in the sky” thinking.
Use Analogies
Talking about your ideas in the abstract can be helpful on a theoretical level. But it rarely creates the same impact as communicating in analogies. Remember, most people best understand a new subject based on what they already know. If you can take an existing concept that they understand and leverage it to better communicate with your audience, you can often gain more traction.
Listen To Questions
People will have questions and concerns about your ideas if they are radical. So, when talking to an audience, be sure to deliberately set aside time for questions. You can use this as an opportunity to clarify issues and deal with concerns that your colleagues and clients might have.