Deliver Your Technical Message with a Human Voice

Today’s post is by Frank Pietrucha, thoughtLEADERS instructor and author of Supercommunicator (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

Who would you rather watch deliver a presentation on Youtube: Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? Most likely you’ll pick Steve Jobs. The late co-founder of Apple had a magical touch in discussing technology in a friendly, accessible manner. A communicator who understood the importance of appealing to his audiences at a deeply human level, Jobs didn’t deliver techno-babble at his legendary product launches. He never droned on about the specifications of his products. Instead he talked about the benefits they could deliver. His rival at Microsoft, Bill Gates, however, did not engage his audiences in such a human-focused manner. The somewhat obtuse and abstract innovator didn’t excel at putting a friendly face on his products.

Steve Jobs’ example of human-focused communication is an important lesson that’s becoming more essential the more “connected” we become. Thanks to the Internet, we have immediate access to trillions of bytes of information. This transformation is exciting, but it’s also something communicators must consider… especially when trying to explain complicated or challenging subjects. With so much data at our fingertips it’s easy to run amok with facts and figures. But don’t. Research shows that the more information being hurled at us, the more we crave human interaction. Steve Jobs understood this… you should too.

From the moment we wake up until the time we go to bed, many of us are in a non-stop relationship with information. From our laptops to our handheld devices, we are constantly inhaling data. This change, courtesy of the Internet, is physically changing the wiring of our brains. If you communicate, you need to be aware of how drastically your audiences’ reading and learning skills have evolved in the short span of a couple of decades. It’s getting harder to reach people because they are getting so much more information.

The truth is we all need a break from data saturation. An overabundance of information is actually making it harder for us to see big picture scenarios. We’re spending too much time focused on needless details or trivial subjects like celebrity gossip or where our friends are eating dinner and not enough time on the things that matter. Supercommunicators know they must reach people at a human level in order to break through digital age noise. With so much information at our disposal, we want more than ever a friendly face to make the world a less intimidating place.

Writing and consulting for several high-tech organizations, such as NASA, I’ve seen many zealous engineers overwhelm non-technical audiences with too much information. Often they think a data dump will make them appear smarter or better validate their argument. Technically minded folks can easily get caught up in details they think are impressive or important and neglect to realize that their papers or presentations come across as techno-babble. Messages need to resonate with management. Humanizing your content – figuring out how to reach your audience at a more personal level – can help you sell your idea.

Here are some ideas on how to do just that:

Engage your audience. People work harder to understand subjects when they feel engaged in a conversation. No one likes to be lectured to; we all want to be a part of the process, not an inactive participant. Active learning helps us mentally organize material and that leads to deeper comprehension. Experiment with opening up your presentation to your audience. Try adding exercises that encourage participation.

Make your topic relevant to real life. Explain what your subject means to real live humans. Is there a tangible benefit? If so, spell it out. Let your audience see the connection between an abstract idea and its purpose. This sounds simple, but too often communicators jump into facts and figures without painting a picture that reveals how the product adds value. For example, if selling a new technology idea to management or investors, be sure to spend ample time focusing on how that technology will benefit users and less time getting into the nitty gritty of how it works. Will your new product make life easier for users, reduce costs or help find new revenue streams?

Tell stories. Possibly the most natural teaching device ever created, storytelling is a great way to educate as you entertain. Stories make ideas real – they give your audience’s brain something to latch onto to that helps them put a foreign concept into a context they can relate to. “Storytelling” is the rage in boardrooms around the world these days. Read Paul Smith’s book Lead With A Story (CLICK HERE to get your copy) for greater insight.

Drop stiff, impersonal speak. Gone are the days of stiff corporate communication. Today’s style is friendly, not formal. Go ahead and write in the first person. Show your human self at meetings. Audiences prefer an affable tone because it makes you, the writer or speaker, more approachable. The complexity of your topic is brought down to human scale and magically your audience feels connected to you.

Be genuine. Open up and let the real you emerge. Share experiences that make you sound like a real person trying to get through life just like everyone else. Think of ways to make yourself authentic. Audiences are adept at spotting fakes, so be truthful, not pretentious.

Consider an emotional plea.

Embrace a more human-focused style when putting together your next presentation or communication effort. There are subjects where too much humanization isn’t a good idea, say accounting or property law, but there are many overlooked opportunities where you can boost your effectiveness by appealing to your audiences’ human nature. Give them a break from data overload. Engage them at a human level with any of the techniques listed above and see how much better they pay attention.

Frank J. Pietrucha is a communicator and Washington Post bestselling author. His book Supercommunicator: Explaining The Complicated So Anyone Can Understand is available on Amazon. CLICK HERE to get your copy. Learn more about the book at www.supercommunicator.com.