Communications Strategy

Objectives
Audience
Choice of Channel
Structure
Content
Style
Culture

Communicator Strategy
Objectives
Style
Credibility
Audience Strategy
Who they are
What they know
What they feel
How you can persuade them
Message Strategy
How to emphasize
How to organize
Channel Choice Strategy
When to write
When to speak
When to write & speak!
Culture Strategy
How cultural differences affect your strategy
Think Strategically!
Success in Managerial Communications means
eliciting the audience response that you desire
You can get the desired response only if you
think strategically about communication

Interactive Variables
Strategic Communication is based on 5
interactive variables
Variables affect one another
Think of Communication in loops and layers
one feeding on another
.Variables.
Communicator (writer or reader) strategy
Audience strategy
Message strategy
Channel choice strategy
Cultural context strategy
Communicator Strategy
Communicator Strategy
Objectives
Style
Credibility
Objectives
General Objectives (Business)
Action Points (Managerial)
Communication Objectives
Communication Objectives
As a result of this communication episode Id
expect the reader to do this, or the audience
to know this, or the reader to think in this way
Episode
A communication episode may be a report, a
proposal, a letter, a memo, an e-mail message,
a SMSa presentation, a conversation, a
meeting, a speech
An episode isnt just the communication
artifact (letter, report etc.) its a process
Constitutive Process
Communication process involves both the
writer/speaker and the reader/audience in an
interactive process
This communication process creates the
episode that elicits the desired response if
done well
Just writing a piece or making a speech isnt
the episode!
Communication Style
- Tannenbaum & Schmidt
Tell
Sell
Consult
Join
Content Control <<>>Audience
Involvement
Style is a play between the level of content
control and the level of audience involvement
Credibility
- French, Raven & Kotter
Rank
Goodwill
Expertise
Image
Common Ground
Credibility
- French, Raven & Kotter
Rank hierarchical power
Goodwill personal relationship
Expertise knowledge, competence
Image attractiveness to audience
Common Ground common values, ideas,
problems, or needs
Credibility
Initial credibility
Acquired credibility
Credibility in Writing
How to you acquire credibility as a speaker or
writer?
How does your writing or speaking display
credibility?
Credibility Cues
Ethics
Objective facts & figures
No evidence of obvious bias
Authenticity of information
Audience Strategy
Audience Strategy
Who is your Audience?
What do they know?
What do they feel?
How can you persuade them?
Who is your Audience?
Who are the key influencers?
Who should be included in the audience?
What should you find out?
How can you find out about the audience?

Who are the key influencers?
Opinion-makers
Potential allies
Gate-keepers (approval, routing)

Who should be included in the
audience?
Primary audience
Secondary audiences

What should you find out about the
audience?
Demographics age, education, occupation,
socio-economic status, ethnic origin, gender,
culture & language
Knowledge & beliefs backgrounds, opinions
& values
Preferences style, channel & format

How can you find out about the audience?

Market research, Internet, public data
Talk to audience members
Past impressions
Keep collecting audience information
What does your audience know?

Background information needs
Information needs detail & evidence
Expectations & preferences
formal/informal? Interactive? Flexible timing?

What does your audience feel?
What emotions do they feel?
How interested are they in your message?
How can you persuade your audience?


How can you persuade your audience?
Persuade by showing audience benefits
Persuade by using credibility
Persuade by using message structure
Show Audience Benefits

Tangible benefits
Career or task benefits
Ego benefits
Personality benefits
Group benefits
Use Message Structure
Opening & closing
Problem-Solution Structure
One-sided or two-sided structure
Pro/con or con/pro
Ascending or descending order
Ask for less/foot in the door technique
Ask for more/door in face technique


Message Strategy
Ineffective communicators simply state their
ideas as they occur to them
Effective communicators use structure
strategically
Strategic Message
How can you emphasize?
How can you organize?
Emphasis
Never bury important ideas in the middle of
the message
Engage audience by using persuasion
techniques
Opening & Closing are very important
State your important ideas either in the
beginning or the end
Direct-Indirect Approach
Direct Approach: main ideas are stated in the
opening
Indirect Approach: main ideas are stated in
the closing
Channel Choice
Channel Choice
Traditionally, choice was between writing and
speaking
Now channels include: fax, e-mail, SMS,
voicemail, videoconferencing etc., Net chat,
blogs
Channel Choice Strategy: Do you need to
Be formal or informal?
Receive an immediate response; control over
whether message is received?
Elicit high audience participation?
Have a rich communication?
Have a permanent record?
Use a channel preferred by your audience or
their culture?
Strategic Channel Choice
Try to choose a channel or combo of
channels- that meet your need
If you cant choose the channel, think how you
can leverage the advantages and neutralize
the disadvantages of the channel you are
using
Culture Strategy
Countries, regions
Organizations
Genders
Ethnic groups
Work groups

Cross Cultural Communication
Avoid stereotyping
Dont be judgmental
Notice norms expressed as behavior

Culture affects
Communicator Strategy
Audience Strategy
Message Strategy
Channel Strategy