Companies speak to target groups. Humans do not.
And this makes all the difference between communication that builds a connection and one that doesn’t.
In a presentation, we may be speaking on behalf of our company and the audience may be part of our target audience. But that doesn’t mean we can’t treat the people in our audience as people.
Target groups don’t sit in an audience. People do.
Companies say “innovative” and “flexible.” Companies love cliché images. Companies hire marketing agencies to create glossy presentations and fancy slogans. They aim for larger than life stories that appeal to their target group – the masses, the average.
But humans are different. Humans are not masses or average but individuals. Humans prefer the tangible. The everyday language. Stories that are taken out of life as opposed to stories that are larger than life. When we narrate our story, rave about our product, or share a thoughtful insight, we can let ourselves shine through.
Humans prefer to have a conversation with other humans rather than being talked to by a company. When we show up for an audience, we may be speaking on behalf of our company. But we can still show up as a human being. If we don’t, the audience might as well watch an ad.
