What you say vs. how you say it

I keep reading this but it’s still as wrong as the first time:

“It doesn’t matter what you say but how you say it!”

What this is probably meant to say is that how you say things has a strong influence on whether what you say actually makes an impact. And because of that it might happen that inferior ideas beat superior ones simply because they were communicated better.

Yet, if you care then you’ll always start with what you say. It’s why you show up in the first place. It’s what makes the difference. It’s what separates the bullshitters and the hot air producers from those who actually want to change things for the better.

For them, things might not always appear to be fair. Sometimes, it feels that these slick and sneaky marketers are just naturally talented to sell things. But, if you look closely, it’s often not that they are actually more charismatic or more eloquent. It’s just that they understand better what resonates with their audiences.

When you care enough for your cause, it’s part of the game to do the hard work of empathy so that you understand what resonates with your audience, too. And if you do, magic happens. Because when you say the things that you believe in in a way that deeply resonates with your audience, change happens and trust is built.

Check out my new book
The PATH to Strategic Impact

Get The Art of Communicating in your inbox.
Short and actionable posts on how to find words that drive action.

I value your privacy. No spam. Just “Great stuff, brilliantly articulated” (to use the words of longtime reader David).

Read More

Choose your leaders wisely

Bad leaders aren’t just worse than great leaders.They’re the opposite! One gives hope, the other destroys it.One builds trust, the other breeds fear.One creates unity,

Read »

The Super Speaker

Just unboxed two new action figures. 1. The “Business Speaker”Includes:– Grey suit– Laser pointer– Stack of bullet-point slides– Ability to drain energy from any room

Read »