Terry Prone spoke at a recent LEO event in Dundalk on the the 10 Rules of Communications for Businesses. The following summarises the 10 rules :
1. Start with your audience, start with the people you are trying to reach and ensure your communication strategy is truthful. Terry made reference to radio stations during this point, she said that 'radio stations know their audiences very well'.
2. Do one thing at a time, multitasking will drive you off a cliff
3. Be aware of improvements that make things worse, e.g. Powerpoint, TV etc, make sure what you are using is relevant to your audience
4. Be clear in your words, be aware of the fog lamps
5. Learn to listen with respect and fascination, take notes, do not rely on your memory
6. Ensure your audience trusts you, like you and can work with you
7. One to one, face to face communications is measurably and immeasurably the best form of communication, be interesting and people will find you interesting
8. Sleep off anger and fear, in the morning it will look smaller and easier to attack and the fear will have receeded
9. Being nervous is a good thing, welcome nerves, do not fight them!
10. People remember what is interesting, understandable and memorable to them.
At the conclusion of the event, Terry had one message : 'tell the truth, nothing but the truth, not the whole truth'
When leaving the audience with one final message on communications, Terry said that for all mass of businesses but particularly small businesses, 'radio is crucial, think radio rather than anywhere else as radio is a great medium and it works on the same basis as networking'.