But when it comes to making an idea easy to understand, simple trumps clever. Stop trying to look smart and start making your audience feel smart by building their knowledge and confidence. Figuring out how to best explain your subject may take trial and error, so don’t get discouraged about sharing what you know. Try to keep up.” Thanks for giving us a real handle on showing respect. when deal with humans! You see a painting you love — and one that you studied in college — but you can see that your friend doesn’t quite know what to make of it. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), How to explain anything to anyone: 4 steps to clearer communication. Explaining things to your customers is tricky. The more you can communicate your enthusiasm to others, the more likely they are to feel that way too. “It’s better to come up with a simpler explanation that maybe isn’t completely technically correct but it gets the point across,” Walliman says. Explaining things to your customers is tricky. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. This will help you gauge your listener's understanding, in addition to providing you with an opportunity to clarify your point, if necessary. While explaining, look for nonverbal cues, such as nodding or frowning, that indicae the listener understands what you are saying. Whether learning new information or preparing for a test, flashcards can be a great way to review lots of information quickly. Then, ask your friend to look at the painting as if it were a landscape. This will help you gauge your listener's understanding, in addition to providing you with an opportunity to clarify your point, if necessary. Remember: Learning isn’t limited to understanding a subject, it can also be about grasping what you already know and understanding it in a way that will allow you to share it with those around you. Most of us love to learn — but we can absorb only so much at a time. As an example, take Helen Frankenthaler’s Cool Summer (1962). An important component of explaining something clearly is understanding the needs of your audience. And if it’s the latter, he adds, “the more you can convey that to someone, the more likely they are to remember it and get some value from it.”, So, ask yourself: “Why do I think this subject is so cool?”. To help you walk this line, HBR offers a few battle-tested tips for explaining things to customers. “It’s always better to err on the side of caution.”. To help you walk this line, HBR offers a few battle-tested tips for explaining things to customers. You don’t want to appear condescending, but you still have to get the information across. “It’s no good leaving a gap and starting from there because they’re not going to follow along.”, If you’re in doubt about what your listener already knows or comprehends, simply ask. Mention how, much like Jackson Pollock would drip paint, Frankenthaler would stain her canvases. “People generally don’t mind,” says Waliman. […]. My experience in life tells me that every item on this list is true. You were talking about something relatively complex and you could practically see the moment that your listener checked out. Not only is it uncomfortable but it’s also disheartening when what you’re saying is important, cool or valuable to the listener. That alone will take you anywhere you want to go esp. […] Explaining things to your customers is tricky. Taking into account a listener's age, developmental stage and level of understanding can provide a good starting point for explaining yourself in a way that is clear and understandable. If you have some other pointers on how to clearly explain your thoughts, click below to send us a Blrt ([email protected]). Focus only on features and you’ll miss an opportunity to invite your audience to see the big picture. The best way to improve anything is to practice it. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Then, at some stage you realize you kind of lost the thread of what they’re saying … You realize you have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about.”. When Failure or Crisis Ensues, Always Think, “What Is the Lesson Here?” Remember, everything begins and ends with the brain-heart connection. In fact, it can help all of us talk about the ideas, concepts, inventions and people that interest us. Explain the Forest, Not Just the Trees If you’re speaking to a large group, “you have to make your best guess and a show of hands can be useful, too,” says Walliman. As you start to explain, he suggests, ask questions like “Do you already get this?” or “Is this making any sense?”, What if you’re talking to people who come from backgrounds that you’re not familiar with? We’ve reached the magic number ten which concludes our list of how to communicate ideas effectively, but we’re by no means under the illusion that the list is complete. Settle for establishing a basic understanding in them. 4. We want others to think we’re smart because in most cases that’s rewarded. Want to write for us or learn more about our team? Fancy vocabulary and extensive background information might impress customers — but, more likely, will just confuse them. One way to do this is give examples that demonstrate how the subject is relevant to their lives can bring it to life for them. The most viral news stories that you need to know about. LWA/Sharie Kennedy/Blend Images/Getty Images. Here are a few examples: Make Your Audience Feel Smart, Instead of Making Yourself Look Smart “Have you ever had this experience?” asks physicist Dominic Walliman in a TEDxEastVan Talk. You don’t want to appear condescending, but you still have to get the information across. Here is a wonderful little paper, available as a PDF download from TechRepublic, about 10 ways in which we can all improve the way we explains things to others. This may require your planning what you say in advance. To think effectively, you have to think in ways that steer you toward success. Customers won’t care about the bells and whistles if they don’t understand why your product exists and why it matters to them. “I’ve come to the conclusion,” he says, “that you can pretty much explain anything to anybody, as long as you go about it the right way.”, “Everyone’s got a different background, everyone’s got a different set of knowledge, and it’s our job to explain the information in terms that they already understand, “ says Walliman. Don’t worry too much about whether you’re telling the audience something they’ve already heard before. Anna Green has been published in the "Journal of Counselor Education and Supervision" and has been featured regularly in "Counseling News and Notes," Keys Weekly newspapers, "Travel Host Magazine" and "Travel South." Teaching others has been shown to be especially helpful in retaining information, meaning if you can teach someone else how to explain things you have the highest chance to remember yourself. That isn't to say I don't have thoughts, I just think much more effectively than I can explain and would like to learn how to better think and communicate with others. love the concept of approaching the audience with an attitude that appreciates them as being smart already. 10 Ways to Explain Things More Effectively Written by Global Knowledge. When this has happened, you probably felt bad — like you just weren’t smart enough to understand what they were saying and you’ve wasted that person’s time. Like Pollock’s dripping, staining was another cutting-edge technique of the time. You don’t want to appear condescending, but you still have to get the information across. Find a valuable lesson that you can profit or … You may feel tempted to explain every single thing you know about this particular work, telling her about the artist’s life and career, the materials and techniques used, the movement that the artist is part of, and so on. By zooming out and focusing on context at the beginning of an explanation, you can build a world around your product that enables it to make more sense. All you need to do is find a better way to explain your subject. If they want to know more, you can build upon that knowledge and create a more complete — and accurate — picture. “If you’re taking the time to explain something to someone, there’s probably a reason you’re doing it — either you think it’s super-important or very, very interesting,” says Walliman. What kind of natural scene could be conveyed with those colors in those configurations? Esp. She is the founder of a nonprofit mental health group and personal coaching service. Prioritizing the details of this year’s coolest product features isn’t an explanation. I don't have any developmental disorders, but I'm very horrible at explaining things simply and communicating my thoughts in general. If she appears confused, take a moment to check in and directly ask if she understands you. Let’s say you and a friend are in an art museum. Here are a few examples: Make Your Audience Feel Smart, Instead of Making Yourself Look Smart … Welcome to Alltop Viral where we find and break down the most important news of the day. As you explain a situation or idea, do so succinctly and give the person you are talking to a chance to both ask questions and provide feedback. Copyright © 2020 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. Walliman has made this a speciality — he writes children’s books and makes YouTube videos about quantum physics, nanotechnology, relativity, rocket science and other traditionally dense topics — and he’s come up with four principles that can help you effectively communicate complex concepts.

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