When we pause and reflect on the significance of communication, we realize that effective communication impacts our business and personal success more than any other factor. Communication, in one form or another, permeates all that we do. Whether it's internal to employees or external to customers/prospects, our ability to communicate effectively determines the results. Words, actions and body language have a powerful impact, good or bad, on those with whom we communicate.

If we look back in history and examine the characteristics of great world leaders, we find one common trait among alleffective communicators. You may not want to be among the worlds' great leaders but you can greatly enhance your success by becoming an effective communicator. All it takes is a focus on honing your communication skills. With the right mindset you can acquire the skills by a commitment to working on developing the necessary skills. As a beginning, let's explore the foundational elements that will have an immediate impact on your success.

The 3C's of Effective Communication

Whether you are communicating by the spoken or written word, keep these three essential elements in mind:

Clear - Insure that what you are saying or writing is clear to the intended listener/reader by thinking through the message and the response you expect to evoke. Clarity is essential to effective communication, especially in your written communication. The reader will not have the option to question your meaning or ask for clarity. If your message is unclear it leaves the interpretation solely in their mind which may not be the message you intended to communicate. Are we clear on this?

Concise - In this fast-paced world we live in today, brevity is cherished. Quality time is a scarce commodity. Think about what you are saying or writing in the context of fewer words while retaining clarity of message. Email has opened up a whole new world of communication. It is the extreme example of being concise. I'm sure English teachers are going ballistic over the sentence structure (or lack thereof) in most email messages. The balance for effective communication lies somewhere between voluminous, unnecessary words and the choppy words and incomplete sentences of the email world.

Consistent - Once you have developed a clear and concise message that you are satisfied conveys the reasons people will want to do business with you and your company, consistency is essential. We are constantly bombarded with a deluge of information. It takes time for any message to get through. When you have lived with your message day in and day out and are tiring of it, your target listeners are probably beginning to "get it".

The 3M's of Effective Communication

Three key elements are essential to effective communication:

Message - Using the 3C's above, carefully craft your message incorporating the reasons why a customer or prospect should consider, from their perspective, doing business with you and your company.

Develop an honest and credible message that may, depending on your type of product or service, involve features, general benefits, company principles and values, innovative ideas, user testimonials or other factors pertinent to your product or service. The challenge is to make your message inspiring or motivational enough to evoke a response without exaggerated and unbelievable claims. Be sure you communicate the true differentiation between what you are offering and the offers of your competitors. Remember most purchasers see your product or service as a commodity. In other words, from their perspective, they can get the same product or service from your competitors for less money. For most of us offering the lowest price (unless you are Wal-Mart) is not going to create a successful business. It is essential to your success that you clearly differentiate your offering from the field of price cutters. You can't win that battle.

Messagee - I know. This is not in the dictionary and it drives spell check crazy. However, it aptly describes the person to whom you are targeting your message. You must first know who the decision-maker is for your specific product or service. Next, you decide what response you want to evoke. Are you looking for an immediate purchase? Are you seeking an in-person appointment to determine their needs and explore ways you may be able to meet their needs? Then, knowing their responsibilities within their company, you must determine what message is going to motivate them to respond favorably to your request. Example, if the Chief Financial Officer is the decision maker for your product or service, your offering better save or make their company money.

Messenger - The messenger is the medium you select to deliver your carefully crafted message to the appropriate messengee. When you have a clear profile of your best customer/prospect, selection of the targeted medium is much easier. Each media has its targeted reader, listener, viewer, etc. Independent research data is available that will help you match your customers' profile to that specific mediums' targeted profile. Over my forty years in media advertising and consulting I have seen many misdirected dollars wasted on ineffective advertising.

Your precious resources of time and money need to be targeted, focused, efficient and effective Be sure you incorporate the 3C's and 3M's into your communication. We would be committing a felonious crime, punishable by hanging, if we failed to mention one of the most significant elements of effective communicationeffective listening. We all could fill the remaining pages of this publication with examples of horror stories created by others and by us when they, or we, fail to listen carefully to the other person. Our tendency is to jump in, make snap judgment, provide solutions, make incorrect assumptions and fast forward the others' story without focusing on what they are saying and then responding appropriately. Silence can be golden.

I hope this article has been clear, concise and consistent enough to inspire you to work on your communication skills. There are many resources of books, tapes and seminars available to help you become an effective communicator. Just do it. May you attain the success you earn.