Communication
strategy
Communicator
strategy
Objective
Style
Credibility
Communication objective
can always be worded as…
”By the end of this message, I want my
audience to…”
By the end of this message, I want
my audience to
• …know how to write effectively.
• …be a speaker at our event.
• …feel that they belong to our company.
• …be inspired to change their lives.
Objective drives content (+ ethos, logos, pathos)
If the objective is not clear to you, it will not be
clear to the audience
Communication style choice
depends on objective
Tell / sell
Consult / join
Communicator’s credibility
influences content
It can be initial or acquired
Goodwill
Rank
Initial
Expertise
Acquired
Image
Common ground
Audience strategy
Four questions help you
understand the audience
Who are they?
What do / don’t
they know?
How do they feel?
How can they
be persuaded?
Audience benefits
Message structure
Foot in the door –technique
Ask for more –technique
Two-sided structure
Message strategy
Emphasize your main point
Most
Audience
Remembers
Indirect
Approach
Direct
Approach
Least
Beginning
Message
End
Channel strategy
Choose the channel that
best ensures desired response
Meeting
Text message
Paper copy
Phone
Podcast
Webcast
Twitter
Blog
Chat
E-mail
Facebook
Webmeeting
Wiki
Exercise on
communication
strategy
Person A:
• Retail estate agent
• Job: try to sell an apartment in this building to person B
• Time: approximately 3 minutes
Person B:
• Potential buyer viewing the apartment (private showing)
• Job: carefully listen to person A and his arguments
• Not allowed to speak, but can give non-verbal feedback
Phase II
Person B:
• A’s argumentation convinced you, and you like the place
• Now talk to your spouse and convince him that you
should buy the apartment
• Use the argumentation you heard, add your own views
• Time: approximately 3 minutes
Person A:
• Change your role; you are now person B’s spouse
• Listen while B tries to convince you
Exercise wrap-up
Agents:
• What did you set as your communication objective?
• How did you establish credibility for yourself?
• How did you construct your argument based on your
audience (think about the four questions)?
Potential buyers:
• How did you construct your argument based on your
audience?