How can you make sure your core message, the essence, the pure essence of what you need to communicate, hits the target?
When you want the central theme of your message to be heard, to be paid attention to, how can you give yourself a much better chance of succeeding?
Here’s a way.
One of the biggest problems in getting your idea across is to avoid being predictable.
If someone thinks they have heard “all of this” before your message is doomed.
It will fall on deaf ears.
As soon as a person grasps your intention by accessing certain clues you are unconsciously giving, their own internal defensive machinery starts to power into motion.
But it can quickly grind to a halt, and they will turn off.
They intuitively form an opinion about what you mean to say, and you lose their attention.
Ultimately, they begin to pay something close to lip service to you.
The game is suddenly over.
Once a person believes they know what is coming next they can easily switch off.
You’ve lost their interest even if they continue to smile and nod their heads.
So, what can you do when you really want someone to listen and not second-guess your intention ahead of time?
If you want your core message to hit the target why not consider switching to a far different approach?
Why not attempt the unexpected?
If you want the real central theme of your message to hit home, why not consider using surprise as your main weapon?
Think about the movies.
Most of the time when you watch a movie, you think it was ok, but nothing out of the ordinary.
You pretty soon forget about it.
But when you watch a film with a surprise ending you will think about it afterwards.
Your curiosity has been alerted.
It had made you think.
To get your message across in an important context you have to avoid someone jumping the gun, and believing they already know what comes next.
Here’s where the element of surprise can differentiate you from the crowd.
Ideally, you want to communicate effectively without being predictable.
You want the benefits of your main idea to be unexpected.
You want to add in the right amount of surprise.
It’s no good if the surprise is far-fetched and corny, it just won’t work.
Here’s a neat way to do this.
Determine the central core of your message, the one thing you want them to pay attention to.
It should contain a clear element of surprise.
Next work out the unexpected implications of your surprise.
This is the most significant portion of your message that once delivered will impress and stimulate the listener.
The unexpected implication is the part that talks to the surprise.
This crucial part must be listened to intently, and be fully understood, or the moment is lost.
The benefits of the unexpected surprise – containing your core message, should be heard, and set them thinking.
The wheels should be going round.
They must feel how it can help them.
It must shift their mood.
You need to observe this in their body language.
They will be unprepared.
Your message will be heard.
Keep in mind how a person will respond to your message when you surprise them.