Your product may be the next big thing. Your business idea may be brilliant. But if you can’t describe that product in a way that’s lucid and inviting or explain your business idea in language that a potential investor will understand, you won’t get far, Frank J. Pietrucha maintains. Pietrucha, president of Washington, D.C.-based Definitive Communications, coined supercommunicator to describe those who have the written and verbal skills to translate complex concepts into layman’s language. Among these valuable communications techniques are layering (doling out bite-sized bits of information in moderation) and using analogies or comparisons to explain knotty ideas (neuroscience shows that our brains seek analogies to help us process information).
Pietrucha doesn’t just list the tools. He also demonstrates how to employ them. For example, if you’re presenting a product or an idea to a group, try the “what this means to you,” strategy. For instance: “The Toyota Prius gets 49 miles per gallon. What this means to you is that you’ll spend less on gas and do less damage to the environment.” The point is that you get your audience to imagine the benefits.
Packed with solid advice, Supercommunicator
by Frank J. Pietrucha
May
AMACOM; $17.95
