Clear Communication: Why It Matters and How to Achieve It

Yesterday my wife asked me to buy some diapers for my 4-month-old daughter and I disappointed her.

You must be thinking, this was not a fancy task, you just had to go out and buy a diaper, what can go wrong with that?

So, let’s see what’s happened..

We were in a hurry, I asked my wife to wait in the car, I just asked her 2 simple questions

1. What size (If you don’t know, diapers come in multiple sizes based on age and weight)

2. Quantity (Pack of 2, pack of 10, etc)

I got the below instructions

• Size: Small

• 20

Now, I was in a super rush as my wife was waiting in the car, so I quickly went to the chemist, asked her for diapers of size S(small), and asked her to give me a pack worth 20 ₹

I went back in the car feeling that I have accomplished the task but soon I realized, she asked for a pack of 20, not the one I bought. It had only 2 diapers, she was expecting 20.

Result? Let’s not go there

Now, let’s come to the important part, why did this happen in the first place

1. I should have asked the right question

2. She should have explained it better

But, clearly, there was a gap in communication and the end result was disappointing. Now, we know why clear communication is important.

As content creators, this applies to all of us, we create for our followers and it’s our job to keep the communication super clear, we cannot expect them to understand everything the way we want them to understand.

So, how do you identify if there is a gap in communication

Look at the result

You wrote a value-filled Twitter thread and you are expecting that this will become your best-performing thread but it ends up performing poorly. On the other hand, you write something without putting much effort and it goes viral.

Look at the message. Are you communicating it clearly?

I am not talking about your writing quality or using fancy words. When I write, I try to be as authentic as possible, that’s my only motto.

People Unsubscribe You

This is another sign that something is missing in communication.

Let me give you an example, I like you very much, which I do 😄 and you did something that I don’t like. If I really care and we have a great communication channel, I will send you my thought either via email or chat instead of unsubscribing from your newsletter.

How do you improve communication?

Ask Questions

Imagine, if I would have asked my wife if she wants a diaper worth 20₹ or a pack of 20, life would be much easier.

We forget to ask questions and we start communicating.

Try to understand what your audience wants and then create.

Be Authentic

Speak your heart out and give your audience the authority to criticize and correct you.

Keep an open loop.

Sometimes, people don't tell you about your mistakes because they fear that you can't handle criticism and feedback.

Give them confidence that you are open to feedback.

So, that’s it for today, I would love to hear your thoughts. I am just a reply away 😇 

Cheers!!

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