That George Costanza quote may not be the best piece of advice in itself but the thought is pretty interesting. The belief you have behind your words can make a huge difference in how it’s received. People often focus a bit too much on the words versus how they are said or delivered. A credible spokesperson conveys confidence with a relaxed one hundred percent conviction. Deer in headlights expressions and hesitation won’t cut it when you’re representing your brand. Just watch how NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell or U-M football coach Brady Hoke struggled to articulate their perspectives on big issues.
With communications and marketing in general, if you can’t say something with confidence then it won’t really matter what you say. People won’t listen. They won’t be swayed or captured.
OK, so how can you improve this part of your communications? One tip is being present. If you are in the moment while saying something then that tends to add a lot of weight to your words and remove incongruence and conflicting thoughts.
And most importantly, if you make a claim, then make certain you can back it up. There’s an old saying in our business that advertising is the truth well told. Have complete confidence that you can deliver on your claims and then make the statement. Anything less is going to come back and scar you and your brand.
Rich Williams, SVP/Strategic Business Development