{"id":1856,"date":"2017-08-01T10:52:42","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T10:52:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpblog.indigobusiness.co.uk\/?p=1856"},"modified":"2023-10-25T15:02:12","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T15:02:12","slug":"getting-complex-and-technical-information-across","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpblog.indigobusiness.co.uk\/getting-complex-and-technical-information-across\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting complex and technical information across"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Richard White \u2013 Master Trainer:\u00a0<\/strong>Think on Your Feet\u00ae, Writing Dynamics™, The Skilled Presenter™ and Grammar on the Rocks™.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"OVERLY<\/p>\n

Communicating complex or technical information to an audience that has no special knowledge of the subject is always challenging. We recently helped the board of a large organisation to improve their efficiency by training their technical staff to communicate complex information in clear, structured, focused reports. The same principles can be applied to writing, presenting or just plain speaking. I\u2019ve broken them down into what you can do before, during and after your communication.<\/p>\n

Before:<\/strong>
\nBefore you write or speak, ask yourself: \u201cWhat key points and level of detail does this audience need?\u201d In our Think on Your Feet\u00ae<\/a> workshop we show you how to scan your audience\u2019s background, hopes and fears to find what\u2019s relevant to them and then use the identified themes as the basis of your communication.<\/p>\n

During:<\/strong>
\nThe actual communication must use clear language and be clearly structured so that it flows for your audience. Notice how I\u2019m using time to organise this article: before, during and after. I\u2019ve used three stages because three is a simple, powerful way to structure your ideas. We take this a lot further in the Think on Your Feet\u00ae<\/a> workshop.<\/p>\n

After:<\/strong>
\nAfter your communication you\u2019ll want people to remember the key points. You can help them by putting pictures in their minds; do that by using concrete examples, stories or metaphors. One of my delegates wanted to explain in simple terms what it was like to manage a project. She said: \u201cit\u2019s like flying a helicopter \u2013 you hover over the project, you have to have a clear idea of where you\u2019re heading and you adjust to circumstances as you go\u201d. I\u2019ve never forgotten it!<\/p>\n

So, to communicate complex information you should anticipate your audience\u2019s needs, structure your ideas and use memory tools to help them recall. That way everyone will benefit from your expertise.<\/p>\n

Ensure people understand what you are trying to say:<\/strong><\/p>\n