Have you ever heard the phrase ‘Mind your Ps and Qs’? Growing up, I knew it to mean ‘behave’ (hearing it said to other children, of course). Behave seems like GREAT advice for communication. Everyone is communicating their interests, everywhere you look.
Have you unfriended the acquaintance who posts thirty of his most extreme political views a day on Facebook? Stopped following the business connection who uploads pictures of her breakfast…and lunch…and dinner on Twitter? Or, ick, disconnected from the person who propositioned you on LinkedIn? How about when the article you want to read in your spare five minutes at the airport Just. Finally. Loaded. when a too-big-for-the-screen ad pops up, giving you no way to close it. Argghhh!
So why the disconnect between what we want to see and hear, and what we are often experiencing? Communication etiquette. We can behave better in our communication by always asking Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Think of it as minding our Ws to help us all have messaging experiences that better serve us.
Are you minding your Ws?
The 5Ws for Communication Etiquette
- Why? Why are you doing what you do, and why should anyone care? Seek first to understand. Understanding your why, and, more importantly, your audience’s why, should be first in the 5Ws. Examine core beliefs, pains, desires, and motivators. In which of them do you share common interests with those you hope to serve? Yes, we all eat. But unless you are a recipe guru and your audience is anxiously awaiting your next dish, you may want to rethink tweeting pictures of every great meal.
- Who? Who has well-aligned Whys AND is likely to want to give something to receive what you are offering? While you might be up to the task of selling it, Eskimos probably aren’t the right market for ice.
- What? What does your audience want? Your value is not in what you do, it is in what (they perceive) you do for them. Always play your messages on station WIIFM! Think of your best customer, and imagine them asking ‘blah, blah, blah…so what’s in it for me?”
- When? Timing counts. Your mouth-watering new dinner entrée special on your Facebook page at 4 PM is very well timed. A direct mail postcard for funeral pre-planning during the holiday season is less so.
- Where? Where is your market most likely to appreciate and act on what you are communicating? Hint: NOT in a popup ad on a blog post while on their mobile phone at the airport – be sure to check your communications for audience-centric placement.
People care about things that make their lives better. What you say matters. Make it matter to your audience by making it about them. More on ‘Themifying’ your communication using the 5Ws is at https://hopspeednetworking.com/themify