How we learn from the mouths of babes…

Last night I posted a video link which has gone viral regarding two 17month old twins who seem to have the gift of gab. Within hours it was the most watched solar blog link of the year. So what is it about this that makes it so sought out not only by a general reading public yet also by investors who are eager for news?

What I think is the greatest attraction about these two kids is how in fact they seem to “get” each other. They look well-adjusted and completely comfortable with each other and themselves. That speaks volumes to the parenting they are receiving yet there must be something more to it. What is it about this video which captures my mind and perhaps yours?

I believe it comes down to a most basic human desire…to be understood. My impression (and this is just my story) is that they actually understand each other. They point to similar things, laugh at each other’s outbursts and even mimic the other’s hand or leg movements. Its actually a great lesson for adults to consider.

Communications have always and will always be about “delivery” and “reception”. We may deliver through words, actions or even facial expressions one thing, yet they may all be received with great “misperception” by others. After all, nobody knows what you mean 100% other than yourself. So the key is to refine the communication, whether verbal or written, to a place where it will be understood as per your intent by the single or multiple recipients for which it was intended.

In any marketing or sales campaign, we must focus not on what we THINK we are delivering nor even on our own NEEDS. Rather we must focus on how others WILL receive our message and what their needs are. It is essentially the difference between a “push” and “pull” sales process. It is the difference between customer engagement generated by your marketing campaign, or customer avoidance.

Modern business is quite different. The manner of communicating within a team or externally has changed radically in these years. Title is not entitlement to respect. Leadership is. And that can come from any part of a team. When leaders communicate it is with integrity, honesty and respect and I know of no requirement that says you must have a certain title in order to follow those rules. How you communicate with those closest to you will have a large bearing on how you communicate to the world beyond. Misperceptions are created when we take our own “stories” and layer them onto other’s. It is in fact when we make a conscious choice to receive communication “without a story” that we can get closer to truth.

Today’s communication tools are far more varied than they used to be. Internet, interactive or live video, and other technologies have radically changed our access within a group or to the outside stakeholders. Facebook means that millions can know about your “faux pas” or success, within minutes. It is incumbent upon any entity which seeks to thrive in today’s world to embrace new technologies and ensure that they use them in a manner which engages and respects. Do that in your marketing or sales communications, and I promise you better results than using older techniques that simply don’t resonate in today’s connected world.

Out of the mouths of babes come great lessons. I am grateful to these twins for what I was able to see and learn from them in the short video their parents shared.

Sass