Scientists, doctors, lawyers, and academics are among the most well-educated professions out there.
Beyond their level of education and deep experience, the smartest among us generally share something in common: They’re not the most riveting mass communicators in the world. There are exceptions, of course, but I’m generalizing to make a point.
The erudite brain is taught to make an argument and back it up with evidence. The more data and facts, the better. The disciplines of science, medicine, policy analysis, academia, and law demand it.
But when making a case on the public stage, dumping data or evidence alone on an audience rarely works.
Doing the work
You’ve got to do the work —and it is that—to make a subject matter accessible to people you’re speaking to, whether in a press interview, a speech, or on social media.
The only thing that matters is how your audience receives, and acts on, information– not how you want to relay it.
It’s about them, not you. In other words, walk in other people’s shoes--which probably aren’t Jimmy Choos.
This means speaking or writing in narrative terms, not in technical, ivory- tower, or fancy jargon.
The human brain is wired for story. Stories, crafted properly, bring your audience along with you. People also need a narrative to connect with --one that sings with emotion, simplicity, and relevance. That means speaking in narrative terms.
I’m not talking about dumbing anything down. I’m talking about repackaging concepts, translating them into plain speak with a narrative thread.
A course correction happened with promoting public health and uptake of the Covid vaccine. Drugmaker Pfizer finally broke through to the public by, as Sally Sussman said, ripping up the original playbook of scientific data and experts to convince the public to get the vaccine.
“I was wrong,” Susman said. “It’s stories, [like] I got to see my grandson at his wedding. Real stories, real people.”
Elite professions like science, medicine, and public policy tend to skip the step between the proverbial research lab and the public marketplace. They forgo the translation process required to bring data-backed ideas to market, something corporate America does every day. We hear about the innovation and sleekness of the iPhone not the circuit board or SIM card.
Overcoming the resistance
So how do you convince a CEO or principal to rethink how they’re approaching public communications— that they need to take a beat and realize what they don’t know? And then to work on it?
In my own experience, they may think you’re “handling” them or are being critical. Even directing them, which you are and that’s a comms person’s job (Doing so appropriately, of course.)
Lots of issues wrapped up in something like this, but the CEO can come to respect messaging strategy and brand storytelling if they see doing it makes them more effective. Give the principal relevant examples showing how intellectual arguments don’t land on the public stage.
Moral of the Story
Many heady professionals think they’re the smartest people in the room. But if they actually want to be the smartest person in the room, they would be wise to invest in messaging strategy and branding magic.