Metrics&Analysis
Effective communication is essential in today’s fastpaced work environment. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), employees spend about 75% of their workday engaged in some form of communication. However, only 17% of employees believe their colleagues communicate effectively.
The primary reason? A lack of clarity.
Given that communication is what drives ideas and business forward, it is a skill worth revisiting and elevating throughout our careers. As you read this article, I encourage you to self-assess your clarity of communication. Where are you nailing it and where can you up your game?
Several years ago, there was an event featuring a panel discussion on structuring effective boards of directors. The first two CEOs on the panel took a laborious 15 minutes each to present detailed rundowns of their board members’ backgrounds and qualifications. Despite their impressive resumes, you could visibly see the audience’s interest wane.
But the third CEO took a different approach. Instead of regurgitating resumes, he identified five characteristics common to effective boards of directors and said the first letters of those characteristics, spelled “DISCO.”
The audience chuckled and was clearly reengaged. He then explained the five “DISCO” characteristics: diversity, independence, specialization, competence and oneness. The audience was captivated.
Why? The first two presenters threw out a bunch of data and expected the audience to find the story. The third presenter looked at his data and asked, “What’s the story here?” He led with the story and used the data to back it up, creating a more compelling message that was more actionable for the audience.
At the end of his presentation, he said, “If you look for these DISCO characteristics, you’ll have a go-go board.”
Corny? Yes, but extremely impactful and memorable.
How does this apply to business communication in the life science industry?
Whether providing updates internally or calling on healthcare providers (HCPs), it is our responsibility as communicators to find the story in the data. When we do this well, we stand out and inspire action. If we don’t, our listeners mentally tune out our ideas or recommendations.
How do you do this in day-to-day communications? By answering just three questions at the opening portion of any communication, you can effectively pull the story from your data.
These questions are:
What’s the headline?
Why would the audience care about that headline?
What do you want your audience to do?
Let’s delve into each question.
The first step to pulling the story out of the data is to identify the key message you want your audience to remember. Think of it as the headline of a news article — concise, clear and impactful. For example:
For a sales call with a field customer: “Bottom line, product X is the only antidepressant proven to lower anxiety by 60% in clinical trials.”
If an MSL is sharing data with an HCP: “The takeaway is we found no decrease in efficacy with once-daily dosing.”
When giving an update to sales leadership: “In summary, the launch training plan is approved by all parties, and we have started to develop phase one.”
You will talk about this message in more detail in the body of your communication, but audiences want the headline upfront.
This question facilitates connecting your message to what’s important to your audience, which helps you to influence. Will the message you are sharing make dosing easier for patients, streamline the reimbursement process or help the team get approval for the budget?
We all know the power of WIIFM — What’s In It For Me. Still, this question is often overlooked. Why?
Communicators assume their audience knows why the message is important. The reality is audiences are busy and don’t want to have to work to connect the dots, so they may miss the relevance entirely. If you want to influence, do the work to tie your message to what’s in it for your audience.
Every communication should have a clear call to action. Whether it is trying a new therapy, following a new process or considering a new trend, make sure your ask is clear and presented upfront to guide how your audience listens.
You may be asking an HCP to try your therapy with their next appropriate patient.
You might want sales leadership to reinforce specific messaging with their team.
You might need an audience to think about how a new trend, like AI, will impact their work.
A common pitfall in communication is to provide the ask at the end. However, this doesn’t serve the needs of your audience.
You would listen differently if someone were asking for your input on their business idea versus asking for a $10,000 investment. The same is true of your audiences. Provide your ask upfront to help your audience know how to engage with your message.
What does this sound like when you pull it all together? Here are two examples:
Making a recommendation to sales leaders:
Headline: “Based on all of your feedback and insights, we are proposing a new, streamlined selling model.”
Why it matters: “This is significant because this model takes into account all your parameters along with making pull-through coaching efforts easier and more targeted.”
Ask: “Our ask is that you provide us with feedback on the proposed model so we can adjust where needed.”
Sales Rep calling on an HCP:
Headline: “Dr. Jones, the headline message I want to leave you with is XYZ is a pan-cancer tissue test that provides rapid results.”
Why it matters: “This is significant because patients with limited time deserve quick answers, which I know you want to provide.”
Ask: “My ask is to try the XYZ test with your next appropriate patient.”
It all seems basic, doesn’t it? But as you self-assess, think back to your last communication. Did you succinctly answer these three questions for your listener? Often, the answer is no.
The bottom line is we are responsible as communicators to find the story in the data. Practice by answering these three questions, whether working on your own communication or helping others with theirs.
By doing so, you will find the DISCO in the data and create messages that resonate, engage and drive business forward.
Diane West is president and founder of 2Connect. Email Diane at dwest@twoconnect.net or reach out via https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianewest2/.
