When I left my full time job and re-entered the world of entrepreneurship for the second time in my career, I found it increasingly difficult to communicate ideas in a way that resonated. I frequently found myself on the unfavorable end of unanswered emails, posts without engagement or the click of a phone hanging up in mid conversation.
Then I stumbled upon a book called Micro Scripts by Bill Schley. This book changed everything.
It’s not that people don’t care about what we have to say, it’s that we live in a busy world with a lot of distractions. There’s a scientific principle called entropy. It states that the world tends toward disorder. This means that unless our communication is clear, concise and in a format that’s easy for a person to remember, there’s a high chance it will get lost in the noise.
So what’s the solution? Let's walk through the Micro Scripting rules.
The first one is simple and obvious, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s foundational. It's fundamental. The most important driver in communication is not what we say, it’s not what the other person hears, it’s what the other person wants to repeat after hearing what we’ve said.
The second rule builds on the first. When people want to repeat something, they'll repeat it. There's only one master medium, and it’s not new. Word of Mouth still the best form of communication. One way media is really good at broadcasting a message to a lot of people, but unless those people want to share that message after they’ve received it, one way media has its limits. Word of mouth goes into effect after someone has received a message. Word of mouth implies trust. It’s how ideas go viral.
So what do people want to repeat? People want to repeat Micro Scripts.This is the third rule. Micro Scripts are short, simple verbal expressions of of our core idea. Micro Scripts is a story bites. They’re rules of thumb. They’re phrases with purpose. They’re informational and tell us how to act in certain situations.They’re fun to say and easy to remember.
- If the glove doesn’t fit…
- What happens in Vegas…
- Location, location...
- Think globally, act...
Last, but not least, the The Dominant Idea is the single most important thing we want to communicate. It’s not three ideas, it’s not two ideas, it’s one idea. It’s the central idea. It’s the focus. It’s the value we’re offering. It’s the image we want to put in someone else’s head. The dominant idea is either a superlative like the lightest, the easiest, the most reliable...or a simple, unique point of view.
These rules are the foundation for potent communication. I hope they serve you as well as they've served me.
Sources:
Schley, Bill. Micro-Scripts: It’s Not What People Hear. It’s What They Repeat… and Remember. Noble Press, 2010.