Last week I touched on the importance of knowing your audience. This is one of the main pillars of communication that I teach and it is such an important one for business owners to master.

Let’s dive in shall we?!

The first step to knowing your audience, is to know yourself. You have to discover your own communication style before you can effectively reach your audience.

It can be difficult to know where to begin when identifying your own style of communication. Here are the four types of communicators and some of the traits they possess:

• TIMID: often we associate the word timid with shy, weak, scared, or soft. I’m telling you to get rid of those connotations right now. Timid communicators may or may not be any of those things, but what they most definitely are, is present. Timid communicators often find themselves wanting to be more assertive in their communication, which leads them to prepare extensively, study, rehearse, and research so that they can feel as sure of themsel
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If this sounds like the beginning of a bad breakup, fear not! When I say “it’s not me, it’s you,” what I really mean is it’s ABOUT you.

In this post I will start to dive into one of my main pillars of communication: Knowing Your Audience. This is one thing I teach in great detail and something that prevents many of us from mastering our skills. Let’s dive in!

We’ve all heard “there’s no ‘I’ in team” and I’m here to tell you there’s no “me” in communicate…but there is YOU (well, a “u” but you get the point).

As a communicator, there are two ways to approach communicating with your audience: self-centered and client-centered (or audience-centered) communication. If you hold a position as a leader, business owner, or professional, YOUR COMMUNICATION SHOULD ALWAYS BE FOCUSED ON THE INDIVIDUAL(S) AT THE OTHER END OF YOUR MESSAGE.

But how do you know if your message is focused on the recipient? First, you have to know who they are. As a leader or manager, the recipient could be your coll...

Have you ever baked cookies? I’m not a baker but I have attempted cookies once or twice. The process is the same each time: decide on the type (peanut butter is my fav), find a recipe, gather the ingredients, put the ingredients together, bake, and voila: delicious cookies that everyone loves.

But what happens if you don’t have all the ingredients? If a single ingredient is left out or used improperly, the final product can turn out far differently. In baking, every ingredient has a purpose.

I know you’re wondering why I am rambling on about cookies, especially since I’m admittedly NOT a baker. Here’s why: Communicating is like baking. Words are the ingredients, your message is the cookie.

Today’s post is about utilizing all the ingredients at your disposal to communicate more clearly and create focused, impactful content that will attract clients like cookies attract children!

According to the Oxford dictionary, the English language has over 170,000 words in current use. With a ...

Hi, and thanks for dropping by the 10-4 Communications blog! This is a place for learning, sharing, laughing, and growing! Each week, we will post a new article discussing a variety of topics, stories, and ways to improve your confidence and communication! I’m so excited that you have decided to come along for the ride!

You are probably wondering, “who are you and why should I keep reading?” That is a great question 😉  I’m April. I have a Masters Degree in Professional Communication and over 20 years of experience in a variety of what I call “people industries.” I love people-watching, hiking, running, studying astrology, and making music (I’m a classically trained musician – more on that some other time). Even more than those things, I truly enjoy listening to other people’s stories and helping them become the best version of themselves. 

That is the whole reason I created 10-4 Communications! Through 1 on 1 and group coaching, I help my clients identify their individual strengths...