Be a Stronger Communicator With This One Simple Mindset Shift

Have you ever heard of the term “drive-by communication”?

In a nutshell, drive-by communication is communication that’s squeezed in between areas of our lives without focused attention. This type of communication is quick, lacks direction, and is ineffective. 

No matter what industry you work in, drive-by communication can be detrimental to your success as a communicator, a leader, or an effective team member. If practiced frequently, drive-by communication can lead to a sharp decline in results in your conversations, presentations, sales pitches, the list goes on.

It’s important to recognize when this type of communication occurs so that you can nip it in the bud. And the good news is that there’s a simple mindset shift you can implement immediately to quit the drive-by communicating and start seeing immediate results.

First, let’s begin with the issues in drive-by communication and how to recognize if you might be behind the wheel so-to-speak.

The Three Main Problems with Being a Drive-By Communicator

1. How many times have you gone to see a prospect or client and been really clear and focused on what message you want to leave them with? Or is it more typical that you just wing it? In other words, you *kind of* know what you want to say and how to say it, and it still sounds different every time. This leads to the first and one of the biggest problems of being a drive-by communicator: there’s no consistency in the message.

2. The next problem with this style of communication is that there's a noticeable difference between marketing and sales. The marketing materials say one thing, and the salespeople are saying something else entirely. This leads to a lack of consistency in the message and can most certainly impact sales, negatively.

3. The third problem? Even when you take the time to focus on the message, it may not be the right one. What this means is that the message could be focused on you rather than the prospect or customer. This shows up in what you say and how you say it. You might have certain information you want to get across, and it’s different from what the client wants to hear or know about. 

And here’s the thing, “Drive-by Communication” Is Normal… And Ineffective 

In our fast-paced society, drive-by communication is prevalent in all business communication, both internal and external. Living hurried lives made up of 140 characters or less has important consequences for work environments. 

For more years than I care to mention I have worked with many different kinds of businesses; corporate, entrepreneurial, even the “mom and pop shops”.

Through this experience, I’ve seen a common thread with regard to communication. Particularly now, for every business, the marketplace is seen as being highly competitive, aggressive, and above all, requires speed and agility.

Most of us are busier than ever, pursuing bigger and better opportunities and putting out fires (pandemic anyone?). The demand for quickness and instant responses when adjusting to change leaves less time to think strategically about a company’s position and message. 

Meeting the threat of better, faster, cheaper, and newer results is short-term thinking. Inconsistent messages and a focus on products and services (rather than on the overall value that a company or person delivers) is the real danger.

And finally, The Mindset Shift That Will Make You a Better Communicator

When your communication and messaging are emphasized, slowed down, and well thought out, it will automatically lead to a greater focus on the client or prospect rather than yourself. 

And as you probably know if you’ve read our other blog posts or social media content, we consistently preach that communication begins with your audience (or whoever you’re speaking to). In other words, all meaningful results happen outside of yourself.

Wondering what this type of communication actually looks like if you’re a company or business owner? 

Here are some examples:

• Use language they understand rather than industry jargon
• Use images they can relate to in your social media, on your website, etc.
• Consistently provide them with information that allows them to determine what’s in it for them

Ultimately, the way to effectively communicate your message is to focus on your clients and prospects, every time, in all communication situations. Whether it’s in your email marketing, on social media, during cold calls, or consultations – the focus should always be on your audience.

That's the mindset shift – it’s not about you.

This is one of the topics we cover extensively in our Encore Communication Coaching Workshop. At the heart of this program, we walk you through the process of getting away from drive-by communication, so that you have a repeatable strategy to craft any kind of message, sales pitch, or presentation.

Encore training starts with your audience by getting clear on who they are, what they value, their pain points, how you want them to feel, and of course, what you want the result of your communication to be. 

We provide you with an easy-to-use framework that you can take into your next interview, meeting, sales pitch, or any kind of presentation. Encore enables you to kick drive-by communication to the curb so you can start seeing meaningful results. 

It will also open your eyes further to this mindset shift from you-centric to audience-centric – an essential change to make no matter what industry you work in. Check out this page to learn more about Encore Communication Coaching and how to enroll.

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