Tell Show Ask | Public Speaking Tips
Communication is a major problem in organisations. People don’t deliver the right message in the right way at the right time. if you get this wrong, it makes public speaking more difficult.
My friend Matt Church speaks of the three primary channels through which you can share a message. These are Tell, Show and Ask. The channel you use will determine the outcome you achieve. You can tell people what you want, show people what you want or ask people what you want.
You tell people when you need to lead. You show people when you need to train and you ask people when you need to collaborate. If you choose the wrong channel you make communication difficult for yourself.
If you’re presenting the final pitch to win a tender, the audience wants you to lead – so you need to be telling. If you start your pitch by asking, your audience will switch off. If you’re brainstorming at an offsite meeting, you need to be mostly asking with a good helping of telling as well. A brainstorming session without sufficient direction does not achieve anything.
The model above shows the channels, why you would use each of them the allocation of time that I believe you should spend in each.
Next time you need to communicate, determine what you are trying to achieve and allocate the appropriate time to the channel you use. Keep this in mind with any amount of public speaking you do.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this idea. You can send me an e-mail to let me know.
Cheers
Darren
