Debbie Mayo-Smith: Words are weapons on the battlefield of communication

Every day in every way you have many wins and losses. The battlefield is communication; your weapons are your words - written, spoken and visual. Whether you're talking to a prospective client, writing an email, or simply conversing over dinner, wouldn't you like to get your way more often?

Here are eight tips from my new book 101 Quick Tips: Effective Communication to help you win.

Stop your self-deprecation

Be aware of the phrases, nervous laughs and other verbal or visual paraphernalia you subconsciously use to make yourself less important. "Hi, it's only me" is the worst offender. Why is it "only" you? And don't overuse the word "just", as in "I just wanted to say".

Make a connection in meetings

Introduce yourself to groups and large meetings as an opportunity to connect. Instead of saying "I'm Tracey from marketing", provide your first and last name clearly, with one quick detail - "I'm Tracey Poole, co-ordinator for marketing. I'm the one who sends you our monthly e-newsletter".

Make an intellectual connection

You intellectually connect by having a structured and logical organisation for what you want to say. To do this well, form your presentation/speech/sales pitch with the following points in mind:

1) Who is your audience, their age, attitude, industry and gender?

2) What does that person want to know from me?

3) Answer objections up front. Why you specifically? How are you qualified? Why should they take your advice and make a change?

4) Give your premise up front. This is the main point you're making - how your audience will benefit from what you ask them to do.

How to memorise your presentation

There's nothing like practice, practice, practice.

You can write out a script. From the script, create an outline. From the outline, create keywords. Use graphics of these keywords on your slide if possible, to prompt you. As you practise your speech, record it. Then, as you drive, walk or exercise, play it back on your MP3 player.

Send information before a meeting

After you arrange a meeting, give yourself the best chance. Try to have the client agree to your sending them some information in advance.

Three ideas to maintain and grow your email list

1) Put your newsletter sign-up request on every webpage and every piece of marketing material - even your business card.

2) Request two email addresses on your sign-up form - a primary and secondary one. In times of downsizing, you're going to lose subscribers. As they leave companies, you'll keep them through their secondary email addresses.

3) If those who unsubscribe are removed automatically, take over and do them manually where possible. That way, you'll keep a closer watch on your list and be able to follow up personally on VIPs that are now mail delivery errors.

Words, not images, get your website found

One of the biggest mistakes we make in website briefs is to tell the designer to make our site look attractive, which of course means graphics. Of 100 websites, 99 will have their company name, navigational links and key phrases as images rather than simply in words.

Search engines can't read pictures, can they? No - only words and formatting. If you want to attract people who don't know you, one of the primary requirements is to have the words your customers are searching for, and in the right places - in the page title, in the navigational links, in headings that describe the content people are about to read, as alternative text to your graphics. And name your graphics with keywords.

How to reduce event no-shows

Reduce no-shows at your events from about 10 per cent to 2 per cent simply by communicating.

Early the day before an event, send an email with a helpful bit of information (such as a map and parking instructions). Even better, send an SMS message.

Debbie Mayo-Smith is a bestselling author and international speaker. You can get your copy of her new book at bookstores or for $18 at www.debbiespeaks.co.nz/books.htm. Twitter ms_effective