Evaluating Messages and/or Images (Message and Purpose)

The importance of evaluating the effectiveness of our messages is by developing and

using strategic questions to identify strengths and weaknesses. The style of manner of how
people speak varies from each culture. Even speaker of the same language provides a sense
in speaking them Lingua Franca.
This explains why these variations are illustrated and the high-and-low-text cultures.
Individuals of high-context cultures rely in non-verbal symbols to communicate than verbal-
communication. On the other hand, member of low-context cultures depends on the verbal
communication. Preferred, Obligated, or prohibited are speech types in the social context of
communication.
According to Neuliep (2006), as the social context varies, the speakers of the language
will generate different kinds of speech, even they speak the same language. The social system
delimits the speaker’s option in terms of language use. The speech codes, then are not defined
in terms of lexicon or syntax, but by the social structure of the culture.

What is the Message?

A message is a communication or statement conveyed from one person or group to another
Example:
If you call my house phone and I’m out running an errand, you’ll be asked to “please
leave a message after the beep.”
Generally transmitted verbally or in writing, a message can also be sent via a look or a gesture.
In today’s world, people tend to use email to send a short message. But in ye olden days, pre-
internet and when the post was faster, people relied on the art of letter writing to send
a message. The noun can also have a moral or pointed implication. For instance, the story's
moral message was to always tell the truth.

Purpose of the Message

Informative Message:
Like all forms of communication, the purpose of informative messages is to promote
understanding, encourage action, stimulate thinking, or promote ideas.
Since informative messages are so prevalent in business communication.
Persuasive Message:
A persuasive message occurs when a person attempts to convince an individual or
group to take certain specific actions. An example would be to ask for a request for
action in order to get an employee to do something.
Goodwill Message:
Goodwill Message Letter should be courteous and friendly in tone. Handwritten notes
will give an added touch of Sincerity and Intimacy where appropriate. Be sincere in
sending thanks for a favor or for hard work. Tell what the favor means to you. Avoid
superlatives and gushiness. Maintain credibility with sincere, simple statements.
How is the Message Conveyed by the Text and/or Author?

Simplicity: Simple messages cause a bigger impact. So, if you want to be remembered,
leave behind technical language and empty words.

Be brief: Remember that less is often more. The attention span of our brains is limited and
our audience could not be motivated. So, forget about never-ending speeches and try
instead to use a limited number of words that could phrase your message with precision.

Credibility: Confusing messages will cause doubts about the veracity of your message
activating a defensive response in your audience. People just consider genuine
information. So, making your message genuine and avoiding contradictions will gain the
credibility of your public and ease the communication.

Coherence: Even if you want to try several topics, our attention is limited and the working
memory will filter most of the information. The recommendation is to focus on few elements
that should be recalled through repetition.

Memorable words: The brain has an aesthetic sense which is attracted by elements such as
symmetry and rhythm. In terms of speech, using rhymes and sets of words with similar
endings or some musicality will make our message be remembered.

Novelty: Our brain is trained to detect and get motivated by innovative elements. In this
case, surprising our audience with unknown information or data; will help them to make
sense of our message and remember.

Positive messages: We naturally prefer happy endings. So, connecting the message with
emotions and transmitting hope will help your audience to accept the message and
remember.

Visualization: The brain works building networks. Therefore, if our messages can trigger
mental images; it will be easier for our audience to remember and recalling such memories
in the future.
Using questions: Questioning your audience will help them to feel included. In addition, the
mental effort of processing the answer will make them get connected to the topic and help
them to remember.

Context: Our emotional brain needs to make sense of information in order to get
motivated. That is the reason why your audience should know the importance of the
message and how it is related to their needs and ambitions.

Who is the target Audience of the Message?

Demography
Socio-economic data that describe a user. This group includes attributes, such as
age, income, education, gender or geographic location. Using demographic data you
can target your campaign for example at young people (eg. age 18-24), both female
and male from towns with a population larger than 20,000. -

In media, the target audience refers to the person or group for whom a
message is created. Some messages, like personal email or thank-you notes, target
just one person. Others are meant for larger audiences. Mainstream media
producers in particular want to reach as many people as possible, because larger
audiences are more attractive to advertisers

Why is it Important?
Consider this. You have put in the long hours and finally finished making that
killer product or service. You think your work is done, but no — it is only beginning.
Now, you need to introduce people to the work you have spent so much time on.

You need to show them why your product, publication, or service is so unique
and why they should choose you over your competitors.
Ways of Presenting the Message

1. Know your audience

The first thing you must do if you want to make your presentation message
memorable is you must know who your audience is. There are no two ways about it
– presenting the right content in front of the right audience is the holy grail to
presentation success.

Many presenters don’t even put the tiniest bit of effort to know more about their
audience. For instance, if they’re given a topic to present on, then that’s all they’re
going to care about. They won’t care about presenting their information in such a
way that their audience is going to be able to relate to it.

With that said, knowing who your audience is will help you avoid unnecessary faux
pax. For instance, you can avoid making insensitive jokes that may be insulting to
your audience. It might sound harmless enough to you, but not for your audience
members.

The moment you blurt out you’re not-so-well-thought-out joke, you’ve lost your
audience. They can either tune you out or leave it at that, or they’ll broadcast your
faux pas on social media. The wrong joke will not only ruin your presentation, but it
also has the potential to ruin your career and your reputation!

So, do the right thing and learn more about your audience. Figure out how you can
serve them, or how they’ll benefit from your presentation. I guarantee you’ll be
increasing the likelihood that they’ll remember your presentation.

2. Do your research.
It doesn’t matter if you know your audience very well if you don’t know your topic at
all. You can tell all the right jokes and endear yourself to your audience, but the
moment they see you trying to pass off fluff and poorly-researched content as facts,
then you’re going to lose credibility.

The saying “content is king” still holds true to this day. In many cases, even an
inexperienced and not so savvy presenter can win his audience over if he presents
compelling, interesting and well-researched content.
But, don’t be geeky about it. Don’t try to use technical mumbo-jumbo. Instead, make
sure everyone understands what you’re talking about. You don’t want to make
people feel stupid, it’s one of the quickest ways you can alienate your audience!

3. Be authentic and real.

It’s okay to be nervous when giving a presentation. Even the most seasoned
presenters have gone through this phase, and until now, many of them still feel
nervous right before they go on stage. However, they’re able to channel their
nervousness into positive energy and project it on stage to make their presentation
come alive.

Another thing is people can tell when you’re trying to project something you’re not.
Most of us are pretty astute at detecting B.S. It might be harder to detect in online or
video presentations, but for in-person or live presentations, it’s a lot harder to pull off.
So, just be as natural and as authentic as possible. Don’t mind your imperfections,
we all have them!

4. Be a likable presenter.
Building rapport with your audience is a must. The more rapport you build, the more
people will like and trust you. They’ll be more willing to listen to your message.

But how exactly do you build rapport with your audience?

First, you want to make sure you dress up appropriately for your presentation. You
don’t want to be overdressed, and you don’t want to be underdressed either. Make
yourself look good. Remember, appearances count for a lot. People will judge you
and try to pigeonhole you into a stereotype.

As a speaker, you don’t want to stereotype your audience, but you don’t have the
same control over your audience. It’s up to you to make sure they don’t perceive you
negatively even before you open your mouth to speak.

Put your best foot forward and put your audience’s needs ahead of yours. Sure, you
may want to impress them and make a sale (if you’re giving a sales presentation).
But at the end of the day, if you want people to like you, you need to make sure
they’ll actually benefit from your presentation.

Think about it – we like it when other’s care about what we think. Shouldn’t we give
others the same privilege too? Pay attention to what your audience wants, and you’ll
go far beyond building simple rapport. You’ll be building relationships with your
audience members!

5. Make a promise in your introduction.

Great presenters make a promise when they begin their presentation. It’s sort of like
signposting your presentation. You let your audience know you’ve got something
awesome in store for them. But they need to pay attention to your presentation so
they can benefit from it.

When you make your promise, make sure your audience’s interest is actually going
to get piqued. This is another benefit to knowing your audience – you’d know if
they’re actually going to care about your promise or not!

It’s a great idea to make big promises, but you need to make sure you actually fulfill
your end of the bargain. If you make promises, make sure you do as you say.
Otherwise, you’re going to lose your credibility, and it’s not something you want to
happen. Because no matter how great your presentation message is, if you’ve lost
your credibility, then your message is going to fall on deaf ears.

Memorable presentation openings are far and few in between. Invest the time
necessary to make sure yours count!

6. Focus on one key theme

You don’t want your presentation to be all over the place. Instead, you want to focus
on one topic and one topic alone. If you branch out into unrelated subjects or topics,
you will lose your audience. They’ll probably look at you with bewildered expressions
on their faces, wondering why you’re suddenly talking about animals when your
presentation is supposed to be about something totally unrelated.
If you make a segue from your topic to a seemingly unrelated one, then make sure
you let your audience know. You need to warn them beforehand to allow their minds
to catch up. It will also help you transition your talk smoothly.

Additionally, this one-theme concept doesn’t just extend to your talk, it also includes
your visual aid or your presentation slides. Make sure you use a single theme, a
single design all throughout. Make your presentation as simple and as easy to follow
as possible for your audience.

7. Tell a story.
Who doesn’t love a good story? Well, when it comes to presentations, audiences
soak up stories like sponges. But, make sure your story is actually related to your
topic! Again, you don’t want to lose your audience.

Now, when it comes to telling stories, you need to make it relatable to your audience.
Paint your story and make it as vivid as possible in people’s minds. Identify your hero
or heroine and their enemy.

Put your audience right at the very center of the action and make them feel like a
part of the story. Captivate them with the right words and the right tone. And don’t
forget to weave your presentation’s topic or theme right into the story – that’s the key
to making it memorable for your audience!

8. Choose the right words.

Don’t try to ‘impress’ your audience with the use of highfalutin’ nonsense, it can
seriously backfire on you. If you want people to pay attention to your presentation,
then make it easy for them to listen to you. If they can’t understand half of what
you’re saying, then how easy would it be for them to retain your message?

For presentations, it’s always best to follow the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid)
principle. The more you complicate your presentation, the more you alienate your
audience. So, if you want to draw them in, then make sure you keep your language
as simple as possible.
9. Break the ice.
Presenters who know how to break the ice can keep their audience engaged far
longer than those who don’t. Usually, the most common approach is by using humor.
However, not everyone can pull it off especially if the presenter hasn’t done his or
her assignment on knowing more about their audience.

Instead of saying something witty or charming, you can easily come across as
sarcastic or rude. There are so many ways a joke can go wrong, so use it with
caution especially if you’re a total stranger to your audience!

You don’t even need to limit yourself to using humor as an icebreaker. Ask an
interesting question, something that will make your audience think really hard. Try
holding a contest.

Whatever icebreaking method you choose to implement, it’s important that it should
somehow enhance your presentation in a way, and not detract from the message
you’re trying to say.

10. End your presentation strongly.

The final tip in this post is to make sure you end your presentation on a strong note.
The conclusion is the last step to make your message memorable. Don’t waste it,
make it count!

One of the best ways to end your presentation with a bang is by inviting your
audience to follow your call to action. Or you can try asking them a thought-
provoking question, something they’ll be munching on long after your presentation
has ended.

You can also try dropping a knowledge ‘bomb,’ something no one else knows. Make
your audience feel special and give them something solid and substantial to take
home with them. If you made a bold promise in the beginning part of your
presentation, then now is a good time to remind them of that promise, and tell them
the right answer!