Communicating, at times, can leave you feeling deflated, humbled, misunderstood, or unacknowledged. There are moments where you think you have made your point, only to find the other person rebut and make a stronger case or not even acknowledge your point at all. We have all had instances where the back and forth of a conversation leaves much to be desired and phases where we avoid speaking altogether and only grunt, sigh, or nod. So, when it comes to forms of expression or communication it seems that anything goes – good or bad. Language is made up of characters, symbols, sounds, motions, and even emojis or gifs. And given that we often seek advice or try to unpack the subliminal messages we receive daily and then fully immerse ourselves in understanding the significance of those messages – it’s not surprising that we are faced with layers upon layers of meaning. “Human communication is incredibly complex… meaning is [often] reworked, reshaped and always changing, it’s no wonder our messages sometimes turn into a mush of miscommunication”, states Katherine Hampsten, an associate professor of communication studies and the author of How Miscommunication Happens (And How to Avoid It). Add to this, physical stimuli like exhaustion, intoxication, distraction, or delusion as well as other people, and our grasp of what is being said grows exponentially more complex.
“Language is almost the most unique creation of humankind which defines itself; the alternative way of communication/comprehension/conception, yet overusing any invention, can cause alienation,” says author, Fereidoon Yazdi. Research shows that we generally only listen to about 25% of spoken communication – three-quarters is left to interpretation. A fundamental element of basic communication is that we need to actively listen to what another person has to say, and by recognising that there is a difference between hearing and listening – taking the time to understand as we want to be understood, and to remember that communication is more than just words. Bill Vaughan, an American columnist, and author, reiterates that “thinking in words slows you down and decreases comprehension in much the same way as walking a tightrope too slowly makes one lose one’s balance.” So, how do we deliver our message effectively when what is often interpreted is miscommunication?
Successful message delivery is often lost on most audiences simply because they would rather formulate a sensible reply than hear what’s being said. It’s likely that when we provide context, images, subtle nuances in expression, or combine messaging with fun activities we stimulate a greater understanding – and this ties nicely into visual aids or repetition. When we are exposed to the same messaging over and over again – something sticks. Marketing and Advertising do this well by using slogans or taglines for brands or products. Lindsay Kolowich Cox, writer on blog.hubspot.com and author of 26 Companies With Really Catchy Slogans & Brand Taglines states that “while logos are visual representations of a brand, slogans are audible representations of a brand. Both formats grab [the] consumers’ attention more readily than a company’s name or product might. Plus, they’re simpler to understand and remember.” Which is reason to believe that when we capture a visual or audible representation in the minds of our audience – comprehension becomes easier.
Colour is also another useful visual representation and effective communication tool. Colour conveys a form of non-verbal messaging – think of ‘red’ or ‘yellow’ roses from your local one-stop shop for that special someone, one colour represents love and the other friendship – get this wrong and you are firmly wedged in the friend zone for life but get it right and you could be negotiating lobola. Other recognisable colours are ‘green’ for go and ‘red’ for stop, or the turn of phrase ‘7 colours’ as a meal cooked in many households representing the colourful ingredients of a Sunday spread. Colour is effective in that we realise if we want to simplify messaging (i.e., routes, maps, naming conventions, or phrases), by adding colour, there is a distinguishable element without the need for further explanation. It becomes a form of interaction in its own right.
Audible communication occurs when sounds are used instead of words. Emotive meaning can be represented by sounds such as a honking horn, chimes to indicate a new text message or even background ‘elevator’ music. Adding audio to visual elements enhances our conveyed intent. According to Hannah Helwig, writer of Language and Identity: How Music Affects Language and Communication, Emerging Writers: Vol. 1, Article 2, “music shapes cognition, development, and communication between others in a way that no other form of art can. Music and language are continuously working hand in hand to in some way enhance the language of people and their communication between one another.” Music as an audible communication tool is effective simply because the exact right track or jingle can formulate an entire movement or represent a brand. Familiar songs, lyrics, or artists become the ‘face of products or campaigns, directing focus, or grasping an entire culture.
Effective message delivery doesn’t necessarily have to be boring or typical in any sense. There are hundreds of varied methods of interaction, whether verbal or non-verbal, that fall outside the scope of the traditional methods – if we throw every technique available at a problem the problem usually becomes bigger and unmanageable, instead it’s about finding unique degrees of communication with positive instances or feedback that we can genuinely become successful conversationalists and truly feel heard.
Written by Joanna Commins who is the current Creative Quality Assurer/Proofreader at Demographica working on several accounts including HID, Sasfin, Engen, and South African Tourism. Joanna studied Psychology, Media Studies, and English at the University of the Witwatersrand where she received her Honours Degree in English in 2007. She is a results-driven individual, offering 10+ years’ experience focusing on finding typographical errors, inconsistencies in style or layout, awkward page and/or word breaks, missing punctuation and spelling mistakes, or any other issues that might spoil the reading experience. Her key focus at Demographica is to help create award-winning B2B work.
