Earlier this week, I had the great pleasure of speaking to the Society of Marketing Professionals DC Chapter about how to pitch the media. Most of the people in the room were primarily focused on marketing and business development.
As I hit the mid-point of the Army 10-Miler race, with breathtaking views of the Washington, DC, monuments honoring Jefferson, Lincoln, and Washington, I was struck by how running a long race is a lot like creating an effective communications campaign.
Living in the Washington, DC area, I am painfully aware of how inflamed our public discourse is today. Just look at the rhetoric flying between the two parties in Congress over a potential government shutdown. In business interactions it’s easy to see how simple matters often get blown out of proportion. Language isn’t the only culprit but it can certainly play a role in whether the recipient of messages hears and understands what the sender intended.
