{"id":45804,"date":"2021-09-03T09:20:22","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T13:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=45804"},"modified":"2021-09-06T10:44:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-06T14:44:00","slug":"concrete-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/concrete-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Keys to Concrete Communication"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why is concrete communication important? How can presenting information in concrete terms make it resonate better? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many ideas fail<\/a> to stick because they are presented in abstract rather than concrete terms. They are unconnected to specific things that people easily grasp. You need to use concrete communication if you want your message to resonate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn eight keys to concrete communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Sticky Messages Are Concrete<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cC\u201d in the SUCCESs formula for creating \u201csticky\u201d messages stands for \u201cconcrete.\u201d Many ideas fail to resonate because they\u2019re presented in abstract terms, language unconnected to a specific person, object, or situation.<\/strong> Abstract communication makes ideas harder to grasp and remember; abstract instructions are harder to implement because they can be interpreted in different ways. The curse of knowledge<\/a> comes into play when experts forget what being a novice was like and instead speak in abstractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opposite of abstract communication is concrete communication. Concreteness the third essential characteristic of a sticky message<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fables are one of the best examples of concrete communication. Consider Aesop\u2019s fable of the fox and the grapes: A fox came upon some grapes high on a vine, but after jumping at them repeatedly, he couldn\u2019t get them. So he walked away muttering that they were probably sour anyway. An abstract admonition to be graceful in defeat wouldn\u2019t have had the impact or longevity of the fable, which concretely demonstrates what we still refer to as a \u201csour grapes\u201d attitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What sets concrete communication apart is specificity<\/strong>. The words \u201chigh performance\u201d are abstract while \u201cV-8 engine\u201d is concrete. A company\u2019s strategy is abstract, but its software is concrete. Nordstrom\u2019s goal of extreme customer service is abstract; a Nordie gift-wrapping something bought at Macy\u2019s is concrete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how do you make your message as concrete as a fable, so people understand and remember it? Here are some ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Provide Concrete Context<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Researchers studying Japanese teaching methods found that the teachers practiced concrete communication\u2014explaining abstract math concepts by connecting them with concrete, familiar things. They used this approach about twice as often as teachers in the U.S. did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, to explain subtraction, a teacher placed fifty tiles on a desk in five rows of ten each. She removed three rows and asked the students how many were left. The demonstration gave them a visual image of subtraction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The teachers taught abstract math principles by first creating a concrete foundation or context, which can be useful for communicating other kinds of messages as well. For instance, if you write a recipe instructing the cook to stir soup to a hearty consistency, it won\u2019t be useful unless you provide context on what \u201chearty\u201d means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Immerse Them in the Story<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accounting principles, such as balance sheets and accounts receivable, became concrete when Georgia State University professors turned an introductory course into a semester-long simulation. Students participated in the \u201claunch\u201d of a business selling a new product called Safe Night Out or SNO, a tracking device parents could place in a teenager\u2019s car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students first had to determine the idea\u2019s feasibility, then set up a system for tracking production, sales, and delivery costs. They discovered the difference between fixed and variable costs, which are key accounting concepts that can be hard to grasp from a traditional lecture. They dealt with challenges such as cash flow and bounced checks, and an unexpected request to lease the devices rather than buying them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using concrete communication in introductory accounting paid off: The top-performing students who took the course were more likely to major in accounting and even the average students did much better in the next accounting course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Apply the Velcro Theory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People sometimes think of memory as being like a filing cabinet, where memories are filed or stored until you need to retrieve them. But it\u2019s misleading because different types of memories<\/a> are accessed in different ways. For instance, your brain remembers the words of a song differently than how it remembers what your childhood home was like. When you recall song lyrics, you \u201chear\u201d the music and the artist. When you recall your house, you might mentally walk through the rooms, remembering sights, sounds, and smells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your goal is helping listeners remember your message, it\u2019s more useful to think of memory as working like Velcro<\/strong>, the hook-and-loop fastening system. Messages with more hooks stick better to the brain\u2019s loops or memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Bridge the Communication Gap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experts and novices in the same situation think differently about it. Experts often think abstractly, which creates a barrier to communication. They see details as representing a system, concept, or idea, which they\u2019re inclined to talk about at a high level, while novices focus on the details<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n