Book Summary: Words That Work
Frank Luntz’s Words That Work looks at how to become a more effective communicator.
Related Book Summaries To Words That Work:
Fluent In 3 Months – Benny Lewis
The Art Of Asking – Amanda Palmer
The Charisma Myth – Olivia Fox Cabane
Quotes from Words That Work:
They learned the hard way – or not at all – that language is like fire: Depending on how you use it, it can either heat your house or burn it to the ground.
You can have the best message in the world, but the person on the receiving end will always understand it through the prism of his or her own emotions, preconceptions, prejudices, and preexisting beliefs.
Book Summary Notes From Words That Work:
Consider Your Audience
Different words mean different things to different people. Cultures, generations and experience all matter greatly in how people interpret what you say.
Effective communication can be more about how people understand your message or what you say, more than the actual words you use.
Effective Language
Effective language is easy to understand. Large flowery words can distort or over complicate a simple message. A prime example of this was John Kerry. He primarily lost the 2004 election because the average American had no clue what his points were when he spoke.
Relevance is also key in effective communication. The author offers the advice that giving a solution without first highlighting the issue to the reader or listener is pointless. By structuring your points effectively your message become much easier for your audience to digest.
Imagination and Senses
Powerful mental images can be extremely effective when used in your communication. They can make your topics memorable or resonate more strongly with your audience.
Often before describing something you’ll find the word ‘imagine.’ Its a short and quick way to engage someone’s senses in what your about to talk about. It allows the audience to place themselves inside what you are describing and experience how it feels or what it looks like. By engaging multiple senses when we communicate we vastly increase our effectiveness.
