Delivery is Everything

Facebook is full of them. 

People who think they know more than everyone else about life, and love to tell the rest of us what we need to stop doing or what we need to start doing. Their posts are preachy af and you can almost picture the trash ass high horse they’re sitting on as they insinuate how much better they are than all of us over here in genpop.

We’ve all seen this a million times, and it makes you roll your eyes — even when the person is actually giving good advice. 

I had a Facebook friend (had because I deleted his preachy ass) who would make these types of posts all day, every day. What’s sad is that he actually had a good message. He gave really solid advice, but it was his delivery that was shitty. Horribly shitty.

When we deliver our message to people in a way that makes it sound like we think we’re better than they are, they stop listening. Especially if they know that you don’t even follow your own advice. 

The thing is, people like to be able to relate to the people they admire. That’s where the real connection with our audience is. I’m learning that being vulnerable with your audience is one of the most powerful things you can do to connect with them. 

Here’s a great example of what I mean. Think of your favorite music artist. You probably like their music because you can relate to their lyrics. Sometimes you can hear a song with lyrics that you so strongly relate to, that you wonder how the artist could possibly know what you’re feeling or going through in that moment. Great musical artists get it — connect with your audience and they’ll love you forever.

Most of the time, we are afraid to open up and let people in on our shortcomings. We think that in order to be a leader, we must be better than. Never, in the history of man, has there ever been a great leader who was perfect. Every great leader, with imperfections in tow, became great because they led by example. 

Pretending to be perfect or better than the people we’re trying to reach is sure to turn them off. Using a phrase like “we should do better”, instead of “y’all need to do better” goes a long way. Including yourself makes people realize that they have something in common with you — even if they don’t. 

There’s nothing wrong with being an expert. Your expertise is valuable, but people want to see you walk it like you talk it *Migos voice*, so never be afraid to open up about things you need to improve in your own life.

So if you find yourself talking at your audience instead of talking to your audience, try to start sharing some of your less than perfect days with them and see how they respond. If they know that you’re just like them and they can relate to you on an even deeper level, they are sure to love you and your message even more than they do already.

If this helped you, feel free to hit me up on Instagram or Facebook and let me know.

Also, listen to my podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play Music for daily motivation and inspiration to pursue your dreams.