By Liz Radzick of Manifest Consulting

One of my favorite shows was (and still is) Sesame Street. The producers of Sesame Street have mastered the art of understanding what interests their audience (children)  and then delivering content to them in a clear and creative way. Are there ways to use the power of Sesame Street to improve the way you communicate with your audience?

Keep it Simple

 One of the most appealing aspects of this program to kids is that it talks to them at their level. Researchers found that when too many characters were involved in a scene or there were concepts that were too advanced for the target age range, kids would stop watching and play with their toys or tune out altogether. In today’s modern work environment, your co-workers’ busy brains appreciate when messages are clearly stated with plain language and the benefits are made plain. We’re in overwhelm much of the day – your slide deck shouldn’t make it worse.

2.      Use Visuals

 Sesame Street without visuals would be like a brownie without chocolate (can you tell it’s mid-winter as I write this?). What kind of props, pictures, movies or audio could you use to create more interest in what you are saying? I’ll never forget a Native American client of mine who opened a conference presentation on Aboriginal entrepreneurship by holding up a small dream catcher. In Native culture, he explained, they are used to capture dreams as we sleep. He then held up a dream catcher that was 3 feet wide and covered in beautiful, large feathers and told the audience he wanted them to dream big about the possibilities of their future and to use this conference to inspire them to dream these dreams. Powerful opening, relevant visual, big impact.

3.      Know The Street

Perhaps you have to communicate with an Oscar the Grouch in your office. If so, you know that you have to thoroughly think through all the objections and weak links in your arguments and present them up-front to demonstrate your thoroughness. Maybe you need to communicate with Grover who is so wired and distracted that your best bet for holding his attention is having a meeting while walking down a hallway. Remember: just because Cookie Monster and Grover are blue and furry doesn’t mean that we should talk to them the same way.

Did someone say cookie?