3 tips for communicating tough topics

Written by Jon Jon Moore

When Jon Jon served as Forthright’s social media strategist, his wise counsel about how and when to use our voice on national issues was a guiding beacon for us. Today, Jon Jon is following up his recent advice on when to join Big Conversations by tackling tone when talking about tough issues.

At one point or another, every communicator will struggle to strike the right tone. Think sad puppies…sadly gazing from a sad cage as the saddest of songs courtesy of Sarah McLachlan is playing in the background. How much is too much–or just enough? We have a few answers for you today.

When communicating about controversial issues that aren’t disappearing anytime soon, relying on sentimental language, grim details, or an instinctually emotional reaction from audiences can actually do more harm than good.

Here are three things to think about before drafting your next #URGENT email or heart-tugging Twitter thread.

Caps Lock < Sincerity

If you’ve ever received a fundraising email with 10 exclamation points and bonkers ALL CAPS, you’re already familiar with the (sometimes not so) fine line between sincerity and…scary. As individuals, we appreciate when brands and organizations break the fourth wall and get real with us, but we also want to be trusted to arrive at our own conclusions without manipulation.

So, when those exclamation points, capitalized sentences, or bolded words keep appearing again and again, we begin to wonder…is this message even sincere? Or worse: is this person sincere?

This is the reality of emotionally charged communication: when we share emotional messages without really considering their perception, research suggests we can unintentionally turn off the audiences we want to reach.

So next time you’re preparing to tell your audience that you’re “heartbroken!” or “ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED!!,” pause and trust that they’re feeling it, too. Then, talk to them.

What does this event or issue mean for your team, for your work?
Where do we go from here?
And if we’ll need each other, consider: what’s your genuine ask for them?

SIGN ME UP

When in doubt, bet on nuance

When we perform certain emotions to reassure people that we understand how they feel, we’re always making an educated guess. No two people react to any message exactly the same, and for organizations communicating important messages on the regular, this should come as a relief!

Language that one person might find comforting could make another feel condescended to or offended. And when we remember that our reactions to what is said have just as much to do with who we are, we’re less likely to rely on emotional appeals to do the heavy lifting for us.

For example, let’s say your organization is commenting on recent legislation aimed at trans people, and you’re sending an email to your major donor list. You want to underscore the urgency of the moment and rally your supporters to take action, and you decide to communicate this urgency with the subject line: Utter Disbelief! This Terrifying Legislation Must be Stopped!!

This emotional language might resonate with some donors who are unfamiliar with the historic and present of discrimination against LGBTQ people–maybe these donors really are unable to believe what’s happening. But for plenty more people, they’re opening this email well-aware of the moment, and they’re already feeling it.

So, if they’re already feeling afraid, how can your message show that you’re listening? Would a message that speaks instead of shouts—i.e. ”We’ve seen this before. And it’s time to act, together.” resonate differently?

Practice, practice, practice

Moderating our language’s emotional tone to spotlight the message gets easier with practice, so keep it up! And remember: moderation isn’t about getting rid of punctuation or writing emails like Siri.

It’s about staying grounded in the meaning of your message–no matter how tempting that super somber or riled up email might be–and it can make all the difference.

P.S. Did you see the first part of this two-part series? Read 3 questions to ask before chiming in — or logging out, here.

Forthright Advises