Your event’s success depends on how well you can communicate your planning goals and needs to the people who’ll be planning it. If you aren’t fluid in your communication and can’t express exactly what want to achieve by running the event, chances are you won’t be satisfied with the results.
From interacting with an event agency for the first time to exchanging emails with different event suppliers, being a good communicator is the number one skill that will ensure your success.
Just think about it: If you can’t clearly express your event’s goals, the event manager and his or her team won’t be able to design the specific event you need, using clear frameworks and strategies. Instead, they may end up delivering unwanted results.
Subsequently, you’ll blame them for not doing a good job, although you’ll be just as responsible for this failure as they are.
Not giving the team clear directions or communicating your intentions correctly will cause them to build an event strategy that won’t be aligned with your business goals.
You can make sure this doesn’t happen by practicing your communication skills. Here are a few tips you may want to master before your first interaction with an event planning team:
Tip #1. Practice active listening
Have you ever experienced that moment when someone is talking, yet instead of truly listening to that person, you’re too preoccupied with trying to figure out your answer or reply? Well, this is passive listening.
You don’t pay too much attention to what the other person has to say, so you can’t actually extract the real value his or her thoughts may provide. If you want to become a better communicator, you’ll need to learn the art of active listening, meaning being totally present in the moment and actually digesting the information the other person shares.
Also, you should ask clarifying questions and repeat what the other person said to make sure you understood correctly. Apart from developing a good understanding of what the other person is saying, you’ll be also displaying a higher degree of empathy, which will be appreciated.
Tip #2. Enter the dialogue with an open mind
When it comes to events, we think we know what we want. There’s just one way to do everything, and that’s our way. However, when interacting with experts, you might discover there are better solutions to your challenges.
It’s good to enter a conversation with an open mind and, after sharing your event-related needs and requirements, see what the other person has to say. Maybe he or she will offer you a much better option and help you overcome any planning challenges easier and faster.
Tip #3. Take notes
Whether it’s before, during, or after meetings, a notebook or piece of paper is your best friend. To become a better communicator and effectively express your event’s needs, you’ll want to write down your thoughts and organize your priorities.
This will help you to construct a comprehensive narrative and share your requirements with the planning teams. Apart from that, you’ll also want to take notes during meetings to ensure you’ll remember the main conversation highlights.
Tip #4. Don’t leave space for any doubts
In the world of event planning, ambiguity is your worst enemy. Even if you’re afraid of “looking stupid,” you must be willing to ask the same questions twice or even three times to make sure you understand everything.
Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. It’s better to eliminate every single doubt than to wake up on the day of the event having some major issues because of certain misunderstandings.
Tip #5. Build a space of communication trust
When people know they aren’t being heard or respected, they will interact as little as impossible. In other words, an important step to becoming a good communicator is to develop the ability to create a space of trust, and let everyone know they can communicate and share without any fear.
This will enable the easy flow of information, and people will be much more eager to interact, which will help you overcome the logistic challenges when running an event.
Wrap-up
Being a good communicator is key to your success, whether it’s related to event planning or other professional dimensions. So if you feel you need to work on how you communicate and relate to other people, what better time to start than right now.
