Words That Work - Deepstash
Words That Work

Colin I.'s Key Ideas from Words That Work
by Dr. Frank Luntz

Ideas, facts & insights covering these topics:

10 ideas

·

55.5K reads

255

1

Explore the World's Best Ideas

Join today and uncover 100+ curated journeys from 50+ topics. Unlock access to our mobile app with extensive features.

FRANK LUNTZ

“These, then, are the ten rules of effective communication, all summarized in single words: simplicity, brevity, credibility, consistency, novelty, sound, aspiration, visualization, questing, and context.”

FRANK LUNTZ

898

10.5K reads

FRANK LUNTZ

“Remember, everything you need to say should be up front. All that you want to say can come later.”

FRANK LUNTZ

887

8.7K reads

It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear

It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear

You can have the best message in the world, but the person on the receiving end will always understand it through the filter of their own emotions, preconceptions, prejudices, and preexisting beliefs.

971

7.42K reads

10 rules for successful communication

  • Simplicity: Use small words
  • Brevity: Use short sentences
  • Credibility: Be credible in every word or statement you make
  • Consistency:  Iterate the same message, over and over
  • Novelty: breed excitement
  • Sound: the texture of your words matters
  • Aspirational: people forget what you say but not how you made them feel
  • Imagery: Visualize, the word “imagine” is an incredibly powerful tool
  • Question: Question everything, ask questions and provide the solution
  • Context:give background to why you’re here and why people should bother to listen to you – give relevance to the situation.

1.32K

5.96K reads

Some “Don’ts” in communication

Some “Don’ts” in communication

  • Never use a metaphor, simile, or another figure of speech that you are used to seeing in print.
  • Never use a long word where a short one will do.
  • If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
  • Never use the passive where you can use the active.
  • Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
  • Don’t assume that people know what you do, or are even aware of you.

983

5.1K reads

The effectiveness of the postscript

The single most-read portion after the opening paragraph is the postscript. The reason is easy to understand:

  • The average reader looks to the P.S. to determine whether or not it is in fact a personal letter, and whether that letter has any relevance to his or her life.
  • If it isn’t, and if it doesn’t, the average person won’t read anything else.

Make the postscript as human and emotional as possible.

755

4.31K reads

Similar words can prompt different reactions among different people

Similar words can prompt different reactions among different people

Words have different meanings to different people. For example, “welfare” and “assistance to the poor” essentially mean the same thing. However, if you ask the citizens whether or not we are spending too much on welfare (23%) or assistance for the poor (68%), it’s clear that these two terms hold differing connotations.

So while “welfare” brings up images of “welfare queens” and wasteful government spending, “assistance to the poor” reminds people of charity and Christian compassion.

753

3.47K reads

Effective communication is about considering your audience

Effective communication isn’t about the objective meaning of your words, but rather how people understand them. It’s essential to consider their preconceptions, especially their beliefs and fears.

One example is George Orwell who knew this well and used it in his book 1984. He wrote a passage that described Room 101 as a place where one confronts her greatest fears. Since everyone has different personal nightmares, Room 101 became associated with each reader’s individual nightmare.

779

3.29K reads

FRANK LUNTZ

“Words that work, whether fiction or reality, not only explain but also motivate. They cause you to think as well as act. They trigger emotion as well as understanding.”

FRANK LUNTZ

737

3.89K reads

Important words

Important words

  • Consequences: What will personalize, and what will dramatize the result of your actions?
  • Impact: How can you utilize this word to make your listeners feel as if there will be a measurable difference?
  • Diplomacy and Dialogue: Use them to ease tension, to establish a sense of normalcy or goodwill.
  • Reliability: There are many people who believe that the reliability of something is more important than any other factor.
  • Mission: Your listener wants to know the how, what and why.
  • Commitment: What kind of personal mission are you going to undertake? Use commitment in the terms of personal commitment.

893

2.81K reads

IDEAS CURATED BY

colinii

A lot of problems would disappear if we talked to each other more than talking about each other.

Colin I.'s ideas are part of this journey:

How To Make Friends As An Adult

Learn more about psychology with this collection

How to find common interests

How to be a good listener

How to overcome social anxiety

Related collections

Discover Key Ideas from Books on Similar Topics

Think Like a Monk

8 ideas

Building a StoryBrand

11 ideas

Read & Learn

20x Faster

without
deepstash

with
deepstash

with

deepstash

Personalized microlearning

100+ Learning Journeys

Access to 200,000+ ideas

Access to the mobile app

Unlimited idea saving

Unlimited history

Unlimited listening to ideas

Downloading & offline access

Supercharge your mind with one idea per day

Enter your email and spend 1 minute every day to learn something new.

Email

I agree to receive email updates