If you want to be a successful communicator, it’s important to understand the pyramid communication principle. This blog post will discuss the communication pyramid and how to apply this principle in business.
The Communication Pyramid
The communication pyramid is a model that shows how communication flows within an organization. It is made up of five levels, each representing a different level of communication.
The levels are: top-down, bottom-up, horizontal, diagonal, and grapevine.
The “Pyramid” principle is a technique in communications that uses a “pyramid” structure. It was developed by Barbara Minto while at McKinsey & is also known as the Minto principle .
The Pyramid communication Principle is a powerful tool that can be used in any situation where you need to craft a persuasive argument. By starting with the end in mind, and then working bottom up to the beginning, you can make sure that your argument is clear, concise, and convincing.
Start with your most important point, then follow with supporting facts, and lastly, end with a conclusion.
The goal is to use clear and concise language in order to cut through the noise.
The 7Cs of Pyramid Communication Principle
Effective communication is not just about speaking, but about listening too. It’s about understanding each other, and coming to a mutual agreement with your conversation partner.
The 7 C’s of Communications were first defined by Scott M,Cutlip and Allan H,Gerhart in their book, “The New Rules of Sales and Service.”
Your message should be;
- Clear:The objective should be clear so that customers can easily understand what you want.
- Concise: You should be concise and to the point. You should clearly state what you want.
- Concrete: It should be backed by facts and data.
- Complete: The information should be relevant.
- Correct: Grammar and spelling should be on point.
- Coherent: It’s essential that the content you’re sharing is relevant to your industry, as well as your business.
- Courteous: Your message needs to be friendly and free of negative connotations.
With these in mind, your message will be easy to understand and follow.
How to Use the Pyramid Principle
First, we set the stage for the intro, where we state the thesis. Then, we go into the main body, where we support our main points with facts and logic.
Setting up the Introductory Flow
Your introduction should:-Start with a hook that grabs your audience’s attention and makes them want to keep reading.-Briefly introduce the main idea of your talk.-Give an overview of the points you’ll be making to support your main idea.
The below flowchart is an example of how you can set up your main idea in a Pyramid.
The circumstances, the setting, and the location.
The complication, or problem, is the problem or issue the prospect is facing.
What is the natural question that follows this difficulty? What is the start of this answer and follow-up?
Your main idea.
The SCQA Approach
The Situation-Challenge-Questionnaire-Analysis (SCQ-A) Framework is a model that helps apply the pyramid communication principle.
The Situation is the starting point, which leads to a Complication. The Complication then leads to a Question, which is answered by the Answer.We use the SCQA framework model to apply this Pyramid Communication Principle because it helps us to identify the key elements of a situation and to see how they fit together. It also helps us to find answers to questions that we may have about a situation.
Scenario
The first step to solving any problem is to understand the situation. Start by asking why the problem exists, then dig deeper to find the root of the problem.
Complications
In this part of the article, we assess the “so what” of your problem. Why is this problem important? What are the consequences?
It answers the question of “how”.
Questions
This part of the process is all about asking the right questions. Here, you formulate a hypothesis by posing questions about the scenario.
Answers
After confirming that your theory is true, you can move on to structuring and organizing your information.
This way, you can present your material chronologically to an audience.
When creating introductory flows, you can use horizontal or vertical rules.
Applying Vertical and Horizontal Logic
The idea behind this concept is to convey an idea using three supporting points.
Each of your arguments should be supported with evidence that supports it. The bottom of thepyramid has to be actionable, and it is backed up by the arguments that follow it.
You want to start with at least three reasons why you want the product or service.
When making your case, group your points together logically.
When making your argument, make sure to present your most important ideas first. Then, move on to your less important ones. This will help keep your presentation organized and logical.
Using both horizontal and vertical reasoning, you can present your talking points in this logical sequence.
As you descend the Pyramid, you will first encounter the main idea. Posed below the main idea are questions which it seeks to answer. Arguments supporting the main idea are given in response to these questions.
The Pyramid of Persuasion is a model that uses both induction and deduction. Induction is the method of drawing a conclusion based on observation. Deduction is the opposite, where you draw a logical conclusion from a set of observations.
It’s as simple as stating something general, and then backing it up with specifics. For example, birds have wings and planes have engines, so therefore, I am not a bird.
Inductive reasoning is the process of making specific inferences from a set of general arguments. This type of reasoning is often used in scientific research to form hypotheses and theories.
Conclusion
The 7Cs of communication pyramid are a key to successful interactions. By understanding and using these principles, you can improve your communication skills and make a positive impact in your personal and professional life.
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