Well-organized book that gets you to think about how you use words. Communication theory brought down to the everyman level. Wonderful resource for those who want to communicate, especially evangelists who want to convince others to change worldviews. ( )

it was pretty good, and intellectual ( )

Luntz calls himself a language architect and public-opinion guru and has the anecdotes and experience to back up his claims. This is a enjoyable read about the power of language. One of my favorite examples was how the public didn't much care if an "inheritance tax" was levied (after all that only effects the rich, right?) but when the name was changed to "Death Tax", suddenly a lot more people were against it. ( )

The world’s best message is ineffective if the person on the receiving end does not understand or relate to it.

It is a harsh standard. It is a message communicators ignore at their own peril. You can be brilliant, creative, even right, but your message will fall flat unless it touches the hearer’s prism of experience, beliefs, preconceptions and prejudices.

In Words that Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear, Frank Luntz offers insights into finding and using the right words to achieve your goals. The key to communication is to place yourself in the listener’s situation and understand his or her deepest thoughts and beliefs. What the listener perceives constitutes the listener’s reality.

Based on his experience as a political and corporate pollster he recommends 11 rules for effective communication:

1. Use small words.
2. Use short sentences.
3. Credibility is as important as philosophy.
4. Consistency matters.
5. Novelty: offer something new.
6. Sound and texture matter.
7. Speak aspirationally.
8. Visualize.
9. Ask a question.
10. Provide context and explain relevance.
11. Visual imagery matters.

Luntz does not stop there. In addition to an insightful discussion complete with illustrations from his professional experience of the 11 rules, he adds critical elaboration:

1. Never assume knowledge or awareness.
2. Get the order right.
3. Gender can obstruct understanding.
4. It’s about the children.
5. How you define determines how you are received.

If communicating is important to you, and who does not need to, then time spent reading Frank Luntz’s book will be well spent. We are all subject to the power of language. Words spell the difference between success and failure. The right words grant you an edge. The author says it all in his subtitle, “It’s not what you say—it’s what people hear.”

Penned by the Pointed Pundit
January 19, 2007
5:48:53 PM ( )