Opinion X Vram Vrook

Technical description is a basic requirement in society,corporations,politics,education and entertainment,although it has no communication power. In corporate culture at the technical descriptor level,employee motivation and aspiration go for a toss. Life becomes the French proverb “metro,boulot,dodo” (commute,work,sleep). Likewise in society,a wealthy man is identified by his wealth figures,nothing else. Our education system is so technical that there’s a yawning gap between what’s taught and what industry requires. Indian movies are made with huge technical advancement,but after two weeks,you don’t remember the storyline. Technical descriptors have a certain limit as is proved in India’s disastrous political situation where nobody bothers to connect to politicians’ talk. Parliament continues feverishly copycatting British monarchical governance which was dictatorial,even though this country is now a democratic polity.

Information: Undoubtedly electronic media and Internet very effectively unearth society’s hidden aspects,and without basic information society cannot run today. However,information overload saturates the human brain. TV information is ephemeral,with channels screeching “breaking news” and some TV journalists holding forth like they alone are the nation’s conscience. I enjoy newspapers like The New York Times,Le Monde,Financial Times of London,Herald Tribune that go beyond information and reporting to give readers an analysis of the news,putting it in a context and perspective without any bias.

In business,an informative brand like Coca-Cola needs immense communicative elements to change its perception of being a mere formula. Attempts were made to make Coca-Cola synonymous with words like thirst,enjoy,refresh. The Andrews sisters popularised in song,“drink rum and Coca-Cola!” But being ingredient centric,the problem that remains with this kind of brand is that it’s very difficult to move with changing trends. By saying that,I cannot ignore that Coca-Cola has for 120 years done incredible innovation in marketing to communicate rather than inform to sustain the brand.

Communication: You may consider technical descriptors and information to be part of communication,but they came later. Communication started with visual art before civilisation began. That which resides in your memory very pictorially,whether through painting,design,voice,written word,body gesture or audio visuals stays as unforgettable communication.

Politicians who’ve won people’s hearts like Martin Luther King to Barack Obama did so with incredible communication skills. Gandhiji shook up the world by changing his attire from British Bar-at-Law to Indian fakir to represent India’s poor. His 1932 landing in London wearing a loincloth in winter to participate in the 3rd Round Table Conference with British authorities is a phenomenon forever etched in people’s minds. When cinema was nascent,Charlie Chaplain left proof that silent communication can be timeless. His brother arranged his audition with an American director,but on seeing him,the director turned him down,saying he’s too young. Charlie on-the-spot did his comic-gymnastic act,leaving the director spellbound.

Now if you look at India,take excellent singers Manna Dey,Mohd Rafi and Kishore Kumar who’ve not written but interpreted songs. Technically Dey and Rafi were trained singers but Kishore had no voice training. Weaving his personality into his songs,he connected compassionately with people. His melodious communicative voice power remains vibrant at the mass level even today.

To lead people,your communication has to touch a sensitive human chord; education or intellectual capacity is irrelevant here. To sustain business,only juggling information and technical descriptors is not enough. People don’t remember advertising,even when it’s oft repeated,unless the product has some memorable aspect. When its quality is perceptibly different,communication can stroke the spirit. Communicative power boils down to the selling triad I’ve developed,the PUB Reflex. P is for Provoke,U is instant Understanding and B is for Buy-in,the acceptance. The world has no boring subject,you just need to know how to transform it with the real substance of provocation to make it communication.

Go on,be a communicator,provoke your audience with curiosity. Information and technical descriptors are necessary facts,but without communication,you’ll go nowhere. X Vram Vrook is my communication headline,you’ll never find it in any dictionary. Something provoking gets stuck in your mind,you understand its significance,it draws a picture your imagination will cherish forever. This is communication which can make you a leader.

Shombit Sengupta is an international creative business strategy consultant to top management. Reach him at http://www.shiningconsulting.com