Principles of Effective Communication

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Principles of Effective Communication

• There are 9 basic principles of effective
  communication

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1. Source Credibility

• Source credibility involves a set of perceptions
  about the sources held by the receivers of
  audiences.
• The characteristics of credible sources include
  trustworthiness, expertise, dynamism, physical
  attractiveness, and perceived similarities.
• There should be consideration in selecting
  individuals to represent the organization.

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2. Salient Information

• Salient information message content must be
  motivational for the intended audience it must
  strike a responsive cord or it will be discarded.

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3. Nonverbal Cues

• Nonverbal cues involves choosing appropriate
  symbols to represent the organization or cause.
• May involve setting the mood through sound,
  colors, room layout, scheduling, and or nature of
  interaction.

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4. Verbal cues

• Verbal cues involves selecting the proper wording
  to convey the message.
• Most important considerations are clarity and
  appropriateness.

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5. Two-way Communication

• Two-way communication means that successful
  public relations relies on programming feedback
  mechanisms, either immediate or delayed depending
  on the nature of the communication interaction.

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6. Opinion Leaders

• In some situations, the most effective
  communication involves a two-step flow or
  multi-step flow.
• The practitioner should communicate with
  influentials that in turn will communicate with
  their followers or cohorts.
• Opinion leaders may be based on status or may
  have no formal position.

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7. Group Influence

• Group influence is a reference to group members
  who have a sense of cohesiveness, have mutual
  interactions, share a set of norms, and influence
  each other.
• Targeting this group allows group members to work
  on behalf of the organization or to influence
  group members.

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8. Selective Exposure

• Selective exposure is when people seek out and
  accept communication supporting their beliefs.
• Practitioners create specific messages depending
  on the nature of the target audience (positives,
  undecideds, negatives).
• This will also influence media choice.

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9. Audience Participation

• Audience participation is when practitioners
  encourage audience self-persuasion through direct
  experience or involvement with the organization
  or cause.