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Channels of Opportunity by Jim Andrews   We communicate with each other over what you could call different "channels". You will discover that by using the appropriate channel you will become an even more powerful communicator. You will know how to help others communicate more effectively with you, and you can enhance your ability to learn with this knowledge. It is important to note that we all use all the channels at some times. We may even have preferred channels that may change in different contexts. Some of us prefer one channel, some prefer two, and some use all of them, equally. You have the opportunity to be an even more powerful and effective communicator by using words, methods or material that support the preferred channel of others. Presentations that use all the channels will help you to ensure your success in delivering a successful seminar, or in your communications with friends and associates. The key is the ability to perceive the preferred channels being used. We experience the world through our five senses. We then process this information to help us understand the world around us. It would be impossible to be aware of all the input available to us, at any given time. So humans distort, generalize, and delete some of the sensory information. In fact each of us develops a pattern of how we choose to collect this sensory information. What are you noticing right this moment?  Were you aware of the color of the table on which your computer rests, the shapes of the graphics?  Did you hear the fan of the computer, or sounds beyond the room?  Were you aware of how the mouse felt as you last clicked it, or all the feelings of your body on your chair? You and everyone else, subconsciously prefer certain information to notice more or less, and these become ingrained habits. Have you had difficulty learning a task when someone showed it to you, rather than tell you, or you read the instructions? Maybe your difficulty came because you'd rather try it, and learn as you do it. You were using a different dominant sensory channel than the person who tried to teach you. In a sales presentation, you might do exceptionally well with someone who uses the same channel, and poorly with someone who doesn't. By taking this short assessment, you will begin to become aware of your preferred channel, and how to discern another's preferred channel. Mark ALL answers that are true (more than one could be true). 1. I prefer a place where a. there is music, quiet or conversation. b. there are things or people to observe. c. there is freedom to roam and move about. 2. When I travel to a new place I usually a. ask for directions. b. use a map. c. go by my gut feelings. 3. I find it easier to learn a task when I a. get verbal instructions. b. observe someone doing it. c. get hands-on experience. 4. When I am presented with a problem, I a. talk the problem through, either out loud, or in my head. b. keep looking at possible solutions until all the pieces come together. c. fit the possibilities together until I get a sense of a correct solution. 5. When I have a lot of things to accomplish, I a. keep telling myself all the things I have to do. b. Imagine myself doing them or creating a "to-do" list. c. Feel stress, discomfort, or pressure until I get most of them done. 6. In my spare time I prefer to a. read a book, listen to music, or listen to radio. b. watch TV or a movie. c. do something physical, or work with my hands, 7. As I recall, while watching my favorite TV shows, what I mostly notice is a. the dialogue between the characters. b. the scenery, props, or the costumes worn. c. the emotional impact I feel. 8. I tend to enjoy books or magazines that a. have interesting dialogues or discuss interesting topics. b. have lots of pictures, or create vivid images with their words. c. arouse my emotions, or cover topics about sports or crafts. 9. When I have a discussion with someone, I try to a. listen very closely so I can hear every word, and notice the nuance of the sound of their voice. b. picture what they are saying. c. get in touch with what they are saying. 10. When I meet someone, what I notice most is a. the quality of their voice. b. what they are wearing. c. how they move or make me feel . Add the number of times you marked a, b, and c. 1. _________  (Auditory) 2. _________  (Visual) 3. _________  (Kinesthetic) Visual - seeing, Auditory - hearing, Kinesthetic - feeling, Olfactory - smelling, and Gustatory - tasting. Visual A person that prefers the visual channel may stand very tall and erect. You might notice they dress very neat and are visually appealing or noticeable. Their voices will originate from the top of their chest and they breathe more rapidly. You might notice they use a lot of visually oriented words, such as look, see, clearly, hazy, reflect, perspective, light, brilliant, focused, vivid, and color. Some careers might be considered visual: a graphic artist or an interior decorator. Visual people emphasize and respond to visible details in their work. Auditory You might notice an auditory person may not look straight at you. Instead they may give you one ear or move from side to side, like a very slow motion shaking the head no. They may place their hands on the face frequently. You might notice their voice originates from the middle of the chest and is very rich or melodic, and definitely not monotone. They use words such as load, click, resonate, listen, said, sing, voice, harmony, talk, or speak. They especially like onomatopoeia: words that sound like the sound being described. Auditory careers include songwriter, musician, radio announcer, public speaker. They may be especially prone to talking by phone. Kinesthetic A "feeling" person will appear to look very comfortable. When they choose clothing, comfort is more important than looks (fit and texture are very pleasing to them).  They will typically have rounded shoulders and will almost lie down in a chair. You might see them sitting in a chair with their feet on the desk or they might not be able to sit at all and must be in constant motion. They might touch their body, or others, more frequently. When thinking, they may nearly curl into a ball, and choose words and speak slowly. They are very slow, deep breathers, and their voice will originate very low in the abdomen. They may take longer to decide something, but then be intently focused. Some words you may notice include hot, cold, soft, motion, feel, moving, pressure, floating, hard, vibration, and other tactile words. Kinesthetic careers include professional athletes, many construction workers. Business people may prefer to do business while doing physical activity (golf), or in a physically pleasing environment (to them). Your opportunity to use this knowledge may come the next time a conversation is not going well. You might notice the preferred sense of the other person and alter your speech and mannerism to match that sense, becoming more effective in communicating and achieving your desired results.   | Home page | Site Map | © Copyright 2003, All Rights Reserved Allies Consulting POBox 9635 San Rafael, CA 94912 (415) 459-2272 www.AlliesConsulting.com