CRAFTING AN EFFECTIVE MEDIATOR’S MESSAGE
In the next 6 steps, we will show you how to craft an EFFECTIVE MESSAGE
Required skills for peer mediation
Be Friendly
1. Engage your audience
Make a statement that gets your audience’s attention right away. Keep it short, use only a sentence or two!
2. Present the problem
Describe the problem, who does it affect and impact
3. Provide facts
Data is important to demonstrate that a problem exists and to support your position. Look for facts that are relevant to your audience
4. Tell a story
An example or story puts a human face on the issue and makes it real and more compelling. Again, make sure the example is relevant to your audience
5. Connect the issue to the audience
Show your audience how this interest fits with what they care about, want or need
6. Make your request (the “ask”).
Clearly state what you want the person to do.
Form a message
LET‘S VISUALISE – 6 great examples of messaging!
Importance of voice and tone of voice
VOICE ≠ TONE
What’s the difference between voice and tone?
Think of it this way:
- You have the same voice all the time, but your tone changes.
- You might use one tone when you’re out for a dinner with your closest friends, and a different tone when you’re in a meeting with your boss.
- Your tone also changes depending on the emotional state of the person you’re addressing. You wouldn’t want to use the same tone of voice with someone who’s scared or upset as you would with someone who’s laughing.
VOICE
Try to be:
PLAINSPOKEN
Walk in your audiences’ shoes, what do you want them to hear?
GENUINE
Passionate, real, accesible, human, not perfect
HOPEFUL
Show that you expect everything to turn out positively
BALANCED
Seriousness with engaging content
TONE
Try these:
Voice stays the same, tone changes depending on the listener
FORMAL VS CASUAL
SERIOUS VS FUNNY
RESPECTFUL VS IRREVERENT
ENTHUSIASTIC VS MATTER OF FACT
EXERCISE
Write down all the characteristics of your voice and the tone of voice you would use to communicate your Community Mediator inclusion messages to the public!
TASK: Communicating social actions!
SCENARIO NO. 1
Imagine being in an elevator/lift with an influential decision-maker for one minute and sharing information about your mediation action.
SCENARIO NO. 2
Now, imagine that you are in your community, and you have just entered the lift wearing a T-shirt that says, ‘Active Citizens’. An influential decision-maker steps into the lift and asks you ‘What is Active Citizens?’
EXAMPLE OF POWERFUL TONE OF VOICE Kries – „Ivo se šeće“
The Good Hosts campaign
The „Dobri domaćini“ campaign aims to support young homeless creatives, raise funds for the protégés of the SOS Children’s Village Croatia and refugees who want to pursue art, but are unable to obtain the necessary equipment and training due to their life situation.
Let‘s reflect!
- What was the message of the song „Ivo se šeće”?
- What media was used to talk about the message?
- Would the message have the same strength if it was delivered in a different way?
- Write down 5 things you have now learned from this example, about forming your own message!