by Steve Adubato, PhD

When it comes to effective communication, its not just how and what you communicate, but WHEN that matters.

Did you ever notice that at certain times of the day you have a greater ability to focus, be present and truly listen? Recently, this became crystal clear to me that no matter how passionate, enthusiastic and engaging you think you are, if you are giving a presentation late in the afternoon into the early evening, there are a whole range of challenges that you don’t face at 9:00 a.m.

I was conducting a seminar for a corporation, the same seminar I had conducted for the same corporation earlier that day. What struck me was that when people entered the conference room at about 4 p.m., they looked pretty tired. Their Blackberry’s were out and they seemed a bit distracted. They had already put in a full day that for many began at 7 or 8 a.m. Further, many in the audience were trying to conduct business that they felt pressed to complete before the end of the day. Beyond that, some participants had long trips home, or, were actually going back to the office when we were scheduled to finish at about 6:30.

Simply put, after many years of conducting seminars, workshops and delivering motivational presentations, I was oblivious to the fact that the timing for this seminar was not quite right. I could see that people were focused, but were working harder to avoid checking their digital devices to check any end of day messages. They were having trouble staying focused. They were also hungry. (Can you blame them?) Now, you often can’t pick when you communicate, but when you CAN, it is a no brainer that the morning is infinitely better than late in the day.

Think about it. Of course it is tough to get to the office or wherever you are going by 8 a.m, but once you get there and you have that first cup of coffee or tea, you are there. You are present. You don’t have to deal with fatigue or distractions or all that has gone on during the day. This communication reality isn’t just for people who are professional speakers or seminar leaders, it is also for people who run meetings, conduct conference calls or negotiate important business deals. If there is any way you can avoid scheduling late day meetings, do it. If there is pressing business that your company or organization has to deal with, do it in the morning. Now this is no guarantee that you will achieve the desired outcome, but having an audience that is more focused, energized, awake and present is a huge advantage.

Now let’s face it, sometimes you DO have to give a dinner speech and you can’t say to the client or those who invited you, “That’s too late in the day. Can I speak in the morning?” So if you DO have to present in the late afternoon into the evening, another important communication tip is to keep it BRIEF. My seminar was 2 ½ hours with a break halfway through. That was a mistake. Anything more than half an hour or maximum 45 minutes shouldn’t be done in the evening.
So, again, for those of us who are constantly seeking to improve our communication, we learn something new every day. Today’s lesson is always communicate a clear message and deliver it with passion and enthusiasm. And yes, connecting and engaging with your audience is crucial, but WHEN you do this is a major factor that you shouldn’t ignore.