The Spin Doctors.
Communication Strategies
The Tribune Asian Edition

Definition: A Spin Doctor
A person who tells stories about events or situations that are not always accurate and are designed to make the reader look good (this technique is mostly for politicians). For example, a spin technique involves the delay in the release of bad news so it can be hidden on the back of more important or favorable news or events.

The Portrait of a Spin Doctor.
Jack Zarry graduated from the London Business School with a specialization in communications. He was always reading spy books when he was young. He was also always telling great stories to the teachers about why he was late for class. He has become a communication consultant for many different organizations including the United Nations and the European Union. He has written speeches for many EU leaders including Tony Blair and Angela Merkel to name a few. Jack has prepared several points on communication strategies that he would like to share with us.

I consider my objectives as a spin doctor to convince people to follow my ideas and to lead them in the direction that I want them to go.

1 Do not be redundant.
When you are writing a letter or email it is important to remember that we read faster than we write. The author had better prepare the ideas so they flow smoothly when being read.
2 Make every sentence count.
Make sure every idea counts. Keep your reader intrigued by having one idea flow well into the other. Think of a carrot leading the curiosity of the reader on.
3 Use supporting material.
The writer had better use supporting material so the ideas come across as more credible. It is better to write after the supporting examples have been formulated.
4 Use humor.
Humor is one of the most sophisticated forms of communication. If you can place tasteful humor in a text do so. By the way, the humor had better be appropriate otherwise it will have the opposite effect.
5 Culture.
Be sensitive to the culture you are communicating with. Know when you are about to insult someone.
Jack is continuing to write speeches for famous personalities and writes a regular column in the Tribune Asian Edition.