What sports can teach corporate communicators

It is the simple, yet forgotten, reminder to focus your message on what your audience members care about—themselves.

This was illustrated at the end of the 2011 Major League baseball season. Watching players and management from both the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals speak to the crowd in the stadiums, they prompted the loudest fan reaction, nearly every time, when they talked about the fans.

Sure, when they talked about their teams and players and managers and how they played the games, there was an enthusiastic audience response. But when they talked about their fans, the crowds went crazy!

When Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers talked about the importance of their fans after winning the American League Championship, the Texas crowd applauded and yelled enthusiastically.