"The industrial design critic Ralph Caplan was talking to a woman who was trying to explain something to him. 'I know what I want to say, but I just can't put it into words,' she told him. Puzzled, Caplan asked her, 'Can you tell me what form it is in now?'
"There is still only one method for transmitting thought, for communicating information in a manner that somewhat captures the spirit of the mind: the medium of conversation. Conversation can be a mirror of the mind, a petri dish for ideas. It enables us to communicate our thoughts in a manner that closely models the way they occur in our minds.
"Without words, we would be severely handicapped in both shaping our thoughts and communicating them to others. While not the only tool, words elevate communication and lend an unparalleled degree of sophistication to expression.
"The implicit and explicit goal of all conversation is understanding. Whether conversations occur between lovers, friends, relatives, or business associates, they have as their express goal to get one's point across, to make a connection between one's thoughts and another person — that is, the outside world; conversations are an understanding machine, an imminently satisfying forum for the exchange of information.
"A conversation forms a two-way communication link. There is a measure of symmetry between the parties as messages pass to and fro. There is a continual stimulus-response, cyclical action; remarks evoke other remarks, and the behavior of the two individuals becomes concerted, cooperative, and directed toward some goal.
"Time and time again, studies have shown that the best communication occurs face to face. We just can't deny that. People still fly halfway across the world to meet clients for the first time. In many organizations, 40 to 60 percent of the workday is spent in meetings. Managers need to be talking to their employees, real-time, one-on-one, telling them what is going on in their organization.
"Your clients and prospects are talking about your business and, in fact, they're molding it. They're telling each other the truth in very human voices. The Internet is transforming your market and your employees as we speak. You must find a way to enter the conversation, even encourage it by giving your market the information it desires, packaged the way the market needs and wants it.
"To be a success in today's competitive, connected market, you can't afford to reside on the fringe of this conversation. You must be an instigator and a leader in your industry, and you must always be listening to the conversation at large."
