And other essential communication tips no one ever taught you.
When I was little (sorry, younger – I’m still little) the man who lived next door to my grandad was called Tot. Lovely bloke. He kept and raced pigeons. A proper pigeon fancier.
We loved going to see them.
One day, I met someone who bred ferrets (as you do, life up north) and, in the way that only a kid can, I asked if he knew Tot who kept pigeons.
He looked at me like I’d asked him if he knew the Queen, shrugged and asked ‘Why should I?’
That was the moment I realised: pigeon fanciers and ferret breeders don’t mix.
Fast forward a few decades.
I recently posted about a big woodworking project on a Facebook group. It was my first handmade table, created with traditional joinery techniques, not a screw in sight.
From raw wood to finished table, I shared the steps.
It blew up. Over 2,000 likes. 500+ comments. Dozens of shares.
If I’d posted the same thing on my personal page or in another group there’d be nothing. Tumbleweeds.
So why the explosion?
Because I was talking to the right people. The people who care about the craft. The pigeon fanciers of woodworking.
How often do you pour your energy into the wrong audience? You broadcast something brilliant; an idea, a project, a belief and it goes into the void.
Then you feel disheartened when it doesn’t get a flicker.
You’re not boring. You’re just talking to ferret breeders about pigeons.
Find your tribe.
We’re told, ‘Don’t preach to the converted.’
But think about it.
Who goes to church? The converted.
Who listens? The converted.
Who buys the books, attends the events, joins the email list? You guessed - the converted.
So yes, preach to them. They’re the ones who want to hear what you’ve got to say. The ones who’ll share it, support it and shout about it.
And most importantly they’re your people.
Stop trying to convince ferret lovers to care about pigeons. Find your fanciers. Speak to your converted.
Your time, your message, your energy are too precious to waste.
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