Today's issue is the second in a four part series about the four key conversation types. If you missed part one about the first key conversation type "Sell", you can find it here. Today we dive into the “Tell” type of conversation.
A "Tell" conversation is one in which you teach a concept or skill (something near and dear to our visual thinking educator hearts). Here's an example in honor of "Pi Day," a nerdy but fun, informal U.S. celebration stemming from the numerical notation of March 4th as 03.14. Want to join the fun? To celebrate, you can bake a pie or follow along with the Pi lesson below.
First, in case you missed it here is a recap of…
In visual thinking, circles are one of the seven basic shapes you need to draw anything. Want to learn something cool that is true of all circles?
Pi (π) is the ratio of a circle’s circumference (the distance around the outer edge) to its diameter (a straight line from edge to edge through the center). No matter how big or small the circle is, this ratio is always 3.14159… and the number goes on forever without repeating. That’s why Pi is considered an "irrational" number—it can’t be written as a simple fraction and has no predictable pattern.
To see Pi in action, try this:
How else can we apply visual thinking to the Tell? When you or your team are the experts in your area, sometimes you need to present complex, dense or technical information in a digestible way. This is when visuals shine.
✅ Best Visual Tools for "Tell" Conversations:
💡 Example: An educator introduces the learning model for their course using a circular flow chart. The visual elements in the model relate to the course materials.
Using visuals, you can deliver important information with ease, clarity and impact. Join us next time for Part 3 in this series as we take a deeper dive into using visuals to structure discussions, organize complexity, and create clarity.