Impactful Communication: David Janovic of RJ Living On 5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an Effective Communicator
An Interview With Athalia Monae
Empathy: Understanding and acknowledging the feelings and perspectives of others will make the conversation more meaningful and less surface-level. This is particularly important when letting someone go and understanding their needs while being clear about your side of the story.
In an age dominated by digital communication, the power of articulate and effective verbal communication cannot be understated. Whether it’s delivering a keynote address, leading a team meeting, or engaging in a one-on-one conversation, impactful speaking can open doors, inspire change, and create lasting impressions. But what truly sets apart an effective communicator? What techniques and nuances elevate a speech from mundane to memorable? As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing David Janovic.
David Janovic, Founder and CEO of RJ Living, has transofrmed his design-led DTC furniture business into a thriving company with a team of over 30 and triple-digit growth. He’s previously worked in finance for Goldman Sachs JBWere, and was recognized in the “Top 50 People in eCommerce” in 2021.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about communication, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I haven’t always been in the e-commerce space; my journey actually began with a successful career in finance at Goldman Sachs — but I always had a passion for entrepreneurship and design. While still working in finance, I started a few online hobby businesses. This background helped out when I moved into my St Kilda apartment, and when furnishing it, I saw a huge gap in the market for stylish and accessible furniture. This realization inspired me to launch RJ Living (initially Retrojan), a brand dedicated to providing stylish, high-quality furniture tailored to the Australian lifestyle.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
In the early days of the business, we were dealing with a furniture brand that became a significant part of our sales (they were more than 1/3rd). Overnight, we were informed by the brand that they would be ceasing supply to us due to other competitors putting pressure on the brand to reduce supply. This was a fork-in-the-road moment where I knew the business would face significant challenges once the supply ceased. It was a very stressful and challenging time as we tried to convince the brand to change the decision. However, this was to no avail. As it turns out, the situation forced us to focus more on developing our own designs and our own brand, which has led to a healthier business model, and those designs are now the majority of what we sell. Finding the silver lining in a tough business involves identifying positive aspects or opportunities that can emerge from challenging circumstances. And that’s what we did.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Looking to myself, the three biggest traits that have assisted in my success have been resilience, attention to detail, and putting the consumer at the center of everything. I’ll dive into more detail for each below:
– Resilience: The ability to persevere through challenges and setbacks is crucial. The eCommerce and furniture industries can be unpredictable, with market fluctuations, supply chain issues, and customer service challenges. Resilience helps in maintaining focus and staying motivated despite obstacles.
– Attention to detail: In eCommerce, details matter significantly. From ensuring product descriptions are accurate and appealing to managing inventory and logistics, paying attention to the finer points can make a substantial difference in customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
– Customer-centric mindset: Prioritizing the customer experience is key. This involves understanding customer needs, providing excellent service, and continuously seeking feedback to improve products and services. A customer-centric approach helps build loyalty and positive word-of-mouth, vital for long-term eCommerce success.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Let’s begin with a basic definition so that we are all on the same page. How would you define an “Effective Communicator?” What are the characteristics of an effective communicator?
Effective communication is a key facet to success in many different environments. I believe that it comes down to the ability to convey a message clearly and concisely while listening actively. To narrow it down to specific characteristics, I’d say that a good communicator should be empathetic, clear, adaptable, and engaging when communicating. You need to be able to recognize your audience and cater your communication style to their needs to make sure they understand and that your message is well received.
How can one tailor their communication style to different audiences or situations?
As I mentioned, a large part of being an effective communicator is being able to change the way you deliver depending on the context of the person you’re speaking with. This means tailoring communication to account for the audience’s background, expectations, and even how they prefer to communicate. Let’s take, for example, a topic that you’re familiar with, but the person you’re talking with is not; it means that your tone, language, and the detail you go into will differ depending on the audience’s familiarity with the topic. Ideally, you should connect the unfamiliar topic to one they already know well.
Can you provide an example of a time when you had to adapt your communication style to reach a particular audience successfully?
Working in finance was a very different monster than working in the e-commerce space. One of my biggest learnings here was adapting to understand the disparities and differences in communication style between the business-centric finance sphere and the consumer-facing e-commerce space. Because they are such different audiences, it’s like learning a new language!
How do you handle difficult or sensitive conversations while maintaining open and effective communication?
In the same sense that you should be adapting conversations based on the context of who you’re speaking, you should be doing the same based on the type of conversation you’re about to have with someone. In a situation where you will have a hard conversation, you need to be calm, empathetic, and ready to listen to what they have to say. You need to be able to address the issue directly while being respectful and understanding of the other person’s perspective. Next up comes active listening, and being ready to foster an environment where open dialogue is encouraged and willing to provide solutions can help maintain a constructive conversation.
In your experience, how does storytelling play a role in impactful speaking? Why do you think stories are effective in communication?
Storytelling is a powerful tool in communication because it allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level, making your messaging more engaging and impactful. When you need to talk about something complex, storytelling will make it easier to help illustrate complex ideas in a simple and relatable manner.
What are your “5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an Effective Communicator”?
Off the back of what I’ve said in the previous paragraphs, these are my top 5 tips to become an effective communicator:
1 . Being an active listener: This essentially means listening to understand rather than just to respond. At RJ Living, we pride ourselves on out culture — which is a team effort, and not just something that leadership facilitates. Part of this involves listening to everyone, and what they have to say — not just engaging for the sake of engaging.
2 . Being clear and concise: Using easy-to-understand language, avoiding jargon, and being clear and to the point helps prevent misunderstandings. I do this when discussing business goals with external partners; in a situation like this, it’s essential to be clear and for the other party to understand what you mean.
3 . Empathy: Understanding and acknowledging the feelings and perspectives of others will make the conversation more meaningful and less surface-level. This is particularly important when letting someone go and understanding their needs while being clear about your side of the story.
4 . Adaptability: Being able to adjust your communication style based on the audience and context will help to make sure that the message is effectively received. One time I’ve done this is when I had to do a video interview about my business, which meant adapting the way I interacted to better suit the audience.
5 . Engagement: This involves using techniques like storytelling and asking questions to keep the audience engaged and involved. On our website, you can see that we try to engage our audience with visual cues that show them how our product range would look in their homes, making them more interested in purchasing products that suit their tastes.
How do you integrate non-verbal cues into your communication? Can you provide an example of its importance?
Non-verbal communication is just as important, if not more important, than verbal communication. Things like eye contact, body language, and facial expressions are crucial for reinforcing the message and showing sincerity. If we take team meetings, for example, maintaining eye contact and having an open posture will help show that I am engaged and approachable, encouraging team members to share their thoughts openly.
How has digital communication changed the way you convey your messages? Are there any specific challenges or advantages you’ve encountered?
Digital communication has definitely had an impact on how quickly messages can be shared, which makes everyone’s lives easier, but it also presents challenges like non-verbal cues and potential misunderstandings. I try to overcome this setback by being as clear as possible in messages or video calls, particularly in facilitating communication just as I would in person. Being a good virtual communicator means that you can connect with anyone, anywhere, and still be able to engage in flexible communication.
Public speaking is a common fear. What techniques or strategies do you recommend to manage and overcome stage fright?
If you’re someone that gets stage fright, I think that the best way to overcome it is with a ‘practice makes perfect mentality’. To do this, make sure that you thoroughly prepare. You can do this by practicing your speech multiple times, and also by relying on a visual presentation to help with your confidence and to have something to fall back on. One thing I like to remember is that no matter how big you think a mistake you made when speaking might have been, the people listening likely didn’t notice or barely paid attention to it.
What additional resources do you recommend for individuals looking to improve communication skills?
I recommend books like “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek for understanding leadership communication, as well as checking out courses and workshops on public speaking and active listening can also be beneficial.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could start a movement to bring the most good to the most people, it would focus on universal access to quality education. I am passionate about the idea of universal access to quality education, regardless of their socio-economic status, age, or gender.
How can our readers further follow you online?
Readers can follow me, or connect with me via my personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-janovic-6b747529/
And if you want to stay up to date with RJ Living, I’ve linked our social media platforms below:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rjliving/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rj.living/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rj.living
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rjlivingfurniture
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/rjlivingfurniture/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJDM3i2v2cDaOwcqmFh508g
Or, better yet, visit our website at www.rjliving.com.au for the latest updates on our products and initiatives.
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About the Interviewer: Athalia Monae is a product creator, published author, entrepreneur, advocate for Feed Our Starving Children, contributing writer for Entrepreneur Media, and founder of Pouches By Alahta.
Impactful Communication: David Janovic of RJ Living On 5 Essential Techniques for Becoming an… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.