Why we should listen to James, the station announcer

Commuting can be pretty horrible. You don’t need me to tell you that. But this blog is a tribute to one man who makes it a little better for hundreds if not thousands of people. I want to tell you about how much I've learned from him. He’s called James, and he is the announcer at a station I use most days. He begins every announcement with the words “Hello, my name’s James.” James is a middle-aged man with a shy smile and a kind, gentle voice, and he’s normally wrapped up warm because he stands on the platforms all day. Of course, he does all the usual stuff like announcing trains, platforms and delays for the benefit of commuters. But built into his announcements are always a number of surprising lines such as: “Please be careful not to slip. I say this to you because I care about each and every one of you. It’s because of you that I have my lovely job.” Now, reading this, you may wonder if he means all the things he says. But there is something about his delivery that is so sincere, so heartfelt, that I know he does. So, what has he taught me, and why am I writing about him in this blog about the charity sector? Well, I've learned so much from James about communication: Make it personal - James is addressing each of us individually. In the age of automated announcements, he is speaking to the commuters as people, not as a big faceless group. We need to do the same when we communicate with our supporters. Each one is different. Don’t be afraid