And what do we have to think clearly about? The problem is-there
are so many things. When we communicate we are rather like a
juggler who is trying to keep several balls in the air. If one is
dropped, the whole act is spoiled.
What are the balls? What are the considerations that we have to
keep, simultaneously, in mind?
This manual is an attempt to answer that question.
First, let us try to answer it in very general terms. In any act of
communication there will be three main considerations:
 The Message
 The Medium
 The Occasion
Since we will be using these terms quite frequently, they ought to
be explained.

The Message
A communicator communicates something-he has a subject or a
message. In the illustration, Kilonzo's messages were about the
harvesting and storing of maize. But he had other messages too.
Perhaps he wanted to express his concern for the welfare of the
farmer. When he scratched his head, he was sending a non-verbal
message about his frustration that he seemed to be making so little
impact.
The nature of the message will, to a certain extent, dictate the way
it is sent-particularly the order in which the material is given. For
instance, if you are explaining the way a storage crib is made, you
will most likely structure what you say-and your demonstra-
tion-according to the chronological order of the process. You will
begin at the beginning: explain what materials are needed and then
go on to describe how the site is selected, how the post holes are
dug-and so on. On the other hand, if you are trying to persuade a
farmer of the advantages of harvesting early, you will want to put
most stress on those items you think will have most effect. If, for
instance, you know that he loses a lot of grain in the shamba
because it is eaten by birds, you might begin by talking about the
problem of the birds-and the savings he will make if he gets his
maize quickly into store for drying.