The 10 Most Useless Buzzwords

Posted by Michael Sebastian | December 20, 2012

URL: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225310

Fighting jargon and buzzwords can be a Sisyphean task. No matter how many times you change "learnings" to "lessons" or "paradigm" to … well, something actually meaningful, the jargon keeps pouring in. Despite the setbacks, writers and editors must soldier on -- you're the last line of defense. 

Last week, we asked readers to name the absolute worst jargon from 2012, the words and phrases that drove them bonkers. After sorting through the dozens of entries, as well as consulting with a number of people on the ground -- that is, those working in corporate offices and PR firms -- we noticed two patterns emerging: 

• Corporate communicators are still tired of the usual jargon, such as leverage and synergize, yet they seem to be growing somewhat tolerant -- though perhaps inured is more like it. • Social media jargon is the emerging culprit, as many respondents said Internet-born acronyms and adjectives are driving them to drink. 

Although readers and sources identified dozens of words and phrases, we whittled the list to 10. Here is the first-ever PR Daily Year in Jargon: 

1. Game-changer. Print out a dozen press releases, shuffle them, and select one at random. There's an 80 percent chance "game-changer" will be in the first sentence--100 percent if it's from a startup. [Editor's note: No actual math was done for this story.] At one time, a game-changer was a defensive back who intercepted a pass and ran it back 98 yards for a touchdown, capping off a 14-point swing for his team. The word is used so often it means almost nothing, whether you work in corporate America or an NFL broadcast booth. 

2. At the end of the day (and its cousin, having said that). The translation for this term -- usually uttered by someone with a larger salary than you -- goes something like: "I'm acknowledging what you just said, but I think that it's basically crap. Here's what we should do instead." It's an insulting and lazy term. Worse still: "That being said …" which adds flawed grammar to the mix. 

3. Solution. You know those press releases we printed out earlier? Well, shuffle them again and choose another at random. The lead definitely has the word "solution." If press releases are any indication, the world has far more solutions than it does problems. 

4. YOLO. This one comes straight from social media, and it's an acronym for "You Only Live Once," as in, "I'm going to get a McRib -- YOLO." It was also the overwhelming choice for the year's most irksome jargon among fans of PR Daily's Facebook page, not to mention the worst word of 2012, according to The Huffington Post. 

5. Epic. This word describes a long poem about a hero, or something heroic, great, even majestic. It should never refer to your company's Twitter feed, unless you're tweeting "The Odyssey" line by line. 

6. Low-hanging fruit. This term is, in fact, low-hanging fruit, because it's an easy and obvious choice. It's also kinda gross -- easier for farmhands to reach, sure, but also easier for worms to infiltrate--so why does your boss love saying it so much? 

7. Really. The New York Times said this adverb is "undoing 2,000 words of human progress," a statement that inspired Jerry Seinfeld to respond in the pages of the Times. Any word that can spark such a spirited debate is worthy of admiration; the sneering way in which people say it is not. Feel free to continue using it, although snarksters may accuse you of being stuck in 2012. "You're still saying that? Really?!" 

8. Value-add. This word is sometimes bandied about the offices of Ragan Communications, which publishes PR Daily. Sure, it's easier to say, "What's the value-add for our readers," instead of, "What value are we giving our readers." But for those who utter this term--and you know who you are--how do you sleep at night? 

9. Impactful. This isn't a word. (We dare you to tell your boss that.) Oh, and impact is overused/misused as a verb--unless you're talking about wisdom teeth. Its prevalence probably stems from people's inability to keep affect and effect straight. Tell you what: If something is going to "negatively impact" your project, just say hurt, or delay, or maybe enfeeble. 

10. Utilize. This is a haughty, seven-letter word that means "use." There is never an instance in which "utilize" is preferred over "use." The late author David Foster Wallace called it a "noxious puff-word [because] it does nothing that good old use doesn't do." Yet everyone tosses it around--executives, journalists, even your mother. It's a plague. And not the good kind of plague, either. 

We've certainly left off words that are commonly uttered at your office. Please let us know what they are in the comments. And in 2013, the term that will consume everyone in the business world will be "big data." A year from now, you'll be sick of it -- you heard it here first.

Copyright © 2012 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

5 Ways to Get People to Actually Listen to You

by Marla Tabaka

 You may be a fact- and logic-driven leader, but others don't think like you do. Learn to get your point across through emotional connection.

Have you ever stood before an audience, uncertain whether you are truly connecting with them? Or, have you spoken to an employee who appears to be getting the message--but whose actions later tell another story?

To you, it's simple: Communicate your thoughts and the facts quickly and concisely and anyone will understand.

Not true. Facts and statistics may tell a story, but if you truly want to effect change and influence the way your audience thinks and feels, you will have to go beyond straightforward communications. The key to really getting people to listen--and act: Touch them on an emotional level.

Author Helio Fred Garcia, who is executive director of the Logos Institute for Crisis Management and Executive Leadership, reminds us that members of a typical audience don't think like leaders do. According to Garcia, your audience must be able to feel and experience your communications, or you simply won't have the impact that you set out to achieve.
"Humans are wired to connect with each other," says Garcia. "And we connect with one another by feeling, not thinking."

Why? Because of the structures in the brain that allow people to experience someone else's plight as if it were their own. These structures, called mirror neurons, are also referred to as empathy neurons.

"Emotion is now increasingly recognized as the key to moving hearts and minds," says Garcia. "All too often leaders assume that facts matter," he says. "That if only we let the facts speak for themselves, people will understand and agree with us." 

In his latest book, The Power of Communication, Garcia notes that when leaders know they are not actually connecting they tend to double down and push more data and facts instead of trying a new approach. That's where things get really toxic. Here are five strategies Garcia says can help you stop reciting facts--and start making a true connection.

1. Keep your mouth shut--for a couple of moments.
Don't say anything substantive until you have an audience connection. Note that their first impression is visual, not verbal. You, the speaker, whether you are in front of a large group or a single employee, prospective investor, or prospect, have to be in complete command. You can gain that command by the way you carry yourself, before you even open your mouth. The body speaks before the mouth is open. Avoid rocking, looking down, and fidgeting. Stand and walk with confidence.

2. Get your audience engaged.
Get the eyeballs looking up before you say anything. Move with quiet confidence and smile, inviting people to look up and pay attention. Invite your audience to engage on the emotional level by offering a warm greeting. You might even ask them a question that prompts a response. It can be simple, as in: "How is everybody doing today?"

3. Grab their attention to make it memorable.
People remember the very first substantive that you say. Once you have their attention, jump right in to the most important thing you have to say. This powerful beginning will stick with your audience, creating the impact you're looking for.

4. Use verbal cues.
Use attention-provoking signals when you move from one part of the speech to the next. For instance, you might verbally number your key points or use other verbal signals like "Let's move on" or "My next topic is..."  Always give the audience verbal cues to look up at you.

5. Recap what matters.
Take all of the substantive points from your talk and group them all together at the very end of the presentation. Remember your provoking signal and say something like, "In summary," then recap everything from your presentation that matters the most.

"In summary," your audience must be able to feel and experience your communications, or you simply won't have the impact that you set out to achieve.

http://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/5-ways-to-get-people-to-listen.html?nav=next

7 Deadly Sins of Business Meetings Pt. 2

By Lisa Girard 

 

4. Meetings that harp on setbacks instead of strategies. One of Bradt's clients spent 95 percent of each meeting having plant managers explain why their numbers weren't up to par and only 5 percent planning future strategies. Not surprisingly, Brandt says, everyone came out of the meeting with a long face.
Tip: Use the past as a platform for understanding and planning future actions, not "a battering ram to beat people up," Bradt says. The collective brainpower in the room should be used to avoid mistakes going forward.

5. Meetings that disrupt the most productive hours. Many companies hold meetings in the morning, interrupting employees' most productive hours, says Jackie Freiberg, co-author of Nanovation: How a Little Car Can Teach the World to Think Big and Act Bold (Thomas Nelson, 2011).

Tip: Schedule meetings in the afternoon, when escaping the cubicle can be a welcome relief.

6. Meetings that are held in a bland environment. At the vast majority of meetings, employees gather around a conference table and keep their gaze focused on the leader at the head of the table. Freiberg believes this format does little to stimulate discussion and creative ideas.

Tip: Take your employees on a "walking" meeting in the park or just around the building and parking lot. "When you're not eye to eye, you have the guts to say certain things," Freiberg says. "And when walking, you look at the world differently, which stimulates fresh ideas."

7. Meetings that are too formal and rigid. Few meeting leaders have a sense of humor. The result is a room full of bored, restless employees, says Eric Chester, author of Reviving Work Ethic (Greenleaf Books, 2012).

Tip: Break up the meeting with music, a video, jokes or an engaging story, Chester says. "In the age of YouTube and iTunes, there's simply no reason to not inject a bit of levity in a meeting to gain attention, disarm negativity and generate enthusiasm

 http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224151?cam=Dev&ctp=PopRightMod&cdt=2&cdn=224151

7 Deadly Sins of Business Meetings Pt. 1

By Lisa Girard 

  

Skype meetings used to be a weekly ritual for InQuicker, a health-care IT company with offices in Nashville, Tenn., and Vancouver, B.C. "It had always felt a bit contrived to meet weekly," says company co-founder and CEO, Michael Brody-Waite. "I think it hurt morale to place what is essentially a giant productivity speed bump in the middle of every work week. When we really thought about it, there weren't too many issues coming up in our weekly meetings that needed everyone's attention."

InQuicker finally changed the meeting schedule to once a month and began using Google Hangouts so that 10 people can share the screen in a less formal setting. That made everyone happier—and more productive.
InQuicker is not alone when it comes to dysfunctional meetings. For many businesses, routine meetings can lack focus and a clear agenda and end up wasting time and boring people.

"The last thing a meeting organizer wants is their attendees to be sitting in a conference room or on the phone wondering what the meeting is for, why they were asked to join, or what the output will be," says Kathryn Hammond, owner of BlueSpire Strategic Marketing, a Minneapolis-based marketing company. "If a meeting doesn't have a defined agenda and concrete next steps, I can almost guarantee you will see people playing with their phones or hear people typing in the background."

Here, seven deadly sins to watch for in business meetings -- and tips on how to redeem yourself.

1. Meetings that become useless rituals. Companies frequently meet simply because it's time for their weekly, monthly or annual sales meeting. "Meetings that are ritualistic instead of necessary are often boring, and attendees eventually flip an 'off switch' in their brains," says Joe Calloway, business strategy consultant and author of Becoming A Category of One (John Wiley, 2003).

Tip: First, reexamine your routine. "Do not have a meeting unless you can very specifically define why it's necessary and how it will advance the strategy of the organization," he says. Also, create a specific agenda and send it out early enough for people to prepare.

2. Meetings that are a one-way conversation. People often tune out monotone lecturers and mind-numbing PowerPoint presentations. "A one-way speech is generally one of the least effective ways of teaching, informing or motivating people to action," Calloway says.

Tip: Encourage your team to speak up, exchange ideas and comment on what they've heard. If you show PowerPoint slides, make them visually interesting and keep words and numbers to a minimum.

3. Meetings with lax leadership. In today's "virtual" conference rooms, time is often wasted waiting for people to join the call and then getting stragglers up to speed on what they missed. "This punishes the people who joined the meeting on time with the likelihood you'll run over, leaving employees stressed out playing catch-up on the rest of their day," says Gary Bradt, business strategy expert and author of The Ring in the Rubble (McGraw Hill, 2007).

Tip: Choose a leader who is organized and forceful, leaving latecomers to catch up on their own. "Use tact, of course – you don't have to be Attila the Hun – but if you're too nice, it allows too much nonsense to go on," Bradt says.

Stay tuned for more tips. 


 http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224151?cam=Dev&ctp=PopRightMod&cdt=2&cdn=224151

A Small Change in Your Mindset can Increase Your Sales

by Pawel Grabowski

Sure, you know that you must sell. Deep in your heart of hearts though you despise it. You know that making sales is the only way to increase your revenue, build up your company and, well, stay in business. You have heard of the results others get. You know that selling works.

But, for some reason, it’s not working for you.

You work hard researching and contacting prospects. You do your best to interest them with your work during a sales presentation. Hell, you even follow up, which is not something many small business owners would do.  But you still don’t make sales. At least not as many as you would like. You do everything by the book but you get no results. And, the sales that you make, well, sometimes they feel kind of accidental. Like as if they just happened, as if you were simply in the right place at the right time.

You know that wasn’t selling, just luck.

So, what’s wrong? What’s causing all this hard work to go to waste?

Well, I may have an idea so read on. I will show you a simple hack that can help you make more sales almost instantly.

This Is Not Only Your Problem

Before we begin, there is one more thing I want to talk about.

You are not alone. The problem I am about to discuss with you is one of the most common ones amongst all small business owners. There are literary thousands of people that struggle to make sales. Some of them try very hard, others give up because, as someone once told me, “this is the difficult part.” Nevertheless, they make no sales.

But do you know what is the reason for that?

Wrong Attitude

Yep, it’s nothing to do with who you are, what you do and how good you are at selling (well, technique plays a part in that too but it’s not the most important part). It’s your approach to selling that’s causing the problem.

Because, you see, you go to a presentation hoping to make the sale (and I fully realize how stupid this sentence sounds but please, read on). The trouble is, it’s true. You go to the sales call with one intention, to get the order.  It’s not a genuine, honest reason. It’s being selfish. And, the trouble is, many of your prospects see through that.

Do you know what a seasoned salesman does instead? They go to a meeting hoping that their solutions will help the prospect solve their problems and improve their business.  They know this, hell, they believe in it. And, they get the sale.

Want to make more sales? Go to your next sales call believing that what you are going to do to your prospect is going to help them, improve their business or increase the revenue.  And, you know what the best part is? It’s actually quite simple to do.

How To Change Your Sales Attitude And Show Your Prospects That You Care

1. Realize What You Are Really Selling

You can’t change your mindset if you don’t know what are you really selling. By this I don’t mean the actual product or a service you are offering but what is the biggest benefit of using it.  A web designer does not sell websites. She sells the opportunity to promote the business online, to gain more leads and sales for the business.  A garden designer does not sell new gardens but rather an opportunity to have a special place to rest and unwind.

Find out what you are really selling and figuring out the ways to help your prospects will become extremely easy.

2. Understand That You Are Not The Most Important Part of The Sale

By nature, we think of ourselves first. It’s quite natural, however, if you want to make sales, you need to change the way you think. In sales, in spite of what you might say you are not the important part. It is your potential client, their business and the problems they are looking to fix. Everything else is secondary.

3. Prepare Solutions For Your Prospect

When you initiate a sales process with a prospect, you usually have a very good idea about the kind of problems they might have in relation to what you are selling. If not, I suggest you stop here and first learn how to research your potential clients thoroughly before making the initial contact.

That knowledge should be enough to think of the best solutions for your prospect. It doesn’t mean that you should have the whole proposal ready. But having examples of how you could implement your solution into the prospects business in your presentation will certainly present you as someone who cares.

Here’s A Scary Fact

Every time you lose a sale, you most likely also lose a prospect for life. It is an unfortunate fact that you may never get a chance to sell to them again.  A simple change in your business mindset can make the difference between this and constantly winning new clients for your business.

So, what do you choose?

How to do a Great 10 Minute Presentation

by Kelli C. Holmes

One of the key benefits of your membership in TEAM is your opportunity as a "featured speaker". This is "Prime Time", you are in the spotlight! Use this time to it's  maximum potential. 

Here are some tips to try the next time you are the featured speaker:

 

- GET VISUAL! The more "things" and "stuff" you have that SHOW your "sales team" what your
business is about, the better the information is retained.

 

- GIVE EXAMPLES. Paint a picture of who your 3 best clients are, what you do for them, where
you found them and why they continue to do business with you. Give your networking
partners this information and they will refer more "best clients" to you! 

 

- LEAVE TIME FOR Q and A. This is invaluable for our "knowledge factor" on your business.

Don't forget- please use the TEAM Presentation, Speaker Introduction, and the Speaker Questionnaire worksheets!

The Importance of Speaker Introductions

By Kelli C. Holmes

Having the right introduction when you are the featured speaker at a meeting sets the tone and atmosphere for your presentation. The purpose of an introduction is to gain the audience’s attention. The audience may have just come from listening to another speaker on a totally different topic, or they may be in the middle of an interesting conversation with a friend. The right introduction will put the focus on you!

A secondary purpose is to motivate the audience to listen. Just because the audience is there, doesn’t mean that they are ready to listen. Let them know “What’s in it for me” – narrow the gap between the audience and the stage with your introduction.

How is a good introduction organized? Introductions fuse three elements: the subject, the audience and the speaker. As the speaker, you put into your introduction what you would like to emphasize or what you think is relevant. Write out your introduction. Practice it for timing. You want it to sound natural and enthusiastic. Reduce your written introduction to a few key words and phrases, shooting for about one minute of information. Transfer it, in large font, to a sheet of paper.

Introduction Tips:

1. Include your name and how to pronounce it. If it is an unusual name, help the audience learn it. “It rhymes with…”
2. Put in your title or position.
3. Be brief, aim for about one minute.  Three minutes max!  Five minutes is too long.
4. Include the speech title and make sure your description matches the title given.

Additionally, be sure your introduction answers these questions. Why this subject… this audience… at this time? Use the “miniskirt rule” for introductions - It should be short enough to be interesting, and long enough to cover the subject!  One minute is a gracious amount of time and plenty for most people. You can qualify anyone in 60 seconds. Too much data and their attention wanders.

One way to build intimacy with an audience is to relate something of a personal nature, a little known fact, or a special talent, relationship, or community service. For example, “What you may not know about this evening’s speaker is…” The goal is to make your speaker introduction short, informative and interesting!

Know Your Audience

Communication Skills

5 Phrases You Never Want to Hear in a Presentation

by Ben Yoskovitz

Giving good presentations is hard. Public speaking is a true skill that you can develop over time; a combination of art and science. I can’t help but hone in on those words I know don’t belong.

•  MAKE SOME NOISE!!! Unless you’re at the MTV Music Awards this isn’t much of a crowd pleaser. The key point is this: Know Thy Audience. Your audience should dictate your style, approach, the words you use, etc. If you can’t modify your pitch to your audience you’ll turn people off quicker than you can say…

• Um… The dreaded “um” is so commonplace in our speech we often overlook it. But when you’re standing in front of a crowd, selling ‘em whatever you’re selling ‘em (and don’t be mistaken: you ARE selling) too many “ums” shows a lack of preparedness and comfort.
• Did That Make Sense? Actually, it didn’t. And on top of that, because you had to ask me I’m so disengaged at this point that I’ve started playing a game on my BlackBerry. The key here: Practice. Do it in front of a mirror. Do it in the shower. Do it in front of others. Do it in public. If you present in front of friends and family who aren’t in your field of expertise and they get it, you’ve got yourself a winner.
• What Else Can I Show You? I don’t know, you tell me, that’s why you’re standing up there on the stage and I’m sitting here eagerly in the crowd. Presentations are stories – they need a beginning, middle and end. It doesn’t matter the setting, format or style of presentation/conference/meeting. If you’re standing in front of people and telling them something, you’re spinning a story. And that means it needs all the elements of a good one.
• I Guess That’s It. Well is that the end or not? You would know better than me. Blog professionals often talk about ending strongly, and the same holds true when giving a presentation. Even saying, “That’s the end” is kind of lame – your final point (and the entire presentation arc) should make it obvious enough, and you should be able to transition instantly into the next step – be it questions, slinking off the stage, hours of clapping…

So, I guess that’s it. Kidding.

Public speaking is the sort of thing that makes grown men cry, and buckles people to their knees. We all know it’s daunting, which is all the more reason to master the 4 Ps of Presentations:

1. Prepare. You might not need a word-for-word script, but prepare something. Make sure your story is compelling, entertaining and worth listening to.
2. Practice. You need to practice. Even veteran presenters practice. Make sure you at least read it out loud a few times to develop a good rhythm.
3. Pronunciate. You need to speak clearly. There’s no room for mumbling in a presentation. Let me toss another P in there – Project. Speak clearly and firmly to get your point across.
4. Participate. You should always try to engage your audience. The sooner they feel like they’re part of what you’re doing, the better.

How to Make Your Words Memorable, Part 2

by Lisa B. Marshall

Wait, what did we talk about last week? Oh, yeah, that’s right…people forget stuff! That’s why this week we’re picking up with the second part of how to make your words more memorable. If you haven’t read Part 1 of this series, it’s helpful to read that first.

 Last week the main point that I covered (besides the fact that forgetting was natural and normal) was the use of repetition. By repeating key ideas and phrases, you help to bolster learning with the goal of making the key words memorable. I used an example from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech:

Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.

Now is the time to life our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

But, I was a little sneaky because this example also uses a second technique for making your words memorable—word pictures. 

Tip #3: Paint Word Pictures

MLK’s word choices painted images in the minds of listeners. In the Chris Gardner speech I mentioned last week, he also painted many word pictures. In case you don’t recall, Chris Gardner was the man who went from homeless to Wall Street success. His story was chronicled in the Will Smith film The Pursuit of Happyness. Since making it big, Gardner has delivered many speeches. Here’s one of his observations about being homeless that stood out for me: “The guy making $80,000 a year was strutting around like the NBC peacock, but he stockbroker in the red Ferrari making $80,000 a month was rolling like a rock star.” The words paint a picture, providing important contrast which makes Gardner’s words more memorable.

 In general, analogies and metaphors are an effective way to paint word pictures. An analogy is just a comparison between two, often dissimilar, things. A metaphor is an expression of a concept in terms of another concept.

These figures of speech are particularly useful when explaining complex ideas because they can explain what you’re trying to say quickly and efficiently (especially when the thing you make the comparison to is well-known by the audience). They are extremely powerful when they are memorable and meaningful. Chris Gardner used the following analogy: “I decided I was going to become world class at something. The chaos of Wall Street, to me, was like reading a sheet of music. This is where I am supposed to be.” Where others saw chaos, he heard music. Great analogy.

Tip #4: Tell Stories 

In fact, analogies are best when used as part of a larger personal story. The more your audience can relate to the feelings and values of the story, the more memorable it will be for them. Stories are how we learn from each other’s experiences. Stories are how we naturally communicate our ideas, values, and goals. Gardner told financial stories; tales from white-collar poverty: “With every dollar that came in, I had to make a choice. Pay the parking ticket, or pay the rent,” he explained to his rapt audience.

Tip #5: Use Surprising Facts

Analogies often help provide emotional support for your story, however, you’ll also want to include factual support; the more startling or unusual, the better. We tend to remember things that are unexpected or surprising.

Chris Gardner shared this interesting fact: “At this point in the 21st century, as many as 30% of homeless adults in America have jobs and go to work every day.” The 9,000 members of the audience suddenly looked at the people sitting next to them differently. I will remember, possibly forever, that statistic and how still the room suddenly felt. It had a dramatic affect on both the hearts and minds of the audience and that’s your goal when telling stories. 

Tip #6: Choose Universal Themes

We tend to remember things that we can relate to. For Chris Gardner, his stories were about a universal theme—personal relationships. He said: “I grew up without a dad, but with a stepfather who daily reminded me ‘I ain’t your daddy.’ So when people ask me about the most important thing I can do with my life, I tell them: it’s to break the cycle of men who were not there for their children.” Poetically, when Oprah asked Gardner’s son about the one thing he remembered about this time in his life, he answered, “Everywhere I looked, my father was there.”

If you want your presentation to be memorable, it’s critical to repeat key phrases, to paint word pictures, and to tell stories with universal themes. Be sure to sprinkle in analogies, metaphors, and surprising facts. If you want others to act on your words, it’s important to follow these tips to make your ideas memorable, powerful, and easily sharable with others.

 

 

The Importance of Sharing Stories

by Lisa B. Marshall

When you’re speaking in front of an audience or making a presentation for a client, it’s really important to include stories. For each of your main points, that is for each question, secret, or tip, you’ll want to include a story that is an example of the idea you’re discussing.

This is crucial for a few reasons:

#1. It makes the presentation far more interesting and fun.

#2. In an informal and indirect way, it lets your customers and prospective clients hear about your professional experiences and it shows that you already have clients that pay for your expertise.

#3. Perhaps most importantly, people remember stories. People not only easily remember stories, but they retell them to other people—which can only help your business or cause!

Expectations

Hard Act to Follow

How to Make Your Words Memorable, Part 1

 by Lisa B. Marshall

“I hate to disappoint you. But Will Smith isn’t coming.”

That was the first line of Chris Gardner presentation. He’s the inspiration behind Will Smith’s character in the film, The Pursuit of Happyness. And despite the unfavorable odds of recall, I clearly remember this opening line.

What do you remember about the last speech you heard? If you’re like most people, probably not very much.

Chris Gardner spoke to a crowd of about 9,000. For an hour, he talked about his very personal journey from homelessness to Wall Street. I have never been homeless and neither have I worked on Wall Street. No connection there. But, do I remember very much about his speech? Yes, I do.

Why do I remember it? What was it, specifically, that made it memorable? In this two-part episode we’ll cover exactly what it is about a speech that makes it stick in your mind, and learn how you can make your presentations more memorable.

Tip #1: Remember That People Forget

First, remember that it’s natural to forget. We forget appointments, we forget people’s names, we forget the plots of books we read. Heck, I often forget what I’ve written in earlier The Public Speaker episodes until someone reminds me! One explanation for forgetting is trace decay. This theory suggests that learning etches a path in your brain, like you make in the woods when you go for a walk. If you continually walk along the same route, the path gets deeper. If you go a different way, the original path eventually becomes overgrown—until it disappears. So the less time you spend walking along the path, the murkier it gets. It’s the same with memory.

A famous study on forgetting textbook materials compared the percentage of material remembered after different intervals of time. The results were fascinating: After one day, 54% was remembered. After two months, only 14% was remembered. So you should expect that your audience will forget part of what you say. The key is to know that it’s important to use specific techniques so that some people will still remember it long after it ends. What are these techniques? Read on.

Tip #2: Use Repetition

Make your key ideas stick by using and repeating key ideas and key phrases throughout your presentation. You might even consider starting or ending (or both) with your key phrase. These phrases are sometimes referred to as money lines or signature phrases.

I recently listened to a funny, short Tedx talk by Joe Smith, called, How to Use a Paper Towel. He repeated the words “shake” and “fold” many times during the talk and in fact, he even got the audience to join in by asking them to repeat the words aloud. It seems a bit hokey when you watch the presentation but it is because of the silly repetition that we are then able to remember the main points of this talk. I can personally attest it worked for me! Every time I’ve been in a public restroom since watching his talk, I’ve followed Joe’s shake and fold advice!

On a more serious note, you’re likely familiar with the repetition of key phrases from political speeches. In fact, our current president, Barak Obama, used this technique when he was still a senator:

Yes we can to justice and equality, Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can.

Or perhaps you were first exposed to this technique when you heard the well-known 1963 speech from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.

Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.

Now is the time to life our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

Next week we’ll pick up from here in part two with more tips on making your presentations more memorable.

Expert in Spin Control

Regrets

Can Speaking Live Boost Your Business?

by Jo Foster, Love Your Small Business

A month ago I was invited to speak on a panel for women business leaders at the University of Canterbury. I was excited to accept, even though I felt a good dose of imposter syndrome creeping in.

Janine and I have always wanted to combine our online work with face-to-face workshops and events, so this felt like a great opportunity to get out in front of some women in our sector and test out how effective public speaking might be as a tool for getting the word out about our work.
 
To clarify, this is not the kind of event where you get up and do a hard sell of your business, so attending was not just about getting clients. From our perspective it was a great opportunity to speak live in front of women from our sector and to build relationships. As it turned out, it has also been great for our business for a whole lot of other reasons….

Preparation is a great learning exercise!  

In the time leading up to the panel event, I thought a lot about what I might have to offer to a discussion about 'women leading in business'. I have a good understanding of the reasons why women enter into the world of entrepreneurship, and the key challenges that women in business face, based on our recent survey of Kiwi and Ozzie women entrepreneurs, but I was also looking forward to hearing from others. 
I also wanted to make sure I conveyed professionalism, knowledge, and our core vision and values. It was a lot to think about, but I got a lot of value out of the process and the pressure of a looming event caused me to put some serious thought into it! As a result, I have improved my ability to articulate what we do and why we do it. 

Nerves in my handbag but there was fun to be had!

So – last Thursday I headed along to the panel accompanied by a good dose of nerves. I have done a lot of public speaking in previous jobs and feel confident, but this was the first time I had put myself out there representing Love Your Small Business….and I had a great time!
The panel was chaired well, with simple questions that led to a bunch of different opinions on the topic. There was heated discussion, as well as thought-provoking questions from the audience. I also had an opportunity to speak a little about what we do, so I focussed on how we empower women to achieve business success by helping them make that core connection between profit and purpose, which was great.

Can speaking live boost your business?

Yes. I believe it can. Even when the event you are speaking at is not appropriate for selling, it can still have a big impact on your business. There were several positive spin-off's from attending this event for us: 

1. Nothing beats connecting face to face: While online business works on many levels, live face to face connection is where it's at! After speaking at this event I was approached by at least 5 women, all of whom have followed up by contacting me and want to build a relationship with Love Your Small Business. These people are now a part of our community and we are excited to have them onboard!  
2. Instant feedback: I loved the instant feedback I received from being at a live event. It's just not quite the same online – the body language, facial expressions etc.really give you a sense of the impact you have had. I also received a great response to the work we are doing with women in biz, and that was awesome to hear.
3. The opportunity to get your unique message across and draw like-minded people to your work: Helping women entrepreneurs connect with their personal purpose and values, then use them to guide their business decisions, is at the heart of what we do. And let me assure you, we follow our own advice! 
   Despite my nerves and the possibility that my opinion would set me apart from other panel members, I contributed to the discussion based on my own purpose, vision and values, as well as the ones I share with Janine in our work together at LYSB. I know that some of my values & beliefs about how to 'be' in business did not resonate with all members of the panel or the audience, but you could never hope to please everyone and nor did I want to.
   The important thing to me was that those women in the audience who spoke with me afterwards did resonate strongly with what I shared. They felt compelled to speak with me based on shared values, and a connection that goes beyond anything that hyped up sales and marketing could ever do!

I came away from this event having connected with some inspiring women, potential partners and clients. I also received a great big boost of confidence. So absolutely yes, speaking live can boost your business.

We will definitely keep doing what we're doing, getting out in front of people face to face, and continuing to develop our strategy so that we can get face-to-face with people more in the future.

Use Public Speaking to Grow Your Business

by Pam Lawhorne

Public speaking can be one of the most powerful avenues for bringing in traffic, deals and a powerful reputation for your growing business. Why is public speaking so high impact? How can you find places to speak? How do you structure business deals with people who have audiences? These are some of the questions we’ll explore in this article.

The Potential Impact Of Public Speaking on Your Business

Anyone who’s heard you speak in person is a candidate for being a loyal customer. Furthermore, if you made a strong impression, influential business people may also invite you for business deals.

There’s something almost magical that happens when someone steps on stage. They’re automatically branded “The Expert.” People look at you with an air of authority and deference.

If you use this opportunity to demonstrate skill, knowledge and expertise, you’ll build a level of credibility that’s hard to rival through online newsletters or even one on one interactions.

You’ll be able to speak to larger and larger crowds, building a more and more solid reputation, getting more traffic and more business deals.

Getting Your First Few Speaking Gigs

The first and perhaps best place to start speaking is at Toastmasters. Toastmasters is an international organization with groups from as small as four people to as large as 100+, giving all its members the opportunity to learn how to speak in public.

You’ll learn skills like how to prepare a presentation, how to research in-depth facts, how to use your body and voice, how to use comedy and how to improvise on stage.

Once you have a fair bit of speaking experience under your belt, then proceed to the “small speaking circuit” first.

This is basically the local groups and meet-ups in your area. Look on Meetup for meet-ups related to your industry and meet their organizers. See if you can help out by offering your expertise. Also look into speaking at your local Chamber of Commerce.

Finding Larger Audiences to Speak To

How do you speak at conferences? Seminars? Larger audiences? Remember that conference organizers need good speakers and spend a considerable amount of time hunting down these speakers.

The trick is to start building relationships with as many influential people in your space as possible. Do this by attending conferences and seminars and deliberately meeting people who speak at conferences or have large email lists.

Also, if you have a clear offer for speakers, that can help. For example, if you sell a product or workshop and you’re willing to split profits 40%, that can go a long way towards convincing people with audiences to let you speak.

Before you have a solid reputation, some speakers may want to see a video or two of you on stage before letting you speak on their stage. They basically want to make sure you know how to speak before putting their reputation on the line for you.

If you don’t have a video like this, just have a friend film you speaking at a Toastmasters meeting and put it on YouTube.

To recap, build your speaking skills by speaking at Toastmasters, then start out in your local circuit through meet-ups and your chamber of commerce. Then, build your relationships and reputation and gradually work your way up to larger and larger audiences. The influence, traffic and reputation that you’ll build this way can completely revolutionize your business.

Importance of Successful Presentations