Did you know that the first pizzeria in the United States was opened in NYC in 1895? Or, that it would cost about $17,000 to take a cab from NYC to L.A.? Or, that the entire world’s population could fit in the state of Texas if it were as densely populated as New York City? If you did know, why would it matter?
Can you repeat your Social Security number? Can you state your zip code? Unless you live in a state where your Social Security number is your driver’s license number, can you repeat your driver’s license number? My guess is your answers are, Yes, Yes, and No. And therein lies two very important sales and presentation …
Top naming expert and pal Steve Rivkin recently pointed out that one-word titles are all the rage these days. Television shows are called Glee, Homeland, Scandal, Survivor. While some earlier shows were also one word (Dallas), the number of these single titles is growing rapidly. He notes that given our shorter and shorter attention spans, …
How often do you try to persuade clients or colleagues to do something they should do, but don’t want to do? We present facts. We cajole. We remind. And still nothing happens. Instead of continuing down the same fruitless, logical, left brain path to change minds, can you get the result you want with a …
What do a US President and an animal researcher have in common? At face value, very little. But both recently used the same technique to hook people into listening to their otherwise tough message, in one example, and dry message, in the second example, a technique that you can use as well in your B2B …
The article “What Verbal Tics May Be Saying About Us” that ran in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal highlights a really important point for anyone who sells or presents big ticket products or services. The “Tics” the article notes are phrases that you are totally unaware of that can torpedo your message and kill a potential …
Looking for a great way to freshen up your presentation arguments? Use the news. Every day there are stories in the media with high drama to them: success, tragedy, victory, triumph, defeat, heroism. With a little creative thinking, you’ll find many ways to use them to drive home your point. Here’s an example. You couldn’t …
By now, everyone knows the Obamacare roll-out has been a disaster, but what’s interesting from a presenting point of view is not the politics but how many different metaphorical worlds the media sourced to describe the concept of its failure. That diversity of vivid descriptions is instructive for all of us whose success depends on selling, influencing, …
I once heard a speaker begin his talk with “As that great philosopher (dramatic pause) Peter Pan said, “I don’t wanna grow up” and then he seamlessly linked that surprise opening to his message about the need to get serious about the challenges facing his industry. There are many famous lines from movies and plays that you can …
In a world of 140 character tweets and sound-byte messaging (which have their place), there’s nothing like an inaugural speech to provide a refreshing look at older timeless techniques for effective communication.
Marketing guru Seth Godin can generally be relied on for thoughtful observations that frequently apply to sales as well. Recently, he made a distinction worth noting for anyone who persuades for a living.