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iSpeak teaches workshops to help leaders put a voice to their vision. It’s about connecting with an audience and giving them what they came for.

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The 2 Secrets for Building Strong and Lasting Teams

RPjr — Sun, 05 May 2019 11:02:50 +0000

My wife and I celebrate 25 years of marriage this year. We’re taking time this year to reflect on that quarter of a century. While we’ve definitely had a few bumps along the way, they’ve been the happiest years of my life.

It’s caused me to pause and consider what makes a relationship work? Not just in marriage but in any relationship. What is the key to creating strong bonds of teamwork? How can leaders support their teams best? What does a team require to be successful?

Wise words from my customer

One customer of mine shared that he and his wife were celebrating 36 years of marriage this year. “Wow! That’s amazing. Congratulations! If I were to ask you for the secrets to a long and happy marriage, what would you give me?”

He thought for a moment and replied, “You need two things and the first is the most critical. Trust. You need to trust each other. Without trust, everything else will start to erode.” It wasn’t just simple advice… it was truth. I not only knew it, but I felt it.

Trust…

Without trust you couldn’t have love in that marriage. Not a real love that lasts as long as his has.

My wife and I just got an invitation today from another couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. I have no doubt they’d agree with my customer. It all starts with a foundation of trust.

Leaders, pay attention here!

Leaders… pay attention because this isn’t a blog post about marriage. All strong relationships are built on a foundation of trust.

Build trust between the members of the team, between you and your team, and between your team and the greater organization (Sr. Management). As Stephen M. R. Covey says in his book, The Speed of Trust – The one thing that changes everything, “When trust goes up, speed goes up, and costs go down.”

Back to my customer conversation…

I thanked him for the advice and then I asked, “But what about the 2nd element you need?”

He smiled back at me and with a bit of a Jolly-Ol’-Saint-Nick type of wink he added, “Play more!”

Leaders… did you hear that one too?

Celebrate with your team. Give the team time to play. Don’t forget to join in the fun too. These aren’t rocket-science ideas here. These are simple truths to help you build a solid foundation with your team. Trust and having some fun can create highly productive and long-lasting teams built to perform!

What are you going to do this week to build trust and have fun with your team?

See you next week,

Let’s connect…

iSpeak teaches workshops to help leaders put a voice to their vision. It’s about connecting with an audience and giving them what they came for.

The post The 2 Secrets for Building Strong and Lasting Teams first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

The Fable Story Template and When to Use it

RPjr — Sun, 28 Apr 2019 11:02:12 +0000

From Aesop’s fables to Jesus’ parables, we’ve heard these types of stories our whole life. The fable is both powerful and easy to implement. Here’s why you should consider using them the next time you want to focus on a truth and reinforce the core values of your corporate culture.

Fables and parables are fictional stories used to focus on a core value, a moral, or an extended metaphor to help the audience understand a situation better. Once they are able to see the truth or the core value in the fictional story, they can also see how their approach to a current business issue should be no different.

Fables are Powerful

Even with the simplest of short stories, we always look for the “why” in it. In other words, why is this important? What is the lesson to be learned here? When our minds are taken to a fictional place, we lower our inhibitions. We lower our guard.

When a leader speaks in actual stories from the workplace, it can be too close to the audience. In other words, everyone has an opinion on the event being described. If you’re in the accounting department and the story is about the sales team closing a big deal, you may feel disconnected from the importance of it, the sales team loves the story, and the marketing department feels like they should be getting some of the credit fo the win!

The power of the fable lies in the simplicity and the escape from the everyday reality. That escape allows the listener to forget the whirlwind of the real world for a moment and just focus on the deeper meaning, the moral, or the lesson to be applied.

Fables are Easy to Find

Anyone can find a fable. Why is that? Because they’re everywhere! For those people who tell us in our workshops, “But, I don’t have any stories to tell!”… there are no more excuses!

Fables can be mined from the internet with ease. Just google Aesop’s Fables and you’ll find a complete listing.

Fables are Easy to Deliver

Fables are extremely short, which is what most audiences want! There’s not much to them and they are easy to commit to memory. Fables don’t need to be memorized word for word. In fact, when told with your own words, they can be more engaging to your audience because you sound more natural.

Since they are so short and easy to imagine, they’re hard for the presenter to forget! You’ll find them easy to commit to memory and even easier to give away.

Fables are Fun

They’re fun because they give the audience permission to escape briefly from reality. It gives the audience permission to enter a world where a mouse can have a conversation with a lion. While we know this is impossible, it unleashes our creativity when we get to imagine this.

One of the keys to being an engaging speaker is to engage 3 areas of the mind, the intellect, the emotion, and the imagination. Choose the right fable and it will give you a short-cut to all three of these.

Fables Provide Truth in Simplicity

The true power of the fable lies in the truth of the message. Regardless of the animal solving the problem in the story, we can see the truth in the message. Truth transcends all.

There is something so powerful about realizing the message of the story is not simply an interesting story, a learning lesson, or an opinion… it’s a truth.

Now tie it back to the lesson…

After the fable is delivered, the leader needs to tie it back to the current business situation and what it means to the organization. If it reinforces the culture, point that out. If it provides a gentle reminder of another time when the ethics were stronger, show it. If it gives the hope of a new direction based on a strong core value, give it.

I challenge you to bring a truth into an upcoming presentation with either a parable or a fable. Engage your audience, give them permission to imagine, and bring them back to truth.

See you next week,

Let’s connect…

iSpeak teaches workshops on Professional Selling to help sales leaders gather the most important data and then use that information to create the right message. Are your sales presentations closing eyelids or deals?

The post The Fable Story Template and When to Use it first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

How and When to Use the “David and Goliath” Story Template

RPjr — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 11:02:00 +0000

Whether you’re Jewish, Christian or neither, you’ve probably heard the Biblical story of the shepherd boy destined to become a king. David was the shepherd boy who courageously accepted the fight-to-the-death challenge from the Philistine warrior Goliath, a man twice his size. It’s a classic tale of the underdog facing the champion.

If you’ve heard this story then you already know the outcome. If you haven’t heard this story, you can probably still guess how it turned out. Our shepherd boy, armed with only a few stones and a sling, was the champion of the day when he defeated the heavily armored and weaponized giant.

According to Malcolm Gladwell, in his book David and Goliath: Underdogs, misfits, and the art of battling giants, the best way to pull off the upset is to play by a different set of rules. In other words, be unconventional.

Do we truly love underdogs?

We love any story that fits the template of this classic tale. The underdog defeats the heavily favored champion! In a 2007 study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the researchers asked 71 participants to imagine two teams.

One was described as a strong champion, most likely to win. The other was described as the underdog. With only knowing the information of who was most favored to win, participants in the study were asked who they would rather see win. The underdog was chosen in every instance.

Or, do we just despise the most likely winners?

There’s seems to be something deep inside us that makes us want to see the underdog win. Or, according to one study by the Baylor College of Medicine, maybe we like to see winners lose because we’re envious of the teams that always win. This phenomena is called schadenfreude. Homer Simpson is a great example of someone who expresses this often.

Regardless of whether it’s a love for the unlikely hero or a joy for seeing the champions struggle, you can’t deny there’s something that attracts us all to the underdog stories. Maybe it’s that we can see ourselves as the underdog in these stories?

When to use this template in business

This type of story is used by leaders to inspire. When the team has to overcome tremendous odds to be successful, they need encouragement to press on. Leaders can use a David-and-Goliath story to give them hope and inspiration. If it’s been done in the past, we can do it now!

I’m not suggesting you tell the actual David-and-Goliath story, but instead, use it as a template to show your audience that nothing is impossible. Show them how their current situation is not impossible. It can be overcome!

How do I pick a story?

The closer your story is in relation to the actual situation they’re facing, the more impact it will have on the audience. In other words, just sharing a college basketball comeback story from March Madness may be exciting, but the audience can easily dismiss the story by saying, “Yeah, but that’s basketball! This is managed IT services we’re talking about here! It’s not the same thing.”

Try to find an underdog victory story that aligns closely with the current situation your team is facing. If it’s a tough business situation where you’d like to use the story, try to find another business story similar in scope. I recommend you use Paul Smith’s book on storytelling if your looking for stories you can use.

How do I structure the story?

The key to any David-and-Goliath story is to make sure your audience can see themselves as David. The audience needs to be invited into the story if you want to generate the feeling of encouragement and inspiration.

Give the landscape and characters for the story and do this quickly! This should also include the obvious problem (Goliath) that seems impossible to overcome.
Provide the thoughts of the underdog (David) by showcasing two things:
1. The underdog’s awareness of the challenge and the insurmountable odds he/she is facing.
2. The hope and faith to try anyway. This should point directly to the reason why it is still worth pursuing.
Describe the approach used to solve the problem. What did the underdog do to approach the problem? Remember, history has proven when the underdog wins, they tend to use unconventional methods. What is the unique approach they took? It’s important that this element be something within his/her control. Do NOT let this be a product of pure luck. If it is just a lucky break, your team can easily dismiss this as a fluke which is unlikely to occur again for them.
Describe the feeling of victory and what it meant to the team. This is the part of the story that gives the audience the deep sense of satisfaction. It should generate the feeling of a tough victory earned by fighting unconventionally to overcome amazing odds.

It’s time for you to go slay that giant and inspire your team.

Until next time,

Let’s connect…

The post How and When to Use the “David and Goliath” Story Template first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

How do you Influence When You Have Limited Authority?

RPjr — Sun, 07 Apr 2019 11:02:56 +0000

When I was young we used to find adventure on the new home sites at the end of our street. A big pile of dirt would quickly become a trophy centerpiece to do battle for the reigning title of “King of the Mountain.”

If you’ve never played it before, every person tries their best to take the hill by standing on top and fighting off the onslaught of people who are now trying to push you off. It was classic fun for a group of young boys looking for a challenge.

Of course, eventually we’d either get tired of this game or someone would get hurt so we’d switch to something less aggressive, like “Follow the Leader.” We’d argue over who gets to be the leader first (usually whomever was last king of the mountain) and we’d all line up behind him. The leader would then lead us through an adventure of climbing, jumping, or swinging from something, the more dangerous the better. Both games could keep us entertained for hours.

When I look back on those children’s games now, I can see a metaphorical perspective on how each of those games portrays an approach some leaders use to influence their teams.

King of the Mountain

In this approach to business leadership, power is taken or a strong hierarchial authority is given to one person. The leader now rules the kingdom with strong methods of persuasion. The general idea is “I’m the leader and you’re not, so you have to do what I say. You don’t get to question it or tell me what to do until you get promoted above me.”

Influence of this type will usually result in teams who perform well and get things done on time. However, the turnover on the team is much higher. In other words, this leader achieves Compliance from the team or possibly… conflict. This team gets things done but they don’t always feel very positive about it.

Methods used by these leaders are heavy-handed:

Coercion – The tactics used here could easily be identified as intimidation. Knowing he is in a position of authority, he exercises his power to intimidate others into getting something done. “Why should you do it? Because it’s your job. So, quit your whining about it and just do it!”
Consequence – Using a negative term here, you would call this a threat, plain and simple. You do it or else! A manager might lean on a team to get action by telling them about the consequence of not doing it. “If you don’t get this done by Friday at 5, I’ll be forced to write you up.”
Contract – This is when someone uses a legal contract to get what they want. Contracts serve a purpose, but when you allow all goodwill to be eroded by following the letter of the law instead of the spirit, you will get your way, but at the expense of the relationship. “According to the Work for Hire Agreement we have with you, you are liable for the entire cost overrun. We won’t pay that.”

Follow the Leader

This game only works if the followers actually follow the leader. If no one follows, as John C. Maxwell says, you’re just taking a walk! When we played this game, no one was making us follow. We actually wanted to follow. If a leader gets the team to follow because they want to follow, she’s achieving a different type of result called commitment. This is where your team is getting things done and they have positive feelings about doing it.

To exercise this type of authority with your team, the leader has usually earned it. In other words, the trust, empathy, competence has earned a higher level of credibility for the leader. The team knows she cares about them and their success. The tasks are tied to a greater purpose.

Methods used by these leaders inspire long-term movement:

Inspiration – This is best done through effective narratives and storytelling. Leaders who use this method get their team to focus on the purpose and the Why for what they do.
Relational – This method of influence is based on strong ties of credibility and trust. As we all know, building a strong level of trust takes time to develop. When teams trust that a leader is honest, wants the best for them, and has a high degree of competence, the team wants to follow.
Exchange – We all work for our wages. This is the simple example of the exchange influence. On top of salary, the leaders who instill the strongest positive feelings with exchange will offer something the team values even more than money. It could be a team party, a day off from work, small token or gift, or more of the leader’s time.

As leaders, we all want commitment from our teams but we know that takes time and is not always possible. So when something needs to get done and there is no time, we may settle for compliance. But the leaders with the most successful teams know the strong positive feelings will outperform the negatively driven teams in the long run.

I’m ready to follow the leader… who’s gonna step up?

Will it be you?
Russ

Let’s connect…

The post How do you Influence When You Have Limited Authority? first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

One Crazy Solution for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

RPjr — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 11:02:25 +0000

His question was the most common question I get in workshops on public speaking. “How do I overcome the fear and anxiety?” He had no idea where I was about to take him with my answer. It’s a good question because most people feel something on the inside when it comes to public speaking. But the crazy thing is there’s one secret to control the fear and it’s probably not what you think.

Tools You Can Use

Sure, there are plenty of tips and tools you can use to help get those butterflies flying in formation, but the real secret lies much deeper inside all of us. If you’d rather just start with the tools, here are a few that can help:

Know your content. If you don’t know it well, go study.
Prepare and rehearse. Run through your talk a few times. We even suggest you stand in the room you will be presenting to rehearse.
Prepare for the tough questions. You’re going to get some. Speculate on the toughest questions you might get, and then rehearse your responses to them.
Arrive early. Running late for anything will increase your heart rate and anxiety level. You don’t need that today.

But, what’s the deeper solution?

I’m glad you asked. This is the more permanent solution. This is the solution that provides a true foundation to confident public speaking. The true root of overcoming fear and anxiety of public speaking is simply this… be present. That’s it. If it sounds too simple, you’re right. It is simple. But that doesn’t make it easy.

What’s the key to being present?

I’m going to ask you to stick with me and hear me out. I’m preparing you because some of you are going to read the next paragraph, roll your eyes and say, “Oh brother! Please…” right before you exit this web page. Please don’t! Stick with me until the end…

The key to being present is getting your mind and body to occupy the same space and time. The way to do that is with meditation.

I knew it! You rolled your eyes didn’t you?!

Please hear me out! I’m not talking about sitting in a lotus position, staring at a candle and burning incense in a dark room.

Do you know what mediation is? It’s one thing. That’s it. That’s the definition of mediation… one thing. To meditate you don’t clear your mind of everything. When you meditate, you clear your mind of everything except for one thing.

What’s the one thing?

It really doesn’t matter. Just focus on one thing for two minutes. If you know anyone who meditates regularly, ask them what you should focus on for two minutes and I bet they’ll tell you to start with your breathing. Just focus on your breathing for two minutes. Don’t change your breathing. Just focus on it. Notice your breathing.

For me, I usually coach people to pick one of their 5 senses and then focus on the data currently coming in through that port (you’re just like a computer!) for two minutes. My personal favorite is the sense of touch.

How I coach my leaders to meditate

I first learned this technique from my good friend and speaking coach, Paul Slattery. If I have a leader struggling with some anxiety before a presentation, I will find a quiet place for us to sit. Once he’s seated and still, I have him notice what he feels starting with the lowest touch point on his body (his foot in his shoe, pressure from the floor on the sole of his foot, etc.)

Then, we work up the body to the next touch point he can feel (one leg crossed and sitting on top of another leg). Then, move up the body to the next touch point (back of the thighs sitting on the chair). This continues until we reach the head. I have him turn his head slightly to feel it move. Then we work our way back down to the feet using the same checkpoints.

If you do this system check using your body’s sense of touch, up and down the body twice, you’ve just meditated for about 2 minutes!

Why does this work?

This is the essence of presence. The presence you project to others is rooted in your mind and body being in the same place. In other words, if your mind and body are occupying the same space and time, you’re present!

You know this is true because I’m sure you’ve had conversations with others and you can tell when their mind is someplace else. It bothers you. We want someone to be fully present when they’re communicating with us. Being fully present has benefits for both the speaker and the audience.

Before you speak, if you allow your mind to travel through space and time instead of being present, it starts to tell your brain stories and it takes you off your game.

“I remember the last time I presented to this group and they tore me up with tough questions!” (Your mind is in the past.)
“I just know they’re going to ask me a tough question and I won’t have the answer… or I’m going to forget something and lose my train of thought!” (Your mind is in the future… a false future!)

Get your head in the game!

If you played sports, my guess is your coach has dropped this one on you before. And she couldn’t have been more correct. Getting your head in the game means you bring it into the present. You get your mind to be in the same space and time as your body. That’s where your body is doing all the work right now… and it needs the brain to pull its weight too!

Be present for your audience.
It serves both you and the audience.

It’s where you live

In reality, the present is the only place you can really live. You can plan for the future and you can remember the past, but living can only take place in the present. So you might as well let your brain live a little too. Why should the body have all the fun?

Until next time,

Let’s connect…

The post One Crazy Solution for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

Are You One of the 4 Types of Speakers we Love?

RPjr — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 11:02:03 +0000

You’ve just been promoted to a management position and you will be transferred to a new location. The people on your new team are new to you and you are new to them. How can you possibly connect with this group?

This is the daily struggle for every leader. How can I connect with my team better? Leaders help groups move to new locations, but that will never happen if the leader has no connection with the audience.

As a speaker, if you can build a strong connection with the audience, you’ll have more leadership influence with the group.

The Key is Influence

John C. Maxwell has summarized leadership into one word… influence. Remember, influence has a noble purpose, not a self-serving purpose. The negative side of influence is called manipulation. It’s selfish and pure evil. We’re talking about the noble skill of leadership influence.

Influence is not about what the leader wants personally. It’s about what the team needs. Here are four methods Maxwell has presented as bridges we can all build to connect with others.

1. What you know

Do you remember the game show called “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” In that trivia game show, if you didn’t know the answer, you could use a life line and phone a friend. From the show, you could tell the host who you’d like to call for help on the question. Then, they would ring up your friend so you could ask the question.

When people need advice or guidance, they call upon people who have a knowledge they don’t. When speaking to a team you may have advanced training and knowledge or you may have received information from the executives and they want to know it. Either way, when you know information the team wants and needs, they will connect with you and seek your input or advice.

2. What you’ve done

Imagine if you were attending an industry conference and the breakout sessions were about to begin. There were 2 speakers speaking in different breakout rooms at the same time. You obviously can’t be in two places at once, so you’re being forced to pick just one. Choose wisely because you will never get to hear the other. Who will you pick?

The first speaker is a great speaker. Delivery is impeccable, great tone in the voice, little bit of humor, and uses the stage effectively. Not sure about the content she’s talking about, but she is guaranteed to have a great delivery.

The second speaker is not nearly as good on the stage. That’s a fact because he’s not a professional speaker. But,he’s just returned from being stranded on a desert island in the Pacific after a shipwreck. He was trapped on the island all alone for 7 weeks. He’s going to speak about his physical, mental and emotional struggles.

I’m guessing 9 out of 10 of you would rather hear the Robinson Crusoe speaker! Why? Because of what he’s done. When people have had struggle experiences we have not, we want to learn from them. It creates a connection.

This isn’t about bragging to others. It’s about recognizing if you have something of value you can share with others to help them move further down the road and avoid some of the issues you’ve had to endure.

3. What you can do

One of our instructors once had a student in class mention he could do a back flip. Seriously! From a standing position in the classroom, he said he could do a full back flip. What do you think the next comment was from another student? You guessed it. “Do it!”

But before he did, someone else asked, “How did you learn to do that?” The student told his back story of always challenging himself. He came up with the idea to learn a back flip and committed himself to doing it. He recruited a friend to come over and spot him and after many bruises and attempts, he did it! The moral? Find your next challenge, recruit help from others, and commit to overcoming it!

When others know we are capable, they may want to leverage our skill set in the future. If you are willing and able to help others with a skill you have, they will want to connect with you. Use your skills to help others, not so you can expect something in return. Do it because it aligns with your core value for serving others. Which leads us to the 4th method of connection…

4. How you’ve lived

This is all about your values. It’s so true that words are cheap. I’m sure we’ve all experienced the pain of hearing a friend say the right things and then act in a completely different or inappropriate manner. It’s the source of the expression, “Actions speak louder than words.”

People like Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Jesus… all lived lives of sacrifice. If we had the opportunity to have a conversation with an any of these people, we would want to listen! We appreciate strong core values, worthy of admiration, but even more than that… we appreciate someone who has lived out the values they preach.

Know your values and live in alignment with them. It sounds so simple. I’m willing to admit… I’m still working on doing just that.

A challenge for all of us… use the 3 steps from last week’s conversation tool and let’s combine it with living out our core values. Then, let’s start building stronger connections and relationships with the ones we serve and love.

Until next week…

Let’s connect…

The post Are You One of the 4 Types of Speakers we Love? first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

The Road Not Taken…

RPjr — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 11:03:52 +0000

He couldn’t wait any longer. It was time. It was time to make a decision and it had to be now. Putting it off would only add to his anxiety and restless sleep. Any decision is better than this torture living amongst the raging swells in a sea of indecision. It had to be now!

Have you been here before? I know I have. It’s a tough spot, but putting off your decision will only make it worse. A decision has to be made and you’re the only person who can make it… so choose!

Where I’ve Found Inspiration…

I don’t read a lot of poetry, but perhaps I should. This week I found myself engrossed in the depth and wisdom poets can offer. There’s something about poetry, how it takes simple words and adds a depth of humanity that seems to connect with something deep down inside. It’s more than just a deep thought or even strong feelings. It’s strange how it seems to touch your very soul at times.

If you’re contemplating a life decision about your career, your life, your studies, your world… my prayer is you can find some guidance and solace. The words of Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken has been a source of inspiration for me in the past. I hope his words can help you today.

You know the decision needs to be made. It’s time to decide.

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

See you next week,

Let’s connect…

The post The Road Not Taken… first appeared on Russ Peterson Jr..

3 Tools to Crystalize Your Message

RPjr — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 11:02:21 +0000

My student gave me one final comment as she was exiting my workshop. She said, “My biggest takeaway from today? Less is more. I won’t forget that.” She smiled and shook my hand as I thanked her for her participation and insights.

When you’re the speaker, you’re trying to achieve an objective when you speak. You’re trying to convey a message, teach a concept, or inspire new ideas. You have a goal for speaking and you won’t achieve that goal without the audience reaching theirs. To help them reach their goal, you need to be crystal clear in your communication, not muddied!

That means giving them less when you speak might actually be better!

Clear Communication is Built With Less

We need to avoid muddying the water when we speak. What do I mean by that? Don’t use too many words when fewer words will actually work better. Be succinct! One executive Kevin worked with said he wanted people presenting to him to “be prepared, be brief, and be gone.”

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler" 
- Albert Einstein

3 Tools for Practicing Brevity

Here are three tools to help you simplify for message. Do these exercises after you’ve constructed the full message to help you crystalize your key points into fewer words.

100 Word Summary

For some of us 100 words may feel like a painful request for hours of devotion on the word processor, but you might be surprised at just how short 100 words really is. For example, the average speaker speaks at about 125 words per minute. At that rate, you have 48 seconds to speak your 100-word summary. That isn’t much time!

Write out the summary of your entire presentation in approximately 100 words. If you can’t read it in less than 1 minute, it’s too long! This is a great summary to give to the audience at the start or the end of your message.

6 Word Summary

This sounds ridiculous on the surface, but summarizing your entire message in a brief phrase or sentence is powerful. We do this exercise in our Message Builder workshop. Students usually push back at first, but once we put them into the exercise, they see the power and simplicity of the tool. Here are a few examples of what our students have created in the past:

Alpha project, under budget, on time.

Don’t submit change orders after Friday.

Question the customer. Listen for flags.

1 Word Summary – The Prompt

If you thought summarizing your presentation in 6 words was ridiculous, I bet you love this one! What is the one word that could serve as a mental prompt for your entire message? What is one word that causes the floodgates of the audience’s mind to open wide and let the message rush in?

In 2001 I was working with a managed IT services company as a business development manager. I had a good year because I was privileged to work with an amazing sales team that year. We closed one of the largest deals for the company and one of the biggest I’ve ever closed in my life, even to this day. As a result, our entire sales team made President’s Club that year and we all won a trip to the prestigious sales conference.

At the President’s Club event our team was asked to sit on stage in front of an audience of hundreds to explain how we managed to close such a large deal. I let the rest of the sales team offer their insights first. They all did an amazing job pointing out the engineering hurdles we overcame, the legal negotiations, and the financial plan for asset depreciation. Like I said, they were a great team and I was proud to serve as their BDM (Business Development Manager) on this deal.

Then they handed the microphone to me and only one word came to mind. So I shared it. Momentum.

I explained how the more we worked together as a sales team overcoming hurdles, we became a stronger team. We accelerated and hit our stride. We became efficient and more productive over our 8 months together. I ended with this. “I guess that’s how I’d sum up the key to the entire win. I’d sum it up in one word… Momentum. Help your team find it’s momentum and nothing will stop you.”

As I exited the ballroom that evening the CEO of our organization was shaking everyone’s hand. He stopped me by holding our hand shake with a tight grip and a longer hold. With a genuine smile on his face, he looked me in the eye and said, “Momentum… I like that. Keep up the momentum next year.” It wasn’t something I had planned to say. It just came to me as I listened to every member of my team offer their insights on teamwork.

The lesson I learned that evening was one of simplicity. To connect with an audience and give them something of value, a one-word summary can be your ticket. You give them a one word prompt and their brains will unlock everything they learned and felt from your message.

If you want to have a greater impact on your audience, don’t weigh them down with more unnecessary words. Give them something to remember!

I’ll close with my 6 words…

I will see you next week!

Let’s connect…