Can you remember a time when you looked at the person you were speaking to and thought ‘they just don’t understand this at all’?

I’m sure you have. Everybody has. So, here’s a technique to help you make sure this doesn’t happen again…

To help people understand something new, liken it to something familiar to them, by using analogies. Here are two examples…

1. (First, the analogy) TV weather forecasts use visuals really well. There are minimal words on the weather map behind them, so they don’t compete with the weatherman/woman’s script. The map changes to reflect what they are saying. The message comes across clearly because of the combination of the visuals and the presenter

… (Second, make your point) It should be the same with PowerPoint – minimal words, use animations to clarify the messages, ensure your visuals and delivery complement each other

… (Third, your advice) So, next time you’re using PowerPoint, remember the weather forecast idea, and make sure your slides enhance your message

2. If you set off in the car, with no idea where you’re going, you’re unlikely to get somewhere good. Or, if you do, it won’t be via the most direct route – wasting time, petrol, and money

… Communication can be like that. Unless you know what the destination is – i.e. what you want people to do afterwards – it will waste time, resource, and money

… So, next time you’re running a meeting, start by outlining its purpose, and end by confirming what’s happening next

Action point

Think of a message you’re trying to get others to see, but they can’t/won’t. What analogy could you use to help? I should add here that I enjoy doing things like this (I know… a bit geek-y), so feel free to email me if you want to run something past me.

Other actions – if you have any PowerPoint presentations or meetings coming up, try the tips above…

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England’s Cricket Team is proudly sitting on our perch as the world’s leading Test Match side. A fantastic – and, when you consider where we were a few years ago, scarcely believable – feat.

There are hundreds of contributing factors, but one that jumped out at me was how people describe their roles.

For instance, Graham Gooch doesn’t describe himself as a ‘Batting Coach’ but as a ‘Run Making Coach’. Bowlers don’t say they’re ‘bowlers’ but that ‘my job is to take wickets/stop them scoring’ etc.

In other words, every one of them is focusing on the AFTERs they cause, not the work they do.

In fact, I’ve seen Mr Gooch correct interviewers who describe him as a Batting Coach. Because he knows he is absolutely, definitely, positively there to cause more runs. And, because he knows it, so does everyone he talks to.

When I want to pay less tax, I go to someone who sees their role as a Tax Reducer, not an Accountant.

When I want to grow my business, I go to a bank who talks about Business Growth, not their Business Development Loans.

When I want to score more runs, I would go to Graham Gooch (though, even he might struggle to help someone who’s blind in one eye).

How do you describe yourself to others? How do you describe yourself to yourself?

The more you focus on what you cause, the more others will too…

… making you feel more valuable to them, and yourself.

Action point

Script how you’d describe yourself in one sentence, focusing on what you cause… not mentioning your job title, your profession, your deliverables.

Ask others if they agree with it. Fine-tune it. Keep telling yourself you are this. The more you do, the more you’ll believe it…

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Many people sprinkle famous quotations throughout presentations. This can work well – after all, audiences often like them.

The problem is that, without appropriate context, they’re just interesting quotations. But, with context, quotations can help change behaviours, as long as you…

1.Set the scene
2.State the quotation and author
3.Say “This is relevant because…”
4.Say “Therefore, I suggest you…”

Here’s an example of what I mean…

1. I know you want to become a better communicator. But there’s so much advice out there, it’s hard to know which to follow. So, you need a way of deciding which advice will work for you and which won’t. Here’s something that will help…
2. Pete Goss, the record-breaking yachtsman, said that the only criterion his team used when evaluating advice was to ask “yes, but will it make the boat go faster?”
3. Assuming your equivalent of “will it make the boat go faster?” is “will this Tip help me improve my communication?”…

Action point

I suggest that, when a famous quotation will help re-inforce a key point, include it by following the four steps outlined above. This makes your point more interesting, memorable, engaging… and more likely to be acted on.

(If you’d like another example of how to use quotations in this way, re-read last week’s Tip about faster horses)

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There’s only one thing worse than being a delegate on a terrible workshop …

… and that’s presenting a workshop, where you know every delegate thinks it’s terrible.

When leading workshops, you want your delegates to be relaxed, engaged, contributing, interested, motivated, and so on.

And it’s your responsibility to help them be like this. To that end, your introduction will set the tone for what follows.

I find the following works really well …

• Welcome them, telling them my name (so they know who I am, and that I want them there)
• Explain the AFTERs of the workshop (so they know why they will be better off AFTER attending)
• Give them very brief insights into what we will be covering. They don’t need much detail here – it’s boring, and they’ll forget it anyway – so, I share just a few exciting-sounding topics here
• I then say that the workshop will only work if we cover the areas they’re most interested in. So, to ensure it does, I ask every delegate to answer four questions …

1. What’s their first name?
2. What’s their job role?
3. Are they pleased to be here today, or have they’ ‘been sent’?
4. What 1-2 things do they want to cover, to ensure the workshop gives them what they want?

I find these four questions work well because …

• The first two get them talking – they’re easy to answer
• The third tends to provoke amusement. After all, it’s quite hard to say ‘I’ve been sent’ in a grumpy voice without feeling they should follow it with something positive. It also starts to reduce any feelings of ‘I’ve heard all this stuff before … and I’ve got better things to do’
• The final question gives me their agenda, which I flipchart. I then point to the flipchart saying ‘So, if we achieve all this, will the workshop be a good use of your time?”. They say “yes”, and off we go.

Want a warm feeling at the end? Simply show them the flipcharted agenda again, and ask three questions …

1. Do you remember I said we’d cover all these points today? [they say “yes”]
2. And do you remember that you said that it would be a good use of your time if we did? [again, they will say “yes”]
3. Well have we covered them all? [when they say “yes”, in effect they are saying that today – and therefore you – have been a good use of their time]

Action point

Running a workshop soon? Script your start and end, so you secure early buy-in and a positive close.

Don’t deliver workshops? Why not forward this Tip to someone who does?

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What were you doing when you last had a great idea? Driving? Lying in bed? Playing sport? Something else?

Or, were you in a small meeting room with a few people, having an Ideas Generating Session?

I imagine the former.

This suggests that – when seeking to create an interesting, creative, inspiring communication – there are better ways to do it than sitting in a room, trying to come up with wonderful ideas. Instead …

1. Identify what you want your audience to do, and the main 2-3 messages they need to hear, to be persuaded to do it (this probably won’t take much creativity, so could work in a meeting room); but then …
2. Once you have clarity on this, do the activities during which you usually have your best ideas – driving, sleeping, showering, playing sport etc. This gives you the best chance of coming up with something creative and new.

Of course, remember to take a pen and paper with you (admittedly, this can be a challenge in the shower).

Action points

• Identify where and when it is you have your best ideas
• Whenever you need to come up with ideas, recreate this optimal idea-generating environment
• Improve your effectiveness at capturing those ideas by ensuring whenever you do that activity you have a pen and paper with you

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I have found that many people, when faced with a challenging communication, can only think of a maximum of two things they can do in response, neither of which seems satisfactory. This leaves them feeling disempowered, and incapable of resolving the situation.

For example, a number of my clients have recently had problems with some of their customers, due to circumstances caused in part by changes in their marketplace. My clients have struggled because, in the face of an onslaught from an irate customer, they have been panicking, thinking they only have two options – back down or fight. Neither appeal.

But, as I’ve said to them, if you can think of three options instead of two, you have 50% more choices. And, because – in my experience – people usually think in twos, thinking of a third option often has many benefits…

• They have more choice – three not two
• Because they have thought more deeply, the third is often – not always – the best
• Once they find the third, they often find the floodgates open to options 4, 5 and 6, giving them much more choice

So, when I asked one client for a third response to an irate customer, I found they took some time to come up with an answer, but then said something like “we could take a break from the meeting”.

When I prompted with “anything else?”, lots more options appeared –

• invite a colleague into the meeting;
• apologise;
• agree;
• disagree;
• arrange another meeting;
• this second meeting could be at our place, their place or a neutral venue, or on the phone;
• ask them to slow down so that you can take notes;
• say “sorry – can you repeat that?”;
• break their flow by saying “I am confused”, followed by silence. When they reply “Why?”, you regain control …
• and so on

When they thought they had two options – and both were rubbish – they felt there was nothing they could do.

Once they realised there were lots of options, it became easy to convince themselves that they could influence the situation.

And once they had convinced themselves, they had a much better chance of convincing their customer.

So, when you think that you have no options, assume that you have at least three. It’s just a question of finding them.

Action point

Think of an awkward situation you are currently facing. Identify three steps you could take, to resolve it.

Once you have three, try and identify a couple more. Choose the best option from the list.

If you can’t think of one and/or would like to bounce some ideas off me, drop me a line.

Good luck!

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This week’s Tip gives you access to my webinar ‘How to be interesting and effective’.

It incorporates some of the messages from my most popular Tuesday Tips, grouping them into a simple 4-step process to prepare interesting, effective communications.

Action point

To access the webinar ‘how to be interesting and effective’, click here

To access the other advice on our new website, click here

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How wonderful does this employee sound?

“Extensive experience… dynamic… innovative… motivated… team player… results-oriented… great interpersonal skills… entrepreneurial…”

Wonderful? Maybe.

Different? Not at all.

According to LinkedIn, these words are the most frequently (over) used by job hunters. And if you’re saying the same as everyone else, you just won’t stand out.

Similarly, how wonderful does this company sound?

“Market-leading… innovative… customer-focussed… we work in partnership with you… founded in 1922…”

Again, hardly persuasive. Both lists are unlikely to seal the deal. They’re just not different enough.

But, there is a bigger problem. Both lists focus on how great you are, not how great you will make your audience. And decision-makers will only decide in your favour when they know you will enhance their future in ways that others can’t.

When your focus is “what are my best selling points?”, you over-emphasise you. When you think “how can I bring maximum value?”, it’s much more compelling.

After all, when speaking to a buyer desperate to reduce costs, they are unlikely to reply to your persuasive cost reduction plans with “Yes, that’s all very well. But what year was your company founded?”

Action Point

Next time you want to secure a “Yes” from someone – whether it be to sell your idea, your product/service, your company or yourself – follow these two steps…

1. Find the audience’s desired future, for instance by asking such questions as “what do you want to achieve? How will you know you have done so?”; and
2. Prove you have the ability, desire and confidence to help them get this future, for instance by outlining how you have delivered similar outcomes before, in ways that are different and better than others

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Have you ever delivered a presentation and thought, “My audience isn’t engaged. They’re not responding. I’ve lost them.”

Never pleasant. And, when you realise you have 32 slides still to go, it’s even worse…

Research shows most audiences are similar in what they like/don’t when receiving communications. Most like interactivity, stories, clarity, quizzes, humour, brevity. Most dislike irrelevance, no variety, text-filled slides, waffle, repetition, unpractised delivery.

So, use this knowledge to make your communication more audience-friendly. When you finish preparing your content, highlight the areas they will find fun and interesting. If there are long periods with no highlights, insert audience-engaging activities in there…

… think of questions you can ask to make it interactive,
… include a story (personal or funny works well),
… show a different-looking slide – maybe a picture, graphic, cartoon,
… tell a joke

Do this and you’ll enjoy it more. And if you enjoy it more, they will too. And if that happens, your communication is more likely to work.

Action point

For your next communication, highlight where they’ll enjoy it (interactivity, stories, quizzes etc). If there’s not much highlighting, there’s not much audience enjoyment … so adapt your content.

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“Give me some Rules of Thumb with communication … rules that I can follow. Without thinking.”

So said one of my clients recently. I asked what areas he was most interested in.

“Well, when I am making a formal presentation, should I use PowerPoint or not?”

My reply: “I don’t know. It depends what the audience wants. Your best bet is to ask if they want you to use it or not.”

“Ok, but if I do use PowerPoint, should I send information in advance, or take everything with me on the day?”

“It depends. Ask your audience.”

“Should I start my presentation with background information, to set the scene?”

“It depends. Ask them if they want it.”

“Who should present the information? The best presenters on my team? The people actually doing the work?”

“It depends. Ask…”

My client interrupted me: “This is exasperating… I am looking for some Rules of Thumb”

I replied: “Can’t you hear the Rule of Thumb?… Ask”

The best way to ensure you give your audience what they want… is to ask them what they want. Contact them before the communication, and ask such questions as…

• What do you want me to cover?
• What do you want me not to cover?
• Have you any concerns, that you want me to address?
• Who else will see this communication? Is there anything I should include for their benefit?
• Would you prefer a formal PowerPoint, or a more informal discussion?

If you don’t ask, you don’t know. And that means you are guessing. This makes it less likely you’ll deliver a communication – and outcome – that you and your audience want.

Action point

Two actions this week…

1. For your next communication, ask your audience what they want from you. Use their answers to shape what and how you communicate.
2. Following my own advice, I’d like to ask you what you’d like me to cover in future Tuesday Tips. Please hit reply, and let me know.

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Two indisputable facts:

1. Audiences’ concentration drops during a presentation
2. Presenters usually put their key messages towards the end

In other words; presenters usually discuss their key messages when the audience is less likely to remember them.

And it’s not just presentations. People usually put key messages at the end…

• Case studies often start with background information (less interesting) and end with the results (interesting)
• Directors often explain the rationale behind their new vision (less interesting) first, before outlining the benefits the vision will bring (interesting)
• When selling, companies often describe their process (less interesting) first, ending by saying “it will save you £millions” (interesting)
• The top bullet points on slides are often the most boring (“Founded in 1922”, anyone?)

Action point

Flip your communication. Put your most critical, interesting and relevant messages first, not last. The rest of your communication should reinforce and justify these key messages.

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