Tag Archives: 5 minute success blueprint

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I Write…

fear11We’ve talked at length about the importance of creating content that people can easily share and make use of. But what does that entail? What makes content worthwhile? Well… the secret is to know how to spread your content and make it noticeable. For example, a great title makes content useful. So do the right images and the trust level you have with readers. Have you wasted their time too often? Where are you sharing your content initially? Wait… why don’t we run through the list together?

Titles Matter More Than You Think!

Your title needs to be both engaging and relevant. Maybe that means making it something that hooks people from the start. But do keep in mind that there’s nothing more disappointing than being hooked by a title, only to be let down by the rest of an article. Don’t lie… but do grab.

The Right Time, The Right Place… The Right Look

There’s a science to including effective, attention-grabbing images in your blog posts to get more engagement. Did you know that if you mix text into the graphic, people are more likely to look at your image? This explains why infographics are so popular and bring such great rewards.

It’s Not You… It’s Me… I Don’t Trust Your Content

As a content sharing company, you have a hard life to lead. Did you know that you need to come off as credible and trustworthy source of information to your audience? Your readers will engage with content that seems genuine, speaks to them, and reflects your brand. You can do that by citing trustworthy sources, helping readers feel like you understand them well, or even by challenging industry norms with more enlightening ideas. Remember the old sales mantra: To sell is to help. The more you help, the more successful you will be!

Don’t Let Me Down

There’s nothing better than being able to share content with others—but finding that content is getting harder and harder. I hate to share things with my followers that are dull, misleading or boring. This should factor into the design of your content. Try to avoid putting anything together that will bore, mislead or make people regret sharing your content. You have to make sure you are not letting your audience down.

Sharing Is Loving

My advice would be to do a little research. Your goal is to find out which social channels can give you access to your designated audience. If you know that your audience hangs out on Reddit, you should most definitely share it there. Don’t be shy. Start sharing where your audience is caring.

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I Speak…

sleepMany studies have suggested that repetition can have a positive effect on someone’s agreement with an argument. It may be important for you to learn the art of repetition—because like any skill it can be done right, but it can also be done wrong. If you are going to repeat yourself to make your point, you have to learn how to pose your repetition to create an impact. Let’s see how you can make it work…

Change the Way You Say It!

Although repetition can be successful as a persuasion strategy, subtlety can be as important as the frequency and intensity of the message. Rather than repeating the same words and phrasing throughout the course of an argument, finding more than one way to make the same argument repeatedly can be a more effective approach. The reader or listener is likely to respond more positively to the same argument stated several ways rather than having the same message shoved down his throat over and over.

How Often Do You Do It?

The use of repetition in a persuasive argument can be effective if the argument is constructed in such a way that the repetition is spread out over a period of time. The use of repetition over the long course of an argument, written or spoken, creates a greater familiarity with the message and leads to gradual agreement if the intensity of repetition is gradual itself. Too much repetition in a short span of time or space can actually defeat the very purpose of gradual acceptance by creating a stronger aversion to the argument. All repetition should be carefully spaced at equal or similar intervals throughout the argument.

How Much Do You Do It?

In speeches or other spoken arguments that are highly emotional in nature, frequent repetition of key emotionally charged phrases can be effective. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech” often is cited as one of the primary examples of the success of such repetition. However, it may be effective in messages of this nature only because of the already emotional nature of the issue. Such techniques in sales and marketing may have the opposite effect — turning off the consumer — if not approached carefully.

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I Teach…

fear11As a follow up article to last week’s discussion about the importance of communication, I’d like mention a few more thoughts. These are proven techniques to increase your communication skills. If you are having trouble connecting with your coaching clients, or having trouble making them understand what you are saying, you may want to give these tips a chance. As a great communicator, it’s important for you to be able to listen and show your client how much you value what they are telling you. It’s important to maintain eye contact. It’s also important for them to feel comfortable with you. Let’s work through the list.

Share, Express and Love

Instead of jumping right in to your meeting, why don’t you try to express your thanks for the other individual’s time? Time is an extremely precious resource, and it important to be respectful and considerate of that. Also, complement or recognize any positive contribution they are making. Appreciation and praise can go a long way towards building good rapport.

Connect and Appeal

Connect on a personal level if possible. Look for places where interests overlap. Even in a professional situation, there may be some personal interests in common: hobbies, sports, children, music, career choices. Take care to avoid controversial topics like politics or religious beliefs. A real sense of connection makes a difference in the tone and outcome of the current conversation and most likely future communications, as well.

Be Exuberant… Be Positive

Maintaining a positive attitude is crucial to productive communications. Be constructive rather than negative or complaining. People shut down, effectively ending any real communication when they feel attacked or criticized. Be encouraging and kind, even when expressing concerns or displeasure.

Just Focus

It’s important to figure out what result you are after before you start any kind of dialogue. Knowing your objective helps you to direct the conversation and to remain on point. What are you hoping to accomplish? Are you trying to give help, resolve a conflict, or collaborate on a project or issue? Are you seeking advice or trying to influence behavior? Your desired outcome helps to determine the flow of communication.

Don’t Talk All the Time… Listen All the Time

Eye contact is crucial when you are meeting someone face-to-face. Try to be polite and, whatever you do, don’t interrupt. No one likes being interrupted, and though it’s natural to want to rush in to make your point, it’s very disrespectful of the other person’s thoughts. Try to understand the other person’s perspective. Maintain an open mind.

Do They Understand?

Try to confirm that you have a mutual understanding of what’s being communicated. We often think that we’ve reached a resolution and come to an understanding, only to find out that we have completely misunderstood the other person’s thoughts. Ask for input and feedback. This not only confirms that you have successfully communicated, it also makes the other person feel that they have been heard and understood.

Always try to end your communication in a friendly manner. Remember to reiterate your thanks and try to leave the other individual feeling understood and valued. Productive communication involves respect, consideration, awareness, and clarity. It is possible to be both direct and kind and still get the results you want.

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I Speak…

coachGetting to actually know your audience is a crucial part of giving a presentation. This blog article is all about actually knowing the audience you are going to talk to. Sincerity is one of your biggest selling tools. Being sincere will go a long way towards warming your audience to your presentation. But how can you be sincere if you don’t know your audience? Why don’t we find out?

Ask, Ask and Ask Again

The more you know about your audience, the better your presentation will be. A good public speaker will ask questions. Before you even get on the stage, you should meet with your demographic and find out about them. What would you like to know? How would you like to hear it? What would be crucial to you? Then you need to actually research the presentation area itself. How big is the room? How is it laid out? You need intel, and that should be your first priority. Know, ask and find out everything you can before you set up a presentation.

Let’s Get Personal, Personal!

If you can, you should try meeting your audience before the presentation. Who put the event together? Who is the boss? Who is the chairman? Find out and befriend these people. Once you have these people on side, the others will be a piece of cake. If you can connect with the decision makers, they will give you legitimacy and will help you create a relationship with the group as a whole.

Engage!

From the start, you should be looking to engage with your audience. Some audiences might enjoy plays on words, topical humor, political nuances, even raunchiness. A series of great questions may be the way to engage your audience. You need to be ready to actually get your hands dirty and engage with those people waiting to hear you talk.

Know, Know, Know Your Audience and What They Know

You are the expert on your subject. But how much does your audience know? This is a critical question that can make or break a presentation. No matter how slick and together you are, if you talk over everyone’s head, they’ll be baffled, not enthralled. On the other hand, if the audience is up to speed, they may find that your presentation is less than engaging.

Say “NO” to Being a Diva

No one likes a selfish speaker, and nothing derails a good presentation faster than a presenter who is more interested in presenting themselves than their subject. You must be authoritative and confident when you step in front of a group of peers, but you must never be cocky or over-confident. Focus on the material, not yourself, and you’ll go far!

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I Speak…

writingA huge part of public speaking is knowing about your audience, and knowing how you are going to approach that audience. This week’s public speaking article is all about your relationship with your audience. How do you capture their interest, and how do you know what their interest is? How do you turn a mundane subject into something people will want to listen to? Well, buckle up, and let’s take a look at some of the steps!

Research and Understand Your Audience

When you are in front of a business audience, it is important to know their background. Are they colleagues, middle managers or trainees? Finding out about their business experience and their companies will be very important. Armed with this information, you can make a passing reference to their company’s history or profile, which they can relate to. You can tie your information to the subject that matters to them.

Go Beyond Your Words…

You are communicating a message or information, or entertaining. Or it may be a combination of all three. The words you are using are merely a vehicle for conveying your ideas. They are not sufficient on their own. You must feel what you are saying.

Don’t JUST Read Your Speech

There are several reasons why this could be disastrous. If you just stand in front of the audience and read, you will be in danger of boring your listeners. Remember that really dull college professor who droned on for hours on end? That would be you. The more you read, the more you will chance mumbling and failing to make eye contact. Improvise, and feel your way towards a great speech.

Practice, Practice, Practice

You need to get really familiar with the contents of your speech. If you lack confidence, the best way to do this is to try and memorize the main points, and you can use a list of notes for this. You have to go over and over it again, timing yourself so that you do not go over the time allocated. If you prefer, you can also use cards with the main points on them, just in case you forget. A good idea is to number the cards, just in case you drop them! Give it a try—it’ll work like a charm.

Become Personal

No, don’t take this the wrong way. Nobody wants to hear the ins and outs of your divorce. But people still love stories. An anecdote or two can work wonders. Tell them about your personal involvement in a project and what went right or wrong. Jokes are great, too, although these should be kept to a minimum. All these things are important for bonding with your audience.

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I Speak…

coachOne of the biggest problems with writing a speech is knowing where to begin. There are many people out there who would happily write your speech for you—but for those public speakers who really want to hit their audience and hold their sway, there has to be a level of self-knowledge. You need to know how to open your speech—how will your audience react to what you have to say? How does your personality grab your audience? Are you patriotic? Are you revolutionary? What does the world think about you and what you have to say? Take a look at these speech openers, and see if you can see yourself starting with some of these…

Thank You Very Much

Some of the best speakers start by thanking the audience for coming and thanking the organization for inviting you to speak. Refer to the person who introduced you or to one or more of the senior people in the organization in the audience. This compliments them, makes the feel proud and happy about your presence, and connects you into the audience like an electrical plug in a socket. As someone once told me—manners are more important in business than degrees.

Think Positive, Start Positive, Be Positive

You can begin by telling the audience members how much they will like and enjoy what you have to say. Explain how positive you feel the audience is towards you, and that you are excited to get to know the people in front of you. Keep a level of positivity and people will engage with you.

Compliment the Audience

You can begin by complimenting the audience members sincerely and with great respect. Smile as if you are really glad to see them, as if they are all old friends of yours that you have not seen for quite a while. How about telling them that it is a great honor for you to be here, that they are some of the most important people in this business or industry, and that you are looking forward to sharing some key ideas with them.

The Audacity of Hope

Remember, the ultimate purpose of speaking is to inspire people to do things that they would not have done in the absence of your comments. Everything you say should relate to the actions you want people to take and the reasons that they should take those actions.

Question Time…

You can open by making a positive statement and then asking a question requiring a show of hands. How about starting with one crucial question that everyone in the room will have an answer to: “Who here wants to be a billionaire?”

Refer to a Recent Conversation

Some of the greatest public speakers start by telling a story. Some of the most effective stories are recent conversations. “I was talking to Bill the other day—we were discussing this event, and he told me that the people in Louisiana are some of the best people you could ever hope to meet. I have been here for a few hours, my first visit to the great state of Louisiana, and I have to say that Bill was completely correct. This is the best event in the country, bar none.” See? Complimenting, telling a story and engaging will have them listening from the get-go.

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I Write…

once uponLast week, we talked about the positives behind self-publishing. This week, I’d like for us to talk about whether you are actually ready to publish. Knowing if you are ready to publish is half the battle—so take a look a look at this list and see if there are any reasons here for you not to publish your book. You should be absolutely certain you are ready to publish before you bite the bullet…

Writing for the Wrong Reason—Do Not Fall Into This Trap

The most common wrong reason to write a book is to make a lot of money. In many cases, you will be letting yourself in for a huge disappointment. You should try to write a book for good reasons—reasons like having something to say, something you want to express or something you’d like to share.

You Didn’t Use an Editor

Many writers believe that they’ve caught every mistake in their book. They’re wrong. Time after time, a fresh set of eyes has found typos in a book once thought clean. Don’t fall into the trap of trusting your eyes—find another set of professional eyes before you publish.

Design Your Own Cover?

The cover is one of the most important marketing pieces for your book, so hiring a great designer is money well invested. The beauty pageant that is Amazon web pages displays fifteen to twenty covers at a time. With a graphic the size of a postage stamp, you need to entice people to click. Are you ready for the competition?

Too Few Plans?

There are at least three plans to getting your book published: Plan A is to find a traditional publisher; Plan B is to self-publish; and Plan C is to implement Plan B in order to attract a traditional publisher and reinstate Plan A. There is no right and wrong. There is only what works for you and what doesn’t, so be flexible. Don’t undersell yourself and go to work without a plan.

Did You Build Your Marketing Platform?

Self-publishing is not a serial process where you can write a book and then worry about marketing it later. You need to start building a marketing platform as soon as you start writing because the process takes a year. Get in on your marketing early!

Did You Use Microsoft Word?

There are cheaper and more elegant word processors, but nothing has the paragraph styles capability of Word nor the universal acceptance from the reviewers. If you’re writing a book—write it in Word.

Don’t Just Sell the E-Book

People live believing that E-books are taking over the book market, and that dream is partially true—but you should never discount the paper book. Yes, it’s going to sell slower, but it will be picked up by certain readers; and if you’ve written a non-fiction book, the paperback will, more than likely, outsell the E-book version.

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I Write…

once uponWriters are always asking other writers about ways to make their own books better. It’s easy to give advice—but sometimes it’s even better to point a writer in the direction of a great teacher. In my quest to help authors around the world, I have compiled a list of books that will help you become a better writer. These books have proved crucial to authors the world over—and, if you don’t know them already, they will more than likely prove to be crucial aids on your journey towards success as a writer.

Donald Maas

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook

First published in 2004, this is the book that gives backbone to Mr. Maas’s famous Writing the Breakout Novel training modules. Its three sections cover a wide range of topics under the section headings Character Development, Plot Development and General Story Techniques. This workbook should definitely be in your library, especially if commercial success is something you are hoping to achieve.

Diane Ackerman

A Natural History of the Senses

First published in 1991, this book is a grand tour of the realm of the senses. In it she describes the evolution of the kiss, the cuisine of eighteenth century England, and a lot more. Structured into chapters for each sense, this unusual and thought provoking book is a treasure trove for those who are interested in helping readers see what they see and feel what a character feels.

Sol Stein

Solutions for Writers

First published in 2005, this is the essential guidebook on how to write for today. Broken up into sections and covering both fiction and non-fiction, it contains a huge amount of practical advice on issues from the writer’s job, to the Keys to Swift Characterization, to adding Resonance.

Drew Yanno

The 3rd Act

This is a book that has helped many writers over the years. It’s mainly aimed at script writers and features lots of references to many of the best movies of all time. But I don’t think that makes it any less relevant to fiction writers. Plus, there are so few books about how to construct a good ending, this one deserves a place on your shelf just for that reason alone.

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I Speak…

sleepAre you failing to keep your audience interested when you speak? Are you scratching your head and wondering why you are losing them halfway through? These are my tips to help you keep your audience engaged, interested and interactive.

Don’t Become Boring

This is crucial. The most effective way of keeping your audience’s attention is not to go on for too long. Some of the worst experiences speakers have related derived from their staying on stage too long and having their audiences leave before the end. Don’t fall into this trap—your family might like you to talk through dinner—but paying audiences don’t.

What Is Your Audience Looking For?

You may think this is pretty obvious and that you’d never make this mistake. But I see many otherwise intelligent people talk about what they’re interested in rather than what the audience is interested in.

If you’re speaking at a conference, people come to your session because of the synopsis – that’s what they’re interested in. Don’t change it just because it suits you. Many years ago, I saw one the most successful professional speakers make this same mistake. His session was advertised as being about mail marketing. But he had become interesting in the art of telesales. When he asked how many people in the audience had any interest in the subject, about five people out of three hundred put their hands up. You’d think he’d take the hint, but he continued to keep telling us all about the fine art of telesales. Don’t make the same mistake—keep to what the audience wants.

Start with a Reason to Listen

Before each of the presentations skills courses we run, you may want to ask each attendee to fill in an online questionnaire. The most critical question is to ask them if they are interested in the subject you are going to talk about.

If your audience doesn’t have an obvious reason to be interested, tell them why they should bother listening to you talking about this subject. This can be very challenging. I’ve had email discussions with a number of readers who present on topics such as health and safety issues or environmental regulations. The audience has to be there, but they have no intrinsic interest in the topic. The solution is to tell them why they should care. And if you can’t find a reason why they should listen – don’t give the presentation.

Make Change—Make Happy

We notice change. You notice the hum of the drier when it comes on and when it goes off – but not in between. You can use this natural human propensity to retrieve your audience’s attention. Don’t be afraid to change the pace of your presentation, bring video into the conversation or stimulate your audience with a question or two.

Tell Stories

Every presentation expert extolls the power of stories, from Dr. Robert H. Schuller to Steve Harrison. There’s evidence that people are hard-wired to listen to stories. The moment a story starts, your audience will perk up. Your stories should, of course, reinforce the point you’re making. Take a look at your presentation from the point of view of stories. Are they spread throughout your presentation – or bunched together? Spread them out for best effect.

Take a Break

Build in frequent breaks, but if you see people starting to flag in their attention, suggest a quick break for 1-2 minutes where people can refresh their drinks and have a walk around. Moving is the most effective way of reviving people at risk of dozing off. Seriously. You will have them back in better shape than they were before they left.

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The Coach Series: Seven Signs of a Great Life Coach: Part 1

coachKnowledge and Know-how

Look for a coach who has experience and who has been working within the industry that you want to be part of, or achieving the results you desire. Ask yourself if he has worked with anyone like you and helped them succeed. Make sure that the coach has the right skillset to help you achieve your goals. Don’t assume that a successful businessman makes a great coach. Your coach should have a proven track record working within the industry, but should also have a track record of being able to help others.

Communicate

The coach should have an open-door policy. The coach should be accessible. You should be able to ask questions via email and get responses that are not only timely but also detailed enough to answer your questions. Emails should be returned within a business day.

Interact

How does the coach interact with her/his clients? Is this person accessible to each client? Is this coach positive and a great role model and mentor? How does this coach motivate his/her clients? Make sure you ask for referrals and ask their current clients how the coach interacts with them. Some coaches are hands off – sends tasks to do and then they are done. Some are extremely involved with their clients on a daily basis. You may lean more towards one of those options. It’s important that you get the right match for your skills.

Goal Setting

Make sure your coach asks you what your goals are and what you want to accomplish, both short- and long-term. The coach should be able to set up a day-to-day plan for you, but also be able to see the big picture, set up a macro-plan and be able to explain to you why the exercises and challenges are structured like they are to help you achieve your goals.

Feedback

Ask the coach how they will provide feedback to you on your exercises and challenges you are working toward. Progress is the name of the game. For example, if an athlete does not feel they’re making progress, they should be able to ask the coach for feedback on how to change things up. Also, the coach should be able to provide feedback on your progress, and tell you how to adapt things for your particular circumstances. They should also be able to give you specific feedback such as how to improve your skills, for example. Some ways that a coach can provide feedback is in person, via Skype, via email, or via social mediums like Twitter and Facebook.

Honesty

This is a tricky one, but one that I find is absolutely vital to success. It’s also one of the harder issues to address between coach and client. When looking for a coach, spend some time asking this coach how they can explain to you how realistic your goals are and what you need to do to improve. Honesty sometimes hurts, but it is critical to improvement and setting realistic goals.

Balance

A good coach understands life. They realize that down time is a must for most people and it is absolutely critical to maintain balance with work, family, social life and business. Find a coach that emulates this in their life and leads a similar lifestyle to yours. If you are a full-time working parent with four kids, hiring someone who has similar life experiences or works with clients like you will help in their understanding of the schedule you need. A good coach will help you sort through these life-business balance issues daily.

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