February 2007 |
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When Trying to Persuade Your Audience, Try Using the Tools of the
Ancient Greeks. |
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Joey Asher
President's
Perspective |
When
trying to sell a complicated idea, most business people
open up PowerPoint and start creating slides and
charts.
I ask
myself “What would Aristotle do?”
That’s
what I did recently when I worked with Chris, a
consultant who had invented a 17-step process for
dramatically shortening the amount of time it takes to
get a pair of socks from the factory in China to the
store shelf at a Wal-Mart or Bloomingdales. This
speech was to a convention of retailers hungry to save
money by streamlining the logistical supply chain.
Chris wanted to persuade them about the value of his
method.
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Amusing Analogies from High School Students. |
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"He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree."
That is just one of
the finalists from a contest to find the most amusing analogies and
metaphors from the nation's high school students.
In the
contest, English teachers from across the country
submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in
high school essays. These excerpts are published each year for
the amusement of teachers across the country.
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If You Want to Sell Ideas During Meetings, Speak with Intensity Used
With Close Friends. |
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We love that FedEx
ad where the team leader asks for ideas to cut costs. One meeting
participant suggests using FedEx. But he speaks with no conviction
in his face or voice and no one pays attention.
When the team
leader says the exact same thing with lots of conviction in his
voice and face, everyone raves.
To see the ad click here.
Such scenes happen
over and over again in business. People with great ideas get no
credit because they don’t speak with passion about their ideas.
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Communication Lesson From Microsoft CEO: Don't Be Defensive
With Tough Questions. |
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When Microsoft CEO
Steve Ballmer laughed and scoffed at the iPhone in a recent
televised interview, many felt that he came off as defensive.
To see the interview click here.
At Speechworks we
have to agree. However, we also felt that he recovered well by
focusing on the value of his products.
If you watch the
interview, Ballmer violated a key rule of handling a tough question;
he mocked his competition.
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Public Speaking Tip from Yoda. |
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“Named
must your fear be, before banish it you can.”
Those
are the wise words of Yoda, the Star Wars Jedi.
At Speechworks we understand that many people’s
greatest fear is public speaking. We give you the tools to banish
that fear.
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