How do you set limits on “Free”? I teach communication skills. I help entrepreneurs deal with leadership challenges. I find it hard to effectively manage the gap between free advice and paid consulting. “Would you listen to my speech?” or “Can we meet for a coffee, I have an important meeting coming up?” I find … Read more
I gave a short talk at the Axiom Groupe HR and Shared Service Centers Conference in Barcelona recently. They made a short interview video during the event. We talk about the IESE Business School, Leadership communication, persuasion and the process of turning potential into performance.
London Speaker Bureau has put it all together on a pretty page. From content to delivery, from startings to endings and from logos to ethos to pathos, its all here in this infographic.
The London Speaker Bureau represent and work with some of the most influential people in the world, from politicians and economists to thought leaders and entrepreneurs. Between them, they cover a vast range of topics, from management and finance to technology, education, innovation and the environment.
If you’ve ever wanted a beautiful infographic to guide your development as a persuasive speaker, this is the one.
I love this idea that I came across in an interview with Matthew Lieberman at Edge.org. He speaks of an old 1960’s idea called “Latitude of Acceptance”. He defines it better than I, so I’ll pretty much take his text verbatim: Matthew Lieberman on Latitudes of Acceptance “I’ll tell you about my new favorite idea, … Read more
There are 3 objections that must be overcome to get somebody to buy: 1. why buy anything 2. why buy from me 3. why buy now Why buy anything? The first objection is showing that not taking action is not a viable option. The problem must be made explicit and brought to the full attention … Read more
What is your painful problem to solve? Sales is not about describing your product, your process or your friends. It is about explaining to the buyer a problem that they have, and giving them a glimpse of a world where that problem has gone away. What would it feel like to live in a world … Read more
At the very simplest, a story is: A character Who wants something Overcomes obstacles to get it An epic story is A character Who wants something massive And is willing to risk everything to get it The real depth of any story is not whether the character achieves the goal but who they become as … Read more
Toastmasters is a wonderful organisation for anybody who wishes to improve their ability to speak with impact. However, there is something that has often challenged me with the “best” toastmaster speeches. They are very clearly the work of someone who has worked very, very, very hard on the words, gestures and voice that they use … Read more
Rory Sutherland tells some wonderful stories about the power of framing. If you want to be persuasive, you must get good at framing the argument. Good framing shifts the argument to a playing field where you can achieve your ends and the other can feel that they have gotten a good deal. Prices are not … Read more
I came across this paragraph in a blog post by sales professional Grant Cardone. “No one buys a $57,000 watch to tell time. People buy things to solve problems. The cost of the item isn’t what matters. Once the buyer is able to see the problem the product solves, their decision becomes much easier to … Read more