Your 60-SECOND SEMINAR for May 18, 2012

Man in the Mirror

What’s your speaking style? Or, more accurately, what would you like your speaking style to be?

Few people are born to be great orators, with a powerful presence and persuasive words to match. Great speakers are created. When great political and religious leaders, actors, businessmen and others speak, we’re hearing the result of hours of experimentation and practice. Like most things, the ability to captivate an audience seldom comes naturally. It’s a learned skill.

The technique is called �mirroring’ or �patterning,’ and it works like this: When you watch a speaker you admire, tune out the words. Focus only on the vocal pacing and inflections, the facial expressions, and the gestures. Emulate them.

(This works best when you’re alone, by the way. A casual observer may think that you’ve lost your mind!)

Patterning works, but works slowly. Do it often enough – even in your mind – and you’ll fall into character and become adept at this bit of mimicry. The fun part is next: Pattern on several different models, not just one. After all, you don’t want anyone to say, “He’s trying to sound like…”. What emerges is a hybrid of the styles you’ve patterned, and that – with some modifications of your own – becomes your own distinctive speaking style.

Executive Presentation Training, from Willard Leadership Training.

Sharks versus Dolphins

We’ve been told that �nice’ has no place in business.
“Swim with the sharks,” we�re told, “or prepare to be
somebody’s lunch.”

It may be comforting to think of yourself as a shark,
but any good salesman will tell you that people do
business with people they like. You can be tough and
still be likable. It isn’t a matter of vicious
sharks versus friendly dolphins. Business is a bit
more complicated than a Disney cartoon.

Journalists, for example, are less likely to
embarrass you in print if they find you likable.
People don’t �burn’ what they see as good
relationships without a solid reason to do so.
Winning journalists over takes more than being
forthright and helpful – as important as that is. It
begins long before the first interview, by reading
the stories written by journalists who cover your
industry, and by praising when praise is due.

Many publications today include their journalists’
email addresses. When you read a particularly good
piece (especially one that does not mention your
company), fire off a quick email: “Olga: Really
enjoyed your piece on prospects for the cement
industry. Good research and very interesting.
Thanks.”

Journalists don’t get many notes like that. It – and
you – will be remembered.

Sharks kill instinctively. Dolphins are smart. Which
would you rather swim with?

- Corporate Media Training, from Willard Leadership
Training.

Willard L


Apr 25, 2012 4:33am

Your 60-SECOND SEMINAR for April 20, 2012

Close a Door – Open a Window!

Nothing does more harm to your company’s reputation than those two dreadful little words, “No comment.” To the public, you’re really saying, “We’re hiding something.”

Here’s a more acceptable way to defer comment on a sensitive issue:
“Mr. Jones, will your company bid on the stadium construction contract?”

“I cannot speculate about what we may or may not do in the future. What I can tell you is that our company is actively looking for significant new projects, like our work on the magnificent new Hotel X in Kharkiv. Have you had a chance to see it?”

When you cannot answer a journalist’s question (and there are many perfectly proper reasons why you may not be able to do so), you’re essentially “closing a door” on the topic. Nobody likes being shut out, so it’s best to immediately offer an alternative - an interesting and newsworthy issue that you CAN talk about.

That’s why we say, “When you close a door, open a window.” Instead of a �no comment’ that ends an interview on a negative note, offer the journalist something else they’ll find useful.

- Corporate Media Seminar from
- Willard Leadership Training.

Have a good weekend, Friends!:-)


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