Voice Lessons Learned From the Presidential Campaign

•   Fellow citizens, we are seven weeks away from electing our new president! As a result, we are all hearing a lot more speeches and talks than we normally do. It's time to take a moment to reflect on how we, mere business and entrepreneurial mortals, can benefit from these public faux pas!

1. Don't compare yourself to any kind of unpleasant animals. Alway stick with the reliables: puppies, kittens and bunnies. Anything else and you risk upsetting more fringe groups than I can list here.

2. Resist the urge to be strong and definitive about everything. No one knows everything, and no one can relate to someone who says they are confident about how they can handle every situation.

3. Be transparent. Say what you mean, and make sure that the facts are there to back it up. Don't get caught trying to play to a small group when it doesn't meet your own beliefs and business practices.

4. Behave consistently. When you decide to talk publicly about your ideas, make sure you are consistent with that every time you speak. For example, if you say you believe workers deserve an annual pay raise, commit to that whenever the subject comes up. Don't try to change the facts later when the pay raise is not forthcoming; just say that you still believe in it, but you can't deliver due to circumstances. And then be clear what those circumstances are!

The people you do business with are listening to you. Take care that you know what you have said, and say what you believe. They are noticing!

Til next time,

Anna

DNC: Obama, Clinton, Clinton & Biden all give ‘pause’

Last week at the Democratic National Convention, the main speakers all made great use of 'the pause' during their speeches. They left time after a sentence for the audience to take in the meaning of their words.

This made them appear like accomplished, sophisticated leaders.

Taking a pause between your sentences will make you appear like an accomplished, sophisticated leader, too! Take this opportunity to choose a role model for your speeches and presentations. Remember to take pause: it's for the benefit of your audience, and they are the most important part of any speech you make.

Until next time,

Anna

Help! Vanna White is in my head!

Now that I have your attention!

Everyone has had the experience of being asked a question and then freezing because they are overwhelmed with the number of correct answers with which they could respond. I call this the “Wheel of Fortune” syndrome. The wheel is whirring through your brain, stopping at a number that consists of all the data you know which is connected to this question.

When you are hit with this overload, let Vanna out of your head and choose one of these two simple responses:

1. Give the first answer ONLY and follow up with that most welcome of questions, “Does that answer your question?”
2. Instead of doing a data dump on an innocent bystander, get more detail from them BEFORE you answer. Try, “I could go in several directions with my response, so let me find out more specifically what you need.”

I guarantee you that very few of your colleagues and associates are using these techniques, and you will look all the better for choosing them. You will appear knowledgeable and succinct. You will become a popular go-to person because of your smart, short answers. And your habit of digging for more information will enhance your reputation as a long-term, strategic thinker.

So let go of Vanna’s wheel, and allow the vowels and consonants of dialogue and communication become your bywords (have I carried this analogy too far?)!

Till next time,

Anna