We increasingly encounter the people and cultures of other nations, both in business and elsewhere, and we need to understand how and why clashes will occur. In my training programmes on cross cultural communication (www.pkpcommunicators.com) I help people to identify why and how people from other cultures behave differently. Here are 10 of the most common flashpoints.
1. When you notice a 'violation' of any rules or norms, you tend to think it's the ignorance of others, for example, when 'foreigners' jump the queue.
2. If these violations persist, you suspect people are being deliberately rude and in some cases downright dishonest. You expect them to learn and conform after being corrected once.
3. You are more likely to accept that they have a different set of rules after you have been abroad and justified your own departure from their 'norms' by saying, "Doesn't matter. I'm a foreigner/visitor."
4. The more similar two cultures are, the greater the shock when discrepancies surface, especially if you share a common language. You expect them to be 'just like us'.
5. Cultural friction is aggravated by communication breakdowns. People who do not understand what you are saying will often look blank. While their intention is to avoid the problem of language, that blank look (and avoiding eye contact) may cause you to consider them stupid.
6. When there is a cultural clash, people tend to give up easily rather than fight for principles, partly because it is difficult to explain, and it sounds weak to say, "Where I come from, we believe in ..."
7. Groups look for external referees and arbitrators when they are unable to communicate with each other. They want more than translators. They want someone to confirm that their way is right.
8. People who communicate effectively usually get their own way! Two factors matter most: one is command of the other's language, and the other is a smiling, patient approach that includes listening carefully to what the other person is saying.
9. People become embarrassed when they have to communicate in 'new' ways (remember trying to speak a foreign language at school?) They limit what they want to say to their available vocabulary, and rehearse their words before speaking.
10. When abroad, there is a common tendency to seek the company of compatriots, as a welcome relief from coping with the foreign language and customs. This not only gets in the way of understanding the local scene, it actually reinforces entrenched prejudices.
Friday 10 December 2010
Monday 29 November 2010
!5 Top Tips for Public Speaking
It seems to me that the main reason why people get anxious about speaking in public is that they are not sure what is expected of them. Here are 15 tips to help dispel that anxiety by making sure you are well prepared.
These tips will help you feel confident that you know your stuff, and also that you know why and how it will be relevant to your audience.
Tip 1: Imagine you are speaking just to me and answer this question: What do you want me to know?
Tip 2: Why should I care about what you want me to know?
Tip 3: Why do I need to hear it from YOU? What's your special connection with the message?
Tip 4: Would you pay to hear YOU speak?
Tip 5: Record your voice and ask yourself and some close friends if your voice is attractive.
Tip 6: What's your reason for speaking? Money? Influence? Ego? Passion? Just be clear about it.
Tip 7: When you have credible answers to tips 1-6, write your Core Message (the 'carry away') in a single sentence.
Tip 8: Develop your message in 3 streams of argument or thought, e.g. Problem / Consequence / Solution.
Tip 9: Decide on your call to action. What do you want people to do when you have finished speaking?
Tip 10: Create an opening 'Hook' -- something unexpected or dramatic that grabs attention right at the start.
Tip 11: Write out and learn your opening and closing paragraphs. Just use prompts for the rest, to sound more natural.
Tip 12: Decide on the 'point of arrival' or climax of your speech or presentation and build up the energy to that point.
Tip 13: Practise in front of a mirror or camcorder. Watch your gestures and body language.
Tip 14: When you are confident of your text, answer (aloud) the questions in Tips 1-3.
Tip 15: Unless you are in a speech contest, don't try to give a world class performance. Just be sincere and passionate.
For more detailed help, go to www.pkpcommunicators.com or call 0845 165 9240 (local rates).
Phillip
These tips will help you feel confident that you know your stuff, and also that you know why and how it will be relevant to your audience.
Tip 1: Imagine you are speaking just to me and answer this question: What do you want me to know?
Tip 2: Why should I care about what you want me to know?
Tip 3: Why do I need to hear it from YOU? What's your special connection with the message?
Tip 4: Would you pay to hear YOU speak?
Tip 5: Record your voice and ask yourself and some close friends if your voice is attractive.
Tip 6: What's your reason for speaking? Money? Influence? Ego? Passion? Just be clear about it.
Tip 7: When you have credible answers to tips 1-6, write your Core Message (the 'carry away') in a single sentence.
Tip 8: Develop your message in 3 streams of argument or thought, e.g. Problem / Consequence / Solution.
Tip 9: Decide on your call to action. What do you want people to do when you have finished speaking?
Tip 10: Create an opening 'Hook' -- something unexpected or dramatic that grabs attention right at the start.
Tip 11: Write out and learn your opening and closing paragraphs. Just use prompts for the rest, to sound more natural.
Tip 12: Decide on the 'point of arrival' or climax of your speech or presentation and build up the energy to that point.
Tip 13: Practise in front of a mirror or camcorder. Watch your gestures and body language.
Tip 14: When you are confident of your text, answer (aloud) the questions in Tips 1-3.
Tip 15: Unless you are in a speech contest, don't try to give a world class performance. Just be sincere and passionate.
For more detailed help, go to www.pkpcommunicators.com or call 0845 165 9240 (local rates).
Phillip
Wednesday 24 November 2010
When you are chasing payment
In the twilight zone of credit control, there has always been some ambivalence in the attitude taken by companies towards their customers. On the one hand, they cannot afford to alienate customers, and on the other hand they cannot afford bad debts. This uncertainty is revealed in the stock phrases that commonly occur in letters chasing payment:
• We thank you for your valued custom
• Failure to settle your account could result in suspension of service
• Your account is delinquent
• If you have paid within the past 7 days please ignore this letter and we apologise for troubling you
One reason for the strangulated language is that these letters have almost never been written by a copywriter. They were drafted by someone in credit control whose focus is debt recovery not customer relations, and they cannot usually see the connection.
Copywriters have a persuasive reflex. Their task is to get you to like their clients' companies and their offerings. They want to win you over, create that warm glow, develop the relationship.
Credit control people are focused on the figures. "You owe us money, we are not your bankers, you are holding things up" is what they really want to say. Such an attitude is in conflict with the concept of customer relations.
When I was Senior Copywriter at Reader's Digest, London, I volunteered to re-write the entire portfolio of credit control letters. As my main job was to write the music mailings and prize draws, my reflex was already pro-customer. I was therefore able to make both sets of letters congruent. Payment reminders started with the same tone of voice as the sales letters, and that made all the difference.
If you want someone's business, why would you ever use terms like "delinquent"? Why would you threaten to suspend service (e.g. mobile phones) and remind them that you hold the power to affect their business? It changes the flavour of the relationship, probably forever.
So my advice to all credit control departments is to integrate their communications with the marketing efforts. And employ a copywriter.
Phillip
• We thank you for your valued custom
• Failure to settle your account could result in suspension of service
• Your account is delinquent
• If you have paid within the past 7 days please ignore this letter and we apologise for troubling you
One reason for the strangulated language is that these letters have almost never been written by a copywriter. They were drafted by someone in credit control whose focus is debt recovery not customer relations, and they cannot usually see the connection.
Copywriters have a persuasive reflex. Their task is to get you to like their clients' companies and their offerings. They want to win you over, create that warm glow, develop the relationship.
Credit control people are focused on the figures. "You owe us money, we are not your bankers, you are holding things up" is what they really want to say. Such an attitude is in conflict with the concept of customer relations.
When I was Senior Copywriter at Reader's Digest, London, I volunteered to re-write the entire portfolio of credit control letters. As my main job was to write the music mailings and prize draws, my reflex was already pro-customer. I was therefore able to make both sets of letters congruent. Payment reminders started with the same tone of voice as the sales letters, and that made all the difference.
If you want someone's business, why would you ever use terms like "delinquent"? Why would you threaten to suspend service (e.g. mobile phones) and remind them that you hold the power to affect their business? It changes the flavour of the relationship, probably forever.
So my advice to all credit control departments is to integrate their communications with the marketing efforts. And employ a copywriter.
Phillip
Friday 12 November 2010
Get more from those networking meetings
If you are reading this, you have indicated an interest in Networking. But are you getting enough from the process?
Let’s start with what you bring to the party. First, can you state your own USP in 10 words or less?
When you go networking, i.e. when you meet people in the flesh, you need a clear understanding of the value you could offer to those you meet. You don’t have to wear it on your sleeve, but you need it on the tip of your tongue, in case you are asked. And you will be asked.
Second, what’s your offer? How do you describe it? Most people describe it in a fairly literal way, as though they were listing all the parts in a car’s engine. That approach is guaranteed to lose your listener in about 10 seconds flat.
At a Networking function I met a man who told me his business was to provide a different kind of online shopping process. He described what happens when you wish to buy certain kinds of products online, and how he provides choice and an agreeable experience.
After some questioning from me we identified the real benefit, which was the ‘lifelike shopping experience’ as distinct from ‘online buying’. So when I re-worked his Elevator Speech, starting with the ‘experience’, he realized that he needed to think differently about his company’s offering.
So what’s your offer? What’s the main benefit it delivers to your customers? What’s the ‘pain’ it removes? Identify that, work out a 15-second statement about it, relating it to a typical customer’s needs, and you’ll get much more interest.
Here’s my own USP in under 10 words: I can help you get your point across convincingly. And whenever I have the opportunity to state that, I immediately ask, “Tell me what you do.” My focus is always on the person I meet.
There’s more. I have put my ideas in a brief e-book called “Getting More from Networking Meetings”. Send me an email with Networking in the subject line and I’ll email you a pdf of the book. Free of charge.
Please also write Yes please if you will allow me to send you relevant information on verbal communication from time to time.
Phillip
Let’s start with what you bring to the party. First, can you state your own USP in 10 words or less?
When you go networking, i.e. when you meet people in the flesh, you need a clear understanding of the value you could offer to those you meet. You don’t have to wear it on your sleeve, but you need it on the tip of your tongue, in case you are asked. And you will be asked.
Second, what’s your offer? How do you describe it? Most people describe it in a fairly literal way, as though they were listing all the parts in a car’s engine. That approach is guaranteed to lose your listener in about 10 seconds flat.
At a Networking function I met a man who told me his business was to provide a different kind of online shopping process. He described what happens when you wish to buy certain kinds of products online, and how he provides choice and an agreeable experience.
After some questioning from me we identified the real benefit, which was the ‘lifelike shopping experience’ as distinct from ‘online buying’. So when I re-worked his Elevator Speech, starting with the ‘experience’, he realized that he needed to think differently about his company’s offering.
So what’s your offer? What’s the main benefit it delivers to your customers? What’s the ‘pain’ it removes? Identify that, work out a 15-second statement about it, relating it to a typical customer’s needs, and you’ll get much more interest.
Here’s my own USP in under 10 words: I can help you get your point across convincingly. And whenever I have the opportunity to state that, I immediately ask, “Tell me what you do.” My focus is always on the person I meet.
There’s more. I have put my ideas in a brief e-book called “Getting More from Networking Meetings”. Send me an email with Networking in the subject line and I’ll email you a pdf of the book. Free of charge.
Please also write Yes please if you will allow me to send you relevant information on verbal communication from time to time.
Phillip
Thursday 11 November 2010
18 Top Tips for Copywriting
Copywriting is much more than joined-up writing. It's the skill of persuasion in print.
Whether you do your own copywriting or get someone else to do it for you, here are 18 things you need to know.
1. Write headlines that offer the main benefit clearly. Don't try to be smart, clever or tricksy. Or even 'intriguing'.
2. The public is not your market. It contains your market. So allow readers to decide quickly if you are speaking to them.
3. Advertising is selling in print. If it doesn't sell, it isn't good advertising.
4. Your advertising is a salesman. A mediocre salesman affects only part of your business. Mediocre advertising affects it all.
5. Put your prospect into your headline, e.g. MEN! Can you grip spare flesh around your waist?
6. Make your headline specific, e.g. Here's a 7-step low-cost way to double sales.
7. Don't hide behind facts. They are neutral until they have been interpreted. Then they become information.
8. Follow the sequence of persuasion. AIDA usually works. That's Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
9: Use the language of daily speech, as if you were selling face-to-face. Read your text aloud. Would you speak like that to a prospect?
10: In a sales letter, always have a PS, and put your special offer in there. Everyone reads the PS. Headline, PS, signature. That's what we read.
11: Avoid analogies. If you write, "Like a Constable painting, our resort is peaceful ...", people don't make the connection. They think you are selling Constables.
12: Use a 2-line subhead under the headline to increase readership. The subhead extends the promise of the headline.
13: Limit your opening paragraph to 12 words. You need to reel them in gently. The sight of a long opening para will turn people off.
14: For a direct response ad, you have 3.2 seconds to answer 3 questions: What is it? Is it for me? How do I get it? It has been measured.
15: Always test. Write 2 approaches to the offer, and test them against each other before rolling out. Then use the stronger one and test against that.
16: For email marketing, always use a salutation, even though the medium is less formal than letter writing. Use their names! Just don't overdo it, or it will seem patronising.
17: Long or short copy? Make it as long as it takes to tell the story without needless repetition. First write what you want to say, then edit.
18: Avoid long words. Do a character count, and take an average. You should average under 5 characters per word for plain speaking.
Above all, remember these three things about copywriting:
1. You need to persuade, so follow the disciplines of persuasion
2. Use the language of the common man
3. It's good only if it sells
Phillip
Whether you do your own copywriting or get someone else to do it for you, here are 18 things you need to know.
1. Write headlines that offer the main benefit clearly. Don't try to be smart, clever or tricksy. Or even 'intriguing'.
2. The public is not your market. It contains your market. So allow readers to decide quickly if you are speaking to them.
3. Advertising is selling in print. If it doesn't sell, it isn't good advertising.
4. Your advertising is a salesman. A mediocre salesman affects only part of your business. Mediocre advertising affects it all.
5. Put your prospect into your headline, e.g. MEN! Can you grip spare flesh around your waist?
6. Make your headline specific, e.g. Here's a 7-step low-cost way to double sales.
7. Don't hide behind facts. They are neutral until they have been interpreted. Then they become information.
8. Follow the sequence of persuasion. AIDA usually works. That's Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
9: Use the language of daily speech, as if you were selling face-to-face. Read your text aloud. Would you speak like that to a prospect?
10: In a sales letter, always have a PS, and put your special offer in there. Everyone reads the PS. Headline, PS, signature. That's what we read.
11: Avoid analogies. If you write, "Like a Constable painting, our resort is peaceful ...", people don't make the connection. They think you are selling Constables.
12: Use a 2-line subhead under the headline to increase readership. The subhead extends the promise of the headline.
13: Limit your opening paragraph to 12 words. You need to reel them in gently. The sight of a long opening para will turn people off.
14: For a direct response ad, you have 3.2 seconds to answer 3 questions: What is it? Is it for me? How do I get it? It has been measured.
15: Always test. Write 2 approaches to the offer, and test them against each other before rolling out. Then use the stronger one and test against that.
16: For email marketing, always use a salutation, even though the medium is less formal than letter writing. Use their names! Just don't overdo it, or it will seem patronising.
17: Long or short copy? Make it as long as it takes to tell the story without needless repetition. First write what you want to say, then edit.
18: Avoid long words. Do a character count, and take an average. You should average under 5 characters per word for plain speaking.
Above all, remember these three things about copywriting:
1. You need to persuade, so follow the disciplines of persuasion
2. Use the language of the common man
3. It's good only if it sells
Phillip
Wednesday 6 October 2010
What the Chancellor could (and should) have said
George Osborne's problems may have been avoided by a different approach to speech writing. His announcement that he is withdrawing child benefit from the better off was worthy but poorly expressed. This is what he could have said instead:
One of the central planks of Conservative thinking is self-reliance. It is also one of the qualities that made this nation great in the past, and it is one of the qualities we stand in danger of losing. Fortunately, it has not died as yet.
Let me tell you about Sarah Robertson. Sarah and her three children were abandoned by her husband, who left them with huge debts that he could not face. She could have carried on living as before, increasing her debt, she could have gone bankrupt, she could have relied on the State to bail her out. Instead, she decided to do none of those things.
She gave up her comfortable life style, she started a small business, she took her children out of their expensive schools, and she made arrangements to pay back the debt, a little at a time. She is still doing so. She is paying for a debt she did not create, but she doesn't feel sorry for herself, and she knows that she can resume her comfortable middle class lifestyle at some point in the future.
Sarah Robertson is a symbol of the state this country is in, and we need to follow her example.
When we came to power in May, we found the cupboard bare, except for a pile of IOUs. We saw that Britain was, and is, in serious trouble. The previous government have left us with debts so huge that it would cost every man, woman and child £XXX,000 to repay. We have to pay it back. We cannot go bust, we cannot be like Greece and expect the EU to bail us out.
Every one of us has to share in the recovery. Will you do it? Will you share in the pain? Will you join with me in a programme that not only gets us out of the debt but which will get us back among the leading economies of the world? I'm going to ask you to accept some changes, to make some contributions that will hurt.
We will have to cut State spending. We will have to reduce State benefits. But the guiding principle will be this: we will help those who need help, and we will ask those who do not need help from the State to forgo the benefits you do not need. I know it will not be pleasant, I know you will feel you are paying for a debt you did not create, but there is no other way.
We are a party and a government that believes in self reliance. Like Sarah Robertson, we will take charge of our lives, and we will pay back the debt. That's what I am asking you to help me with. Will you do it?
Phillip (0845 165 9240)
One of the central planks of Conservative thinking is self-reliance. It is also one of the qualities that made this nation great in the past, and it is one of the qualities we stand in danger of losing. Fortunately, it has not died as yet.
Let me tell you about Sarah Robertson. Sarah and her three children were abandoned by her husband, who left them with huge debts that he could not face. She could have carried on living as before, increasing her debt, she could have gone bankrupt, she could have relied on the State to bail her out. Instead, she decided to do none of those things.
She gave up her comfortable life style, she started a small business, she took her children out of their expensive schools, and she made arrangements to pay back the debt, a little at a time. She is still doing so. She is paying for a debt she did not create, but she doesn't feel sorry for herself, and she knows that she can resume her comfortable middle class lifestyle at some point in the future.
Sarah Robertson is a symbol of the state this country is in, and we need to follow her example.
When we came to power in May, we found the cupboard bare, except for a pile of IOUs. We saw that Britain was, and is, in serious trouble. The previous government have left us with debts so huge that it would cost every man, woman and child £XXX,000 to repay. We have to pay it back. We cannot go bust, we cannot be like Greece and expect the EU to bail us out.
Every one of us has to share in the recovery. Will you do it? Will you share in the pain? Will you join with me in a programme that not only gets us out of the debt but which will get us back among the leading economies of the world? I'm going to ask you to accept some changes, to make some contributions that will hurt.
We will have to cut State spending. We will have to reduce State benefits. But the guiding principle will be this: we will help those who need help, and we will ask those who do not need help from the State to forgo the benefits you do not need. I know it will not be pleasant, I know you will feel you are paying for a debt you did not create, but there is no other way.
We are a party and a government that believes in self reliance. Like Sarah Robertson, we will take charge of our lives, and we will pay back the debt. That's what I am asking you to help me with. Will you do it?
Phillip (0845 165 9240)
Thursday 9 September 2010
The start of the Saatchi story
Forty years ago this Sunday, the Saatchi brothers announced their arrival on the advertising scene with a full page ad in The Sunday Times.
It aroused attention for three reasons:
1. Ad agencies didn't advertise themselves in those days
2. Layout: there was a headline and two solid columns of type. No pics.
3. The ad criticised the failure of a cigarette ad in colour
The headline ran: Why it's time for a new kind of advertising, and spoke of the need to follow the sequence of persuasion (AIDA). The cigarette ad in question had appeared in the Daily Express in colour (a new medium in those days) but had not done well.
Although the paper had not been named, the Directors of Beaverbrook newspapers (owner of the Daily Express) got their knickers in a twist, and were wondering how to respond. I was on The Evening Standard, and wrote a reply -- a full page ad in the same two-column layout, headed: Yes it is time for a new kind of advertising.
It appeared in The Evening Standard the following Friday under my own name.
The switchboard rang me during the day to say that someone called Saatchi had rung to ask if there really was a Phillip Khan-Panni, or was it a made-up name? I thought that was a bit rich, coming from someone called Saatchi! But I returned their call and spent an interesting half hour with the brothers at Golden Square, drinking Schloer.
In a sense, I suppose I had helped their cause by extending interest in their launch ad. I wonder if they remember.
Phillip
It aroused attention for three reasons:
1. Ad agencies didn't advertise themselves in those days
2. Layout: there was a headline and two solid columns of type. No pics.
3. The ad criticised the failure of a cigarette ad in colour
The headline ran: Why it's time for a new kind of advertising, and spoke of the need to follow the sequence of persuasion (AIDA). The cigarette ad in question had appeared in the Daily Express in colour (a new medium in those days) but had not done well.
Although the paper had not been named, the Directors of Beaverbrook newspapers (owner of the Daily Express) got their knickers in a twist, and were wondering how to respond. I was on The Evening Standard, and wrote a reply -- a full page ad in the same two-column layout, headed: Yes it is time for a new kind of advertising.
It appeared in The Evening Standard the following Friday under my own name.
The switchboard rang me during the day to say that someone called Saatchi had rung to ask if there really was a Phillip Khan-Panni, or was it a made-up name? I thought that was a bit rich, coming from someone called Saatchi! But I returned their call and spent an interesting half hour with the brothers at Golden Square, drinking Schloer.
In a sense, I suppose I had helped their cause by extending interest in their launch ad. I wonder if they remember.
Phillip
Monday 30 August 2010
Sounding off?
Listening to Classic FM as I work, I have become conscious of the effect of a change of sound. The music itself creates a mood that could be jolly, contemplative or simply relaxed. But there are interruptions. Three in particular.
The first occurs when the tuning slips. This creates a rising tension, despite the smooth, gentle music that may be playing, and I have to rise and give the dial a little twist. Of course this only applies to radios that do not have automatic selection.
When this happens, it forces me to switch my attention from my writing and to the radio. It also makes me consider the lesson it offers: in relationships, if the tuning is slightly off, if we are not on the same wavelength, there is tension even if all the other ingredients are fine.
The second interruption comes from the ad breaks. I have never understood why music stations do not exercise some editorial control over the sounds of the ads they broadcast. In the midst of a programme of refined music, there could be a raucous sales pitch that lowers the tone. Even as I was writing this, a typical example was broadcast!
A similar experience occurs in, for example, networking meetings. You could be enjoying a conversation with an interesting new acquaintance, when someone wanders up and cuts in, disturbing the rhythm of the moment. Are we guilty of such insensitivity ourselves, I wonder?
The third interruption occurs when the programme announcer or DJ (is that what they are called on Classic FM?) speaks at the end of a piece, and introduces the next one, or when there is a break for news. Here too, I notice the quality of the speaker's voice.
Sometimes this station's 'classical' music is served up by someone who sounds like a pub barman reading out the day's specials from the blackboard. It jars. And it gets in the way of the information being imparted.
Isn't that also the case when we hear a speech or business presentation? We may want to hear the information being presented, but the speaker's voice may get in the way. The voice is the vehicle for our spoken business messages, whether it is from the platform, across a desk or over the phone.
What I do is to make people aware of the importance of the voice, and show them how to sound better. It certainly makes the message so much more attractive.
Phillip
The first occurs when the tuning slips. This creates a rising tension, despite the smooth, gentle music that may be playing, and I have to rise and give the dial a little twist. Of course this only applies to radios that do not have automatic selection.
When this happens, it forces me to switch my attention from my writing and to the radio. It also makes me consider the lesson it offers: in relationships, if the tuning is slightly off, if we are not on the same wavelength, there is tension even if all the other ingredients are fine.
The second interruption comes from the ad breaks. I have never understood why music stations do not exercise some editorial control over the sounds of the ads they broadcast. In the midst of a programme of refined music, there could be a raucous sales pitch that lowers the tone. Even as I was writing this, a typical example was broadcast!
A similar experience occurs in, for example, networking meetings. You could be enjoying a conversation with an interesting new acquaintance, when someone wanders up and cuts in, disturbing the rhythm of the moment. Are we guilty of such insensitivity ourselves, I wonder?
The third interruption occurs when the programme announcer or DJ (is that what they are called on Classic FM?) speaks at the end of a piece, and introduces the next one, or when there is a break for news. Here too, I notice the quality of the speaker's voice.
Sometimes this station's 'classical' music is served up by someone who sounds like a pub barman reading out the day's specials from the blackboard. It jars. And it gets in the way of the information being imparted.
Isn't that also the case when we hear a speech or business presentation? We may want to hear the information being presented, but the speaker's voice may get in the way. The voice is the vehicle for our spoken business messages, whether it is from the platform, across a desk or over the phone.
What I do is to make people aware of the importance of the voice, and show them how to sound better. It certainly makes the message so much more attractive.
Phillip
Wednesday 18 August 2010
Is it you ... or someone else?
In April 1969, Robin Knox-Johnston became the first man to circumnavigate the world non-stop and single handed. Throughout the '70s his exploits continued to raise his profile. At about the same time, his brother, Richard, was making a name for himself as a speaker.
He was booked for an event that I attended. Like many others in the room, I had heard of Robin but not of Richard, and he knew that. His opening line was, "Hands up anyone who was expecting Robin." At the time, I wondered if the event organiser raised his hand!
The American motivational speaker, Les Brown, tells of the time he was invited to speak at a venue that featured Pat Boone as the main attraction. The place was packed. And when the MC announced him, the applause rang out. Les walked on stage and the applause died! The audience was expecting Les Brown and his Band of Renown.
Les says, "I didn't say anything. I just walked around for a bit, then I said, "Surprise!"
Another time he was invited to speak to an audience of people with endless degrees in psychology. He himself has had no college education and in fact was labelled Educable Mentally Retarded at school. "But," as he put it, "they invited me. And I accepted."
The event's chairman introduced him as "Dr Les Brown", and Les interrupted him, saying, "I'm not Dr Les Brown." The chairman then suggested he introduce himself. So he told the audience, "Not only am I not Dr Les Brown, but I am Educable Mentally Retarded!" There was a thud as the chairman's head hit the table. But Les soon had his listeners humming.
I've also been mistaken for someone else. In the days when I had a high profile in the newspaper business, I was contacted by a trade delegate from a Far Eastern embassy in London. He invited me and my wife to dinner. As the dinner progressed, it became clear to me that he thought I was my elder brother, who was then a prominent financial journalist. But I enjoyed the dinner all the same.
My point about mistaken identity is that we should not make the mistake about ourselves. If we accept the impression others may have of us and try to fit the mould, we'll be uncomfortable and likely to fail. I believe we should start by being clear about who and what we are, make it our business to let others know, and aim to succeed as the persons we are, not as the persons they may want us to be.
Phillip
He was booked for an event that I attended. Like many others in the room, I had heard of Robin but not of Richard, and he knew that. His opening line was, "Hands up anyone who was expecting Robin." At the time, I wondered if the event organiser raised his hand!
The American motivational speaker, Les Brown, tells of the time he was invited to speak at a venue that featured Pat Boone as the main attraction. The place was packed. And when the MC announced him, the applause rang out. Les walked on stage and the applause died! The audience was expecting Les Brown and his Band of Renown.
Les says, "I didn't say anything. I just walked around for a bit, then I said, "Surprise!"
Another time he was invited to speak to an audience of people with endless degrees in psychology. He himself has had no college education and in fact was labelled Educable Mentally Retarded at school. "But," as he put it, "they invited me. And I accepted."
The event's chairman introduced him as "Dr Les Brown", and Les interrupted him, saying, "I'm not Dr Les Brown." The chairman then suggested he introduce himself. So he told the audience, "Not only am I not Dr Les Brown, but I am Educable Mentally Retarded!" There was a thud as the chairman's head hit the table. But Les soon had his listeners humming.
I've also been mistaken for someone else. In the days when I had a high profile in the newspaper business, I was contacted by a trade delegate from a Far Eastern embassy in London. He invited me and my wife to dinner. As the dinner progressed, it became clear to me that he thought I was my elder brother, who was then a prominent financial journalist. But I enjoyed the dinner all the same.
My point about mistaken identity is that we should not make the mistake about ourselves. If we accept the impression others may have of us and try to fit the mould, we'll be uncomfortable and likely to fail. I believe we should start by being clear about who and what we are, make it our business to let others know, and aim to succeed as the persons we are, not as the persons they may want us to be.
Phillip
Sunday 25 July 2010
Our doubts are traitors
I think we can learn a lot about ourselves from the way we perform in sport.
A few years ago, I was given a Cricket game, after a prolonged absence from the sport. I had done well in the nets. The Club Captain, batting in an adjacent net, noticed how I moved my feet, attacked the ball, always hitting in front - no 'nurdling' for me.
I was invited to turn out for the club's Third Eleven. The team captain asked if I could bowl, and I said I could bowl medium fast. He threw me the ball and I delivered two overs in the style I had used in my prime, even though I had been bowling leg breaks in the nets.
Inevitably, my timing was off, and I couldn't find the right length. I was tempted to revert to leg breaks, but I felt obliged to stick with my offer of medium fast. Would the captain object to the switch?
Why didn't I just have a go and see what results it produced?
When it was our turn to bat, I was sent in at number 11. Last man in. From what I had seen of the previous batsmen, I knew I was better than half of them, but now it was up to me to prove it.
The first ball I faced was delivered at about 75 m.p.h., on the leg side, perfect for a 'leg glance' or for a half step forward and an 'on drive' over the head of the fielder at mid on. I did neither.
With feet firmly planted, I drove the ball along the ground, straight to mid on, and set off on a suicidal run. It was an easy run out, so I just carried on past the umpire and back to the pavilion.
Why had I thrown away my wicket? I justified it by saying that I had wanted to return the strike to the other batsman, the man whose eye was in, but the reality was something different. I think I was reluctant to stay in the firing line and be tested.
When I didn't change my bowling, it was because I was trapped by expectations. How often do we stay in our usual roles, keep doing what we've always done, simply because we feel it's what we are expected to do? Why not just take a chance on something different, use a talent we may not have shown before, break free and see what develops?
The batting suicide was about avoiding the risk of exposure. If I had stayed longer at the crease, each ball I faced would have been a challenge and, although I had the skill, my self-confidence was not at the same level.
I see the same thing happening in business, especially with enterprises that find themselves stalled because of the leader's reluctance to commit. Shakespeare got it right when he wrote:
Our doubts are traitors
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt.
PKP
A few years ago, I was given a Cricket game, after a prolonged absence from the sport. I had done well in the nets. The Club Captain, batting in an adjacent net, noticed how I moved my feet, attacked the ball, always hitting in front - no 'nurdling' for me.
I was invited to turn out for the club's Third Eleven. The team captain asked if I could bowl, and I said I could bowl medium fast. He threw me the ball and I delivered two overs in the style I had used in my prime, even though I had been bowling leg breaks in the nets.
Inevitably, my timing was off, and I couldn't find the right length. I was tempted to revert to leg breaks, but I felt obliged to stick with my offer of medium fast. Would the captain object to the switch?
Why didn't I just have a go and see what results it produced?
When it was our turn to bat, I was sent in at number 11. Last man in. From what I had seen of the previous batsmen, I knew I was better than half of them, but now it was up to me to prove it.
The first ball I faced was delivered at about 75 m.p.h., on the leg side, perfect for a 'leg glance' or for a half step forward and an 'on drive' over the head of the fielder at mid on. I did neither.
With feet firmly planted, I drove the ball along the ground, straight to mid on, and set off on a suicidal run. It was an easy run out, so I just carried on past the umpire and back to the pavilion.
Why had I thrown away my wicket? I justified it by saying that I had wanted to return the strike to the other batsman, the man whose eye was in, but the reality was something different. I think I was reluctant to stay in the firing line and be tested.
When I didn't change my bowling, it was because I was trapped by expectations. How often do we stay in our usual roles, keep doing what we've always done, simply because we feel it's what we are expected to do? Why not just take a chance on something different, use a talent we may not have shown before, break free and see what develops?
The batting suicide was about avoiding the risk of exposure. If I had stayed longer at the crease, each ball I faced would have been a challenge and, although I had the skill, my self-confidence was not at the same level.
I see the same thing happening in business, especially with enterprises that find themselves stalled because of the leader's reluctance to commit. Shakespeare got it right when he wrote:
Our doubts are traitors
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt.
PKP
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Who speaks for your business?
If your first response was to think of the CEO, Chairman or some other top person, please pause and think again.
I recently went for an eye test, returning to Specsavers in Bromley, where I got my previous specs. I was greeted warmly by Sanchoy, the dispensing opticians whose professionalism last year prompted my return. I told him so and, with a happy laugh, he called out my remarks to the store manager, who said something like, "That's what we like to hear" and returned to staring out of the door.
Who was speaking for Specsavers?
I contacted a car repair shop to ask about some remedial re-spray work and was told, "We only do MGs, and sometimes some other sports cars. If we want to. We have so much work."
Would you give them any business?
I rang a well-known organisation that sells things online. When eventually I managed to speak to a person, she told me, in her Sarf Lunnon voice, "If you wanna order anyfink you have to do it online."
Who was speaking for the company?
When certain organisations started painting "How am I driving?" on their vans, they were trying to integrate every public contact with their expensively created image. They were also, subtly, telling their drivers to behave as representatives of a public-friendly organisation. The message bypassed the Sainsbury driver who was competing with other traffic this afternoon in Sydenham.
Every single person who is in contact with your public is the one who speaks for your business, and is the one who determines how your business is perceived in the market place. In some ways, more than the Chairman, the MD or CEO, the PR company, or the sales team. Because it is the attitude shown in day-to-day transactions that will matter more than polished presentations or Press Releases.
Every surly shop assistant, every curt telephone manner, every unhelpful tax inspector or restaurant waiter, reveals a serious training need. In these days of harsh economics, who can afford to ignore it?
Phillip
I recently went for an eye test, returning to Specsavers in Bromley, where I got my previous specs. I was greeted warmly by Sanchoy, the dispensing opticians whose professionalism last year prompted my return. I told him so and, with a happy laugh, he called out my remarks to the store manager, who said something like, "That's what we like to hear" and returned to staring out of the door.
Who was speaking for Specsavers?
I contacted a car repair shop to ask about some remedial re-spray work and was told, "We only do MGs, and sometimes some other sports cars. If we want to. We have so much work."
Would you give them any business?
I rang a well-known organisation that sells things online. When eventually I managed to speak to a person, she told me, in her Sarf Lunnon voice, "If you wanna order anyfink you have to do it online."
Who was speaking for the company?
When certain organisations started painting "How am I driving?" on their vans, they were trying to integrate every public contact with their expensively created image. They were also, subtly, telling their drivers to behave as representatives of a public-friendly organisation. The message bypassed the Sainsbury driver who was competing with other traffic this afternoon in Sydenham.
Every single person who is in contact with your public is the one who speaks for your business, and is the one who determines how your business is perceived in the market place. In some ways, more than the Chairman, the MD or CEO, the PR company, or the sales team. Because it is the attitude shown in day-to-day transactions that will matter more than polished presentations or Press Releases.
Every surly shop assistant, every curt telephone manner, every unhelpful tax inspector or restaurant waiter, reveals a serious training need. In these days of harsh economics, who can afford to ignore it?
Phillip
Monday 5 July 2010
6-point plan for the brand that's You
In these competitive times, it is increasingly important for us all to distinguish ourselves from our competitors. It applies equally to those in corporate life as to those in business for themselves.
Here's a 6-point plan for getting ahead of the pack.
1. Know what you do - for others. Yes, it is important to know what you do, but don't focus inward. I say a bit more about this under Point 6, but your starting position is to consider what your market wants, and how you can be of commercial benefit to others.
2. Identify a pain that you can remove. Is there a weakness that your customers encounter, to which you have the solution. Focus your 'offering' on magnifying the pain and then showing how you can remove it. You then become the long-awaited Solution.
3. Do something right. Apart from removing a pain, there could be something positive that you could do, something that adds to the collective good, something that no one else has thought of doing.
4. Mix with the right people. We all need reinforcement, and we get that from like-minded people, whose own thinking reassures us that we are on the right track. If you network, be selective and don't commit to regular meetings that lead nowhere. If you don't feel uplifted after spending time with certain people, and if they don't understand the things you say, it may be time to move on. Remember, too, that we are judged by the company we keep.
5. Drop the toxic folk. Some people are just plain bad for you. Maybe they are chronically negative, maybe they don't respond well to your enthusiasms, maybe they drag you down in other ways. Leave them to the professional therapists and move along. Don't let them infect your mind or use up your energy.
6. Project your one defining benefit. What's the ONE thing that defines you and distinguishes you from the following pack? Spend time finding out. Get feedback from those you trust. Challenge your first thoughts about it. Then make it the core of your business offerings and everything you say about yourself.
For example, I work with words. I write and deliver speeches and presentations, and I write books about verbal communication. I help others with their speeches and presentations. The central factor is a way with words that gets results. No verbal wallpaper.
So my focus is: Words that Work.
What's yours?
Here's a 6-point plan for getting ahead of the pack.
1. Know what you do - for others. Yes, it is important to know what you do, but don't focus inward. I say a bit more about this under Point 6, but your starting position is to consider what your market wants, and how you can be of commercial benefit to others.
2. Identify a pain that you can remove. Is there a weakness that your customers encounter, to which you have the solution. Focus your 'offering' on magnifying the pain and then showing how you can remove it. You then become the long-awaited Solution.
3. Do something right. Apart from removing a pain, there could be something positive that you could do, something that adds to the collective good, something that no one else has thought of doing.
4. Mix with the right people. We all need reinforcement, and we get that from like-minded people, whose own thinking reassures us that we are on the right track. If you network, be selective and don't commit to regular meetings that lead nowhere. If you don't feel uplifted after spending time with certain people, and if they don't understand the things you say, it may be time to move on. Remember, too, that we are judged by the company we keep.
5. Drop the toxic folk. Some people are just plain bad for you. Maybe they are chronically negative, maybe they don't respond well to your enthusiasms, maybe they drag you down in other ways. Leave them to the professional therapists and move along. Don't let them infect your mind or use up your energy.
6. Project your one defining benefit. What's the ONE thing that defines you and distinguishes you from the following pack? Spend time finding out. Get feedback from those you trust. Challenge your first thoughts about it. Then make it the core of your business offerings and everything you say about yourself.
For example, I work with words. I write and deliver speeches and presentations, and I write books about verbal communication. I help others with their speeches and presentations. The central factor is a way with words that gets results. No verbal wallpaper.
So my focus is: Words that Work.
What's yours?
Friday 25 June 2010
What makes a speech or presentation succeed
I was recently approached by a friend to evaluate a speech she had prepared. It was good, well written and full of interesting content. But it wasn't a speech. It was, in effect, a spoken essay.
I told her that the text that's written to be said is different from the text that's written to be read.
An article printed in a magazine or newspaper allows you to read at your own pace, go back and read again the bits you didn't get the first time, memorise the things you want to retain. Listening to a speech is different. You hear it all just once, at the speaker's pace, and there is no instant rewind.
The speaker needs to be aware of this, and make it easy for the listener to get the point. Another consideration is the fact that our concentrations spans are very short, perhaps as little as seven seconds. Every seven seconds our minds switch to something else, so we are not paying attention all the time. (Even as you read this, you have had extraneous thoughts swim into your mind.)
For the speech or presentation to succeed, the speaker should have a purpose: it must be to bring about some change in the thinking, attitude or behaviour of the listener(s). That change can only come about if there is 'buy in' on the part of the listener, which implies some emotional response.
For a speech to achieve its purpose, there needs to be a certain type of structure, the use of repetition, and some oratorical devices. Oratory is about pressing the emotional buttons of the audience, so that they become interested, then excited, and finally enthusiastic about your proposition.
Think of the famous speeches that you remember: JFK, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Winston Churchill. Think of the memorable phrases in those speeches, and note the devices - repetition, triads, mini climaxes and so on. These are the powerful elements that help the speaker to reach into the hearts of their hearers.
Public speaking is much more than amplified conversation. It's a craft. It takes skill. It can be taught.
I told her that the text that's written to be said is different from the text that's written to be read.
An article printed in a magazine or newspaper allows you to read at your own pace, go back and read again the bits you didn't get the first time, memorise the things you want to retain. Listening to a speech is different. You hear it all just once, at the speaker's pace, and there is no instant rewind.
The speaker needs to be aware of this, and make it easy for the listener to get the point. Another consideration is the fact that our concentrations spans are very short, perhaps as little as seven seconds. Every seven seconds our minds switch to something else, so we are not paying attention all the time. (Even as you read this, you have had extraneous thoughts swim into your mind.)
For the speech or presentation to succeed, the speaker should have a purpose: it must be to bring about some change in the thinking, attitude or behaviour of the listener(s). That change can only come about if there is 'buy in' on the part of the listener, which implies some emotional response.
For a speech to achieve its purpose, there needs to be a certain type of structure, the use of repetition, and some oratorical devices. Oratory is about pressing the emotional buttons of the audience, so that they become interested, then excited, and finally enthusiastic about your proposition.
Think of the famous speeches that you remember: JFK, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Winston Churchill. Think of the memorable phrases in those speeches, and note the devices - repetition, triads, mini climaxes and so on. These are the powerful elements that help the speaker to reach into the hearts of their hearers.
Public speaking is much more than amplified conversation. It's a craft. It takes skill. It can be taught.
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Marching to the sound of a different drum
There's a rash of St George's flags everywhere, even mounted on cars. But at England's (sorry, Ingerlund's) opening game, only about three of the players sang the National Anthem.
When players are chosen for the national team (in any sport), why don't they learn and sing the Anthem? They seem to be marching to the sound of a different drum.
Consider the commentary during and after the match. Experts in the studio said England played well and complimented the team's passing. I saw it differently. I saw the ball repeatedlly kicked into space, where the Americans collected it and mounted another attack. I saw the England players unable to reclaim the ball from the Americans.
I saw the England backs passing the ball aimlessly across the field to each other, especially in the final ten minutes when they should have been trying energetically for another goal. I saw reactive play, rather than planned attacks.
Could it be that the commentators were allowing their partisanship to cloud their judgement? Could it be that the England players are not fully committed to the England cause? Could it be that we need a unifying factor, like the Mandela effect at the Rugby World Cup, to inspire our players to strive valiantly for victory or die in the attempt?
There is some powerful energy floating about, but it needs proper channelling if it is to bring about success on the field of play. I think it is called Leadership.
When players are chosen for the national team (in any sport), why don't they learn and sing the Anthem? They seem to be marching to the sound of a different drum.
Consider the commentary during and after the match. Experts in the studio said England played well and complimented the team's passing. I saw it differently. I saw the ball repeatedlly kicked into space, where the Americans collected it and mounted another attack. I saw the England players unable to reclaim the ball from the Americans.
I saw the England backs passing the ball aimlessly across the field to each other, especially in the final ten minutes when they should have been trying energetically for another goal. I saw reactive play, rather than planned attacks.
Could it be that the commentators were allowing their partisanship to cloud their judgement? Could it be that the England players are not fully committed to the England cause? Could it be that we need a unifying factor, like the Mandela effect at the Rugby World Cup, to inspire our players to strive valiantly for victory or die in the attempt?
There is some powerful energy floating about, but it needs proper channelling if it is to bring about success on the field of play. I think it is called Leadership.
Thursday 11 March 2010
Dealing with the fear of public speaking
I’ve been reading what others have written about the fear of public speaking, and feel that they mostly miss the mark. Some still parade the preposterous claim that public speaking is feared more than death, which ranks with the misquoted Mehrabian statistics (55-38-7).
There’s a lot of reassurance about audiences wishing you well, and advice on being prepared and deep breathing techniques. Some even describe the symptoms you are likely to encounter when the spotlight falls on you. Is that helpful?
As one who has spoken to audiences ranging from half a dozen to 3,000, I can tell you that there will always be anxiety ... unless you really don’t care, and that’s when audiences will start to turn away from you. So I analysed my own experiences and realised that there is a common factor linking fear of public speaking and delivering a poor performance.
Since you are probably clear about the former (and may have experienced it yourself) let me explain the latter. Think back. Have you ever seen or heard a speech or presentation given by a celebrity or politician that may have been fluent but failed to impress you? Was there something lacking in the sound of their voice? That’s the clue.
I have just watched a ‘Motivational’ YouTube clip by a well-known former athlete. He says all the right words, but it does not inspire or ignite. Why? Because he lacks conviction. Then I watched a clip of Al Pacino in a film. Even in the quiet opening moments, he spoke like he expected to be heard, and once he was in his stride he was compelling. That same conviction and authority are evident in Barack Obama’s campaigning speeches.
Now how does that relate to fear of public speaking? Simply this: when you have something to say, something you believe in, something you really want others to hear, understand and accept, fear will disappear. It will be replaced by a certain nervous energy that will actually enhance your delivery. It’s the quality that can dispel the fear of public speaking, and help any public performance reach the hearts of the hearers.
Can it be learned? Yes it can. It’s what I develop in the people I coach. It’s an essential element in the voice of leadership, it’s what business leaders and politicians need to have. It’s what will make the difference in the General Election on May 6th, especially in the marginal constituencies. But will the political parties listen?
There’s a lot of reassurance about audiences wishing you well, and advice on being prepared and deep breathing techniques. Some even describe the symptoms you are likely to encounter when the spotlight falls on you. Is that helpful?
As one who has spoken to audiences ranging from half a dozen to 3,000, I can tell you that there will always be anxiety ... unless you really don’t care, and that’s when audiences will start to turn away from you. So I analysed my own experiences and realised that there is a common factor linking fear of public speaking and delivering a poor performance.
Since you are probably clear about the former (and may have experienced it yourself) let me explain the latter. Think back. Have you ever seen or heard a speech or presentation given by a celebrity or politician that may have been fluent but failed to impress you? Was there something lacking in the sound of their voice? That’s the clue.
I have just watched a ‘Motivational’ YouTube clip by a well-known former athlete. He says all the right words, but it does not inspire or ignite. Why? Because he lacks conviction. Then I watched a clip of Al Pacino in a film. Even in the quiet opening moments, he spoke like he expected to be heard, and once he was in his stride he was compelling. That same conviction and authority are evident in Barack Obama’s campaigning speeches.
Now how does that relate to fear of public speaking? Simply this: when you have something to say, something you believe in, something you really want others to hear, understand and accept, fear will disappear. It will be replaced by a certain nervous energy that will actually enhance your delivery. It’s the quality that can dispel the fear of public speaking, and help any public performance reach the hearts of the hearers.
Can it be learned? Yes it can. It’s what I develop in the people I coach. It’s an essential element in the voice of leadership, it’s what business leaders and politicians need to have. It’s what will make the difference in the General Election on May 6th, especially in the marginal constituencies. But will the political parties listen?
Thursday 4 March 2010
Valentine's Day -- Indian version
Here’s the Indian version.
It is said that the Gujeratis (Patels) are notorious for treating their wives badly. One day, a certain Patel wife had had enough, and she beat up her husband with the rolling pin (called a Velan). It happened to be 14th February.
When other Patel women heard about it they copied her, and on the anniversary of her first reverse beating she (and other Patel wives) celebrated by beating up their husbands again.
The husbands decided to avoid future beatings on 14th February by giving their wives chocolates and flowers on what had become known as Velan Time Day.
When the practice spread to Britain, the name was anglicised to Valentine’s Day.
So now you know.
It is said that the Gujeratis (Patels) are notorious for treating their wives badly. One day, a certain Patel wife had had enough, and she beat up her husband with the rolling pin (called a Velan). It happened to be 14th February.
When other Patel women heard about it they copied her, and on the anniversary of her first reverse beating she (and other Patel wives) celebrated by beating up their husbands again.
The husbands decided to avoid future beatings on 14th February by giving their wives chocolates and flowers on what had become known as Velan Time Day.
When the practice spread to Britain, the name was anglicised to Valentine’s Day.
So now you know.
Sunday 21 February 2010
Make your mark -- memories are short
Whatever your field of expertise, make your mark, and ensure that you are not overlooked. Too often you are like a stick in a pail of water, standing out while you are there, but once you leave, the ripples quickly subside, leaving no evidence of who you were or what you did. Unless you change the colour of the water.
Ten years ago, some half a dozen speakers, including myself, started the Professional Speakers Association (PSA). I was the Marketing Director for the first four years, promoting membership and building up the organisaton itself. Much of the work I did was behind the scenes, in helping to formulate policies and strategies and ensuring that they were carried out. As any director would.
We were too democratic. Instead of retaining ownership, we decided to let the PSA be owned by its members. Bad mistake.
In recent times I have not been involved with the PSA, except to attend the occasional meeting. About a month ago I received an invitation to join one of the groups (just like the Ecademy clubs), and automatically accepted.
To my amazement, last week I received a message from someone who may be the group's facilitator, saying that he had read my profile but could not find any information about my speaking activities or my connection with the PSA. I replied simply that I was one of the handful of people who founded the PSA.
What would you have done?
Phillip
Ten years ago, some half a dozen speakers, including myself, started the Professional Speakers Association (PSA). I was the Marketing Director for the first four years, promoting membership and building up the organisaton itself. Much of the work I did was behind the scenes, in helping to formulate policies and strategies and ensuring that they were carried out. As any director would.
We were too democratic. Instead of retaining ownership, we decided to let the PSA be owned by its members. Bad mistake.
In recent times I have not been involved with the PSA, except to attend the occasional meeting. About a month ago I received an invitation to join one of the groups (just like the Ecademy clubs), and automatically accepted.
To my amazement, last week I received a message from someone who may be the group's facilitator, saying that he had read my profile but could not find any information about my speaking activities or my connection with the PSA. I replied simply that I was one of the handful of people who founded the PSA.
What would you have done?
Phillip
Friday 19 February 2010
What's in the food you eat?
Yesterday I saw the film, Food Inc. and if you haven't seen it yet, I urge you to find it. It will change the way you think about the food you eat.
Very simply, it's a fine piece of investigative journalism on the misuse of power by the food industry in the US. Some of those practices almost certainly exist in Britain and the EU. They are doing you harm.
Two things, in particular, bothered me about the film's content. One, it revealed how much danger we are in from the way animals are factory-processed for our consumption. The other was the way that five or six major food corporations dominate the industry, exploiting and intimidating their suppliers (farmers) in a so-called free society.
On the first point, did you know that 'ground beef' (mince) prepared for commercial hamburgers seems to have contained every bit of the animal parts, including those you would throw away yourself? And did you know that cattle raised for beef stand all day in deep piles of their own manure, which is barely washed off when they are slaughtered, so that it affects (and even infects) the meat that goes on sale? And did you know that the millk you drink probably contains the pus from infected teats and traces of cow dung?
The film also told the story of a healthy young boy who ate a hamburger and was dead within 12 days. His mother has been campaigning for something to be done to prevent it happening again. E-coli is being bred into foodstuffs, and the food companies don't seem to care.
You don't want to know about the way chickens are reared. It's all driven by money.
You think it doesn't happen here? Well, I feed my local foxes on well-known brands of dog food which I buy in major supermarkets. Quite often they walk right past the food and refuse to eat it. A friend has a cat that similarly ignores the tinned food she puts out. Why do you suppose that is?
Could it be that the carcasses of diseased farm animals are used for pet food? What else is in the processed food we buy? Start reading labels and see how much 'real' food you are getting, and how much is some form of corn derivative. And start taking notice of the conditions in which farm animals are kept before slaughter. You may never eat meat again.
So what can we do about it? Well, consider what happened to the tobacco industry. Laws were introduced to protect us from the effects of tobacco smoke because of people power. Buy organic food. Raise this as an issue at the General Election. Vote for those who promise to expose bad practices in food preparation.
You have the power. Time to use it.
Phillip
Very simply, it's a fine piece of investigative journalism on the misuse of power by the food industry in the US. Some of those practices almost certainly exist in Britain and the EU. They are doing you harm.
Two things, in particular, bothered me about the film's content. One, it revealed how much danger we are in from the way animals are factory-processed for our consumption. The other was the way that five or six major food corporations dominate the industry, exploiting and intimidating their suppliers (farmers) in a so-called free society.
On the first point, did you know that 'ground beef' (mince) prepared for commercial hamburgers seems to have contained every bit of the animal parts, including those you would throw away yourself? And did you know that cattle raised for beef stand all day in deep piles of their own manure, which is barely washed off when they are slaughtered, so that it affects (and even infects) the meat that goes on sale? And did you know that the millk you drink probably contains the pus from infected teats and traces of cow dung?
The film also told the story of a healthy young boy who ate a hamburger and was dead within 12 days. His mother has been campaigning for something to be done to prevent it happening again. E-coli is being bred into foodstuffs, and the food companies don't seem to care.
You don't want to know about the way chickens are reared. It's all driven by money.
You think it doesn't happen here? Well, I feed my local foxes on well-known brands of dog food which I buy in major supermarkets. Quite often they walk right past the food and refuse to eat it. A friend has a cat that similarly ignores the tinned food she puts out. Why do you suppose that is?
Could it be that the carcasses of diseased farm animals are used for pet food? What else is in the processed food we buy? Start reading labels and see how much 'real' food you are getting, and how much is some form of corn derivative. And start taking notice of the conditions in which farm animals are kept before slaughter. You may never eat meat again.
So what can we do about it? Well, consider what happened to the tobacco industry. Laws were introduced to protect us from the effects of tobacco smoke because of people power. Buy organic food. Raise this as an issue at the General Election. Vote for those who promise to expose bad practices in food preparation.
You have the power. Time to use it.
Phillip
Monday 15 February 2010
What is happening to Whom in Britain?
I was having dinner in San Diego with a retired English teacher, when he rather cleverly asked me, "What is happening to whom in England?" I knew he meant "What is happening to the use of the word 'whom'?" so I replied that it was hardly used at all, except incorrectly.
Here's an example: I contacted John Smith whom I believe is the man in charge. It's a common error, caused by the parenthetical phrase 'I believe'. Take out that phrase and you'll know it's right to say "who is the man in charge".
We continued talking about common mistakes in English, and exchanged notes on the following:
As a valued customer we can offer you ... Is the valued customer making the offer? Should have been "As you are a valued customer, we can offer you ..." or (better) "Because you are a valued customer ..."
Your alright. Should be You're all right. You're sounds like Your, but here it stands for You are. And 'all right' is the correct form, as two words. 'Alright' is one of those abuses that are gaining acceptance just because so many people use it.
Celebrating it's anniversary. The possessive form is 'its'. 'It's', with the apostrophe, means 'it is.'
Between 12pm and 1pm. There is no such time as 12p.m. Or 12 a.m. either. It is 12 noon or 12 midnight.
This mitigates against them recommending you. Some words are used in error instead of another word that sound similar. Mitigates means 'making less bad', so perhaps the speaker means 'militates', which means 'being a powerful factor in preventing something'.
XYZ ups the anti on driving skills. This is another example of the previous error. It should have been "ups the ante." The word means the bet a player makes when gambling (Latin for 'before').
He span around. The past tense of 'to spin' is 'spun'.
It was given to my friend and I. This is another version of 'between you and I'. Should be 'given to my friend and me'.
These common mistakes in English can result in the user being considered ill-educated, and create an unfavourable impression. Two excellent reference books on this topic are Usage and Abusage by Eric Partridge (Penguin) and The Right Word at the Right Time from Reader's Digest.
Phillip Khan-Panni
www.pkpcommunicators.com
Here's an example: I contacted John Smith whom I believe is the man in charge. It's a common error, caused by the parenthetical phrase 'I believe'. Take out that phrase and you'll know it's right to say "who is the man in charge".
We continued talking about common mistakes in English, and exchanged notes on the following:
As a valued customer we can offer you ... Is the valued customer making the offer? Should have been "As you are a valued customer, we can offer you ..." or (better) "Because you are a valued customer ..."
Your alright. Should be You're all right. You're sounds like Your, but here it stands for You are. And 'all right' is the correct form, as two words. 'Alright' is one of those abuses that are gaining acceptance just because so many people use it.
Celebrating it's anniversary. The possessive form is 'its'. 'It's', with the apostrophe, means 'it is.'
Between 12pm and 1pm. There is no such time as 12p.m. Or 12 a.m. either. It is 12 noon or 12 midnight.
This mitigates against them recommending you. Some words are used in error instead of another word that sound similar. Mitigates means 'making less bad', so perhaps the speaker means 'militates', which means 'being a powerful factor in preventing something'.
XYZ ups the anti on driving skills. This is another example of the previous error. It should have been "ups the ante." The word means the bet a player makes when gambling (Latin for 'before').
He span around. The past tense of 'to spin' is 'spun'.
It was given to my friend and I. This is another version of 'between you and I'. Should be 'given to my friend and me'.
These common mistakes in English can result in the user being considered ill-educated, and create an unfavourable impression. Two excellent reference books on this topic are Usage and Abusage by Eric Partridge (Penguin) and The Right Word at the Right Time from Reader's Digest.
Phillip Khan-Panni
www.pkpcommunicators.com
Monday 1 February 2010
Could this be why Murray lost?
The Times this morning is full of reports and analysis of the Australia Open and Andy Murray's failure to end a 74 drought of Grand Slam victories by a British male. One of the journalists wrote that Murray brought his A game but lost because he did not also bring his A service.
I think he was watching a different match from the one I saw.
In my view, Murray played reactive tennis -- a feature of his natural style. He seemed to be waiting for Federer to make an error, and when Federer played a soft slice, he responded with his own soft slice. Only in the third set, which he needed to win, did he come out and play with the kind of intensity that wins matches. He nearly won that set, and he played some of his best tennis in the tie break, when his motivation was finally at the right level.
So what can we learn from that?
Federer was in charge. He deployed his own resources, he dictated the plays, he made his opponent respond to what he was doing. Murray seldom took the initiative. He has the talent (the means), he has the technique (the method), but he fell short on motivation or mindset.
Means, method, mindset -- the 3Ms that provide the chance of success at the top.
I think he was watching a different match from the one I saw.
In my view, Murray played reactive tennis -- a feature of his natural style. He seemed to be waiting for Federer to make an error, and when Federer played a soft slice, he responded with his own soft slice. Only in the third set, which he needed to win, did he come out and play with the kind of intensity that wins matches. He nearly won that set, and he played some of his best tennis in the tie break, when his motivation was finally at the right level.
So what can we learn from that?
Federer was in charge. He deployed his own resources, he dictated the plays, he made his opponent respond to what he was doing. Murray seldom took the initiative. He has the talent (the means), he has the technique (the method), but he fell short on motivation or mindset.
Means, method, mindset -- the 3Ms that provide the chance of success at the top.
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