tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10700875822573914342024-03-12T18:37:06.275-07:00SpeakerCoachSpeaking for business and words that work. Let me help you find your focus and put your point across in a compelling way. And let's meet for copy.PKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-26914751469815605862011-04-20T23:41:00.000-07:002011-04-20T23:41:59.711-07:0015 Top Tips for Public SpeakingIt 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. If you have a speech or presentation to deliver, here are 15 tips to help dispel that anxiety by making sure you are well prepared.<br />
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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.<br />
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<b>Tip 1:</b> Imagine you are speaking just to me and answer this question: What do you want me to know?<br />
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<b>Tip 2:</b> Tell me why should I care about what you want me to know.<br />
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<b>Tip 3:</b> Why do I need to hear it from YOU? What's your special connection with the message?<br />
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<b>Tip 4</b>: Would you pay to hear YOU speak? If not, why not?<br />
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<b>Tip 5:</b> Record your voice and ask yourself and some close friends if your voice is attractive. If not, make changes.<br />
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<b>Tip 6:</b> What's your reason for speaking? Money? Influence? Ego? Passion? When you are clear about it you'll be more focused.<br />
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<b>Tip 7:</b> When you have credible answers to tips 1-6, write your Core Message (the 'carry away') in a single sentence. That's the message you should drive home when you speak.<br />
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<b>Tip 8:</b> Develop your message in 3 streams of argument or thought, e.g. Problem / Consequence / Solution.<br />
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<b>Tip 9:</b> Decide on your call to action. What do you want people to do when you have finished speaking?<br />
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<b>Tip 10:</b> Create an opening 'Hook' -- something unexpected or dramatic that grabs attention right at the start.<br />
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<b>Tip 11:</b> Write out and learn your opening and closing paragraphs. Just use prompts for the rest, to sound more natural.<br />
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<b>Tip 12:</b> Decide on the 'point of arrival' or climax of your speech or presentation and build up the energy to that point. Your second 'climax' should be at the end.<br />
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<b>Tip 13:</b> Practise in front of a mirror or camcorder. Watch your gestures and body language.<br />
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<b>Tip 14:</b> When you are confident of your text, answer (aloud) the questions in Tips 1-3.<br />
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<b>Tip 15:</b> Unless you are in a speech contest, don't try to give a world class performance. Just be sincere and passionate.<br />
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For more detailed help, go to www.pkpcommunicators.com or call <b>0845 165 9240</b> (local rates).<br />
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PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-10855177256349001312011-04-10T10:08:00.000-07:002011-04-10T10:08:36.582-07:00Got a Best Man speech to deliver?You stand up and call for silence. Someone taps a knife against a wine glass, and you realise it's you. Gradually the room falls silent. <br />
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Your throat is dry but the sweat drips off your forehead and your shirt is clinging to your back. There's a slow pounding in your head and your stomach is lurching around. The brilliant opening line that you crafted so carefully has fled from your memory and you yearn for someone to call you away to take an urgent telephone call.<br />
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In your hand is a bundle of papers which you are crushing with the tension that is gripping you and blurring your vision. You look down at them and realise they are the cards that everyone is expecting you to read out.<br />
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You start to speak, but all you can do is squeak. You open the first card and the rest slip from your hand, cascading to the floor. The room erupts in laughter and you twist around, looking for a bin into which you can throw up. And as you do so, you fall out of bed. <br />
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<b>It has all been a terrible dream, a nightmare, and possibly a recurrent one.</b><br />
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It is actually a fairly common nightmare, and its cause is simple: the fear of public speaking. It is well documented that one of the greatest fears of modern man is public speaking. <br />
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For some reason, people who may be fluent and confident in conversation will freeze in fear when they have to stand in the spotlight and deliver a speech, even if the audience consists of friends and family. <br />
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It can happen to anyone, even experienced speakers. To help you cope (and, by the way, this could apply to almost any speech), here’s a simple 8-step guide that will allow you to shine.<br />
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<b>Step 1: 10 Key Points </b><br />
Keep it simple. Just decide on 10 points to make. Any 10 that seem important. If you’re not sure how to do that, just list all the points you want to make and select the 10 most important. Decide which is the MOST important and call it No. 1. Then the next, and call it No. 2, and so on.<br />
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<b>Step 2: Brainstorm</b> <br />
Take 10 sheets of paper and at the top of each write one of the 10 key points. Then write all you can think of about that topic. Use bullet points rather than full sentences, and do as fast as you can, so that you build up a momentum. Do;t edit at this stage. Just put down whatever you think of.<br />
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<b>Step 3: Planning the Sequence</b> <br />
Here’s the interesting bit. Lay the 10 sheets of paper on the floor and decide which point you want to talk about first. Pick it up and place it at the top left hand corner of your space. Then decide on the next point you want to make and place it alongside the first. Keep going until all 10 are in position. Go to No.1 (top left hand spot) and talk it through quickly, then step to each point in turn, talking it through (“Next, I’ll say …”) and decide if the sequence feels right. If not, just change it. Once you are happy with the sequence, mark the 10 numbers at the top of the sheets, and gather them up in the order you have chosen.<br />
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<b>Step 4: Editing</b> <br />
Now you can edit. Go through each page in turn, and delete anything that does not fit.<br />
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<b>Step 5: First Draft</b> <br />
Following the editing process, you should write out the speech, to see how the ideas fit together. The read it out aloud, recording it if you can.<br />
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<b>Step 6: Rewrite </b><br />
A re-write is essential. Don’t fall in love with your brilliance. Any script can be improved. Any phrase that seems too long or hard to say when you read it aloud has to be changed.<br />
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<b>Step 7: Write a Hook </b><br />
What will you say or do at the start of your speech, to grab the attention of everyone there? It could be a joke (not advisable unless you are good at telling jokes) or something startling. Spend time on this. It will get you properly launched.<br />
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<b>Step 8: Speaker's Notes </b><br />
Finally, write your notes on 5 x 3 cards. Headlines and bullet points. Don’t write a full script that you then read out word for word. That’s boring, and will also make you lose eye contact with your audience.<br />
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One last bit of advice: <b>PRACTISE!</b><br />
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Best of luck.<br />
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PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-86614554893390310642011-04-07T00:01:00.000-07:002011-04-07T00:01:41.058-07:00Bad advertising will waste your moneyThere’s a lot of bad advertising about. If you copy it you will waste your money. Advertising is (or should be) salesmanship, pure and simple. Its function is to sell – to persuade its audience to accept the proposition and, eventually, to buy.<br />
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It is quite amazing that expensive ad agencies are turning out advertising that fails to follow the basic rules of selling, even ignoring that well-known maxim, WIIFM – what’s in it for me? Amazingly, it gets past a succession of people who should know better: from the copywriter to the creative head, to the account team and finally the advertising manager at the client end.<br />
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To see how it should be done, look at ‘direct response advertising’. It is designed to get immediate action, and its effectiveness can be readily measured. It has to answer three questions quickly: what is it, is it for me, how do I get it?<br />
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In other words, first tell me the proposition. What are you selling? Then make it relevant to me. Finally, tell me where, how and from whom I can get it. The supplier or retailer fits into the last part.<br />
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Yet, the current crop of TV commercials contains at least three that begin with the very same error. They all start with “At XYZ company we ...” And they are all big names, with big advertising budgets and a long history of advertising that should have guided their judgement. Here are their opening lines:<br />
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At Sainsbury’s all these ...<br />
At HSBC we can help ...<br />
At Wickes we know ...<br />
This last is made worse by the closing slogan, “It’s got our name on it.”<br />
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The focus of all these ads is on themselves. It presumes that each of those companies has such a presence in the market that the mere mention of their names will produce a Pavlovian response from well-conditioned customers. That amounts to self-congratulation – not a good basis for selling, especially in these tough times when traditional loyalties are already being tested.<br />
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Good copywriting follows the process of persuasion. And a good copywriter knows how to sell. If you’re looking for one, let’s meet for copy.<br />
Phillip@pkpcommunicators.comPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-32207440932301902602011-04-05T01:47:00.000-07:002011-04-05T01:47:20.938-07:00It's the upsell that I mindMy local post office is managed by an enterprising Indian family. One of their number is a very pretty young lady who attracted a lot of attention when she first appeared behind the counter. These days, the locals try to avoid being served by her.<br />
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One day recently, I heard the reason why. She was serving a pensioner, a man in his late 70s, and I heard him say, in a rather exasperated tone, “No, please, no selling. I don’t want any of that.”<br />
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If you buy a stamp from her, she asks if you’d like a mobile phone top-up. If you want to post a packet she tries to get you to take the most expensive option. It’s always upsell, upsell, upsell.<br />
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It’s the same when I order stationery on the phone. “We have a special offer this week for paper. We are offering 75 million reams for only 20p!” or some such pitch. It’s relentless.<br />
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Macdonalds are famous for their upsell: “Would like fries with that?” Starbucks ask “Medium or large?” when you order a coffee. Waitrose may price something at £3.55, but offer 2 for £5.<br />
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What really causes the offence is the self-centred focus. It comes across as pressure to spend more than you intended. And it’s so unnecessary.<br />
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Upselling is good. It helps the vendor and it could help the customer too. All it takes is a little thought and training in customer care.<br />
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The key question to address is, how does it benefit the customer? The girl in the post office could ask if there is anything else she could help with, or if it is important to guarantee delivery by the next morning. The stationery supplier could ask if I would like to save money on any of my regular purchases such as paper, Starbucks could say, “If you are planning to stay for a while, would you prefer a large cup?”<br />
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Some of their scripts are close to the right wording, but the staff haven’t been properly trained to understand how to put it across. Result? Strained relations instead of a developing relationship.<br />
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If you have a specific problem in customer care, I’d be happy to offer you my take on it, without fee. Just drop a line to <a href="admin@pkpcommunicators.com">admin@pkpcommunicators.com</a>.PKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-92100010336013520552011-04-02T07:54:00.000-07:002011-04-02T07:54:22.534-07:00A printer's approch to customer serviceLast September I came across a printer in LinkedIn and decided to give him a go, assuming him to be OK, as a fellow member of LinkedIn. As you do.<br />
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So although I did not yet need new business cards, I asked him to print some new ones for me, and sent his PA the artwork, for printing on front and back. The proofs were OK, and the cards were duly printed, and I paid through PayPal (for two sided printing)<br />
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I was still using up the old cards, so it was some time before I got around to opening the boxes and using the new cards, sending out quite a few in mailings.<br />
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One day I suddenly realised that the backs were blank.<br />
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I wrote on 21st January and 2nd February, but received no reply, and wrote again on 22nd February. On 1st March I received an email saying they would reprint the cards if I would return all the faulty cards.<br />
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If you have been following the narrative so far you will know that that was not possible, because (as I told them) I had already sent out quite a few.<br />
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At their request I returned all the cards I still had, leaving myself with no business cards at all.<br />
They refused to reprint the cards unless I returned all the 'faulty' ones (their inverted commas).<br />
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The Managing Director wrote to say, "We have attempted to speak to you on several occasions to discuss the situation." They did nothing of the sort.<br />
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Now, folks, we are talking about a total of £86.25 (including the cost of returning the faulty cards). Not big money, is it?<br />
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The correspondence has become increasingly heated, and on 28th March the man again wrote "I have clearly stated that we will replace them when we have received them ALL back from you. You have failed to do this."<br />
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He is right when he adds that I had plenty of time to inspect the cards when they were first delivered, but he has not produced the printing for which he was paid, and has placed an impossible condition on rectifying the error.<br />
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It's not an experience I would wish to repeat, and I'm sharing it with you in case you should ever place printing with this printer. Because you will have to check it very carefully as I clearly failed to do. I paid, didn't get what I paid for, and don't even have the faulty cards because I was asked to return them.<br />
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As an example of customer service, this takes the cake.<br />
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PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-59301956734657731642011-03-07T10:06:00.000-08:002011-03-07T10:06:23.748-08:00What makes a leader?It is commonly accepted that there are three main types of leader:<br />
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1. There is the <b>Great Man theory</b>, sometimes called the Trait theory. It is based on the belief that some people are born leaders. It’s in them. Wherever they are, whatever they do, they will be recognized as natural leaders.<br />
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2. Then there is the <b>Great Event theory</b>. Cometh the time, cometh the man. This is about major events bringing out the leader for that event. <b>Winston Churchill</b> was an example of Great Event leadership. He had been prominent in politics for a long time, but was not very popular. However, when things were going badly for Britain in the Second World War, although he was aged 65 at the time, he was asked to become Prime Minister. The Romans believed in Great Event leadership. In times of crisis they would appoint someone dictator with total power to sort out the problem. <b>Julius Caesar</b> was one example of that.<br />
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3. Finally, there is <b>Transformational Leadership theory</b>. This is based on the belief that leaders are made, not born. It is the most widely held theory, and it forms the basis for training in leadership skills.<br />
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Of course, there are leaders in our day to day lives, when there is no crisis or great event. Politicians and company directors, for example. Such leaders make decisions, provide guidance on procedures, on the law, on social behaviour, and formulate policies. I would call them <b>Transactional leaders</b>, because they deal in the everyday transactions of a society.<br />
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I have lilttle interest in them. I prefer <b>Transformational leaders</b>, because they are the people concerned with bringing about change. How they go about it, and how they connect with their followers, is the essence of <i>The Voice of Leadership</i>, which is one of the key training programmes in my portfolio.<br />
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Leadership can be developed, but it is not simply a technique that you can acquire, like learning to play the piano. It’s about who you are, what you know and what you do. Who you are means your beliefs and character. It’s about the essential you. Can you inspire trust and respect? I don’t think you can fake it. Anyone can bluff their way to admiration, but integrity has to be real.<br />
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You need to understand what leadership is, and how it affects those who are led. You need to recognise that the most important tool in a leader’s armoury is the right communication skill. As Churchill once said, "The difference between leadership and mere management is communication." And that <i>can</i> be taught.PKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-2578151959500173482011-03-06T07:21:00.000-08:002011-03-06T07:21:15.697-08:0011Leadership GuidelinesLeadership is about what you <b>be, know, and do</b>. Here are 11 guidelines that will help to establish or enhance your leadership abilities and communication: <br />
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1. <b>Know yourself and seek self-improvement</b>. In order to know yourself, you have to understand your "be, know, and do" attributes. Seeking self-improvement means continually strengthening your attributes. This can be accomplished through reading, self-study, classes, etc.<br />
2. <b>Be technically proficient</b>. As a leader, you must know your job thoroughly and have a solid familiarity with your employees' jobs as well.<br />
3. <b>Seek responsibility</b> and take responsibility for your actions. Search for ways to guide your organisation to new heights. And when things go wrong, as they will sooner or later, do not blame others. Analyse the situation, take corrective action, and move on to the next challenge. That's the mark of a good leader.<br />
4. <b>Make sound and timely decisions</b>. Use good problem solving, decision making, and planning tools. If necessary, get training.<br />
5. <b>Set the example</b>. Be a good role model for your employees. They must not only hear what they are expected to do, but also see. You know the saying, Monkey see, monkey do.<br />
6. <b>Know your people</b> and look out for their well-being. Know human nature and the importance of sincerely caring for your workers.<br />
7. <b>Keep your people informed</b>. Know how to communicate with your people, seniors, and other key people within the organization. Work on your presentation skills.<br />
8. <b>Develop a sense of responsibility</b> in your people. Develop good character traits within your people that will help them carry out their professional responsibilities and encourage them to take charge of what they do, and not wait to be told.<br />
9. <b>Ensure that tasks are understood</b>, supervised, and accomplished. Communication is the key to this responsibility.<br />
10. <b>Train your people as a team</b>. Although many so called leaders call their organization, department, section, etc. a team; they are not really teams...they are just a group of people doing their jobs. Everyone needs training.<br />
11. <b>Use the full capabilities</b> of your organization. By developing a team spirit, you will be able to employ your organization, department, section, etc. to its fullest capabilities.<br />
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If you want to discuss this further, call me.<br />
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PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-74406857536263948942011-03-03T08:29:00.000-08:002011-03-03T08:29:40.824-08:00Can we afford to lose our sole traders?Unemployment is officially now at nearly 2.5 million (7.9%), but that’s not the full story. Many thousands more are without work. They are not on the dole figures and they don’t as yet cost the nation any quantifiable cash, but there is a cost, a significant one, that may be hard to define, but which will be felt in the very near future. These are the self-employed, the folks who decided to ‘go it alone’ or ‘get on their bikes’ and set up rafts of micro businesses. Many are facing ruin.<br />
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A micro business is, typically, a one-man band – trainers, journalists, freelance salesmen, home helps, mobile mechanics, plumbers, electricians, management consultants, among many more. They have worked on the fringes of mainstream business, mopping up spare capacity, often providing lower cost alternatives to better-known corporates. For many of them, work has dried up and they are, in fact if not officially, currently jobless.<br />
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<b>Any official help?</b><br />
There was a summit in Glasgow on the effects of the economic downturn, designed ‘to better support individuals and business facing hardship due to the economic downturn’. It brought together the Minister of State for Welfare Reform, the Education Minister, and representatives of various trade unions and others. That was two years ago. Since then what has happened?<br />
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At about the same time, a Think Tank called Race on the Agenda concerned itself with the effects of the downturn on minorities. Racial minorities. Mervyn King has spoken of the mounting misery in households facing the biggest decline in their living standards since the 1920s. But spare a thought for two groups whose misery is even more palpable: middle class dole claimants and the self-employed who have no work.<br />
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<b>No one is immune</b><br />
Talk to a former middle manager who has had to clear his desk and surrender his gleaming company car. In the good times, he mortgaged himself to the hilt and entertained at home, living up to the image of a successful businessman. Now, aged 50 or more, he has little prospect of a job. When his savings dry up, he’ll wonder whether he should stack shelves in the supermarket or offer to do odd jobs like painting and decorating – anything to bring in some cash. Some even take up mini-cabbing. A colleague of mine called for a minicab one evening and was embarrassed when the man who turned up used to be his senior in previous years, a man he used to call Sir.<br />
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It’s pretty much the same for the sole trader whose work has dried up. Competition is fierce for whatever work there is, and price cutting is sharp. Everyone is uncertain where the point of balance lies – the point at which they are disregarded because they are too cheap and therefore cannot be any good.<br />
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The real cost is to self esteem. When you sit at your desk all day, every day, trying to market yourself and no one buys, you rapidly start to doubt yourself. One new business getter for management consultants, wondered if he had any value in the market place. He started to describe himself as a one-trick pony that no one wants. As one who has made and lost a fortune in the past, he has what it takes, and he’s a highly skilled wheeler-dealer, but he was last seen looking for a job. Back in full-time employment.<br />
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Sadly, it’s a vicious spiral. When work stops coming through the door, you have to swallow your pride and go looking for it. But you are already feeling rejected by the market and past customers, so you put off writing those prospecting letters or picking up the phone. Fear of rejection is a paralysing force. And when you are working as a sole trader, there is no one to bolster you, remind you of your strengths, encourage you to keep trying.<br />
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<b>Huge fund of potential</b><br />
The number of people in this situation is very large. In 1999, there were 3.7m firms in Britain. Two thirds of them were sole traders. By 2007, that proportion had risen to three quarters of the 4.5 million firms. It was just before the start of the economic slowdown and the drying up of credit, and those 3.3 million sole operators turned over a massive £1,440 billion. <br />
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That’s a considerable amount of wealth creation, even if it is not mainstream. It derives from a huge bank of energy, drive and creativity. The more successful ones go on to create jobs and build larger firms. They are known as entrepreneurs. Steve Jobs of Apple, Bill Gates of Microsoft and Sir Richard Branson are examples of sole traders turned entrepreneur. In the current economic wilderness, such people are a threatened breed.<br />
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Why are they important? Because their drive comes from doing the things they love, and that’s so much more important than just doing a job for a salary. Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to do what you love.” We need people who do great work. Sole traders are, in effect, CEOs -- men and women with the drive, tenacity and creativity to solve problems and deliver successful outcomes rather than going through the motions.<br />
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Can the nation afford to lose them?PKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-81019508288976972142011-02-16T10:43:00.000-08:002011-02-16T10:43:59.099-08:00We speak the way we thinkSome years ago I was Senior Copywriter at The Reader's Digest. And yes, we did spend a lot of time discussing the positioning of the apostrophe in Reader's.<br />
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One of my colleagues, Donald, was an Art Director in the Creative Department. Donald had an extraordinary way with words. Some of our colleagues would stuff a hankie into their mouths, with eyes streaming with tears of mirth, and rush into another office to write down some of the things he said.<br />
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Donald ranked with Spooner, Mrs Malaprop and Sam Goldwyn in his mangling of language.<br />
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He developed MS and, to raise some funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and with his permission, we published a small book of Donald's collected sayings, under the title, "My Pear Tree Has Gone Bananas". If you ever got your hands on a copy, you'd have found it was "right up your cup of tea", as Donald himself once said.<br />
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When he struggled with powerful emotions, Don would mix his metaphors. Here are a few:<br />
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* This job is a right swine of a cow<br />
* It's always better talking to the horse's mouth<br />
* There was a little rat on the door<br />
* I'm caught between the devil and the frying pan<br />
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Donald liked his food, and was heard to say:<br />
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* Can I have the Halibut Provencale without the garlic?<br />
* I'll have fillet of sole off the bone.<br />
* I can't even remember what I had for lunch yesterday; it all goes in one ear and out the other<br />
* He comes around here and picks up all the crumbs that make up the cream<br />
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Asked about his illness, Don said:<br />
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* It's all to do with the spine ... because the legs are connected to the body, and the arms are connected to the head<br />
* My legs felt like solid jelly<br />
* I feel like death rolled up<br />
* My doctor said I'm not as young as I should be<br />
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Feeling the need for emphasis, he would say:<br />
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* I don't exaggerate, I do six million jobs at once<br />
* Five tenths of an inch is an inch in my language<br />
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When I coach people in the best ways to get their point across, I still remember Don calling it a disastrous success and asking, How long is a carrot?<br />
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He spoke the way he thought. Right up his cup of tea.<br />
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PKPPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-71600692766531777442011-02-14T15:58:00.000-08:002011-02-14T15:59:53.441-08:00How to handle rejection in salesA lot of people consider selling to be a confrontational conversion, lightly smeared with honey to make it seem agreeable. There are two reasons for that: first, the sales person wants to win, and second, the prospect wants to retain both his money and his pride.<br />
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Now, of course this does not happen in every sale, but it can be considered a typical model. Elements of the confrontation could quite easily enter any sale.<br />
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The second reason is that the sales person is scared of rejection. As you know, fear of loss or pain is a much more powerful motivator than the prospect of gain. Rejection brings loss of face - a concept not restricted to Orientals.<br />
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To avoid rejection, the sales person needs a <b>protective strategy</b>.<br />
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Some adopt a tough attitude, placing themselves in the dominant role, and the prospect in the role of supplicant. This old-fashioned macho approach is doomed to failure in the long run. Even short term gains may quickly be reversed with cancellations at the first opportunity.<br />
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Even the prospect wants to save face!<br />
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If you are selling, you need to build into your preparation a fall-back position. What is the least you will settle for if you don't get the sale?<br />
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It could be something as simple as an introduction to another prospect, or even another appointment in three months' time. It could be a referral to someone else. Viewed in the context of a new relationship, an immediate sale is not the only objective.<br />
<br />
Work out what you will accept as an alternative to your main objective and you will be able to walk out with your tail up. Selling is hard, and no one can endure repeated rejections without being affected.<br />
<br />
So protect yourself. Plan your fall-back position and give yourself another chance to feel good about the encounter.<br />
<br />
PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-2957184931935905332011-02-13T14:06:00.000-08:002011-02-13T14:06:54.374-08:00The eloquence of a celebrity handshakeBefore the Scotland-Wales rugby match on Saturday, when Princess Anne was introduced to the teams, her handshake technique was very different from that adopted by Ireland's President, Mary MacAleese on Sunday. It spoke eloquently in body language.<br />
<br />
Mary MacAleese went along the line quickly, keeping her right arm extended as she briefly shook each person's hand in turn. In effect, it was one handshake, shared by each person in the line. It signalled that she was moving on.<br />
<br />
Princess Anne did it differently. After each handshake, she returned her arm to her side, making a fresh gesture for each person. It signalled that she was greeting each person afresh, giving that person his own share of her attention and time. It was superb!<br />
<br />
When a dignitary keeps the arm extended, simply moving it along to the next person in the line, the contact is almost meaningless. In body language terms, it is superficial, a hello-goodbye, even if though I'm certain it was not her intention, because Mary MacAleese is a gracious lady.<br />
<br />
What Princess Anne did, the way she returned her arm to her side each time, was a mark of politeness and respect, and very good manners. It was a fine example of the right body language, and I'm sure each person felt a significant contact with her, however briefly.<br />
<br />
Gestures, even small ones, are the unspoken language that can sometimes add so much meaning to the spoken word.<br />
<br />
PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-31755767988193050662011-02-13T01:36:00.000-08:002011-02-13T01:36:03.478-08:00Anorchidism: another *recent* affliction?Last evening, my Barbershop group, The Kentones, gave a fund-raising concert at Petts Wood, in support of a charity called the <b>Anorchidism Support Group</b>. What, I hear you ask, is Anorchidism?<br />
<br />
It's a rare condition that people find hard to talk about. It's the absence of testes in boys.<br />
<br />
It's embarrassiing for the parents and, in later life, for the boys themselves. Treatment involves injections of testerone in early life, and gels or creams in adulthood. The Support Group was set up in the UK in 1995, because parents of the affected children did not know where to get help or reassurance (other than medical). They felt isolated and even guilty.<br />
<br />
All this suggests that the condition is relatively new. It is still not known what causes it.<br />
<br />
I am therefore inclined to ask, is this a recent affliction caused by the environmental changes that Man has brought about? We already know about plastic migrating into our food, and oestrogen in the water supply. And remember Thalidomide?<br />
<br />
Is Anorchidism another consequence of our misuse of chemicals or some other abuse of our environment?<br />
<br />
PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-49959634213540095652011-02-08T03:05:00.000-08:002011-02-08T03:05:30.763-08:00Books I no longer finishI am an avid reader and often have several books on the go at the same time. In the past I used to struggle on, to finish them all, no matter how long it took, as though I were the Mastermind quiz master (I've started so I'll finish). But a few years ago I decided not to finish reading A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, because I found it hard going, and it was far too long. I felt a little guilty, because he's from Calcutta, and so am I.<br />
<br />
Soon after that decision, I met up with a schoolmate, who had also lived in Calcutta, and inevitably he asked me if I had read the book. When I told him of my decision, he gave a deep sigh of relief and confessed that he had also been unable to finish reading the book.<br />
<br />
Since then I have given up on a number of books. I no longer feel an obligation to struggle to the end. Although I am still reluctant to throw out any book, I place a post-it note inside stating my decision, and replace it on the shelf upside down so that I know to avoid reading it again.<br />
<br />
Like most people, I have some books that I bought because I thought I should read them but never got around to doing so, and probably never will. Books such as the one about motorcycle maintenance and the one about the history of time. I like biographies, and bought books about or by such luminaries as Sven Goran Eriksson and David Frost, but lost the inclination to read beyond the Introductions. And then there' s a book that gives equal weight on the spine to Arnold Bennett and Margaret Drabble, so I am uncertain who wrote about whom, and can't be bothered to find out.<br />
<br />
I read quite fast and, when absorbed, will make the time to read the current book at every opportunity, but these days I'm prepared to be ruthless and set aside the tome that fails to grip.<br />
<br />
What's more, I no longer feel guilty.PKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-80797928854359275892010-12-10T01:51:00.000-08:002010-12-10T01:51:26.054-08:00Common Culture ClashesWe 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 (<a href="http://www.pkpcommunicators.com">www.pkpcommunicators.com</a>) I help people to identify why and how people from other cultures behave differently. Here are 10 of the most common flashpoints.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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."<br />
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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'.<br />
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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.<br />
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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 ..."<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.PKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-28797736331468970512010-11-29T06:44:00.000-08:002010-11-29T06:44:07.385-08:00!5 Top Tips for Public SpeakingIt 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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Tip 1: Imagine you are speaking just to me and answer this question: What do you want me to know?<br />
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Tip 2: Why should I care about what you want me to know?<br />
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Tip 3: Why do I need to hear it from YOU? What's your special connection with the message?<br />
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Tip 4: Would you pay to hear YOU speak?<br />
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Tip 5: Record your voice and ask yourself and some close friends if your voice is attractive.<br />
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Tip 6: What's your reason for speaking? Money? Influence? Ego? Passion? Just be clear about it.<br />
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Tip 7: When you have credible answers to tips 1-6, write your Core Message (the 'carry away') in a single sentence.<br />
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Tip 8: Develop your message in 3 streams of argument or thought, e.g. Problem / Consequence / Solution.<br />
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Tip 9: Decide on your call to action. What do you want people to do when you have finished speaking?<br />
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Tip 10: Create an opening 'Hook' -- something unexpected or dramatic that grabs attention right at the start.<br />
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Tip 11: Write out and learn your opening and closing paragraphs. Just use prompts for the rest, to sound more natural.<br />
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Tip 12: Decide on the 'point of arrival' or climax of your speech or presentation and build up the energy to that point.<br />
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Tip 13: Practise in front of a mirror or camcorder. Watch your gestures and body language.<br />
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Tip 14: When you are confident of your text, answer (aloud) the questions in Tips 1-3.<br />
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Tip 15: Unless you are in a speech contest, don't try to give a world class performance. Just be sincere and passionate.<br />
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For more detailed help, go to <a href="http://www.pkpcommunicators.com">www.pkpcommunicators.com</a> or call <b>0845 165 9240</b> (local rates).<br />
<br />
PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-74796029970332974072010-11-24T02:24:00.000-08:002010-11-24T02:25:25.242-08:00When you are chasing paymentIn 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:<br />
<br />
• We thank you for your valued custom<br />
• Failure to settle your account could result in suspension of service<br />
• Your account is delinquent<br />
• If you have paid within the past 7 days please ignore this letter and we apologise for troubling you<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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<b>Copywriters</b> 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.<br />
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<b>Credit control</b> 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.<br />
<br />
When I was <b>Senior Copywriter at Reader's Digest</b>, 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
So my advice to all credit control departments is to integrate their communications with the marketing efforts. And employ a copywriter.<br />
<br />
PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-55134964446813940132010-11-12T02:37:00.000-08:002010-11-12T02:37:06.441-08:00Get more from those networking meetingsIf you are reading this, you have indicated an interest in Networking. But are you getting enough from the process?<br />
<br />
Let’s start with what you bring to the party. First, can you state your own USP in 10 words or less?<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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Here’s my own USP in under 10 words: <i>I can help you get your point across convincingly</i>. 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.<br />
<br />
There’s more. I have put my ideas in a brief e-book called “<i>Getting More from Networking Meetings</i>”. Send me an email with Networking in the subject line and I’ll email you a pdf of the book. Free of charge.<br />
<br />
Please also write <b>Yes please</b> if you will allow me to send you relevant information on verbal communication from time to time.<br />
<br />
PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-85042795492762702052010-11-11T04:36:00.000-08:002010-11-11T04:36:34.111-08:0018 Top Tips for CopywritingCopywriting is much more than joined-up writing. It's the skill of persuasion in print.<br />
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Whether you do your own copywriting or get someone else to do it for you, here are 18 things you need to know.<br />
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1. Write headlines that offer the main benefit clearly. Don't try to be smart, clever or tricksy. Or even 'intriguing'.<br />
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2. The public is not your market. It contains your market. So allow readers to decide quickly if you are speaking to them.<br />
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3. Advertising is selling in print. If it doesn't sell, it isn't good advertising.<br />
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4. Your advertising is a salesman. A mediocre salesman affects only part of your business. Mediocre advertising affects it all.<br />
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5. Put your prospect into your headline, e.g. MEN! Can you grip spare flesh around your waist?<br />
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6. Make your headline specific, e.g. Here's a 7-step low-cost way to double sales.<br />
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7. Don't hide behind facts. They are neutral until they have been interpreted. Then they become information.<br />
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8. Follow the sequence of persuasion. AIDA usually works. That's Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.<br />
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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?<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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12: Use a 2-line subhead under the headline to increase readership. The subhead extends the promise of the headline.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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18: Avoid long words. Do a character count, and take an average. You should average under 5 characters per word for plain speaking.<br />
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Above all, remember these three things about copywriting:<br />
1. You need to persuade, so follow the disciplines of persuasion<br />
2. Use the language of the common man<br />
3. It's good only if it sells<br />
<br />
PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-610256010117615322010-10-06T11:46:00.000-07:002010-10-06T11:46:06.080-07:00What the Chancellor could (and should) have said<i>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:</i><br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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Sarah Robertson is a symbol of the state this country is in, and we need to follow her example.<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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?<br />
<br />
Phillip (0845 165 9240)PKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-69995658910093255152010-09-09T03:15:00.000-07:002010-09-09T03:24:33.342-07:00The start of the Saatchi storyForty years ago this Sunday, the Saatchi brothers announced their arrival on the advertising scene with a full page ad in The Sunday Times.<br />
<br />
It aroused attention for three reasons:<br />
<br />
1. Ad agencies didn't advertise themselves in those days<br />
2. Layout: there was a headline and two solid columns of type. No pics.<br />
3. The ad criticised the failure of a cigarette ad in colour<br />
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The headline ran: <b>Why it's time for a new kind of advertising</b>, 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.<br />
<br />
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: <b>Yes it <i>is</i> time for a new kind of advertising</b>.<br />
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It appeared in The Evening Standard the following Friday under my own name.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
In a sense, I suppose I had helped their cause by extending interest in their launch ad. I wonder if they remember.<br />
<br />
PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-80676729994161447842010-08-30T02:07:00.000-07:002010-08-30T02:07:48.717-07:00Sounding 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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?<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-48746925999300768792010-08-18T05:08:00.001-07:002010-08-18T05:08:41.605-07:00Is 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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Les says, "I didn't say anything. I just walked around for a bit, then I said, "Surprise!"<br />
<br />
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."<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-1809812429423107072010-07-25T04:48:00.000-07:002010-07-25T04:48:04.047-07:00Our doubts are traitorsI think we can learn a lot about ourselves from the way we perform in sport.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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?<br />
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Why didn't I just have a go and see what results it produced?<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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?<br />
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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.<br />
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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:<br />
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<i>Our doubts are traitors<br />
And make us lose the good we oft might win<br />
By fearing to attempt.</i><br />
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PKPPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-47270808004465970692010-07-20T08:40:00.001-07:002010-07-20T08:40:50.968-07:00Who 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Who was speaking for Specsavers?<br />
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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."<br />
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Would you give them any business?<br />
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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."<br />
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Who was speaking for the company?<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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?<br />
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PhillipPKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070087582257391434.post-27768631053833881542010-07-05T08:24:00.000-07:002010-07-05T08:24:00.125-07:006-point plan for the brand that's YouIn 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.<br />
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Here's a 6-point plan for getting ahead of the pack.<br />
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<b>1. Know what you do - for others</b>. 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.<br />
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<b>2. Identify a pain that you can remove.</b> 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.<br />
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<b>3. Do something right.</b> 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.<br />
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<b>4. Mix with the right people.</b> 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.<br />
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<b>5. Drop the toxic folk.</b> 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.<br />
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<b>6. Project your one defining benefit.</b> 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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So my focus is: <b>Words that Work.</b><br />
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What's yours?PKPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643595874821951560noreply@blogger.com0