Booher BanterYour Resource for the best ideas to improve communications skills.

Evidently, salespeople need to speak plain prose rather than "slick" English if they plan to be successful, according to sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer, whose weekly column is carried in a bazillion business journals across the country. (Check out your local business journal if you don’t already read his column:  Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Moves.)

When I read his August 27 column, I discovered that he’d excerpted and featured my list of cliched words and phrases that creep into sales lingo all too often:

• No brainer (meaning if you don’t see it as clearly as I do, you’re off your rocker)
• Enhancement (an improvement too insignificant to charge for but worth touting; often confused with body parts)
• Value-added (anything you can’t charge for because the client doesn’t value it enough to pay for it)
• Incent (prodding people with money, freebies, coupons—whatever it takes to get them to do something they’re not inclined to do on their own)
• Core competencies (as opposed to core incompetencies?)
• Initiatives (long, long ago, they were called goals and plans)
• Thought leaders (as opposed to those who lead the unthinking morons?)
• Optimization (the process of making things better and better—as in cooking, flying, making love, making stealth missiles, making movies, building skyscrapers, counting votes, applying makeup, charting sea turtles)
• Solution (solid dissolved in a liquid or a mathematical proof hidden inside all products and services now offered by all corporations around the world)
• Alignment (identifying where the rubber doesn’t meet the road in goals that are supposed to be running parallel to yours)
• Deliverables (paperboys and girls used to ride bikes and carry these)
• Rightsizing (Nordstrom does this free of charge if the clothes are pricey enough)
• Moral clarity (when you decide you can’t get away with something without being fined or jailed)
• Impactful (newly coined term meaning packed full of potential to be hard-hitting—in the mind, heart, pocketbook, gut, mouth)
• Robust (fat, wealthy, expensive, complex, healthy, meaningful, deep, feisty; can be applied to people, philosophy, technology, equipment, training, strategy, food, religion, research, vegetation, medicine, light bulbs, laughter, beer)
• Branding (making livestock so it doesn’t get lost or stolen; marking dead stock in inventory that hasn’t sold in years with a new “look and feel” so that it finds its way to market again)
• Methodologies (in more primitive times, this was methods or the way you do something)
• Technologies (yet undiscovered wizardry from the netherworld)
• Bandwidth (refers to anything you want to limit, as in “that’s outside our bandwidth”)
• Seamless (meaning, I don’t know where the heck my job ends and yours starts, so we can pass the buck if necessary)
• Platform (horizontal structure that supports all systems, people, brands, and philosophies)

(Source:  The Voice of Authority:  10 Communication Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know. McGraw-Hill, June, 2007)

In the column, “Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Moves:  Plain talk makes sales; fancy talk makes you sound lame,” he advises his readers to consider that the sales jargon and industry buzzwords meant to impress can have adverse effects on the bottom line.

If you’re feeling a little sheepish at this point, shape up.  Switch to a sincere, straightforward—not sleek—speaking style.  Gitomer agrees.

Click here to read the article in Crain’s Detroit Business.

Click here to visit Jeffrey Gitomer’s site.

Posted at 7:45am in Communication—Sales | Permalink | Add Comment » |

I spoke with Dan Kennedy for the Insights column of NetSpeed Fast Tracks (www.netspeedfasttracks.com), and focused on communication tactics for day-to-day workplace and leadership success.

We covered topics such as the power of complete information, unspoken conflict, and personal presence.

You can listen to the entire interview—less than 10 minutes—or listen segment-by-segment, by clicking the link below.

Click here to listen.

Posted at 8:50am in Communication—Interpersonal, General Communication, Personal Productivity | Permalink | Add Comment » |

Tariq Zohair, from Karachi, Pakistan, recently reached me at askdianna@booher.com and asked this question: “How can we open closed minds—people who do not want to listen to any arguments or logic?” I’ve been spending several blogs tackling this problem since there are so many ways to deal with people who are difficult to reason with. (For Tips 1-9, check out past blogs from July.)

10) Invite others to try on your idea.

How many times have you heard the lament, “If I could just get the boss to try it, she’d like it.” That’s why we get toothpaste, cereal, and soap in the mail. A parent says, “If I could just get Johnny to go to the party, I know he’d have a good time.” The professor says, “If I could just get the students to read poetry, I know they’d like it.” The car salesperson says, “If I could just get people to come in for a test drive, I know they’d be sold.”

The same is true with ideas. People can’t try new ideas on over old ones. Have you ever tried a new suit of clothes on while wearing the old one? You have to persuade people to throw away the old policy, procedure, or machine—at least for a time—for them to give the new policy, procedure, or equipment a fair trial. To persuade others to try on the new idea, you have to let them play with the idea first—discuss what-ifs, who-withs, where-necessarys, whys, and how-tos. Only then will they really put on the idea and wear it awhile.

11) State quantifiable facts rather than opinions.

Studies do show that people give credence to people who take the time to back up what they’re saying with hard facts and data. Yes, initial impressions count, but hard evidence counts most of all. For things you find difficult to measure and quantify, come up with an estimation. But don’t pick a number out of the air. Be prepared to share your logic behind the number. Be straightforward that your numbers are estimates and share your rationale behind them.

Notice the difference in impact and authority in these statements: “We spent $82,000 from February to October on temporary staff in the Operations and Accounting departments” versus “We’ve spent a lot of money on temporary staff this year” or “Hyong completed his project three months earlier than his deadline and $50,000 under budget. The customer gave him the highest satisfaction rating we’ve received in our six years work with that company” versus “Hyong deserves a raise—he’s dependable and customers respect his work.”

Posted at 10:12am in Communication—Interpersonal, Communication—Sales | Permalink | Add Comment » |

Do I have any Dr. Laura listeners out there?

If you tune in to the show today, you’ll hear Dr. Laura reference my new book, The Voice of Authority: 10 Communication Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know, as her giveaway promotion of the day to the first 50 listeners who respond. (Check her site or listen online at www.DrLaura.com.)

With an audience reportedly approaching 18 million, I’m hoping the show generates a strong "buzz" about how people and organizations really CAN communicate better using the 10 communication guidelines detailed in the book.

• Is it correct?
• Is it complete?
• Is it clear?
• Is it purposefully unclear?
• Is it consistent?
• Are you credible?
• Are you concerned and connected?
• Is it current?
• Does your communication make you look competent?
• Is it circular?

If you haven’t yet considered The Voice of Authority for your own library, visit www.booherdirect.com and click on the gold book cover. I welcome your feedback on the book and any communication challenges you would like to share for discussion.

Posted at 10:39am in Publishing Keys | Permalink | Add Comment » |

I spoke with Lee Mirabal on Friday, August 3, for Biz Radio Magazine and outlined the 10 strategies that comprise my latest book, The Voice of Authority: 10 Communication Strategies Every Leader Needs to Know.

We took about 14 minutes to cover all ten topics, and you can listen to the interview in its entirety by clicking on the link below.

Listen to Interview
(Click on Segment 3 in the right-hand column of the linked page.)

Posted at 10:44am in General Communication | Permalink | Add Comment » |

I just returned from the annual meeting of the Speakers Roundtable—a group of 20 top speakers in the nation.  (Pardon me for a little plug here, but you may want to visit the website to select a great speaker for your next event.  In fact, I’ll make it even easier for you.  Below this blog, you’ll find a list of the impressive members of the group, along with their individual websites.)

The reason I mention this event is that, without a doubt, this was one of the best meetings we’ve ever convened, thanks to the power of the programming format and the expert facilitation skills of my colleague, Bill Bachrach. So I thought I’d remind you of some facilitation skills everyone could stand to brush up on when preparing to lead a meeting:

Provide Only a General Agenda

When you provide a specific topic outline, you limit your flexibility if you decide to alter your timetable to adjust to the interests of your group, to accept new issues raised by the group, or to accommodate other unexpected situations. Additionally, some people feel cheated that you did not cover certain points listed on the agenda. You often will receive comments and questions such as, “You skipped the part about X—what about that? It says here that you planned to cover that.”

Instead, select one of these options:

1. List broad topic areas only, omitting all references to timing.
2. Use a graphic design that omits any semblance of chronology.

Involve Your Group Early

Groups become set in their moods early. Signal your expectations clearly upfront to create an atmosphere of “we’re in this together to make our time together beneficial.” By instructing group members to “Turn to the person on your left and give a 30-second description of your part in the project,” you add variety and a personal touch to your overview.

Ask a Variety of Question Types to Achieve
Different Purposes

Relay questions: “That’s a good question, Carlita. Thanks for bringing up that issue. Anybody have experience with that kind of situation?”

Direct questions: “Michael, how would you respond to that issue if it came up in your area?”

Open questions: “What are some of the changes you expect to see in the next six months?”

Closed questions: “Do you expect any pushback from clients on that policy?”

The stir: “The marketing group says that it is too expensive for the number of leads generated. The sales group loves the idea. The regional managers are undecided. So I’m bringing the idea directly to this committee. What are your thoughts on our chances for success with this campaign?”

Always give careful consideration to how you phrase questions.

Keep Discussions Relevant

You are responsible for reigning in ramblers and strong personalities. You walk a fine line between inviting interaction, adjusting the time, controlling key input from audience members who may disagree, and unraveling the entire coherence of a presentation. Your key measuring stick is relevancy.  Relevancy. 

Format and facilitation often dictate outcome.   Toss creative minds and dynamic personalities into the mix, and you have a powerful force to propel your career to the next level.

————-

(Okay, now back to what I promised:  Here are the websites of this most prestigious Speakers Roundtable group of business speakers—experts on marketing, sales, communication, customer service, and other inspirational and personal development topics.)

Dr. Tony Alessandra, Ph.D., CSP, CPAE    www.alessandra.com
Bill Bachrach, CSP    www.billbachrach.com
Dianna Booher, MA, CSP, CPAE    www.booher.com
Ty Boyd, CSP, CPAE    www.tyboyd.com
Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE    www.cathcart.com
Danny Cox, CSP, CPAE    www.dannycox.com
Roger Crawford, CPAE    www.rogercrawford.com
Bert Decker, CSP, CPAE    www.deckercommunications.com
Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE    www.fripp.com
Art Holst, CPAE    www.artholst.com
Don Hutson, CSP, CPAE    www.donhutson.com
Charlie Jones, CPAE    www.tremendousjones.com
Peter Legge, MA, CSP, CPAE, LLD (HON)    www.peterlegge.com
Giovanni Livera    www.giovanniexperiences.com
Scott McKain, CSP, CPAE    www.scottmckain.com
Terry Paulson, Ph.D., CSP, CPAE    www.terrypaulson.com
Charlie Plumb, Navy Cpt. (ret.)    www.charlieplumb.com
Nido R. Qubein, CSP, CPAE    www.nidoqubein.com
Naomi Rhode, CSP, CPAE    www.smarthealth.com
Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE    www.marksanborn.com
Mark Scharenbroich, CSP, CPAE    www.markthespeaker.com
Dr. Jim Tunney, CSP, CPAE    www.jimtunney.com
Thom Winninger, CSP, CPAE    www.winninger.com

Posted at 4:04pm in General Communication | Permalink | 1 Comment |

I’m continuing to answer a question I recently received at askdianna@booher.com from Tariq Zohair in Karachi, Pakistan: “How can we open closed minds–people who do not want to listen to any arguments or logic?” There are many different ways to tackle this problem, so I’ll spend a few weeks doling out some tips on how to get through to people who can’t be reasoned with.

7) Calculate the minimum gain you would need to justify investing time or money in your idea. 

Many ideas languish on the table of indecision because we can’t calculate “the hard dollars.” If we invest in training our salespeople to write better proposals at a cost of $X, what will be the payoff? Do we keep track of how many more deals they close after the proposal-writing course? But what if the price of the product they’re selling rises or a competitor changes the marketplace drastically? How do they pinpoint with certainty that better proposals alone will make the difference in their sales volume? We face such issues daily.

When it’s difficult to quantify savings or gain in time or money on a new idea, consider what the minimum time or dollar savings would need to be to make the idea worthwhile. What if the training resulted in our improved proposal that won the $12 million contract with Universal, Inc.?

Getting people to agree on a minimum is easier than getting them to agree on a valid, “real” number.

Credit other people for their sound reasoning. 

Position yourself as an ally of anyone who thinks clearly. When people bring up opposing views, question them about the basis of the views. Understand their reasoning and let them know you understand that reasoning. Only with “we’re in this together” positioning will you overcome the feeling of “us” against “them.”

9) Recognize that people support what they help create. 

Rally support for your ideas in a subtle way by asking people to contribute to them. Tell them what you’re about, what your goal is; then set about asking for their thinking on the subject before you put together your formal presentation of the idea to the entire group. What figures, resources, or anecdotes can they supply for you? If this plan meets with opposition, what do they think the focus of that disagreement likely will be? If others react negatively, what would they suggest you try as second best?

The White House uses this strategy in building support for major legislation in Congress. They seek out the facts, the opposing views, and the supporting views before the vote, not during.

Posted at 7:59am in Communication—Interpersonal | Permalink | Add Comment » |