“What are you spending now on dry cleaning the uniforms?” Follow-up: “This new fabric doesn’t need to be dry-cleaned at all.” Raise a question: “How much time do your engineers spend in preparing these charts each month?” Follow-up: “This software package can generate such a chart with fewer than six keystrokes.” Raise a question: “Do [...]
Wrong approach: “So tell me a little about your operations.” First of all, the other person will be reluctant to answer because he doesn’t know where the question is leading. Second, much of the answer would probably be irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Even with the consultative approach, people want to know where you’re [...]
Having taught business and technical writing for 3 decades in almost half the Fortune 500 corporations, I’ve literally been reading your mail. Well, okay, maybe not YOUR mail. But I’ve read and discussed hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of emails, letters, proposals, and reports with both writers and recipients to discover their intentions and [...]
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 Joseph to go with us for the summer I know he’d like it and meet [...]
The rule of primacy and recency says that people remember best what they hear first; they remember second best what they hear last. What happens in the middle is least memorable. If you’re in a lineup of briefers, grab the first spot. If that’s not available, go for the last. By the time those in [...]
Do something out of the ordinary. If you typically use a flipchart or white board for your discussions, create a slideshow and set up your laptop to present your idea to the boss. Show a quick video clip to present the problem. Grab footage from the company’s YouTube channel to make your point. Create and [...]
A stand-up presentation adds to your authority. Put people on notice that your idea deserves unusual attention. Dianna Booher, an expert in executive communications, is the author of 46 books. Her work has been translated into 23 languages. Her latest books include Creating Personal Presence: Look, Talk, Think, andAct Like a Leader and Communicate with Confidence, Revised and Expanded [...]
As soon as the national do-not-call list and law went into effect, I stepped to the front of the line and signed up. Then at the end of five years when it was time to “re-up” and register all phone numbers again, I dutifully dialed the toll-free numbers and put my name and numbers on [...]
Who are the movers and shakers you need to get behind your movement, recommendation, or proposition? Can you ask them to voice their approval by sending out an e-mail blast, endorsing you on LinkedIn, posting a video testimonial on your YouTube channel, providing an endorsement for your website or Facebook fan page, making an introduction [...]
Meeting planners claim that registrants rate educational seminars higher when they’re held in resort locations. Job applicants prefer jobs where they are interviewed in plush surroundings. Shoppers shop longer when music plays in the background. Diners linger longer over meals served in comfortable restaurants. So it stands to reason that the principle can work for [...]
