Five Ways to Make Your Point Faster and Better

Your story is better than your resume. Use these five points to make your point faster and tell your story better.

Looking for a job is nothing but making a point…   
A point about your value.   
A point about your accomplishments.
A point about your contribution to an organization.

Whether you’re networking, interviewing or chatting on the phone, consider these five tactics to make your point faster and better:

1. Articulate ideas in plain language.

The less jargon you use, the more engaging you become. In the writing world, shorter sentences get read. In the speaking world, shorter sentences get heard. Think like a writer. Watch those long and cumbersome sentences. Don’t construct your ideas in a way that overburdens people’s brains. Don’t spew one idea after another. Otherwise listeners will still be stuck on the first idea, trying to figure out what the heck you meant. Keep your message lean, low-carb and free of nonessential words. Are your messages simple and meaty?

2. Demonstrate commitment.

During my presentations, when I want to make a point about commitment, I show the audience a picture of my nametag tattoo. Usually it gets a good laugh or a collective gape. Still, I ask how many of them think it’s a fake. When the hands go up, I advance to a picture of the needle going into my skin as I say, “That ain’t no Sharpie.” The audience audibly cringes, laughs or gasps, at which point I ask them, “How committed are you?” Silence.

Obviously nobody is going to leave the presentation that very minute and march right into the tattoo parlor. But by going overboard intentionally, you stretch people, you force them to turn inward, confront themselves and start wondering how far they’d go.

People rarely forget conversations like that. Point made. How are you letting people bond with your level of commitment while simultaneously challenging them to reexamine their own?

3. Hanger words

When I conduct workshops on listenability, my audiences learn how to use “vocal hangers.” These conversational hooks attract people’s attention by building excitement around what you’re going to say next. Examples include: The secret is… Here's the deal… Let me ask ya this… Here’s the best part… Think of it this way… Yes, and here’s why… Here’s my suggestion… And here’s the difference… The question I always ask myself is… I have one observation and one question — are you ready?

The secret to using vocal hangers is to pause ever so slightly before you deliver the goods. This heightens the level of anticipation and energy into the conversation. What’s more, the more you use them, the more you’ll internalize them. The more you internalize them, the more natural they will sound. The more natural they sound, the more they will become part of your lexicon. The more they become part of your lexicon; the more people will begin to expect them. And the more people begin to expect them, the more they will pay attention when they hear them. How do you elicit rapt interest?

4. Reflect their reality.

In my mentoring program, note taking is essential for point making. My favorite move is to select something in particular from my notes, turn the piece of paper around, then ask the mentee to read the passage to me. More often than not, people are shocked when they hear themselves speak. This feedback process (which I learned at the Presidents’ Council) offers a verbal mirror. It reflects the other person’s reality and helps people see themselves as others see them. What’s more, there’s no greater way to make a point than to mirror people’s own words. How are you using note taking for point making?

5. Stories trump resumes.

Bikram Yoga is my religion. Naturally, friends of mine who are considering taking a class often ask me what it’s like. “It’s tough,” I used to say. “Ninety minutes. 110° heat. 100 percent humidity. The absolute hardest workout you’ll ever experience in your life. But it will change you forever.” Unfortunately, that didn’t make the point very well. Hell, you could learn that on the studio Web site. Facts are the refuge of the unimaginative. Instead, I tell people the story about Rhonda. She’s a friend of mine who came to class with me. Afterwards, when I asked her how she felt, her exact words were, “I think I saw God.” She now practices four days a week. Lesson learned: Facts are retained – stories are retold.Which one are you using to prove your point?

Remember: Making a point isn’t just a skill – it’s an art.

Source: 

http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/5-ways-make-point-faster-better

About the Author:

Scott Ginsberg, aka "The Nametag Guy," is the author of nine books, an award-winning blogger and the creator of NametagTV.com. He's the only person in the world who wears a nametag 24-7 and advises companies on how to leverage approachability into profitability. For more info about books, speaking engagements, customized online training programs or to rent Scott's brain for a one-on-one coaching session, call             314-256-1800       or e-mailscott@hellomynameisscott.com.

Five Ways To Sell Your Ideas Steve Jobs Way

1.) Plan in Analog

Steve Jobs made his mark in the digital world of bits and bytes, but he plans presentations in the old world of pen and paper. A Steve Jobs presentation has all the elements of a great movie—heroes and villains, stunning visuals and a supporting cast. And, like a movie director, Steve Jobs “storyboards” the plot. Before you go digital and open PowerPoint, spend time brainstorming, sketching or whiteboarding in the early stages. Remember, you’re delivering a story, the narrative.

2.) Create a Twitter-Friendly Description

Steve Jobs creates a single sentence description for every product. These headlines help the audience categorize the new product and are always concise enough to fi t in a 140-character Twitter post.

3.) Introduce the Antagonist

In every classic story, the hero fights the villain. The same holds true for a Steve Jobs presentation. In 1984, the villain was IBM, known as “Big Blue” at the time. Before Jobs introduced the famous 1984 television ad to a group of Apple salespeople, he created a dramatic story around it. “IBM wants it all,” he said. Apple would be the only company to stand in its way. It was very dramatic and the crowd went crazy. Branding expert Martin Lindstrom says that great brands and religions have something in common: the idea of vanquishing a shared enemy. Create a villain that allows the audience to rally around the hero—you and your product.

4.) Focus on Benefits

Your listeners are asking themselves one question: Why should I care? Steve Jobs sells the benefifi t behind every new product or feature—and he’s very clear about it. Why buy an iPhone 3G? Because “it’s twice as fast at half the price.” What’s so great about Time Capsule? “All your irreplaceable photos, videos and documents are automatically protected and easy to retrieve if they’re ever lost.”

5.) Stick to the Rule of Three

Nearly every Steve Jobs presentation is divided into three parts. When Jobs returned from a health-related absence on September 9, 2009, he told the audience he would be talking about three products: iPhones, iTunes and iPods. Along the way he provides verbal guideposts such as “iPhones. The fi rst thing I wanted to talk about today. Now, let’s move on to the second, iTunes.” The number “three” is a powerful concept in writing. Playwrights know that three is more dramatic than two; comedians know that three is funnier than four, and Steve Jobs knows that three is more memorable than six or eight.