If You Want Change, Try This....

As a professional speaker, I've learned for audiences sometimes it's easier to talk about change than it is to actually do it. Humor me and try this exercise: For the next week, reverse the direction that your toilet paper hangs. According to QPolls.com, 70% of respondents like it to be folded over the roll. 24% prefer under.

The survey (which can be found through this link: http://tinyurl.com/4qt4qw ) also found that 64% of the respondents are annoyed when a family member hangs the roll "the wrong way." While you would think this wouldn't matter, it's obviously a very important distinction for the majority. See if you can tolerate this change for a week. For some reason, little changes like this that don't impact the effectiveness of a product can have a major impact on our mood. With this in mind think about what habits you have that may be impacting your friends, family or customers.

TV Switch Could be a Big Day for Internet

With change often comes opportunity. On February 17, 2009, the U.S. will switch its broadcast format to a digital signal. If you don't have cable/satellite TV, a new TV with a digital receiver, or a set top box that can convert the new signal to your old television, you'll be unable to watch the TV. It's expected to impact about 13,000,000 households.

Broadcasters are trying to prepare their audiences for the switch by counting down the days with on screen messages and news stories. A sign that they are concerned: The traditional February Nielsen ratings are being moved to March. They should be worried as more and more of their audience is looking to the Internet for video content.

According to ABI Research, the number of U.S. consumers who watch a video on their computers has jumped to 64%. That's nearly double the previous year. See this article for more: http://tinyurl.com/4fptvy

I expect that on February 17th a lot of people will be looking at blank TV screens, wondering if they need to get their video content from the tube. If you're involved with online video distribution, it could be a very important time for your industry as a lot of potential customers may be in the marketplace.

Surviving a Complaint Avalanche

As a professional speaker, I often am asked by busy companies how to put more hours into the day. I then ask what takes up a leader's time and frequently discover it's little problems pop up during the day. That leads to something I call a complaint avalanche where small problems bury an organization and prevent you from focusing on your blue chip goals.

In my video essay below I outline several ways control this problem. Below you'll find one of the tips:

Set Up a Time for Issues: Take control of your schedule. Don’t allow staff to interrupt your time with their issues. Arrange an ongoing open door time when staff can come to discuss complaints with you. Pick one that is typically a low productivity period for you. Require staff to set an appointment for the session, which includes the amount of time they need for the discussion. While this may seem bureaucratic, the goal is to make the most of your time and make sure everyone is prepared.

Good Book About Writing

Have you ever dreamed of writing the great American novel? Before you sit down to write it you may want to read Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing. It's a great resource for aspiring writers. Leonard spells out what to avoid when putting your story together, especially cliches. For instance, he says that you should never start off a story by describing the weather. Leonard, the author of countless books, offers quick advice and direction that's easy to swallow as well as entertaining.

While I like the book, I wouldn't suggest buying it. It's under 90 pages and that includes a lot of illustrations. Originally it was an article in the New York Times. I read the book in about 10 minutes. I suggest either getting it from a library or reading it a bookstore. Then decide if you want a copy. It would make a good gift for a friend as well.

Emmy Awards Hosts Bomb

Maybe it was a good idea on paper: Have five reality show hosts host the Emmy Awards. Then the question becomes, what should be in their opening monologue? Often, this is done through some sort of musical number or a cleverly put together video.

Instead the group came out and announced that they had nothing to say. Cute in a way but it took the group about five minutes to say that as the moment was unscripted. The joke bombed. Sometimes wacky ideas deserve to be on the cutting room floor. One of the problems with the talk is that it violated some of the rules of being a host or a master of ceremonies.

1. You are there to support the proceedings, keep them moving, and not undermine them. Less is more and lengthy jokes don't support your role.
2. If a joke tanks, move on quickly. Most comics will immediately go to their next joke if they bomb.
3. Don't anticipate mining comic gold through unscripted moments. The best comics practice and rehearse their material so it seems off the cuff but it's actually be carefully planned. "Winging it" in front of an audience is never a good idea. The best unscripted material still follows a structure.

Public Speaking to an Unknown Audience

Recently I was asked for some strategies for preparing to talk to an audience that you've never met.

For me it's about doing three things:

1. Asking questions to the meeting organizer about the group. What are their goals? What's the state of the company? And what work related problem keeps them up at night.
2. Research the company on the web. A website can tell you a lot about an organization and its culture.
3. Arrive early so you can get a feel for the place. In the video below I illustrate this through a funny story where I talked right after employees were told they were worthless by their boss.

For more on this topic, click on my video report:


If you can't see the video go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9AA49AioBo

History Captured with Cameras

Recently I watched a great documentary on the History Channel called, "102 Minutes that Changed America." The film follows the timeline of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. It's done entirely through audio and video from more than 100 witnesses to the event. There is no narration, only the sounds of the day as well as the comments from those who held the cameras.

It's quite a powerful technique that adds to the memory of this tragic day. After the first plane impact on the tower, you continually hear the sirens from countless rescue victims. Later, when the towers fall, you see the massive cloud of dust and debris that blocked out the sun.

While the emotional weight of 9/11 may make your reluctant to watch another film about that day, I highly recommend it. You get a very different perspective of the event from people who were experiencing an unbelievable day and had the wisdom to record it through video.

For more information about the film as well as supporting materials go to http://www.history.com/minisites/9-11

Ripples from Hurricane Ike

Many in Florida breathed a sign of relief when Hurricane Ike sailed past us. But the storm's impact on the Gulf Coast is being felt in Florida, mainly at the gas pump. News of many Gulf based refineries being shut down, has created higher prices in that region. While many expected to see a bump in Florida's prices, I was surprised to see several gas stations in my area were out of gas. It turns out this was not a supply problem but rather one of demand. Those who saw reports of higher gas prices, immediately ran to the pumps in such numbers as to drain the station's tanks.

Typically Florida only sees this kind of run on fuel just prior to a hurricane that hit the state. It's a combination of everyone filling up their cars as well as gas cans that will help fuel generators.

Public Speaking Preparation

In my latest video blog, I talk about ways to mentally prepare yourself for your presentation. These are quick tips that can help make you feel more comfortable at the podium.



Can't see the video? Follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrUrAmQaB_s

Microsoft: Lost in the Mall

This weekend viewers got their first look at a series of Microsoft commercials featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. It's part of a rebranding strategy by the software giant, designed to combat some of the negative PR that's some from Apple's Mac vs. PC series of ads.

I'm scratching my head that this commercial. Much as I may enjoy Gates and Seinfeld holding court in a discount shoe store, there wasn't much of a takeaway from the spot. Indeed, you almost felt that you might have missed something or not cracked a code.

The commercial doesn't talk about the brand, emerging technology (other than edible computers), or make you feel excited about the next innovation. Some ad experts say the commercial is a success because we're talking about it but in my mind it does little to change the public perception of Microsoft being a heartless corporation that puts out poor operating systems which make your life more difficult.

I expect to see a parody on Saturday Night Live very soon.

If You Ask a Question....

Recently I've spent a lot of time talking to customer service representatives with Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida. The challenge has been overcoming a paperwork problem where two large companies are not communicating.

After discussing the issue, hearing about the limitations of a resolution process, and being told to wait three more business days for a possible resolution, I was asked a question.

"Are you satisfied with the service you received on this call?" said a well rehearsed voice.

"Well, no," I responded.

There was silence on the other end. The representative mumbled a few words about hoping my next experience would be a better one and the call ended.

When people call a company they want their problem to be solved or at least be told more about how it can be solved. They don't want to hear, "Gee, you do have a problem." If you're going to ask customers about their service experience, you need to make sure that you actually provided a service to them.

The Power of Words

You've practiced your presentation over and over but it just falls flat in front of an audience. The problem may be with the words you're using. In this short video, you'll learn some quick tips that can help energize your talks.



Can't see the video, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBRYQ3bYgls

An Accented Perspective

Recently, I watched the film, Sliding Doors, on DVD (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120148/) I hadn't seen the movie since it came out 10 years ago. It's a good film about the nature of chance that has the audience follow a woman's life depending on whether she makes it onto a subway train or misses it by a few seconds.

Sliding Doors is set in London and Gwyneth Paltrow is the lead. In 1998 I wasn't very familiar with her career and thought that she was an English actress. Of course, she is as American as apple pie and can perform a very good British accent. But now that I watch the film, I find myself paying a lot of attention to her accent, looking for slip ups. On the most recent viewing, I did notice that Paltrow's character does use a lot of English slang, probably more than the other characters in the film. So while I still enjoyed the movie, I found myself distracted by the accent. Perhaps this is why many popular performers are told not to use an accent in their films.

Of course accents can have the opposite effect as is the case with Paltrow's costar, John Hannah. Hannah has a distinctive Scottish accent that would probably sound cool even if he was evicting you from your home!

Why Cold Calls Fail

Imagine working in an industry where a high level of failure was a daily expectation. In baseball if you connect on one third of the pitches, you're a star. But success in the phone sales business is much lower. For many call centers, the name of the game is making as many calls as possible in order to get that elusive hit. But is there a better way to do business? In this video report, I'll go over some of the mistakes and missed opportunities callers are making. These are also some good customer service principles to keep in mind as you move from survival to success.