The Art of Persuasive Communication

Have you ever wished you could share information in a way that really motivates the listener to act, to buy or to use you and your services? It’s not secret. It’s just The Art of Persuasion.

The Art of Persuasive Communication

There are volumes written on the subject, but let’s break it down to 3 basic components.

First, what is your unique proposition or point you are trying to get across? Want a travel agent to carry your package or use your service? You need to prepare some valid reasons why your service, product, package AND why YOU are worth more or will bring a higher return. Do NOT tell the people listening to you all the details or all the facts. EVERY travel supplier will do that and you will just another lump of ‘something’ in the rojak.  Instead, focus on what the listener will get out of using your services or how much more they can make with you; how much easier it will be to resell your product or service. For example:

What can you do that no others can do?

What have other travel buyers loved about what you are offering? Who is paying more for similar offers in the industry but getting less?

How will the listener end up with more money, time, power, love, praise, joy, satisfaction or recognition by listening to you and buying what you are offering?

For example, we worked with Cragun’s Resort and Conference Centre in the USA. Their #1 complaint from travel agents was that they had no golf course while their top 5 competitors each owned a course. We got them thinking and in we determined that guests staying at one of their competitors needed 5 to 10 minutes to drive to the golf club from their lodging. For Cragun’s, it took them 5 minutes to 18 minutes to drive to ANY of their competitor’s club houses.  In an instant, they went from not having a golf course to offering 5 of the best courses at a discount. Their growth was exponential. They now bought out a competitor and built two more Trent Jones golf courses on that site.
Spending a few minutes to several hours thinking about what you have to offer and coming up with tangible answers will help you form a better and more unique proposition. If you can’t think of a unique proposition, you will never be able to persuade an intelligent buyer.

The second point is that communication is about both listening and presenting. Talking too fast, too slow or too much, can ruin a presentation. Likewise, emphasizing the wrong points or not emphasizing the key points can be disasterous. If you want to persuade others to use your service, work with you, support your team or follow your lead, think SET: Show – Emotion – Tell.

SHOW what you want to get across visually. PowerPoint®, posters, pictures, props, brochures, video. ANYTHING visual. 35% of the population are visual learners and will be persuaded if you can show them visually what you want them to agree to.

Then TELL the listener the reasons why it makes sense. Explaining every slide, graph, prop in detail, but not minutia. 25 % of population are persuaded in auditory terms.

Connect the SHOWING and TELLING with EMOTIONAL stories or reasons to trigger a response. “The last person I shared this with ended up with a nice ang bao to bring home to his family because…” Catch the drift on emphasizing some personal profit someone else received and if visuals and the words support the EMOTION, you have a pretty good chance of persuading the listener.

The third point, in ‘sales terminology’ is simply to, “ask for the order.” Never say, `What do you think?` That is cerebral. You want them to act. Best: “Then, with your approval, I will go forward with this so we can begin making you money; improving your selection; helping you win market-share; improve team morale as soon as possible.” It is assumptive and closes the communication.

Caution: Do not accept, “Let me think about it.” or “I will take it under consideration.” These are the same as NO! If someone wants to think about it, say, “Wouldn’t it be better to think about it while I am here so if you have any questions, I can share the reasons why you should…?”  or, from my friend Jeff Thull, “In other words, NO!” It is usually as hard for someone to say `no` as it is to say `yes`. If they say `no`, always ask `why` and push for specifics. If they have a valid reason, at least you know why. If not, it gives you another reason to push again for their agreement.

Learn the secrets of argumentation and persuasion to ensure results.

I will conduct a fantastic course and one-on-one coaching on public speaking this July.

Public Speaking as easy as ABCD!
Public Seminar in Singapore with Michael Podolinsky CSP

Seminar : 22 July 2010 (Thur) 9am – 5:30pm
One-On-One-Coaching : 23 July 2010 (Fri) 9am – 5pm

Registration starts at 9am and Training starts at 9:30am

Venue: PSB Science Park Building, 1 Science Park Drive, Level 1, Singapore 118221
Map: http://www.tuv-sud-psb.sg/images/img_abtpsb_PSBCorpMap.jpg

Brochure: http://pstinstitute.com/files/Public-Speaking-as-easy-as-ABCD-Brochure.pdf

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Got comments or questions about persuasive communication? Just leave your comments here.

How to give a great presentation every time…

A funny thing happened to me on the way to this presentation.  Sorry, in over 28 years of being a full time speaker, NOTHING ‘funny’ ever happened to me on the way to a presentation. Instead of opening up with a trite line and throwing in a joke that chances are, many in your audience have heard, here is a really simple formula we use in our Public Speaking as Easy as ABCD! public seminar to ensure your next presentation is magical.

It’s as easy as ABCD…

A stands for Attention. Get their attention by calling to mind a significant even in their recent past or one they experienced just that day. At a recent speech, I waited and waited for my spot to speak after what seemed like 100 awards were being presented. Also, about 6 people received over half the awards. I threw out my planned opening and started with, Next time you all could save a lot of time by just having (naming those 6 people) sit at a table right on stage. You’d save all that time of coming and going!  It got a huge laugh and then applause. Then I added,  If you ever need a fund raiser, just start an awards factory. You’d make a fortune just supplying your own awards!  Again, a lot of laughter and a second applause…great way to start a talk.

B stands for Blueprint.  The Blueprint is the plan or pathway you are leading them through. You have to tell them after you get their Attention, what they will learn, hear, experience. It puts their minds at ease and makes the rest of the talk understandable, even if you digress or get into a long story.

C stands for Coaster, the roller coaster ride of emotional ups and downs you put them through during the talk. A friend and man I really admire never does this. He’s a really good speaker. IF he did it, he would be a FANTASTIC speaker. His methodology is just FAST, LOUD, HARD all the time. He wears people out after 15 minutes. Instead, lift them up and then slow it down. Get them up with laughter and fun and then get serious. The HIGHS are what help the LOWS sink in.

D stands for Destination. Ya gotta bring them to a definite Destination at the conclusion of your talk. This is when they can say, having reached the Destination, THAT’s what it was all about. Your Destination may be a repeat of what you shared earlier, a surprise ending, an incredibly moving or emotional story or a rousing, Let’s all stand and shout together… kind of ending.  I remembered at IBM in Malaysia, I concluded with a story about spending a weekend with Steven Seagal, the movie actor and martial artists. It involves a true story of a six-year-old boy with cancer who asked Steven Segal, How can I have the courage not to die?  By the time I concluded the story and applied it back to them at work and what we just learned, several people were crying, including the MC. Not tears of sadness necessarily, but tears of hope and realizing, they, like that boy, CAN have the courage to live right and to give it their best.

If you learn and apply your ABCs and D to speaking opportunities, you can always give a quick, easy to understand and deliver talk that will make a profound impact upon your audience!

I will conduct a fantastic course and one-on-one coaching on public speaking this July.

Public Speaking as easy as ABCD!
Public Seminar in Singapore (22 – 23 July 2010)

Learn to Give a Great Presentation every time…

Sign Up Now!

Click Here to Register Online.

To make payment by cheque or money order, please download the Registration Form.

100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE OR YOU OWE US NOTHING!

Seeing is Believing

Got comments or questions about seeing is believing? Just leave your comments here.

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Time and Stress Management : Time and Life

3 Key Public Speaking Touch Points

When speaking to an audience, consider the touch points. These are points when you touch their hearts. Even if you are sharing a highly technical subject, do not forget you are STILL talking to human beings. We ALL have hearts and emotions. In sales, we say they ‘justify’ with logic, but ‘buy’ with emotion. In public speaking, this rule applies too. They come for the data, but they remember the story. They remember the time you touched their hearts, their emotions. These are touch-points.

Public Speaking Touch Point #1: As our example, let’s say you are speaking to engineers, VERY data-intensive people. After 10 slides of data, they are tuned-out from your words and are thinking deeply about the data you have presented.

Instead of giving them another 10 slides of data, at the end of the first 2 slides, ask them a question requiring them to reflect on their past. Something like, “Do you remember the first time you were taught XXX? Was it in secondary school, poly or university?” The interactive question wakes them up and simultaneously gives them an emotional response to the current information. It also aids memory as it connects past, present and future to make a memory that lasts (We cover this in our courses in public speaking and training in great depth.) This touchpoint is an emotional connection to their past, usually a warm and pleasant feeling from their life.

Public Speaking Touch Point #2: Later, ask them to share their greatest frustration with the subject matter or some problem they have incurred with it. This brings out a very powerful emotion of anger or frustration. After recognizing their frustration or anger, either share the solution for them (ideal) or at least empathize with them and you win them over… another key touch-point.

Public Speaking

Public Speaking Touch Point #3: Finally, at your close, rather than just summarize your presentation, ask THEM what were the most important points of the talk. If you are afraid you will get silence, take a tip from our Facilitation Skills programme and ask them to write down the 3 most important take-aways from the speech. Ask them then to quickly share their 3 points with someone next to them in less than 1 minute. Then simply ask, “How many of you had a similar point to a partner, please raise your hand.” All the hands raised are ‘volunteers’ to share their points. The audience summarizes FOR you. They are engaged and they believe the message more as it comes from their colleagues. The touch-point is the BELIEF in what you shared, not just the data itself.

There are dozens of touch-points in a great presentation and literally HUNDREDS of ways to make them. These are just 3 key touch-points you should incorporate to make your next presentation not only memorable, but one where the information gets USED. Enjoy connecting with your audiences using touch-points.

I will share dozens of great secrets like this in our  programme, Public Speaking as Easy as ABCD!. Hope to see you there so I can share more with you.

Career Success : The Four Compass Points for Raising Your Career

Michael Podolinsky, trainer and certified speaking professional of Podolinsky International shares with Human Resources on what he feels are the four key “compass points” that can help you achieve success in your career.

3 Ways To Build Self Confidence

It is a fact that confident people get hassled less, get more promotions, earn more money, get to date the people they want to date and in general, have richer more fulfilling lives.

Here are 3 ways to boost and build your own self confidence.

1) Positives self-talk. If you catch yourself saying, I’m only a… or I’m not sure I can… or Thank you, but I didn’t do that much. You are your own worst enemy. Confident people always programme their mental software with positive statements like, I am positive I can accomplish this by the deadline. I am sure you will be happy with my…Thank you! I worked hard to achieve this result for you.

2) Know what you are good at and make sure you use those traits and skills as much as possible. If you are not good at written communication, give the report orally or develop someone else to help you with the parts you are weak at. Moses had a speech impediment. He spoke to his people through his brother Arun. My teachers told me, Michael, with your spelling and penmanship, you will never amount to ANYTHING! So I bought a computer with spell-check and a laser printer to compensate, giving me confidence.

3) Learn the skills you fear. I was shy and lacked confidence so I took karate to gain confidence and self esteem. I almost drowned as a kid so I took drown-proofing and swimming lessons and can swim over an hour in open water. I trouble expressing myself so I committed 4 years to Toastmasters and learned to polish off my speaking flaws. Think of the 3 areas of knowledge you lack for advancement, study them hard every night after work for an hour and a year, you will be so confident, you will BEAM with enthusiasm.

The point is, confidence is a learned skill. It starts within but requires actions to develop. You can be more confident know you are finally doing something about your confidence. Be more confident today as you grow in confidence for tomorrow.

Got comments or questions about building self confidence? Just leave your comments here.

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Mike Podolinsky TakeOut Comedy Club Singapore Open Mic 280709

What do you think about my first Stand Up Comedy Open Mic in Singapore?

Here is the second one.  Have Fun!

In Vegas and most comedy clubs that are NOT filming for TV, the lights are up more. If you have a diva singing, you want it dark so the audience is silent and focuses on the diva. For comedy, they turn the house lights up. Why? So people can see faces. It’s hard to laugh if you can’t see other people’s faces. The laugh gets ‘stuck’ at the lips.

If the lights are dim at a comedy club, it’s to make people drinking feel more relaxed and drink more. NOT for the benefit of the comic.

When the shoot a TV show like The Tonight Show and Leno or Connan are doing their stand-up, the lights are full on. When someone is singing, the lighting drops and is more ‘dramatic.

To your success, find out how Michael Podolinsky will help you and your organization by browsing through the links below:

• Browse through Michael’s Products, Speech Topics, Seminar & Workshop Topics and  Public Seminars
• Check out what they say about Michael
• Click here to contact Michael to find out more about his training

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