How to Speak So People Really Listen

In terms of what you wear, how much attention do you give this? I was once told that if I’m selling to a managing director I should dress like a managing director – which is great advice – if they’re the same gender as you.

What’s happening when you’re nervous is that adrenalin is being pumped around your body – so perhaps use the word ‘adrenalized’ to describe how you’re feeling rather than ‘nervous’. This word has more positive connotations attached to it.

When it comes to confidently dealing with questions, hope is not a strategy.
So, make a list of tough questions that you might be asked. If you were in your audience, and for whatever reason wanted to give the speaker a challenging time, what questions would you ask?

I suggest you go through the same process if you have a key story you want to tell. Write down the key points – trust me, it will help enormously in bringing clarity.

The phrase ‘Nearly four out of ten people’ is far more memorable and easy to comprehend than ‘thirty-seven percent’.

For instance, if we explore how Dave remembers playing cards, part of his strategy is to turn something abstract like the card the two of clubs into something more concrete and memorable. What does he do? He turns each playing card into a person. Yep that’s right – each card represents a person that is memorable to Dave.
Here’s how he does it.
Let’s stick with the two of clubs example. The number two becomes the second letter of the alphabet, B. The suit in this case begins with the letter C, so he memorizes the name of someone with the initials BC.

One client was trying to explain to me the significant change her own health organization needed to go through, and used a visual metaphor to illustrate her point. She said: ‘If we sold books, it’s not like being a WHSmith and trying to become a Waterstones – it’s far more radical than that – we need to become an Amazon.’ Immediately I understood the challenge they faced and, like the previous examples, her illustration was vivid, sticky and got the point across quickly.

If you ever use slides, look to reduce (not eliminate) text and where possible use more images.

When it comes to how you communicate with others, how intentional are you in creating pictures in people’s minds?

did you think solely about the word ‘breakfast’ and see it written in black on a white background? I thought not. Me neither. Now, from that brief experiment I think we’ve just tapped into something very interesting and, yes I realize, pretty obvious too.
The deal is:
People think in pictures.