Lighting the path is hard when your light is dim. Saying X but doing Y as a leader crushes any team. The same is true for commitments that these leaders ask from their team but deliberately (and regularly) fail to make themselves. When a leader demands standards from their team
Lighting the path is hard when your light is dim. Saying X but doing Y as a leader crushes any team. The same is true for commitments that these leaders
Force tends to create counter-force.Push me and I’ll resist.Pull me and I’ll resist. But show me why it’s worthwhile to get there, and I’ll happily
Now Taylor knows. And can act accordingly. She took my self-assessment and uncovered her core strength: focus, being able to cut to the core. She
Here’s one of the biggest roadblocks for making a better impact with your communication: The ambition to find the most amazing words for saying what
A professor once told me: “When you’ve graduated from school you think you know it all. When you’ve graduated from college you know that you
There are two ways to play the devil’s advocate game: the serious way and the cute way. The cute way goes like this: Think of
Wow opens their mind. Aha changes their mind. Both are better together. Aha moments can’t happen when your audience doesn’t pay attention. Wow moments are
The most common reason for people to feel uncomfortable with their way of communicating is that they use words they don’t believe in. For all
This year, Douglas Adams’ novel “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” happens to turn 42. As you might know, 42 plays an important role in
Here’s the complete guide to marketing success. Ask yourself this question: “If they knew what you know, would they buy?” Depending on the answer, do
Here’s a more useful question to ask: What would make them choose the track if they had the choice? Great leaders understand that brilliant people
In his biography, Larry Ellison recalls a conversation he had with Bill Gates on the phone that left him stunned: “I didn’t agree with him
Leaders who light the path find the words to capture where a team is going and why it’s going there. What they usually don’t do
Someone once told me that “there’s no prospering team that’s not led by a strong leader with strong opinions.” And, indeed, reality seems to prove
“Empowerment” is a fancy way of saying that you trust your team with making decisions. Unfortunately, what some leaders mean when they use that word
Job references are issued at the end of a work relationship, sometimes in between, in regular intervals. They are usually a judgement of how well
A lot of coaching focuses on fixing the coachee. Someone has a problem and visits a coach to help them
Most people feel at least a little anxiety when they think about their next talk. One of the nasty tricks
When you’re pitching an idea, the actual pitch presentation is only part of the conversation. Sometimes a small part. And
The hustler is proud of that they made it. They worked the night through and hit the submit button one
Complexity tends to give the impression of sophistication. But actual sophistication lies in making things simpler, not more complex. So,
I sometimes meet two very different kinds of CEOs. One is OK to have their team wait. After all, the
Congratulations! You made the deal happen! Is it the end of the story? Or the beginning? Some businesses are only
Eat. Drink. Sleep. Turn off your phone. When you’re going into a high stakes meeting or when you’re about to
On the great days, you could just wing it. When you’re in the flow and the words just fly by,
What would happen if you made it more fun?Used some pink? Or instead made it a bit more subtle? What
Some of the best crime stories work backwards. We witness the murder and know who’s the murderer right from the
Good communication is easy to understand.Great communication is relevant. If I can’t see why that sophisticated solution you’re so eloquently
It’s a beloved coffee break activity at conferences and in between meetings: Making fun of bad presentations. The funniest aspect
When people click the like button on a post, it can mean very different things. For example: I like that
When you’re pitching an idea … … clear beats clever.… tangible beats sensational.… plain English beats jargon. I have yet
Many great ideas have died as a result of status fights. In the meeting room it became more important whose
There’s this rare breed of communicators who just seem to nail it with every single word. They speak with such
Yesterday, I’ve spoken about how the first idea is often not the best idea. And yet, sometimes it is. The
Usually, the first idea is not the most creative. Nor the funniest. It’s not the most sophisticated. Nor the clearest.
Always be truthful in what you say.Kind of a no-brainer, isn’t it? But there are two directions from which to
A great pitch doesn’t succeed because it’s slick. It succeeds because it’s clear. Slickness is a side-effect of clarity. With
Every decently sized company runs an IT support department.No company runs a comm support. And yet, it could be one
If you struggle to cut to the core, then try this simple approach. It works every time. Step 1: Commit
“Only 7% of communication relies on the actual words that are spoken.” This is the Mehrabian myth. It’s a widespread
If your customers knew everything you know, would they still buy? Well, of course they are never going to know
It never ceases to amaze me how much time people spend in meetings without writing anything down. Which leads to
Today might be a good day to check out my podcast. After two years and more than 200 episodes it
“I’ve said it a thousand times.” Well, you have. I totally get that you’re tired of repeating the message over
“I’m satisfied with what I have. I don’t need more.” It can be a huge source of frustration when ambitious
“What do you mean you don’t enjoy public speaking?”My friend was surprised to learn that his peers had perceived him
Here’s a simple test: If you can’t articulate it clearly, it’s not clear. If you want clarity, articulate your idea.
If the people on your team clearly see where we are going, why we are going there, and why we are going there, and if your actions suggest that you mean it (as opposed to just throwing some random motivational bullsh#t at them), it’s likely that the right people will be attracted and …
“How long?”, she asks the doctor.Immediately, we’re right in the middle of a story. Which is typical for modern movies.
Secure the only spot at the airport that sells water and you can basically stop bothering about how you do
Which book didn’t you write but could have?Which speech didn’t you give but should have?What’s the blog that doesn’t exist
You might copywrite a text faster than anyone else in town. But on the other side of the planet, I
“One of the biggest strategic mistakes you can make is to fail to make the most of your victories. Yet
When you decorate a diamond you make it less beautiful, not more. Diamonds need to be polished. Does your product
Average blends in.Edgy stands out. For example, there’s this super weird fashion store that draws an ever growing crowd of
The hero’s podium is a notoriously difficult place to be on. It means that all eyes are on you. Your
It’s that simple! This is the formula to turn yourself into a world class speaker – even if you feel
Confusion’s best mate is Complexity.Clarity’s best mate is Curiosity. Luckily, Complexity and Curiosity are friends, too. When you need to
When companies merge, cultures clash. The stronger the cultures, the bigger the clash; the bigger the clash, the stronger the
Short reminder: If you don’t decide on what matters most, you’re effectively delegating that decision to your audience. What’s your
Status updates are supposed to quickly inform everyone about the status of a project. Too often, though, these updates are
This Moleskine notebook costs €13. At your local grocery store, you can get a double pack of similarly looking, similarly
Saying it simply starts with simply saying it. Once you’ve said it, you can simplify it. Just saying.
Unfortunately, Lord Smithe has been murdered. Can you help the inspector find out who murdered him? Do yourself a favor
Surely, you know one or two of these fascinating communicators who just nail it. The kind of people who always
Any sustainable business needs customers. Not every sustainable business needs more customers. How about yours?
I’ve met quite a number of thoughtful people who are brilliant at what they do but who almost refuse to
Every thing has been invented, designed, engineered, produced, marketed, and distributed by someone. The clothes you wear.The bike you ride.The
If, in the end, your audience isn’t surprised by how far you’ve taken them, perhaps you haven’t gone far enough.
The first step in creating a movement is to create something that moves. In a way that it can move
Heading into 2023, here are two important questions worth reflecting upon: Why do the people you serve deserve your effort?Who
What did 2022 bring you? What did you learn? Who did you meet? Why not take the time in between
If, out of nowhere, you were magically given an extra day next year, but with an asterisk: You will only
In hindsight, it’s often not that difficult to see what you should have done differently. Of course, this couldn’t work.
For being kind. For lending a helping hand to someone who needed it. For listening to someone who had nobody
Here’s a last minute idea for a very special X-mas gift that you can’t get on Amazon or in any
Elegance might get you attention.But relevance creates interest.Elegance without relevance is meaningless. By all means, make it elegant. But never
Maybe it’s even 17 reasons. It doesn’t really matter. Because no one cares. When you’re at reason #7, we don’t
I’m not interested in how things are usually done. I want it done this way. – Werner Herzog It’s a
Why do I speak of an “art” in my tagline “The Art of Communicating”. Isn’t it more of a craft?
The perfect first sentence is the one that makes your audience want to read or hear the second one. Sounds
But I wanna find out.But I don’t care.But I will pretend that I know. Who of the three are you?(And
Some things are hard to understand and even harder to explain. Which is a real problem when this thing is
The more busy we get, the more likely we are to miss the present moment. And yet, it’s always now.
Every shot that Messi didn’t make, wasn’t a goal. He only ever scores when he shoots at the goal. Which
A huge part of what makes a great movie compelling is that you don’t know what’s going to happen but
A unique position is what every marketer dreams of. If your brand occupies a unique position, it can’t easily be
What, who, how. If you can’t answer these questions properly for your communication, you’re leaving impact to chance. The usual
As a child, my mother would often read a bedtime story to me that went something like this: “It’s a
A great partnership is one where both sides rightfully think they got the better deal. However, the way to get
So, you were a good boy. You didn’t buy ice cream while running your groceries … But of course only to
No, your topic isn’t dry. There are no dry topics. There are only dry lectures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhiCFdWeQfA
The word “clarity” invites a binary view on the matter: Either you have clarity or not. But that’s hardly how
I’ve listened to your talk. When I get back into my office, my colleagues ask: “So, what was the talk
Some salespeople love to make decisions on behalf of their customer. Their favorite one: the purchase. These salespeople have already
When you’re giving a talk, are you truly giving it? Or are you taking more than you give? Such as
When a rational argument hits on an emotional argument, it usual ends badly. Both increase their volume, the rational side
What’s worse than a fun speech that lacks substance? A profound speech that lacks fun. The fun part might at
If you could pick only one, applause or impact, what would you choose? Now, if you scroll through your timeline
You often hear me saying how trust is created when you consistently say what you mean and mean what you
Clarity can show up in the form of a thought or in the form of a feeling. The aha effect
If you’re not used to it, speaking with clarity is like speaking in a foreign language that you’ve recently started
Of course, we want to have it … as good as possible,as cheap as possible,as profitable as possible,as soon as
Imagine you’re a rock star. You’re about to perform in front of a crowd of 30,000. Which of these two
What if, just for today, instead of reading 100 posts on social media, you read one chapter in a book?
Sounds like a healthy way of living when you’re Mark Zuckerberg who is probably among the most doubted people on
“My idea is complex, I can’t possibly leave this aspect out or that. I mean, what if someone misses the
Maybe you do. But maybe you need something else. Like, for example, clarity. The two are not to be confused.
“How would you improve it?” vs. “What would you improve?” The latter is satisfied by “I don’t like this aspect and
It’s hard to understand how, after 1964, anyone could still want to lead a tobacco company. The surgeon general’s report
The purpose of a strategy is to change the world in a way that the chances of success increase. Crucially,
In order to understand business moves of larger corporations, it’s a useful exercise to consider how they relate to existential
Some people cover everything they say in a fuzzy layer of vagueness so they can never be questioned or challenged.
Three pillars of super clear leadership communication: Where are we headed? Why are we going there? Why does each of
Storytelling is rather simple if you follow this advice from writer Elmore Leonard: “A story is real life with the
One made the audience burst with laughter. The other made the audience fall silent. The first was a super fun
Think back to your teenage years.Who was the loudest in the group?Who got the most laughs for their jokes?Who told
Stories are powerful. Which is why they are often misused. The more emotional, the greater the potential for misuse. A
Or is it?Because maybe it’s too cheap. Price is a story. A cheap price tells a different story than an
The sweet spot for running a sustainable business is to do things thati. you are deeply passionate about,ii. unbelievably good
Donald Knuth pays $2.56 for every error that you spot in one of his books. Checks are rarely cashed, though,
Some people are so good at public speaking that it feels out of reach to achieve the same. Their confidence,
The keynote was a great success. Standing ovations. “What a great presentation!”“You’re a natural born presenter!”“That was quite the roller-coaster
One of the problems with Malaria is that it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s actually not that hard to protect
That’s usually a different way of saying “My first idea wasn’t any good so I’m giving up.” Let’s say you’re
AI writing assistants are all over the place. Although their writing is often bad. But so is yours when you
I’ve met quite a number of businesses who told me that they have never needed to do marketing, all of
Two ways to resonate strongly with your audience. Adapt your messaging to the audience. Or. Attract your audience with your
I often speak about the brutality of the first rule of communication: The audience is always right. If they didn’t
What if your customer is right in choosing the competition? What if your team is right in being skeptical about
Good marketers make their marketing different.Great marketers make their marketing specific.Which is why it’s different by default. Great marketing doesn’t
If you care for what you do, you’ll always have more interesting things to say than you’ve got time to
It’s a simple question that changes everything. And yet, we often shy away from using it rigorously. We notice that
The phone you own, why did you buy it? The career you chose, why did you pick it? The coffee
Last week, a study by Mozilla was published to show that YouTube’s “dislike” buttons don’t seem to do much. The
If you’ve ever played Monopoly, you know what it feels like to play the game. Which is the point of
Bullshitters are going to bullshit. There’s nothing you can do about that. But what you can do is to show
There was a time when cars didn’t have seat belts. There was even a time when car makers hesitated to
A golden rule in storytelling is that anything the author spends much time on will amount to something in the
Clarity is an infinite game. When new ideas pop up or new features get added to the product, we need
When was the last time you read out loud the text on your website? Try it now! How does it
You see something bad, you see how to make it good, but the others don’t see it. What do you
Almost everyone has been Rocky at one point in their life. You just knew that you have what it takes
“And how is clarity to be achieved? Mainly by taking trouble and by writing to serve people rather than to
You’re an honest marketer. That’s why you don’t overpromise. You care for keeping your promises. I do, too. But still:
If Deep Purple ended a concert without having played “Smoke on the Water”, the fans would almost certainly be very
Congratulations! You have been granted a free wish: You can be known as the world’s premier resource for one thing.
Because when you can draw it, it means you can see it. And when you can see it, it means
Well, you have. But is that even the point? I mean, even leaving aside the question whether it actually was
Clarity is a tricky beast. We can feel inner clarity but sense outer confusion. Confusion’s best mate is the Curse
Clarity doesn’t make complexity go away, it makes complexity accessible. The purpose of clarity is to make the difficult feel
I’m doing a rare public Q&A on September 7th. Whether you’re trying to grow your business or are starting a
Marketing is widely considered to be the art of making people fall in love with what you make. But what
Becoming a virtuoso is actually kind of easy: Practice slowly. The hard part is patience. The patience to actually go
When you ask your customer to “buy now”, what are you actually asking for? Money? Commitment? The beginning of a
Shining eyes are among the most reliable compasses for doing work that matters. Benjamin Zander pointed it out in his
It’s just details. It’s just decoration. It’s just the back side. It’s just a corner case. It’s just implementation. It’s
The most overrated speaking advice is to never say “Thank you for your attention!” It will ruin your talk, the
That moment when inspiration strikes.You can’t control that.Sometimes it strikes last minute. When it strikes, everything immediately becomes so obvious.
The moment you try to persuade your customer you essentially admit that … i) either you don’t fully understand what
If you struggle with focusing on a core message, here’s some good news for you: Your audience will happily do
Whatever industry you’re in, you will be competing with bullshitters: people who promise big but don’t bother whether they can
Think about tomorrow’s agenda. Now ask your gut. What does it tell you? Yay! This will be the absolute best
Are you giving your customers what they want or what they need? Many of the people who care for making
When was the last time you were just sitting somewhere and thinking? No devices, books, magazines, music etc. Just you
Many presenters tell their audience everything but fail to make them curious for anything. It’s exactly the other way around:
Social media doesn’t feed you based on who you want to become but based on who you are (according to
In chasing the “wow effect”, many businesses overlook the “of course effect”. The of course effect is what makes it
Want maximum effect from minimal work? That’s why I use cutout. It’s the quickest and easiest form of animation that
My daughter wanted to take a workshop. I called the organizer to register her. I was told that my daughter’s
If you could have one extra hour in your day, what would you do with it? Empty your todo list?Spend
Do you trust you customer with the decision to buy from you? In other words: If they knew everything you
Rigour leads to relevance leads to resonance leads to results. Start with rigour.Stick with what’s relevant and let go of
The Fear of FocusWhen you’re seeking clarity, you know that you need to focus, right? But focus on what? The
A book tip: “How champions think“ by Dr. Bob Rotella. Don’t let the title mislead you. This is not one
“All of a sudden, he couldn’t take it anymore. He stood up and wanted to do something, wanted to change
“The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30.” – Lorne Michaels These are the
Here’s an interesting piece from Apple Music on the band Coldplay: You don’t become one of the biggest bands in
“This is deep in our DNA!” Except that it wasn’t as the two founders had to learn when they faced
You try.You fail.You learn.You try.You fail.You learn.You try.You fail.You learn.You try.You fail.You learn.You try.You fail.You learn.You try.You fail.You learn.You try.You
“We believe that everybody has a story and is creative in their own way.” – Astrid Klein Long-time reader Thomas
When you’re an athlete, of course you’re working with a coach. Even the best athletes still have a coach. Actually,
Why didn’t you make it bolder? Bold promises are a competitive advantage. Too often, though, we leave that advantage to
The whole piece needs to be more emotional to get people interested. Let’s add some in. Juice it up with
If storytelling is that ancient tool that fuels all human learning, then shouldn’t it be easier after all these years?
Let’s face it, storytelling in business is mostly selfish. It’s about getting attention, engagement, and ultimately, the deal. The childhood
Making a silly face and writing a provocative statement beneath it is one of the best ways to get people
Absurd gets rejected.Obvious gets ignored. Interesting sits in the sweet-spot in between. What about your idea is non-obvious so that
The phone rings. A new life is calling. What do you reply? I tell ’em I’m not interested, I’m happy.
The leaders who push you to your best results are often the leaders who you hate in the moment but
Here’s a tightly packed conversation I had with Bryan McAnulty on his podcast “The Creator’s Adventure”. We discussed why it’s
People who appear clearer in their actions are often mainly more rigorous in making decisions. They make a single decision
“I’m not creative!”, she said. Maybe she wasn’t. But maybe she was and just didn’t stick with the problem long
Among the silliest things marketers do is decorate diamonds. You don’t decorate a diamond, you polish it. You don’t hide
The more you know about something, the harder it gets to speak about that thing in simple terms, right? Well,
Two very different ways to create an offer: No. 1: Leave as many doors open as possible and make sure
On Wednesday, Shane Cradock and I had a lot of fun doing some public thinking. In our free webinar, more
The world of tech is messy and noisy. Trends come so fast and disappear so quickly that it’s hard to
It’s Friday night. You’re standing at a crossroads. Left, there’s a party waiting for you. Right, there’s a relaxing walk
One of the newer trends on LinkedIn is to tease a post with a provocative statement and then use some
Some of us are happy. Some of us are successful.Not all of us are both, happy and successful.They don’t always
Not the easy ones. The hard ones. The ones that provide direction: This is where you’re headed. This is what
If you can manage to plant ONE THOUGHT in my head, you’ve changed my life. You’ve also achieved way more
I’m launching a new service: Instant clarity calls. It’s for you if you‘ve been juggling ideas in your mind for
Marketers spend so much time looking for fancy statements that they sometimes forget to just plainly state their promise. What’s
The default way of dealing with bad meetings is to pick up the phone and check social media, Slack, or
Recently, I went to an OpenMic event where comedians get the chance to test their programs. One of the performances
Obviously, for these ideas it wasn’t enough to be great ideas. They failed to spread. Ideas spread when theyi) resonateii)
… what would you do differently? Let’s say in the way you lead your team? Which conversation did you avoid
The Pareto rule suggests that for many tasks, you can achieve about 80% of the result with about 20% of
Rule no. 1 in communication is brutal:If they didn’t get, they didn’t get it. End of story. There really is
There’s a huge difference between telling stories DURING a speech and telling a story WITH your speech. Most storytelling advice
My gut doesn’t know what is right.But it knows what feels right. And that’s enough of a reason for me
When you hire a coach, it’s most likely because you want to improve your situation in some way. But there’s
Did you ever act foolishly after you’ve fallen in love with someone? Probably, your mind went a little over the
Four ways to improve the conditions for clarity in your thinking: Sleep well. Eat well. Take care of your physical
Another simple truth that great authors understand:When the story is over, it’s over. Great authors don’t repeat the end a
I’m speaking of bold promises that you actually intend to keep. I mean, it’s easy to make bold promises when
I’m lucky enough to count some of the most successful people among my friends and family. One of them is
Show them this picture of a crowded space and tell them that you’re giving them a great opportunity to network
Less confusion means shorter meetings. Shorter meetings mean less time on zoom. Which means less data that travels over the
I’m looking at a wasp trying to fly through the sliding glass door of our living room. It’s half way
When people don’t get what you mean, repeating what you said – using the exact same words – won’t make it easier
… is to imagine a specific person’s face when preparing your communication, someone you know well for quite some time. Imagine
-> Passionate beats eloquent-> Prominent beats competent-> Relatable beats spectacular-> Relevant beats fancy-> Simple beats complex-> Useful beats beautiful-> Wow
Be unique rather than better! That’s almost too obvious to state, right? Because when you are, you’re in a class
“I see that we can change the way people listen to music.”“I see a time when no-one is judged by
No, it’s not how you did it in the past.No, it’s not guaranteed to work.It’s even possible that you get
In 2007, Jos de Blok started a revolution in the Dutch healthcare market. He decided that the best managers are
Alert: The Universe is on a mission to distract you from remaining focused. It will never stop trying to get
Eloquence is sometimes mistaken as the skill of being able to juggle complex sentence structures and complicated words. Which leads
What’s your favorite greatest hits album?How often did you listen to your favorite track on that album? Interesting, don’t you
Life’s busy. I bet that yours is busy, too. So are your audience’s lives. Problems keep popping up for them,
Great salespeople show us a better future. They make us see that there’s a gap between what we have got
If your communication doesn’t challenge what we know or what we believe, why would we grant you a share of
No-one really cares about what it took you to get to where you’re at … whether it took you years
“I will send that over to you.” Which, of course, they don’t. Because it’s easy to make a promise in
It’s a very noisy world. And we’re not gonna get a chance to get people to remember much about us.
All too often, corporate messaging suffers from – let’s be straight – bullshitting. Promising the blue from the skies, using
Would they buy your product?Would they follow your recommendation?Would they feel valued by your offer?Would they approve of the way
Some jobs carry stricter regulation than others. When you’re a doctor, you must adhere to hygiene standards. As a banker,
In data visualisation, accurate beats nice every single time. The designers of this chart thought it would look nicer to
Who made the call that everything needs to be somehow fitted into a storytelling framework? That every single piece of
Remember that funny ad? Well, can you also recall what it was advertising? Let alone did it make you buy
Many people who deeply care for their cause fail to make change happen. For a simple reason: It’s not enough
1. How to be perfect by Michael Schur Who doesn’t want to be a better person? My bet is that
Leaders who light the path often don’t like to be in the spotlight. They care for their cause, not for
Until it doesn’t. At which point everything breaks down. All the overheads that you have allowed to grow: too expensive.
If you want to be responsible with people’s times, you need to justify the need for a meeting from quite
We’re living in the attention economy (think “5 super weird reasons why your headline doesn’t perform”). Whoever gets the audience’s
Lighting the path is an activity, not a role. You can light us the path from any position, no official
Some pitch situations quickly turn into a status game. The pitching party feels high status because they feel like they’ve
“I’m not getting the results I’m looking for … so I need to work harder and move faster.” But do
“I’ll send you the slides.” The fairy tale about the double use of presentation slides as handouts goes something like
Leaders who light the path care for their cause – not the applause. They care for better – as opposed to more.
When you want us to see something, you need us to look. You need our attention. Poor communicators fail to
Every change start with someone who sees a better future.Change happens when you make others see what you see. Introducing
We don’t meet Rambo when he was born. We don’t meet him in school. Not even in Vietnam. We meet
Meetings are madness. We all know better. But still, most of us don’t do better. Because we’ve accustomed ourselves to
It never ceases to amaze me how the default mode in some sales forces (especially the larger ones) is to
In the 50s, Rolls Royce claimed that their cars are super quiet. But how quiet were they? Here’s how Rolls
Clarity takes time. Time to think things through. Time to change perspectives. Time to ask for feedback. Time that we
So you want to give a TED caliber presentation. Are you willing to put in the effort? Here’s how TED
One of the things that we lack as speakers on a large stage is the blank stare of our audience.
When you make someone an irresistible offer, it’s as if you’ve opened a door in their mind that is so
Film director extraordinaire Werner Herzog famously said: “I felt it would be better to make a film than go to
“Daddy, look how beautiful the moon is today.” My daughter expected me to chime in with her cheering. Only that
Today’s as good as any other day to start becoming a better speaker. Here’s one step towards that: Fire up
This is the blueprint of most presentations, reports, pitches, websites, you name it. Everything’s important. And therefore, nothing is important.
One of the simplest ways to improve in a skill is to become more specific about the things we like.
Most stories can be told in a couple of minutes, sometimes less. Good stories resonate way longer. Great ones even
Clarity is much more revelation work than it is creative work. When we encounter one of these charismatic leaders who
All successful marketing basically works the same. It makes customers see a brighter future and leads them to the point
A great product solves a problem, resolves a struggle, or fulfills a desire. It tastes delicious without me having to
Usually, it’s a lot easier to grasp the cost of an action than that of inaction. It costs $X to
Many great products can be described in one sentence: “The notebook for creative people.” “The fastest acceleration of a production
When you visit McDonald’s, you don’t need much human interaction, anymore. Go to a terminal, place your order, pay, pick
It’s not! It solves a problem that businesses are willing to pay good money for. It saves them a lot
What outcome would make your next meeting so valuable that you wouldn’t want to miss it at any cost? How
It’s easy to make a speech funny. Hire some comedians, gather them in a room and they’ll make it funny.
There’s a fine line between consistency in your actions and stagnation. Stagnation is almost inevitable when you act the same
Straight lines are not always the quickest path. That’s why bypasses exist. It might be shorter to drive straight through
Knives can kill people. Are the makers of the knives responsible? How about the marketers? Let’s assume X out of
Andy Miller, who after he’d sold his company to Apple reported directly to Steve Jobs, explains what it was like
A lot of speaking advice is about feeling good and looking good, e.g. how to feel more confident, how to
Every once in a while a study pops up that proves the importance of the first few seconds of a
Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify, had this to say during a company wide town hall about the Joe Rogan controversy:
For most people, passion is not something that just comes along and says “hello”. It’s not something you wait for
Many communicators struggle with the challenge to convey a complete picture of their topic to their audience. After all, it’s
It’s easy to speak with clarity. What’s hard is to speak with clarity about the things we deeply care about.
That’s the sentiment we see in many public discussions where opinions are the premise rather than the result of a
Each year, more than 8 million children die due to poverty (source). That’s a huge number. But how large is
We would probably hate cake. As a baker, when your cake doesn’t taste great, the best thing you can do
Our audiences have a lot of bad (or good?) habits that affect us. When they read a boring headline, the
Traditionally, marketing is about getting the audience to do something. Marketers use all sorts of subtle techniques to gently (or
Can I ask you a favor? Could you send a smile to someone who you think needs one today? It
“Have you heard the news about David?”“Oh, yeah, yet another proof for how selfish he is.” When new information becomes
Fact: The glass is half full.Which is the same as half empty. The more relevant question is what conclusions do
When you’re testing a new approach, are you really testing it or are you just playing around? When we play
Some people are so afraid of failing that they can’t find the courage to succeed. Sometimes to the degree that
A lot of people tend to think that improvising is about being super spontaneous. What gets easily overlooked is how
Of course a tablet turns on instantaneously. Yet, before the iPad came out we were used to minute-long wake-ups from
In a world of get-rich-quick advice it’s an eye-opening journey to explore the realm of world class musicians who practice
A couple of things that FOMO, the fear of missing out, helps us with: What if the world is going
Google’s search engine is incredibly complex inside and incredibly simple on the surface – basically a search bar and that’s
When Simon Sinek or Brené Brown tweet a sentence, it gets them 1000 likes and 100 retweets in a matter
“Look, you’re not so brilliant. But don’t worry because I am.” That’s, in essence, the approach of a certain breed
“The essence of training is to allow error without consequence.” Ender’s Game The great thing about training is the safe
Is it a product? Or a bunch of features? Can you say why it exists without saying how it does
A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open. – Frank Zappa Unlike parachutes, though,
Let’s suppose your customer knows what you know. Would you trust them with the decision to buy from you? If
“I’m just going quickly over this graph!” And she’s doing it with good intentions. Because that thing she’s going quickly
I wanted to buy tea. Easy, right? Wrong! Our local supermarket carries hundreds of different teas. Which means that for
You don’t need permission to change the world. If you feel that you have a great idea that has the
What was the best decision you made in 2021? Think a moment about it. I bet you chose a decision
“It sounds so incredibly powerful when she says it.” Just wow. But why is it that the same thought that
We had this mathematics professor at the University. During a discussion about some topic or another, he would often emphasize
A few years ago, I used Hemingway’s 6-word novel “For sale: baby shoes, never worn” in a keynote to illustrate
A simple decision, isn’t it? Well, you have no idea. Let’s have some fun with it and pretend we would
Here are some ideas for last minute gifts that will still arrive on time to bring someone joy over X-Mas.
The goal of almost all media is to suck you in as quickly as possible and once you’re in to
Recently, I met an entrepreneur who was furious at his audience. They just didn’t get him. Although he explained his
You did nothing wrong. And yet you take responsibility. That’s a hard to find attitude in a world that’s used
I was 16 when my dad died out of nowhere in the middle of the night, 30 years ago on
A huge building block to the appeal of social media – and ultimately to their success – is their brilliance
If you feel the need to check Instagram while watching a movie, it might be that you’re watching the wrong
Never underestimate the power of staring at a blinking cursor. Resist the urge to grab your phone if there’s no
Most businesses are obsessed with getting customers to buy faster. While dismissing that the customer who buys slowly, after careful
Your story spreads when your audience is able and eager to tell your story. So. Are they able to tell
Both aspects here are crucial: Champions keep playing. And they want to get it right. They don’t quit. Not after
Great marketing is true to who you are. Great marketing also delivers results. The confusion occurs when our true story
Today marks the end of Angela Merkel’s period as Germany’s chancellor. Three attitudes she brought to the office: Keep calm.Be
Resistance is the universal force that keeps you from doing things. However, there’s an important distinction about two very different
There are two kinds of coaches. Those who give you answers and those who give you questions. There’s a place
“Don’t ask me why. It’s an order from above.” Still a common scheme in corporations – both outward and inward facing.
A fun game from impro theater is to tell a story in turns: Everyone’s allowed a single sentence. Then the
“Enough! I need a rest.” As a leader that’s among the most difficult sentences to say – even just to ourselves.
But really is it? Or when you say “That’s not much!” how few are we talking about? The thing is
What are you planning to buy today? I’m buying time. My own time. I offered myself a huge Black Friday
Speaking with clarity is a habit. As is the lack of clarity. If a team tolerates lack of clarity it
That brilliant keynote speech that told a story about climbing the Mount Everest and inspired you to finally start your
“Oh, that’s like Instagram but for poems.” When we see or hear something, our brain automatically compares it to the
If you want to be seen by someone, see them first.If you want their attention, pay attention first. What are
“So, what shall we do about it?”, Martin asks. Suddenly, all eyes are on you. It’s a crucial phase of
The bakery shows us one piece of each of their three most delicious cakes, each one more delicious than the
Focusing hurts. It means letting go of details. Details that we care about. Details that we feel we can’t possibly
A boring meeting is a great opportunity to catch up with unread mails. Sure. But why not address the cause
Many innovators spend an enormous amount of time trying to make us appreciate their innovation. After all, it’s the innovation
Quite early in our lives we learn that when we fall from a tree, it hurts. We accustom to it
Humans are story builders. Whatever we experience must fit into a story that makes sense. In a way, you could
When developing your story, it’s a good idea to start with why. But when delivering the story, it’s even better
Recently, I saw two concerts at a festival. One started with a 3 minute explanation of what we were about
2 minutes, twice a week might be all it takes to level up your communication and tell your story in
As the pandemic brought a lot of businesses to a screeching halt, many of them took this as an opportunity
The Blue Man Group is kind of remarkable. Actually, it’s two kinds of remarkable: “built in” and “on top”. Built
When you pass a new information along and when that information is in line with your reputation then the mere
There are two types of suspense: artificial and intrinsic. Artificial suspense is what TV casting shows do to you right
It’s not really hard to come up with a great slogan that grabs someone’s attention. What’s hard is to come
“How cool is that? I can speak about my idea for 30 minutes and everyone’s going to listen? Wow! This
The beauty of books is that you can live other people’s lives. The beauty of dreams is that you can
The best camera is the one you have with you. For most of us that’s our phone, nowadays. I’m glad
Meetings are corporate hell. Let’s switch to doings instead. What’s the difference? Meetings have an agenda, doings have a goal.
When marketers rave about one of the greatest ad slogans of all time, they tend to overlook the most important
Imagine you meet a good friend of yours for a beer. You tell them about your newest idea. As they
Did you say a word of appreciation to someone who needed to hear it? Did you give to someone more
A lot of doors open up when you are willing to settle with second best. Many of these doors never
Some stances are just so obviously wrong that it’s hard to understand how anyone can even come to that conclusion.
Quite early in our lives we learn that porcelain breaks when it drops onto the floor. A fact, that one
Amazon has a pretty ugly site. It’s overloaded and cluttered. There are hundreds of places to click with several competing
In their great book „Moments of Impact“ on how to make better meetings, Chris Ertel und Lisa Kay Solomon define
Better to play it safe because what if they don’t like it, right? Fear of rejection is one of the
You’re not Apple. Neither Red Bull nor Tesla. Keynotes that work for Apple won’t work for you. You just don’t
“This is me! This is exactly what I’m struggling with. This is exactly what I desire.” And thus, you have
In many companies, it’s the most valuable office space. It’s the place where connections are made and ideas are born.
Walter, a friend of mine, recently claimed that he could tell by the looks of someone’s website when that person
If I forced you to remove one message from your website, your speech, your sales deck … what would it be?
Let’s assume that your communication works. You’ve made us see the brilliance of your product. People are buying from you,
We watch movies to be entertained (mostly), but we don’t mind learning something in the process. We listen to a
If you could ask me one question about your communication, e.g. a question about something that’s holding you back. Or
No! Most likely the reason why you didn’t bother to read the piece was not that it was too long
“Let’s try this and see if it works.” That’s the core of play. To try things that might work although
Alex is brilliant. Her words are often full of wisdom. In fact, I only know a handful of people who
… is to make you click on it. (Apparently, it worked).
It’s a simple truth: The easiest way to get a decision maker to approve a decision is to offer something
“In order to play fast, you gotta practice slowly.” That’s what my guitar teacher kept hammering on me. Each time
When was the last time you thought: “Oh wow, that was so awesome! It’s been the most average presentation I’ve
You’ve got 30 minutes of exclusive access to an audience. You’re standing in front of a room or zoom full
This is part 4 of the series on leaders who light the path – a group of extraordinary people doing
Clearly, you’re brilliant. You’re doing work that matters. You‘re making things better for your clients, not in a small but
During the shooting of his film “The Flying Doctors of East Africa” Werner Herzog made an interesting discovery about how
When something doesn’t work, it’s tempting to start over and try a different solution for our problem. Let’s try something
“I don’t have time for doing a workout today.” You probably don’t. Or do you but you’ve got more important
Shoppers in a supermarket were asked to participate in a market research study. Two flavours of jam were presented to
Most marketing is geared towards changing what people do. Essentially, it’s about making them buy something they wouldn’t have bought
„You think I’m still good enough for the team?“ Kevin’s question struck Taylor by surprise. „What?“ she replies. „I mean
“Have you seen that hilarious ad?”“Yeah, so great. Which brand was it for again?”“Uhm … well … no idea.” I’m
This is part 3 of the series on leaders who light the path – a group of extraordinary people doing
When you’re an artist, it makes little sense to try to please your audience. At least not if you take
Sometimes, we’re so busy becoming someone that we forget to be someone. How about you take this day as an
Building credibility is actually easy: Mean what you say. Make promises you can keep; don’t make promises you can’t keep.
Good marketers tell stories.Great marketers tell true stories.True stories about the things they deeply care about.True stories that make it
As if there hadn’t been enough challenges for businesses already, such as digitisation, climate change and many more, the last
I’ve seen so many ideas being buried because the communication was confusing. Lack of clarity stole the impact and influence
When people don’t get our message, we’re used to adding more detail. Give more examples. Explain it a little longer.
There’s no shortage of great products. Take almost any industry and we have enough of what it sells. We have
This is part 2 of the series on leaders who light the path – a group of extraordinary people doing
Prof. Donald Saari, a mathematics professor at the University of California, Irvine, has established the who-gives-a-damn principle in his lectures.
Today’s a bad day. Like really bad. And yet, an important presentation is scheduled in 2 hours. What do you
Someone goes to a restaurant. He really enjoys the food. The next day he takes the trouble to call the
But this company has a much larger marketing department. But this CEO is much more extroverted. But our competition is
The top spots in most company hierarchies are taken by “officers”. The Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Operations Officer. The
A few years back, I stumbled upon the above image of a car. I’m pretty sure that no other sales
When my daughter had to learn the traffic rules for her biking exam, she felt quite overwhelmed by the sheer
Who doesn’t like a sexy slogan for their product, one that matches the big player’s most creative ads. And so,
This is the first in a series on leaders who light the path, a group of extraordinary people doing work
Most websites feel like proposing on the first date, something like this: “Look, I’m really awesome. I have a Ph.D.
When you’ve got an important story to tell, it can be super-hard to focus on a clear and concise message.
“Oh, that’s me! I’m struggling with the exact same thing.” When a marketer sparks that feeling, it opens the door
“If you understood everything I said, you’d be me.” – Miles Davis I can’t look inside your head. I can’t
It is this: Which question have you been afraid of asking yourself? When we decide where to go next, we’re
“Almost dying changes nothing. Dying changes everything.” This is a quote by Dr. House from the TV series. He says
I’ve worked really hard so I deserve this vacation. I’ve saved my whole life so I deserve this new home.
These are the two obvious questions that are too often overlooked in communication. I get that you are excited about
… because I’ve got three meetings, a proposal that needs to be sent out, my email inbox has 127 unanswered emails
Even Star Wars is not for everyone. It’s highly unlikely that your message is. And it shouldn’t be for anyone,
Surprisingly often, this question is a lot harder to answer than it should be. The website made a great job
It’s the least liked part of any project pitch: the risks of the project. What if these risks will lead
Did you cry when Elliott had to say goodbye to E.T.? Millions of viewers did. Steven Spielberg told E.T. so
The habit of meaning what you say is one of the safest ways to build long term trusted relationships. It
There’s a better way to write an “about us” page than the usual way. The “us” in the “about us”
When we tell our story, the ultimate result is when people pass our message along. But let’s face it: Passing
When you feel like you haven’t really nailed your message, one of the most powerful things that you can do
If there was one thing you could do today to delight one of your customers and put a smile on
For many communicators, the default way of communicating is to try and make people want what they have to offer.
Most of your competition leads with vague statements such as “improving efficiency”, “providing flexible solutions”, “using high quality materials”. One
What are your customers reading?How do they speak with each other?What are they saying about your product?Or about other products?What
In 1995, Bill Gates really struggled to make a case for the Internet: Funny isn’t it? The CEO of the
A great team is a group of people who trust each other with working towards a common goal. Trust is
Our customers couldn’t – and shouldn’t – care less for how long it took us to make something. It’s our
When you have clarity about your current position and about where you’re headed, you are much better equipped to travel
One of the most frustrating experiences about writing a computer program is when the computer just doesn’t do what you
… and this is an opportunity for marketing your own offerings. Because simply by showing up as the person who
“Others have tried this before and it hasn’t worked”, she said. And that’s why she was quite hesitant to start
A common approach to sales processes is to try to squeeze out the maximum price for an offer. That’s because
First, we had push marketing, then came pull marketing. We need to go beyond both … Back in the old
When I say these words, you can literally see them break free and unleash their imagination. Free at last! Free
… according to classical guitar training. You don’t bend your right hand’s fingers. You hold them straight.The thumb is supposed
In our regular Clubhouse session on leadership communication we had an interesting discussion about price. One of the participants reported
Companies speak to target groups. Humans do not. And this makes all the difference between communication that builds a connection
Many businesses underestimate the value of a well crafted email. More than 90% of all deals that I’ve pitched were
… is a real problem and leaders should be extra careful when they observe their team members doing it. Communicating
The easiest way to get people talking about your product is to start with a product that’s worth talking about.
Almost anyone can juggle two balls. Many can do three. Four is rather difficult. More is impossible for most. Juggling
It’s easy when you’re in a great mood but a bit harder when you’re not. It’s easy when you’re relaxed
A common approach to communication is to throw a bunch of things at the audience and hope that something sticks:
Authenticity is always in the eye of the beholder. When our audience experiences what we say to be in sync
Rule #1 in communication: The audience is always right!If they didn’t get it they didn’t get it. End of Story.
This is not in line with what I know so it must be wrong. And yes, it probably is. Or
In my keynote speeches I often ask people what’s so different about movies that we find them entertaining for 2+
“This is so hard but the eloquence with which you’re using words tells me that you must be a natural
Mary says: “I think it’s important that we focus on stability.”Taylor adds: “It’s also important that we focus on efficiency.”Mary
When you’re used to being first, it hurts to end up on the 7th place. It hurts more when it’s
6am. I stand up. And then I have literally a million choices of what to do on that day. I
Simplicity is a great virtue but it requires hard work to achieve it and education to appreciate it. And to
Can you plant a thought in someone else’s head? In the film Inception, Leonardo diCaprio attempts to do so by
Werner Herzog on bad films: The bad films have taught me most about filmmaking. Seek out the negative definition. Sit
Here’s a great car ad: Did you see it coming? Probably not. Because no one ever does. Here’s a different
Quick-witted people are quick-witted because they often respond quickly. Quite simply they have a lot of practice at being quick-witted.
The first thing I changed when I got in charge of my first project was to shift the deadlines from
It’s tempting to want to change the world and do it all at once. But almost all revolutions start small.
Back in school, I had a classmate who put an unbelievable amount of work in preparing for exams, reading mountains
I can’t find a parking lot so I have to park in the middle of the street. Not my fault!
Sometimes, we need to make a tough decision: Who do we leave behind? As a customer. In our messaging. It
Having more than one priority is one of the reasons why decision making in some companies feels so difficult. Imagine
Today, we’ve got a million ways to tell our story. We can tell it on video, audio, or write it
How do you scale a magazine from 0 readers to being Europe’s best selling magazine? You need three things: Great
Many companies are quite good at explaining what their product is not but not at all good at explaining what
When we care deeply, we’ve got a problem. Because often, we find ourselves competing with others who don’t care as
Just a minute more can make all the difference when we reply to a mail or posting. It can make
In the corporate world, outlines are still pretty much mandatory at the start of a presentation. Also, they are pretty
is not that we meet but how we meet. And that starts with why we meet. Many meetings feel like
They are happy to rise your status by helping you see things for yourself that now you are proud of
Getting attention is easy. Make it bigger, faster, louder, or crazier. And if in doubt, throw money at the problem
But better than what? What does better even mean? Is it faster? Or is it more reliable? Cheaper? More pleasant
TED has popularised the art of presenting big ideas. What gets easily overlooked is how another art is even more
Conductor Benjamin Zander has a simple rule to find out: “When their eyes are shining you know you’re doing it.”
“Great stories happen to people who tell them.” – Ira Glass Ok, you might not have climbed the Mount Everest. And
That’s what more than 12% of executives who were surveyed by Distinction Communication answered when they were asked how much
What an inspiring story Kathy Letendre shared with me in the newest episode of the “Leaders Light the Path” podcast.
Did you know that Blockbuster used a business model called managed dissatisfaction? E.g. late fees were a major contributor to
… and that’s good news! Here’s why: Trying to play the hero is one of the major causes why people
Back in the days when I was still offering design services I recall a meeting with one of my clients.
… is often confused with scratching the surface and leaving out the difficult parts. But that’s not what keeping it
If there was no fear, everyone would just be courageous enough to do anything. But there is fear. In real
When we build a product it’s quite obvious that we need to test what we build. Will it do what
“I’ve got more important business to do so I’ll cancel this meeting.” Of course, you’ve got more important business to
… I would point out that if you nail that one sentence, one sentence quickly becomes first sentence. (Because if
Only one thing. But it needed to be one thing that requires some courage. What could it be? What would
Is actually quite easy: Just say it. It’s amazing how much time we spend with looking for fancy ways of
“I don’t tell stories.” the restaurant owner said, “so that’s not relevant to me.” Which is half the truth. Because
Some people believe that tension is something you have to create artificially. Something that needs to be added to your
“I like it”, he said. “Maybe just one thing. Could you add a small overview of the other products that
You shouldn’t. But as a goal, that’s unambitious. And misleading. Not being boring is relatively easy (though not necessarily cheap).
If you could just let go of the judgement of others and tell your story just like you feel it,
Short answer: No. Long answer: If it helps to make a stronger case than without slides, then go ahead, make
It’s spelled “story” – without the “hi” at the beginning. Still, many people approach telling stories as recounting historical events.
Getting applause for your talk and having an impact are two very different goals for a presentation. A good round
Perfectionists care about not embarrassing themselves. They will go all the way to avoid embarrassment, even if that means not
The world has changed. Leadership has changed. A lot. Not only in the last year, but fundamentally. And it won’t
Do it! And while you’re at it think about a beautiful interaction you had. Stay with that thought for a
“You tellin me I’m wrong? I gotta do things differently? Who are you? I know damn well what I need
A few of the things that people do during a presentation: listen carefully to what’s being said plan their next
A big difference between startups and established companies is how they speak about their product. Where in startups people show
We tend to think about sales as a competition. About winning the pitch, making the sale, and getting the deal.
… unless we root for a team. At which point a whole range of emotions kicks in: hope, joy, sadness,
It’s called giving a speech, but for many, a speech is about taking. Taking the audience’s time and attention, their
“Yeah, but my topic is boring.” To which I replied with a surprised stare. “Well, it’s just paragraphs and dry
… so that they finally see what they are supposed to see and buy from us. Or cheer for us.
“Well done!” to someone who did a great job. “Thank you!” to someone who was generous to you. “I hear
When Howard Schultz ran a meeting at Starbucks, he mentally added two seats to the table for people who usually
For our grandparents, the predominant leadership model was command & control. Leaders told their team what to do and the
Most people would answer that it’s for their audience. But more often than not it turns out that that’s a
YouTube shows ads before and during the video. Here’s a challenge for your next ad: Can you make it so
Here are four principles that will help you become better at designing almost anything. They won’t magically turn you into
“I try to make one decision that removes 1000 decisions.” – Tim Ferris Rather than to struggle each time you’re
Quick, in one sentence: What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you see … … the McDonald’s
There are things that everybody needs but nobody wants. And there are things that everybody wants but nobody needs. Both
When we write a report about something, our task is not to write a text but to inform the reader.
“What’s in it for them?” is in my top 3 of most misleading speaking advice. It sounds perfectly reasonable. Of
Martin Luther King didn’t need a slide at all. Dick Hardt used 50 slides – per minute! Both used the ideal
If you enjoy puzzling, the worst thing that can happen to you is when someone else solves the puzzle for
… is a great way of finishing strong. But what would happen if you turned that upside down and started with
The thing with habits is that they are unconscious. Our brain is on autopilot and so we don’t even recognise
When you perfectly align to the expectations of your audiences, they will follow you wherever you go. Like in this
“The smartest person is usually the person in the room who knows how to tap into the intelligence of every
If you’re absolutely sure that something would be the right thing to do but you also knew that it’s against
How good you were at something when you began is a pretty useless measure for how good you can become
… do we have this meeting?… do we develop this product?… do we post this stuff on social media?… do we sacrifice what
Some experts seem to appear on TV all the time. Whenever something happens, these people pop up in TV shows
How you walked up the stage …How you interacted with audience member during the break before your talk …How you
How can I surprise my audience? How can I make my slides more punchy? How can my gestures reinforce what
Most social media platforms measure engagement in order to determine relevance. Basically, the more people interact with a piece of
Speaking is a sequential process. We can only speak one word after another. However, thoughts aren’t sequential. When I think
And so the graphics department makes a 3D version of the chart. Because 3D looks cool, you know. But the
Audiences are ruthless. When, after a talk, someone asks an audience member: “What was the talk about?” they are going
Elon Musk [on his priorities] as a CEO: Spend less time on finance, spend less time in conference rooms, less
I have been a happy man ever since January 1, 1990, when I no longer had an email address. I’d
I’ve started a new podcast called “Leaders Light The Path”. It’s two minutes, twice a week that get you the
There are two kinds of businesses. Those that set out to make a great product. And those that set out
Here’s a random piece about my teenage years. It’s about trespassing. In fact, it’s about the album “Trespass” by Genesis.
Ironoia, according to Ian Bogost, is a modern disease that prevents us from taking anything seriously. It also prevents us
While that makes for one of the greatest movie quotes, it’s certainly not the kind of business we strive for.
If I didn’t follow your advice what would happen? Where would I be missing out? Because why would I listen
This is easy: to copy the looks of a great presentation. This is hard: to copy the passion that went
A speech is one person talking to a crowd. Right? Yet, an interesting shift happens when you switch your thinking
“We are awesome!” That, in essence, is the summary of 99% of all sales pitches. Yet, that’s not what decision
Asked about which kind of feedback he values apart from the audience feedback, stand up comedian Jerry Seinfeld answers: “There
That’s what they tell us: Stand out! And so we see more and more people tell their story bigger, faster,
The selfish speaker is still the standard approach to speaking. Selfish speakers want us to get them. As opposed to
We tend to assume that our audience understands what we mean and that misunderstanding is an anomaly in communication. I
There is no guarantee in sports. When Roger Federer entered the center court he could never be 100% certain to
The power of stories is that it’s us who re-live the life of the story’s hero. That’s true even in
Many people have a strong distaste for selling. They neither like to be sold to nor to sell themselves. To
Think of a room somewhere in a house. Maybe there’s a sofa inside. Someone’s reading a book. What do you
Think of a great book you enjoyed lately. How did it begin? Mine started with a burning house. Great authors
The only reason to give a talk is that there’s a gap between what your audience sees and what you
You see things that I don’t. The beauty of communication is that for most things I don’t need to be
Be helpful. That’s my summary of 2020. I feel today should be a day to thank all the people who
After a strange 2020 and lots of remote speaking, here are a few takeaways: It’s still story first. A great
Look around and pick one thing that you see lying in front of you. What’s the first thing that comes
Writing things down is among the most powerful tools to refine your thinking. Because it makes your thinking specific. By
We’re giving a speech. Yet, ironically for most speakers speaking is about taking. Taking for granted their audience’s time. Shamelessly
Today’s a great day to recalibrate. It’s the perfect day to appreciate what truly matters for you. For me, it’s
By not trying to do your best. Sounds absurd, but it’s true. Let me explain … The problem with doing your
A speech that doesn’t change people’s minds is a waste of time. A speech that doesn’t resonate with people doesn’t
There are good leaders and there are bad leaders. The thing to keep in mind is that good and bad
As a communicator you can play it safe and make sure that your audience feels comfortable all the time. Avoid
If, after a car accident, you ask 10 eyewitnesses what they saw, you will hear 10 different versions of the
That’s a rule that has served me well for quite some time now: To focus my effort on only the
When you consistently brighten your team’s day.When you consistently decide to skip the bullshit.When you consistently promise only the things
In many organizations, facts are the fuel that inform decisions, large and small. A thorough presentation of the facts involved
If your product truly changes things for the better then all you need to do is to speak the truth.
People ask me how to become the next Steve Jobs. My answer is always the same: “We already had Steve
Not everyone considers themselves a leader. Many are happy to follow when others move first. Many prefer it when someone
It’s every speaker’s dream: To turn our audiences into raving advocates of our story. Of course, if that’s what we’re
When you give a speech, how will you know it was a success? When you get standing ovations?When you close
I have never once in my lifetime seen any audience prefer a boring presentation over a compelling one. And yet,
We learn theory in order to be right but the coolest part that gets your attention is the wrongness. –
My elementary school teacher kept telling me that I couldn’t make it in grammar school because I was too quiet.
A fear that I often encounter among speakers is that their audience might “know this already”. And quite likely that’s
There’s a golden rule in screenwriting: Anything you spend much time on will amount to something in the story. The
End of story. There’s really no point in insisting that you’ve mentioned it on slide 17. They didn’t get it.
Mean what you say. (Bonus points for making it easy for others to get what you mean.)
One of the big problems with PowerPoint presentations is how they are indifferent to their content so often. The bigger
Good leaders surround themselves with great people. What sometimes keeps them from becoming great leaders is when they stop there,
So, I’m not a designer. But I design all my visuals myself. I’ve adapted a posture that I call “the
A few things people care about: feeling seen and heard appreciation for their effort their family their employees a day
Most questions that are worth investing the time to prepare a presentation for don’t have an easy yes-or-no answer. If
Have you ever sat in a totally boring presentation but ended up clapping your hands anyway? Clearly, the applause wasn’t
Open up YouTube, go to TED or Greator and watch the top viewed talks. Observe what the speaker does. Take
… because you need to be strong to use PowerPoint in a meaningful way. PowerPoint can turn a great story into
Many people tend to think about marketing as the art of making people want something. I find it much more
Marketing in a sentence: You see things that I don’t see but want me to. And why wouldn’t I. Your
That’s a powerful question. Because your audience might feel the same way as you do. So, act accordingly. If it’s
… only works for as long as the tribe is willing to listen to your messages. Times change. Preachers not
Every presentation starts at the beginning and stops at the end. Unless it doesn’t. Like most presentations. (Yours?) I mean,
… and action results from thoughts. Presentations are about changing thoughts and therefore, if done well, presentations are a great tool
In 2014, director Michael Bay had one of the most devastating performances on a big stage. In a Samsung press
Charlie Brown knew it every time. Yet, next time he bought Lucy’s trick regardless. Every. Single. Time. It’s heartbreaking to
… is the reason why we don’t accomplish our 1st priority. Get a good price and get the deal at
Some skills can be improved by just practicing long enough. Let’s take running. Basically, the longer you run, the longer
