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Taking a Talk

It’s called “giving a talk” but let’s face it:

Many speakers show up to take

… our time
… our attention
… our money
… our vote
… our applause
… our approval

Which leads to many of the awkward situations we encounter in speeches and presentations:

The presenter who brags about their accolades while we couldn’t care less and wonder when they will start getting to the point.

The speaker who puts the spotlight on themselves while we’re left wondering what their story actually means for us.

The salesman who praises their offer while we wonder if they will ever bother to ask a question about what we actually need.

The irony, of course, is that it’s the other way around:
The more they give, the more we might be willing to give in return.

A Superpower

Almost nothing is important.
And yet, the Universe is on a mission to make us believe it was.

If you’re leading an organization, you’re bombarded with tons of information and decisions and each one of ’em likes to suggest that it’s rather important.

But from a distance, in that huge pile of stuff, most things aren’t that big a deal. Don’t you agree?

That email? It can wait.
That third bullet point on slide 15? Nobody would have missed it.
That new study that’s all over social media? It’s not even relevant to our scale.

To say it straight: Most things are utterly unimportant.

Treating them as if they were important distracts not only you but the whole team from what really matters.

I think that’s one of the main aspects of lighting the path. To arrive at a clear (and joint) understanding of what’s truly important and what’s not.

So that you can focus on the former and keep the latter from distracting you.

Once you become used to it, it can become hard to bear it when people obsess over unimportant stuff.

Now, this may sound like you wouldn’t care for the details and only the big picture. But I think it’s the opposite.

When the detail matters, you deeply care for getting them right. It’s going to make a huge difference.

But if you let the details of stuff that doesn’t even matter distract you, well it’s going to hold your team back from making a difference.

The Zip Line

Alex: For my last talk, I had a grand entrance on a zip line to give a wow effect.
Casey: That’s daring! What was the feedback?
Alex: They all loved the entrance, but asked if I could zip out and back in with some clearer points.
Casey: Ah, the difference between a flying start and a landing thought!

Wow effects get you only half-way there. Change happens when you lead your audience all the way to a profound aha moment.

The others don’t get it

If your audience didn’t get it, they didn’t get it.
That’s rule no. 1.

There really is no use in arguing that you meant it slightly differently or that you clearly spelled it out on page 7. They didn’t get it.

The obvious solution: Find better words.

But there’s a second rule: You get to choose your audience.

You don’t have to please everyone. You might not need this particular part of your audience to get it.

The clearer you are on the people you want to reach, the clearer you can make your message for them. It’s ok that the others don’t get it.

Profoundly simple

There’s a fine line between trivial and profoundly simple.

One is generic (“Just believe in yourself!”), while the other offers concrete guidance and acknowledges the underlying complexities of individual experiences.

One strips the subject of its nuance and depth, while the other breaks down complex issues into clear, understandable segments.

One repeats common knowledge, while the other offers unique perspectives or insights, simple yet enlightening.

One stops at the ‘what’ and ‘how’, while the other expands on the ‘why’ behind.

One offers snackable content, while the other offers food for thought.

One assumes the audience won’t understand more complex ideas, while the other considers the audience smart.

Hidden gems

Headlines are the handshake before the conversation: We’re agreeing on an exchange of attention and value. You promise me value, I promise you my attention in return.

But.

It’s a 1-to-many contract: One headline, many readers. The better your promise, the more readers you will probably get.

That’s where click-bait enters the game. It’s attractive to promise big as that might lead many more readers to enter the contract.

Here’s the problem: Click-bait has given headlines that create attention such a bad rep that brilliant minds shy away from creating irresistible headlines because they don’t want to be associated with click-bait.

To the architects of “Hidden Gems”, listen up: your brilliance doesn’t belong buried. It’s not enough to be valuable; you have to be visible. Your insight? It’s meant to be seen. Your analysis? It’s there to be appreciated. So, it’s not about being louder; it’s about being clearer.

Your work deserves a marquee, not a footnote.

This isn’t about selling out; it’s about showing up. Don’t be deterred by the stigma of “Click-Bait” That’s not your game. You’re here to make “Impact”. You have something to say that’s worth hearing, so say it in a way that’s impossible to ignore.

Impact without attention can’t happen. So grab that attention. Your audience isn’t waiting for the next empty thrill, but for the content that changes the game. For the kind of value that stays with them long after the tab is closed.

Remember, the world’s most precious gems aren’t hidden; they’re on display for those who recognize their worth. It’s time yours took center stage.

If your story is messy

… don’t add more; find its heart and show that.

Take a step back, subtract the non-essential, and amplify the essential!

Jenny’s drowning startup

Jenny’s heart was all in on her startup, a novel app that aimed to revolutionize online learning. But months post-launch, the expected user growth was stagnant. Maybe, Jenny thought, it just wasn’t good enough.

So, she started adding. A new gamified feature one week, a collaborative tool the next. Her team was on a whirlwind, constantly brainstorming and deploying. “Let’s cast a wider net,” she declared, launching the startup on every conceivable social platform, from TikTok to Pinterest.

Webinars began filling their calendar, alongside speaking engagements, podcasts, and even a fledgling YouTube channel. And every time user engagement dipped or plateaued, Jenny’s solution was consistent: add more.

In team meetings, the whiteboard that once held a singular vision was now a maze of arrows, diagrams, and plans. New team members were hired, not for the core product, but for the ancillary features. The mission statement of the startup morphed weekly.

But amidst the hustle, the app reviews began mirroring a singular sentiment: “It’s become too cluttered.” And the numbers agreed. Users were overwhelmed, and many were leaving.

One evening, in a haze of exhaustion, Jenny stumbled upon the first sketch of her app, penned on a coffee-stained napkin. It was simple, direct, elegant. It reminded her of the original problem she sought to solve and her initial vision.

She called an emergency meeting. The room’s tension was palpable. With the worn napkin in hand, Jenny spoke, “We have a diamond here, but instead of polishing it, we’ve been covering it with decorations. We need to return to its core brilliance.”

The path forward was clear. They needed to refine, not expand. Strip away the trappings and polish the core idea until it sparkled with clarity and purpose.

As they honed in on the essence of the app, its true value shone through. The user experience became smoother, and the app’s core functionalities more robust. The startup, once lost in a sea of embellishments, found its identity and success by showcasing its original, polished gem.

What’s the diamond core of your story?

Your differentiator

Being different is a by-product, not a goal.

When you treat it as the goal, “different” can easily become a trap. It deceives you to chase superficial changes like choosing quirky colors, strange slogans, or odd advertising gimmicks in hopes of being unique. Yet, these surface-level tweaks are often meaningless if they don’t tie back to something real and valuable for the customer.

This kind of different wants you to believe that by standing out in a crowd, you’ll capture attention and thrive. And you might. But there’s no guarantee that this attention will be in your favor.

The real magic happens when a business shifts its focus from “different” to “meaningful”.

When you zero in on a specific problem faced by a specific group of people and craft a solution specifically tailored to them, you’ll almost inevitably stand out for them. This customer-centric approach makes a world of difference. When no-one else provides a solution that fits so well for them, you’re obviously different. More importantly, by diving into the lives of the customers, understanding their needs, and crafting solutions that ease their pains, a business becomes a valuable asset to them. It’s about forming a connection that’s deeper than a flashy logo or a catchy tune.

Make no mistake, you might still end up using quirky colors or edgy slogans, packaging, and marketing.

But this time, it’s not just about standing out; it’s about standing out for the right reasons.

Confused Corp

Recently, at Confused Corp, the world market leaders for unclear instructions and perplexed employees.

Leader: “I don’t want us running around in circles anymore. Clear communication is key.”
Team Member: “Does that mean you’ll start speaking English instead of Managerial?”

PS: My podcast “Irresistible Communication” is back from the summer break.

Spread the Word

Dr. Michael Gerharz

Dr. Michael Gerharz