Talk to the Human™

This last year I’ve read a ton (at least a few pounds) of books, especially on marketing, the web, consulting, writing and speaking. I created some reviews on this website, but I think it’s time to highlight the best for those of you just getting on board with this whole 21st century reading-thing.

This list presumes you are looking to become successful at speaking and/or consulting about something you are good at. Of course, you also need to be up to date on whatever subject you are choosing to speak about.

Speaking
World Class Speaking – Craig Valentine and Mitch Meyerson
Money Talks – Alan Weiss

Writing
Six-Figure Freelancing – Kelly James-Enger
Made to Stick -  Chip and Dan Heath

Marketing
Guerrilla Marketing – Jay Conrad Levinson
Permission Marketing – Seth Godin

Consulting
Million Dollar Consulting – Alan Weiss
Book Yourself Solid - Michael Port

Web
The Zen of Social Media Marketing – Shama Hyder Kabani
WordPress for Dummies – Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Ideas
What the Dog Saw – Malcolm Gladwell
SuperFreakonomics – Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner

As I made this list, I did realize there were still a couple of book reviews I could do, for those rare (!) weeks when I don’t finish a book.

Also, I know Made to Stick isn’t so much a book about writing, but it is a book about making your ideas worth remembering. And that is a great skill to have as a speaker and as someone who writes down what they are going to say.

If you are behind on your reading, pick up something off of this list. They are all worth your time…

Are you using the best market tools at your disposal? What have you shipped lately?

In the book The Six Figure Speaker, author Cathleen Fillmore discusses a “one-pager” as the One Essential Marketing Tool for professional speakers.

Here are the components of the one-pager as described:
- Bio
- Personal logo and mission statement
- Photo
- Three speech titles
- Blurbs about each speech
- Client list
- Testimonials

A couple of recommendations from the book:
The photo should be professional, a full body shot, and not contrived
Take a look at other professional sites for examples of Bios
Position yourself as a solution provider - an expert, not simply a speaker

So here’s the challenge: Come up with a draft one-pager in the next week. That is going to be my goal, and I’ll post the result on this site by next weekend.

Creating the one-pager isn’t expensive or particularly difficult. It just takes work. Like Seth Godin says, do the work – ship!

Are you struggling to get momentum behind your message?

Recently, Seth Godin posted a blog entry about the phrase drill baby drill. This has become a catch phrase that, prior to the disaster in the gulf, people with a certain mindset were able to get behind, rally around, and repeat with ease. The phrase really crystallized the concept of Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath.

I reviewed their latest book, Switch, a couple of months ago. Now I’ve gone back and purchased Made to Stick to see what all the fuss was about.

The fuss? The tag-line, Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die pretty well sums it up. The six principles, Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotions, and Stories (SUCCESs) give you a usable road-map to help make your ideas stick.

What’s great about this book:
The concept of The Curse of Knowledge captures how our minds work, and why we find it difficult to accept when others don’t receive our message. So often, we think we’ve delivered our message in a way that everyone will understand. Read this and you’ll understand why that doesn’t work like you think it should (and what you can do about it).

Also, there are a plethora of great examples of sticky ideas and not-so-sticky ones. Placed throughout the chapters are clinics to help reinforce the points with practical applications.

I’ve already got three different blog posts ready based on concepts in this book, so look for those to be published in the coming week.

Recommendations:
Any speaker or writer should have already read this book. Don’t put it off like I did.

Rob’s Rating system (bolded, the rating is)
Buy now at full price
Buy if you get a discount
Wait for the paperback (of course, it’s only in paperback)
Wait for someone else to be done with the paperback
If you’ve read my review, you got the jist of it

Do you know what is missing for your success?

Driving home from our District Toastmaster training (TLI) in Overland Park, I was talking to a friend of mine about a variety of topics. One that came up was about what we have learned in our studies of professional speakers, and if there was just one missing ingredient to make us more successful.

One of us commented that maybe, just maybe, the missing ingredient was us. Don’t get me wrong, we all have things to learn and we can all improve our knowledge. I’m talking about the “secret ingredient” that many of us think is out there; if we just buy this one self-study course or get a little more coaching, then things would be different.

Nope.

The missing ingredient is us.

I don’t mean to imply that those things can’t help, or that they won’t lead to improvement. What I’m suggesting is that those external items won’t spark a change, only you can do that.

Take the next step yourself: write that blog post, give that speech at Toastmasters, or create that product to sell. As Seth Godin says, ship something. Once you’ve done that, then look at how you can tweak the next version.

You are what’s missing. And it’s no secret…

“In the Land of the blind, the one-eyed man is King.” Desiderius Erasmus, Adagia (III, IV, 96). Dutch author, philosopher, & scholar (1466 – 1536).

This week, let’s discuss what is arguably the first habit of successful entrepreneurs:  Understanding what your customers want, and how to provide that to them.

The reason this is such an important habit is the same reason many businesses struggle. If you try to fit your customers into the mold of what you want to provide, you will find your customers going elsewhere. Successful businesses and successful leaders know that they have to constantly adapt, stay on top of customer feedback, and even reinvent themselves and their products to stay ahead in the marketplace.

It’s easy to find examples of this in big business (Apple, Google, even McDonald’s), but what about the small business and consultant world? How do you, as a small or independent business owner adapt and stay ahead of the power curve?

First, learn to filter out the noise. Some customers want your product or service now, customized, and for free. Anything less and they complain. This is hard, but you may just have to let them. Best case: part ways amicably. Refund their money if you have to, but don’t let them drag you down with crazy personalized service that cost you sales with real customers. Note: not every complaint is a bad customer, but you have to identify the difference.

Second, listen to the real customers. They are the ones that bought your product and use it, and can include ones that are enjoying your free content too. Chances are they are the ones that would give you a testimonial. They have ideas for things that would make their lives better, and may suggest products or services that you can provide. Example: A customer says they need help giving PowerPoint presentations at work. Response: Provide a free 10-step tip sheet on your web site, and then offer a one-hour audio (or video) lesson on PowerPoint success and an on-site “lunch and learn” presentation at your normal rates.

Third, pay attention (but not too much) to your competition. You don’t always have to do something “new and different” than your competition. Sometimes just putting your spin on something makes it worth while for a segment of your audience. For instance, as an experienced IT Project Manager, I can position myself to provide the same type of presentation training as others in my market, but with my point of view as someone who has seen success from the IT arena. If another speaker creates a program on how to inject humor into your presentations, I can look at creating a program on using humor in the IT environment.

This may sound almost easy when you read about it, but in real life it’s not so easy. You need the right Attitude toward serving your customer base, the Commitment to stay the course and adjust your heading from time-to-time and the desire to achieve Excellence in your efforts.

The opening quote eluded to your ability to lead those who are not yet fortunate enough to see what you see, and need your expertise to move forward in their own lives. Take a look at what you are providing, what your customers are telling you, and bridge that gap to stay successful. Seth Godin says “Real Artists Ship”. Not every effort will be successful, but some will. No missed opportunity will help you achieve success. Find out what your customers want, then give it to them – Make that your first habit to success.

The E-Myth Revisited is a book by Michael Gerber that is based on his many years of experience in helping small businesses see success by realizing the difference between the Entrepreneur, the Manager, and the Technician. This is the overarching theme of his book, and you’ll hear (or read) it a lot.

What’s great about this book:
If you are wondering why, as a great technician, you can’t seem to see success as a small business owner, this book will open your eyes to what you may be missing.

One piece that really caught my attention: The Technician looks at the customer and asks, “why won’t they buy my product?” The Entrepreneur looks at the customer and says, “what product or service can I provide to you?” If you can’t make that transition, now you know why you won’t be successful.

There is some interesting content at his site: http://www.e-myth.com/

Limiting Factors:
I have to admit, the author’s voice made this one tough on me. This may not have been a good “Reading while Driving” choice.
Very Repetitive. You’ll definitely walk away knowing that there is an Entrepreneur, a Manager, and a Technician.

Recommendations:
If you choose to read nothing else about starting a business, this may be a good choice for you. For consulting work, I’d steer you toward Alan Weiss, Michael Port, and Seth Godin for better advice all the way around.

Rob’s Rating system (bolded, the rating is)
Buy now at full price
Buy if you get a discount
Wait for the paperback
Wait for someone else to be done with the paperback (at least don’t overpay for the CDs like I did)
If you’ve read my review, you got the jist of it

Another great Marketing book by author Seth Godin, Meatball Sundae asks the question right off the bat, “Is your marketing out of sync?” To help you find the answer, he covers The 14 trends that you can’t ignore. The very first one hit home: Direct Communication and Commerce between Producers and Consumers. Each of these trends are probably things you have heard of before, but Seth puts his unique spin on them.

What’s great about this book:
At the beginning, Seth describes how the book doesn’t have o be tackled in the traditional sense. You can skip to any of the 14 trends you want to read about. Just digest the executive summaries, or read the stories and points about them.

As always, Seth provides interesting examples, great stories and a fresh perspective on important business topics.

Limiting Factors:
I consistently have trouble with this category with respect to Seth’s books. The Dec 2007 publishing date might make you think it’s dated…but it’s really not.

Recommendations:
If you have any interest in Marketing, success in your own business, or just communicating with humans then this is another book that is clearly worth your time.

Rob’s Rating system (bolded, the rating is)
Buy now at full price (but I found this for $5.99 at Borders)
Buy if you get a discount
Wait for the paperback
Wait for someone else to be done with the paperback
If you’ve read my review, you got the jist of it

Every now and then, a good book may be a reference book you can turn to again and again. If you are a person who writes or speaks, you need to have a reference of great quotes handy all the time. Seriously.

The Harper Book of Quotations, Third Edition was published too early to include any George W. Bush gems, but contains over 6,500 quotes from both the famous and obscure.

What’s great about this book:
Sorted by topic, such as Adversity, Education, England and the U.K., Honesty, Sport, Success, Work and 194 more catgories.
Fully indexed by source, so you can find, say, all 40 of Oscar Wilde’s quotes, or just the one by former President Clinton.

Limiting Factors:
It would be nice to have a fourth edition out soon. There were a few good things said in the past few years.
You’ll have to search the web for more contemporary quotes from greats like Seth Godin, Alan Weiss, or Craig Valentine.

Great Quotes:
“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” – Thomas La Mance
“Everything is funny as long as it is happening to someone else.” – Will Rogers
“See everything: overlook a great deal: correct a little.” – Pope John XXIII

Recommendations:
This is a reference book that would be useful on your shelf. You should have no trouble getting it for less than the $14.95 retail price.

Rob’s Rating system (bolded, the rating is)
Buy now at full price
Buy if you get a discount
Wait for the paperback (and it’s already in paperback/discounted)
Wait for someone else to be done with the paperback
If you’ve read my review, you got the jist of it

You may find yourself held back by these common myths. Each of these applies to any type of speaking, as well as speaking in Toastmasters. Read on, and learn how to identify and conquer these speaking flaws:

Error #1: Every speech has to be different.
- In professional or business settings, you wouldn’t want to give the same speech to the same audience over and over, but when the audience changes, you can use material that was developed for another audience. All you need to do is know your audience and make the small tweaks where you need to.
- In Toastmasters, this misconception comes from an erroneous assumption that you can’t take credit for the same speech more than once. Change that thinking! Don’t “take credit” for your speech…earn credit for it. Are you wondering what the difference is? Say you are wanting to practice a speech for a big presentation you have to do at work on the Johnson Account (or whatever). You can work on the Competent Communication (CC) manual speech project on Vocal Variety, give your speech and receive some useful tips to improve. Next, take those improvements and tighten it up. Go to the project on Using Visual Aides and practice it again. Now you are better prepared for that work assignment! Note: you don’t have to stop at two times, practice again if you need to.

Error #2: All of your material must be original.
- Clearly it’s a bad idea to plagiarize the work of others. However, if you credit them and include what you’ve learned from experts in your presentation you can add to your credibility and improve the audience’s condition at the same time. Telling the audience how using that other expert’s advice made a difference for you can help them follow a similar path to success.
- In Toastmasters, there are some scripted programs designed to help members succeed with common speaking and leadership topics such as Goal Setting and Planning, Evaluate to Motivate, and Creating an Opening. I once asked a fellow member about giving a speech on Goal Setting. His reply, “I don’t need to do one of those modules right now Rob, I need to give a speech.” I replied “Joe, just give a speech on Goal Setting, you can reference your own experience as well as the module and other sources in your own speech.” This took a bit of back and forth to get through, because of the misunderstanding that he though to talk about one of those topics, you had to use the module. It’s not true, and like any source you just need to cite what you use when you speak. If, however, you want to read the script as designed, then of course that is not a manual speech, but how you present it as a module.

Error #3: Saying you have a plan means you have a plan.
- In Seth Godin’s book Small is the New Big, he talks about working for an Internet company during a period when they were very successful marketing to advertisers. He looked forward to working there because he thought their techniques must be out of this world, with the obscene revenues they were pulling in. He then recounted the first sales call he went on with them. To paraphrase, the presentation was among the worst he’d ever encountered, yet the customer wrote a really big check. The point? You may have a product or idea that is so wonderful that your lack of preparation couldn’t possibly screw it up.  Guess what? Even if you’re right, you soon won’t be.
- In Toastmasters I see some individuals who give manual speeches, but never seem to have the manuals, or turn in the awards. I’ve heard a variety of “not chasing awards” excuses. I’ve also watched their slower growth as a result.

To be honest, I could probably write a “Top Ten” or “Top Twenty for 2010″ post on many other speaking myths out there. These are just three that I’ve seen and heard most recently. The short of it is, stop looking for ”no”. It’s easy to come up with excuses to stagnate and watch crap on teevee. 

If it’s in your head that you need to become a more accomplished communicator, leader, and networker (is that a word?) then move past the excuses and do what you need to do. If you are not in Toastmasters, obviously I’m going to suggest that you join. This is the place to practice and improve, and to move beyond all of the myths to become the best speaker you can be.

I wrote a book review last week on Seth Godin’s New Book, Linchpin – Are you Indispensable? This book is out today, and is now available at Amazon or your local bookseller.

I like this book so much that I finally went to Amazon.com and created an affiliate link to help you get to it faster. Read it!