Tag Archives: Persuasive Communication

07c-Telling stories

Telling Stories to Persuade People

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In the age of big data, we think data is persuasive.  If we can just visualize it,  harness it, and display it in a very detailed presentation, we can convince people with it.  All they need to do is see our numbers, facts and figures, and they will be convinced to follow our lead. Unfortunately, this is where the human mind comes to play – as  neuroscientists have discovered,  most decisions are informed by emotional responses rather than by cold and hard rational thinking.

In his Wall Street Journal article on the topic, “To Persuade People, Tell Them a Story”, Dennis Nishi tells a story of Paul Smith, associate director at P&G. For many days, Mr. Smith prepared to present to P&G CEO, A.G. Lafley. However, on the day of the presentation,  CEO entered the room,  greeted everyone and turned his back to the screen. As Mr. Smith tells his side of the story,

“I felt like maybe I hadn’t done a very good job because he wasn’t looking at my slides like everyone else.It didn’t occur to me until later that he did that because he was more interested in what I had to say than in what my slides looked like.”

To address this issue, presenters need to connect to their audiences on an emotional level.   The above mentioned Paul Smith, now a corporate trainer and an author, has a new book:  “Lead With a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives That Captivate, Convince, and Inspire”. In it,  he told a story of a mother’s plea to P&G executives about hardships and trade-offs she had to make for her children, and how that story convinced them to lower the price of shortening, underscoring the power of an emotional connection.

In another book mentioned in the article,  “Beyond Bullet Points” by Cliff Atkinson,  Mr. Atkinson tells us to move beyond facts in figures. He suggests  structuring our story in three acts – starting by establishing context,  following with a description of how the main character fights to resolve the conflicts, and finishing with a call to action.

Stories are important to human communication – they started long before PowerPoint presentations,  and we have strong emotional connections to them. So it is important that we do not start our story with an apology or ask a permission to tell it – we should be confident enough for it to stand on its own.

You may read the rest of  “To Persuade People, Tell Them a Story” at http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303482504579177651982683162.

01-Structuring a problem, 06-Building a case, 07c-Telling stories

What we can learn from the Declaration of Independence

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What we can learn from The Declaration of Independence about the art and craft of structured problem solving.

This past weekend, as our nation celebrated the 4th of July, I took time to reread the Declaration of Independence. The document contains the most famous and precious words in American history, and arguably the finest articulation of the idea of natural rights ever written: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I have long marveled at the beauty and power of the Declaration, and been fascinated by Thomas Jefferson, its principal author. This document provides a good example of 3 key management practice learning objectives: 1. Persuasive communication 2. Successful, real-world, problem solving and 3. An incitement to action.

1.  Making the Case Through Persuasive Communication

In the spring of 1776 Jefferson devoted much effort surveying the opinions of his countrymen to get their thoughts on American independence. He told one correspondent that he, “took great pains to enquire into the sentiments of the people on that head. In the upper counties I think I may safely say that nine out of ten are for it.” In terms of American political history, Jefferson was among the first to generate data from a survey of public opinion.

The ideas of freedom and liberty, which define the central themes of the emerging American republic, were commonplace in conversations, sermons, letters, and printed essays of the times. In drafting the declaration Thomas Jefferson said that his purpose was, “not aiming at originality of principle or sentiment.” Rather his intent was to, “place before mankind the common sense of the subject,” and to offer, “an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion.”

Drawing upon the philosophers of the Scottish Enlightenment, Jefferson built his case on a contract between government and the governed that was founded on the consent of the people. Both poetic and practical, his arguments are grounded in the context of a story. The effect is a compelling narrative, even a romantic version of reality, which helped create an American identity.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the document is the logical force and rational power of the arguments it presents, the most notable of which is the notion of self-evident Truths − Truths that are self evident by reason and definition and based upon assertions of reality. (The angles of a triangle equal 180 degrees)

Great writing commands respect. The Declaration is an excellent example of persuasive, evidenced based logic that shaped the course of history. Thomas Jefferson took the current American political ideas and put them into a form that the Colonists could read, appreciate, and understand. With the power of the pen, he articulated a new principle for the government of humanity: all men are created equal. He also ensured that from the beginning, the United States of America would be a nation based on the principles of rational thought.

2.  Creating Value through Real World Problem Solving

While Jefferson’s skill and abilities as a thinker and a writer were remarkable, he also possessed another important quality: the power to analyze a historical situation in depth, to propose a course of action, and shape the minds of the decision makers and legislative assemblies. The bulk of the declaration contains a list of charges condemning the actions of King George III, while creating sympathy for the American cause.

The main problems were subjecting the colonies to laws without representation and the increasing tyrannical abuses from the English system of monarchy. Jefferson provided a solution by focusing his structure on two important themes. The first was the concept of individual rights: ‘The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time: the hand of force may destroy, but cannot enjoin them.’ Second, and equally important, was placing these rights within the context of popularly sovereignty, or the right of a nation to govern itself.

It was Jefferson’s ability to link the right to self government with liberty, both rooted in a Divine plan, and further legitimized by ancient practice and English tradition, which gave the colonists such a strong , clear, and compelling case for action. All of this led to a momentous decision. The struggle they faced was a daunting one.

3.  The Call to Effective Action

With forceful logic, evidence, and a sense of urgency, the declaration details the reasons the American colonists had to declare themselves independent, given their mistreatment at the hands of the British. Implementing these ideals would prove to be enormously challenging.  And, of course, England did not recognize or grant authority to the Declaration of Independence, and it would take a war of seven years to give validity and meaning to our founding document, but Jefferson’s efforts were essential for defining and legitimizing the new nation. With persuasive written communication, a logical framework for understanding the problem, and by proposing a  justifiable course of action, he won the hearts and the minds of the American people.

Great events in history are determined from all kinds of varied and complex factors, but the single most important one is always the quality of the people in charge. It all comes down to leadership. Two hundred and thirty-eight years ago our founding fathers made the sacrifices necessary to create the freedoms that we enjoy today. With the English language they gave voice to the unspoken hopes and aspirations of people everywhere. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, it was “the miracle of human affairs,” one that would result in “the greatest revolution the world ever saw.”

Full text of the document: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/declare.asp

 

Sources that were used in the composition of this post:

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham 2012. Random House. New York

The Road To Monticello: The Life and Mind of Thomas Jefferson by Kevin J. Hayes. 2008. Oxford University Press.

American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis 1996. Random House. New York

A History of the American People by Paul Johnson 1997. Harper Perennial. New York

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Issacson. Simon & Schuster. 2003. New York

07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation

Public Speaking Tips from Susan Cain

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 Susan Cain is a writer and lecturer, her most recent book is called “Quiet” from 2012. The book is about “The Power of introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking”, she describes how all introverts need to realize the power of stepping outside of their safe zone to be an extrovert every now and again.

She is a well known presenter who is currently delivering speeches on this book. Her style of presenting is intriguing in that she has strong story telling abilities, uses props, humor, strong facial expressions and hand expressions.

She has the ability to remain animated and interesting, as she takes a personal approach and shares her views and funny stories about her life as an introvert.

Several keys to her successes as a speaker that she uses to present her material are below:

1)   Preparation is key- Practicing out loud, and video taping yourself are all helpful things as most people are uncomfortable with the idea of how you come across.

2)   Feed the audience what they want to hear. Is your audience looking to solve a problem or looking for any information in particular?

3)   Watch videos taken from different speakers vantage points. While you are watching take note of all the eyes on you and get used to it.

4)   Practice standing in the place you will be speaking at while looking over the room of empty seats.

5)   Get a hold of a great speakers written version of their speech and see how the speaker engages, inspires, and educates the audience.

6)   Utilize your strengths and weaknesses as a speaker. If you are funny, be funny; if you are great at telling stories, tell one.

7)   Create a persona of sorts. You are on stage and this is a performance, you need to keep the audience entertained and engaged.

8)   Smile at the audience, it will keep you relaxed as well as keep the audience connected.

 

Are there any introverts out there that struggle presenting that have any tips for pushing through a presentation? Please share!

 

Below is a link to her original article on tips for presenting:

http://www.readitforward.com/susan-cains-public-speaking-tips-for-introverts/

 

Below is a link to her speech on the book “Quiet”

04-Managing a project team, feedback, team dynamics

The Communication Loop

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Throughout my professional years, I have found myself in working situations where the majority of the people that I interact with are not in the same office as me. I imagine several of you have experienced a work relationship like this as well. Satellite environments have made me a huge proponent of closed loop communication.

Steve Adubato describes the impact of this tool in an article entitled Great Communicators Close The Loop. Proactively closing the conversation eliminates confusion as to what the next steps are for each party. While I know some people hate to receive “Thank you.” emails, I am not one of those. Those simple emails say so much. I read those two words as, “I received the document that you have provided, and it fulfills my needs perfectly. I will contact you back should I need anything further.”

When I receive no communication back, I am left in a state of confusion. Did my file go through? Are they too busy to respond? Is that all they needed?

Sometimes I imagine how this interaction would play out in person:

Christine: “Hi John. Here is the file you requested. Please let me know if you need anything further.”

John: (Grabs paper and walks away without responding)

Not an entirely beneficial exchange, but I know we all witness these types of passive conversations daily via email.

Steve also describes the importance of proactive communication. Don’t always force people to remind you that they are waiting on a deliverable. Bringing the topic up, explaining your work to date, and acknowledging a completion date all provide confirmation that you are hard at work on their task. People like to feel that their work is important to you, and these simple behaviors will reinforce that feeling.

Am I the only one that saves “Thank you.” emails as a sign of confirmed receipt? Do you all find yourselves frequently in email limbo, wondering if your document was received or if anything further is required of you?

07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation

Three Public Speaking Secrets

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TED Talks certainly holds a library of great presentations given by  some great presenters. Drake Baer share with us in this Business Insider article, “3 Public Speaking Secrets from the Most Successful TED Talks”, what he finds as the 3 public speaking secrets from TED Talks presenters.

We’ve been taught various tactics for how to deliver a great presentation, and you’ve heard all of this before.  And although it’s best for presenters to incorporate everything we’ve already learned in MP and throughout our career and education, for a novice presenter like myself, this article really highlights to me the three most important things to focus on when developing my presentation skills, from a public speaking perspective.

1. Tell them a story

This article states that you connect with people on an emotional level when you tell them a story- it helps to build a connection when your audience is able to relate to what you’re saying.  Gallo believes that the most successful TED Talks are 65% story, 25% data, and 10% building credibility.

2. Create “emotionally charged events”

An “emotionally charged event” is described in the article “as an incident where you experience shock, surprise, or fear”. This creates a trigger in your brain that remembers this experience.  We learned a similar technique called creating urgency in our presentations. Do we all remember the trailer from “An Inconvenient Truth” about global warming to create that urgency?  The article recommends that in every presentation, you create a way to present the information in a way that is new, novel, and unexpected.

3. Use the rule of three

This rule has probably been engrained in us for a while. This will help structure the presentation as well as help people remember it, since it is easier to remember information given at 3-4 chunks at a time.

Even from a presenter perspective, I believe that these three “secrets” will be very helpful when preparing as well as presenting the presentation.  Stories help connect with the audience, but it help better organize and build on or relate back to the story throughout the presentation.  Creating urgency or “an emotionally charged event” will allow you to remember why you’re am presenting in the first place, as well as help with transitions when structuring the presentation. Using the rule of three will also help with the organization and flow of the presentation.  It will also help me to be sure to touch on three key points for every topic I have.  One of my goals is to rely less on my rehearsed and memorized presentation, and not get caught up in missing a word that I should have used. Instead, I want to be able to focus on preparing the  delivery of my three key points.  I think focusing on these when first preparing my presentation, as well as developing my presentation/ public speaking skills, will be very helpful.
Do you agree with these three secrets to successful presentations? If you could add one more “secret” to public speaking, what would it be?

Link to full article: http://www.businessinsider.com/public-speaking-secrets-from-successful-ted-talks-2014-3