Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Less Sales Pressure, Please!

I used to attend networking events in an effort to sell my products and services.

Today I attend to build relationships that may lead to sales.

The nice thing here is that the pressure-to-make-a-sale is now gone.

  • Networking meetings are less stressful.
  • My networking goal is lower and is attainable.

My goal is to make three good contacts during the evening.

Ahh!

Podcast: LessSalesPressurePlease.MP3

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Let Us Spray NOT!

In the Good Old Days (TM) the promoted idea was to attend a networking event and spray as many business cards as you could. The shotgun approach.

Today we believe that a better approach is to engage in conversation for five or ten minutes, and then exchange cards only when it becomes apparent that there is some level of common interest.

(Cultures vary; In Singapore, cards must be exchanged BEFORE the handshake),

I attended an afternoon networking event today, 90 attendees.

I managed to speak with seven of them.

Of the seven five did not have a business card.

Don't spray business cards indiscriminately.

But Oh Boy! When they ask you for one, you better have one!

Not providing me with your phone number in hard-copy form sends me the message that you don't really want me to contact you anyway.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Coffee, Soup, Sandwich

As I walked up University Avenue from Queen to Dundas street I passed a sign propped up outside a store.

The sign bore bright red lettering on a bright yellow background. It carried these three words: "Coffee, Soup, Sandwich", and it being noon, I was tempted to drop in and get exactly that - a soup and a sandwich and a hot coffee. I kept walking, however, keen to do my banking first.

It struck me that the little store certainly sold more than that, pop, bottled water, chocolate bars, bags of potato crisps, ice cream perhaps ...

But the sign reduced the store's contents to an essential message "You can get something hot to eat here real quickly, and filling too, and more besides!".

But how elegant when reduced to three words.

I must work more on my elevator speech.

My goal is three words.

I'm surely as good as the manager of the sandwich shop.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Skype - an Expert's View

I know more now than I did when I wrote Skype - a Novice's View , and that makes me an expert.

I urge you to try Skype.

There is a quick, single download from Skype's web site , and that, amazingly to me, is about it.

Here's what I learned yesterday:

While I was waiting for a scheduled call from Rick, Michelle called me.

You know the situation: "Oh Hi Michelle. Look, can I call you back in half an hour or so? I'm expecting a call from Rick".

Sure, says Michelle, no problem.

Except for this über-geek I sometimes just don't get it!

So, five minutes later it dawns on me.

Michelle is on Skype!

I call her up on Skype and we chat, comfortable in the knowledge that when my land-line rings I'll have to drop Michelle and deal with Rick.

Skype is like having a second phone line for free!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Another Intriguing Possibility for Barter

From a colleague: I do have a macro question for you and wondered if you would look at it. I can't offer any long term contract from this. Maybe dinner out at The Montreal Deli ?

My Response

Sorry, I am on a successful weight-loss regime, and dinner out at the Deli would set me back a month or so. Got any alternative ideas for compensation?

The Top Line

I need money, cash, to pay the rent.

Dinner at The Montreal Deli won't pay the rent.

This colleague is employed at one of the five major Canadian banks. They have the money, and either they will pay my colleague to struggle with macros/VBA (an expensive exercise when you factor in salary, administrative and facility costs), or they will pay me.

They have the money. They don't occupy several floors of an office at Bay & King. They own several tall buildings at Bay & King.

There are two ways of me getting money; one is by direct payment. My colleague slips me $50 from his personal account, and then shines as a clever-lad in front of his manager. He could think of it as an investment in his future.

The other way is by being paid by someone else within the bank, through landing a contract to deliver training or business intelligence.

Forget about The Montreal Deli . My colleague can get his macro written if he can land me a 30-minute slot to make a presentation of my skills in front of some managers at the bank.

After which he can buy me a sandwich.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Be the Last One to Leave

Attending a ½ day seminar, or an evening networking event-with-a-speaker is a chance to make new contacts.

You never know who will make a good contact (excepting the guy wearing a track suit - probably not a good bet), but since you never know who will be the best contact, it follows that you should make serious contact (a 10-minute conversation) with as many people as possible.

Your last chance to make a contact, and hence your last chance to make a good contact, is to make contact with the second-last person in the room, you being the last.

Leaving any time before the last person means you've missed a chance to make a new contact.

And that contact might be the best contact of the night, the week, the month, the year.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

My Networking Goal

If networking events and meetings are not about selling my services and products to attendees, and if they are about building relationships, then my primary goal ought to be establishing relationships between other people.

And in doing so I'll be establishing relationships with both of them.

Farshad runs a home improvements business. Pat sells a leveling tool. They might have something in common.

I've chatted with Pat. Pat has my business card.

I've chatted with Farshad. Farshad has my business card.

Now I take one and introduce him to the other.

Whether or not they strike up a relationship, they'll remember me as trying to add value to their presence here tonight.

And that should be the start of a good relationship.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Notebooks At Seminars

I feel that netbooks/notebooks/laptops should be banned at seminars.

It won't happen, I know.

Cell phones are turned down (except for the dolt; there's one in every crowd), but why should I, who have set aside five hours (2 to travel and 3 to listen) have my attention distracted by the person next to me, or at a table in line with the speaker, tapping away, hand waving, moving ...

And what an insult to the speaker, not to mention a distraction.

And what does it say about the tapper?

  • The material is too boring - but I don't have the courage to get up and leave.
  • What I do is more important than what I hear - I'm just here for show.
  • I am incapable of learning anything new, so I should catch up on my emails.
  • I can't hear a thing unless it is in well-formatted text.

Pick One

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Not-net-working

At the start of meetings, we go around the room, everyone delivers a 30-second elevator speech.

I find more and more that I avoid the ones who finish off with "So if you need this service, come and see me".

It is a crude filter, but there again, I'm not at the networking meeting to find an accountant or a landscape gardener. That's what the Yellow Pages are for.

I am at the meeting to meet people who are in contact with my target market.

My target market is the big banks, insurance, financial, life sciences companies.

So I keep my ears pricked wide open for those who talk about helping their huge clients.

They will be able to help me, and I will be able to help them.

We will be able to operate with each other, that is, to co-operate.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Handyman Corner

One of the hallmarks of a successful entrepreneur is living by the adages "Never, never, never give up" or "The answer is always YES", or "I can do that!".

You will also have been told that you need a corkboard for your office.

But who wants to spend fifty dollars on a corkboard when funds are low?

Not me!

Think now: a corkboard is brown.

So are cardboard cartons.

A suitably sized carton from the local supermarket, flattened out and trimmed to present the largest face side will do just fine.

Trust me

Screw it to the office door with two small wood screws - that's all it will take, and you're in business.

Buy your own map pins; don't steal them from the local church's bulletin board.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Business Edge

Business Edge is a decent little journal, comes out twice a month. I picked up a copy from a downtown office last week, liked what I saw, and decided to check their web site this morning.

Good. They have archives, so I can access back-issues.

I decide to search for a story in the current print edition, but crashed the system.

Being a techie I am always keen to let other techies know of problems before their management gets to hear about it. A quick phone call, and I discovered that the new web site went live today. I am, of course, the first caller and I bring bad tidings.

A quick email with an attachment, and they are on their own.

Sort of

I asked them to email me back when it was fixed, and I'd retest it for free.

It seems to me that no matter what your business is, no matter what your business is, no matter what your business is, if you have a web site, you'd be well-advised to be associated with a destructive-tester.

What is a Destructive-Tester?

You need a friendly colleague with a technical mind, the more experienced the better. Someone who has many memories of things that have tripped up other applications in the past.

When you make a significant change to your web site, you email the destructive tester with a simple message "Free lunch at The Montreal Deli if you can crash my site before 9 p.m. tonight".

If they don't find a problem, that doesn't mean that there's no problem, it just means that they haven't found a problem.

But if they do find a problem, you'll both be very happy.

I promise.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

You Can't Predict the Future?

You can, you know.

I'm not a gambling man, but I'd bet good cash that the sun will rise tomorrow morning, perhaps behind a cloud bank, but day light will come.

I bet the tide will come in and go out at least once in the next 24 hours (unless you are on the shores of the Mediterranean!).

I'm even prepared to bet that I'll wake up tomorrow morning; even at my age that's a safe bet.

I bet I won't get a check in the mail tomorrow morning.

I bet that I'll receive a phone call from someone I've never spoken to before.

I bet I'll get a new client sometime in the next 6 months.

All of these are predictions about the future, and they are all pretty sure bets.

There are some things I can't predict - my exact bank balance next June 28th (Unless today is the 27th).

I can't predict the name of the next stranger who phones me, nor the name of the person I'll sit next to at the next ½ day seminar.

I can predict that person will previously be unknown to me.

Don't be afraid to make predictions. There will be revolutionary new technology announced next week, next month, next year.

Get used to making predictions/bets on sure things.

And don't be afraid to gamble - a little.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

If You Don't Breathe ...

  • If you don't breathe, you die.
  • If you don't eat, you die.
  • If you don't drink water, you die.
  • If you don't laugh, you may as well be dead.

You don't have to be breathing in every second of your life; sometimes you breathe out, sometimes you hold your breath.

You don't have to eat every second of your life. Three or four times a day is good. I've no objection to fasting or dieting, within reason.

You don't, in fact you can't drink water non-stop, but you need enough water to digest what you eat, and some extra for what you perspire when you respire (Nice One, Chris!)

You better not spend the day laughing, either, if you are serious about making enough money to eat and drink, and breathe safely in your home.

But I think if you can't find something to laugh at, at least once per day, then at the very least, you haven't found yourself.

And if you can't find yourself, how do you think other people will find you?

Monday, March 15, 2010

So You Want to Be a {Your Career Here}?

Some thoughts on a career in Project Management:

Assuming one is trained in Project Management, to the extent of having passed a training course, what then?

Set aside 15 minutes each day to search "Monster Jobs" and "Workopolis" for current positions in your chosen geographic region.

The Job Market is Churning Today Like Never Before

Organizations downsize, people move, so there will be many applications for each Project Management job.

The successful candidate will have much work experience to put on the resume; a recent trainee will have lots of work experience, but no work experience in Project Management.

The best candidate for the job is probably a 30-40 year old who can demonstrate hands-on experience managing projects.

Put yourself in the shoes of the person (or the computer) screening job applications.

There will be dozens of applications for each position.

Some applications will come from 30-40 year-olds who can demonstrate hands-on experience managing projects.

Some applications will come from 55 year-olds who have graduated from a Project Management course.

Who would you hire?

No, forget that question; try this one instead:

Who would you call in for an interview?

Once you separate yourself from yourself ("Well, I'd interview ME! because I feel that I am the best candidate"; "I deserve the job/I want to change my career" etc.) it's tough to justify spending an hour, or even just a half-hour of a manager's time on what is essentially a student level applicant for a management position.

I consider myself to be quite accomplished in project management.

Over the past 20 years for a wide variety of clients (in terms of sizes, industries, geographic area and range, revenue and so on) I have walked in the door, and conducted everything from the initial chat with the CEO down to floor-interview with "the workers", researched software, in most cases developed it (a project to be managed in its own right), designed and implemented training, provided technical support.

My work is based on 40 years experience in sound principles of quantifying, recording, analyzing, keeping track of issues; the lot.

And yet I know that I'll not land a position in Project Management because I've never been hired as a "Project Manager". There are many individuals in organizations who would testify to my project management skills, but not one of them can say "Chris was Project Manager from 1997 to 2003" or similar.

And that is what an employer is looking for. Something called "solid track-record"

So the sad truth is that for many of us, it has become near-impossible to switch careers mid-stream, because employers are looking to hire someone who has NOT changed horses in mid-stream.

I do not say that you can't land that job.

I do say that the chances are slim.

What Does this Mean?

It means that you should continue to hope.

You should continue to apply for jobs in Project Management, but since your chances of employment are greater somewhere else, you should not assign 100% of your time to searching for a Project Management job.

If your chances are only 10% compared (by age, work experience) to other applicants, then you would be throwing away 90% of your resources.

Instead, recognize the percentages and assign 10% of your time to a very select group of jobs where you think you have a greater-than-normal chance of succeeding, and invest the other 90% of your resources looking at alternative sources of income or revenue.

No matter how much I long to be a titled Project Manager for the Shell Oil company, I'm going to be in receipt of cash flow faster if I spend 90% of my time applying for positions as Training Consultant.

And next week's rent and groceries will come from "VBA Programmer".

To put this in terms of dollars, if you have been laid off, downsized, let go, or have accumulated a nest egg in your current position, however many dollars you thought you needed to get that plum career position, however many months you had figured would be enough to move on, multiply that figure by ten.

Then Think, Very Carefully

Saturday, March 13, 2010

1/10 1 2 3 4 5 of 100

"I'm afraid I'll miss some of the job announcements" ("sales opportunities", "contacts" etc.)

Don't be afraid.

Be reconciled.

There are about one hundred people in this room. I have established contact with 5 of them, as in, "indulged in conversation".

That's 5%.

I wish I could get 10%, but then I'd probably have trouble maintaining contact with them for a few weeks.

Somewhere out there is your ideal job/contact/client, but you won't know until you stop looking.

The bad news is that you can look every day until the day you die, and still not know.

The good news is that you can go with what you've got (5 contacts) and make the best of them until it's time to go harvest a few more contacts.

It's a bit like fishing: catch 5 fish from the sea, and it's more than you and your family can eat today; tomorrow catch another five.

If you caught a months supply today, 95% of them would be putrid before you could eat them.

The analogy stinks, I know, but you get the idea.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Best Use of Your Time at Tax Time

For most of us, this is the time of year when we sigh heavily and drag that sorry mass of paper on to the desk and look forward to tomorrow.

Receipts, Invoices, Cheque stubs, Movie Tickets (what are THEY doing in here?!!).

I Love Looking At Invoices

I group them, monthly columns, clients in rows, to make a little table in a spreadsheet, totals everywhere, and the grand total for the 12 months.

Not as grand as last year.

Hmm.

This year I'm doing myself a favor, and printing out that summary, retiring to the couch with a large mug of cappuccino, and writing twenty words on each client.

The twenty words: How did I get this business this year?

  • Referral from a colleague?
  • Referral from another client?
  • Advertisement on CraigsList?
  • Direct mailing?
  • Staying-in-touch by email?

For each client, no matter how small the job.

What follows seems obvious.

  1. "Thank You" card to the referees
  2. A determination to put more effort into whatever it was that drove the business my way over the past 12 months.

This isn't a lifetime commitment.

It's more about feeling good, thanking others, and taking a well-earned mid-morning break from taxes.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

In Praise of Paper

As the number (and quality!) of scheduled networking events and meetings rise, and as the number (and quality) of individual face-to-face meetings rise, I am faced with the possibility of missing an appointment, or of getting downtown without an address or phone number.

The Solution is Simple

For each confirmation of a scheduled event, I print out a single sheet of paper with the confirmation - title, name, address, phone number, date and time, and the scheduled program, names of speakers - the lot!

For each confirmation of a scheduled face-to-face meeting, I print out a single sheet of paper with the confirmation - title, name, address, phone number, date and time, and the contents of the email (which had better be some sort of agenda!) - the lot!

These sheets are pinned to a cork-board with the earliest meeting on the top.

One of my morning tasks is to take the day's sheets from the top of the corkboard pile and place them in my letter-size wallet.

On my way downtown I have a sheet of paper, a token, for each meeting, and on it I can record my notes unobtrusively.

Of course, an empty corkboard sends me a useful message!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

So, Just How Shy Are You?

(1) Twice a day, traveling to and from work by public transit, or walking to the corner store, ask a total stranger for directions (i). It won't matter if next week you accidentally ask the same person. Chances are they will recognize you and ask what you are up to. Tell them; they really do want to know!

I have used this successfully in cities where I have an hour or so to kill.

In Pittsburgh one spring morning, just like today, I wandered around downtown asking for directions to the main railway station. I had a delightful time, met a dozen or so nice Pittsburgians, some of whom insisted that they walk me to the station. Of course, from there I asked a different stranger for directions back to the restaurant.

(2) Twice a day, walking along the sidewalk, say "Good Morning!" to a stranger coming towards you in the opposite direction. (ii)

(3) In the Food Court, or as you are greeted into the diner/restaurant, you will be asked by the waitress or cashier "How are you today". Just for once, don't respond "Good, Thanks". Instead say "Hungry and Thirsty", but smile and look them squarely in the eye as you say it. (iii)

(4) In the supermarket, or when paying for the gasoline you have just pumped, or at the ticket wicket, greet the cashier with "Hello". No more, no less. At the end of the transaction, say "Thank You". (iv)

So now you think I'm going to tell you that these four exercises will cure you of your shyness.

Wrong. Utterly Wrong.

I am one of the shyest people you will ever meet, but by practicing these and other mini-dramas I come across as confident, just long enough to start a conversation.

If you've ever met me at a networking meeting, you'll know that what I say is true.

Thanks to Li Yin for the Inspiration of this Post.

(i) You know that I know that you know how to get to work and how to get home. The other person DOESN'T know! All you need to do is ask a complete stranger "Excuse me, is this the way to the northbound trains?", or "Does this train stop near Queen Street".

(ii) It doesn't matter whether they respond. And you just keep walking. You're not trying to pick up a date. You are walking, and saying "Good Morning", no more, no less.

(iii) Once you get used to the warmth that comes from this exchange, you can go for the Black belt: "Hungry, Thirsty, Tired, Cold, Broke, Underpaid and Overworked".

(iv) It is of vital importance that you look the cashier squarely in the eye while you issue these greetings. The cashier is a human, not a machine.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

How to Win At Networking

From The Toronto Star , "Why winning is a mental construct":

Peterson thinks that, when parents tell their kids "It's not who wins by how you play the game," they actually mean, "If you play the game properly, people will invite you to play a lot of different games."

I read the whole article.

The two hours we spend at a networking meeting is not about making a sale - not in the dollars-for-service sense, at any rate.

The only sale we hope to make is selling ourselves.

I reckon that if I establish three solid (meaningful, with well-defined future value) contacts at a two-hour event I've done well.

Jay discovered he lost his job during the break in the event; Jay is a valuable contact because (a) he knows people in his industry but now feels less constrained about sharing them with me and (b) Jay is hungry for work, either permanent of part-time, and I can help him there. In short, we are now in a position to help each other, which is a good foundation for a relationship.

Phillip hands me a card with his private details on it, not his corporate (Scotiabank) details. There is a hidden message there; Philip is thinking of jumping ship. See "Jay" above".

Conan and I chatted before the meeting AND I took his coat by mistake at the end; if that's not the start of a relationship (wearing some other guy's coat!) I don't know what is.

The game of networking is NOT to spray as many business cards as possible, It is to meet your goal of good new contacts.

How many is reasonable? I believe that a ten-minute conversation is required to start to get to know someone. If you have 20 minutes before the speaker, 20 minutes during the break, and 20 minutes after the speaker, 3 contacts is really your maximum.

If on your return to the home office you hold 3 cards, each one representing a solid chance at chatting by phone or meeting for coffee within the next month, then you've won the game.

Now let's play again ....

Monday, March 8, 2010

There Are No Corporate Decisions

Again, someone lamenting Bad corporate decisions that, in this case, cause harm to the environment. (Sometimes it is causing Harm To Babies, sometimes Harm To Animals, sometimes Harm To Me).

There are no corporate decisions.

Corporations (and governments) can not make decisions.

Only individuals can make decisions.

Individuals can sway the minds of other individuals within the corporation, and if those other individuals are the governing body of the corporation, then they can change the course of the corporation.

But when a worker tosses good furniture into a 10-metre dumpster, that worker has made a decision – to obey the boss because the worker needs to keep their job. And the boss made a decision – that the office desk should be tossed.

Attacking corporations is futile

Changing the way individuals think shows great promise.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Networking - Sit with Those Who Sit Alone - part 2

In Sit with Those Who Sit Alone I suggested that there is value in chatting with someone who appears to have no-one else to chat with.

There's risk involved (" What Will I Risk Today? "), and that is good.

I really do walk up and start a conversation.

I have nothing to lose but my abject loneliness and shyness.

And I have everything to gain.

Out of my experience a few weeks ago there has developed a relationship with someone close to (but not yet at!) age, employed as "tech support for a lawyer software".

Keen on Networking

Waddyaknow? Someone to meet with at meetings, a friendly face, and although I wasn't looking for this when I walked up to chat, I have stumbled on someone who might be able to help me.

I develop applications that process documents (see for example www.Indxr.ca ), and am always grateful when a friendly colleague might be in a position to beta-test my latest little gem.

That is, by walking up to a stranger I have set up for myself many current and potential benefits for my business, and made a friend, too.

The alternative, remember, was to sit in silence nursing my cold coffee, staring into space, envious of others.

Friday, March 5, 2010

What Will I Risk Today?

I've heard it said that unless I am putting myself at risk, I'm not reaching far enough.

"Aim for the stars; even if you miss, you'll land on the moon".

It doesn't have to be a multi-million dollar risk, this daily risk.

But I must stretch myself.

It can be as little as leaving a voice-mail for someone I've been trying to reach by phone for two weeks. Or four months.

Leaving a voice-mail is risky: What if they don't call me back (fear of rejection).

If they don't call me back, they don't want to stay in touch with me; strike them off my list; there'll be no business there anyway.

The alternative is that two weeks drags on into four months, and by then they truly will have forgotten about me and be a dead contact anyway.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Networking Events As Diners

It's no secret that my favorite watering-hole is The Montreal Deli . The food is good quality, the service friendly and familiar, the prices low, and it is frequented by repeat-business-locals, always a good sign.

I know of, and eat at, other places around the GTA and in Western New York State. I've eaten at some bad ones, and I return to eat at the good ones.

Just like you

You go, time and time again to YOUR good diners or cafes, and you check out new ones from time to time. You'll maybe go to a place twice, and if its standard fails you twice, you won't return, but if the food is over halfway-decent, the price is right, and the staff friendly, courteous and discreet, you go back.

And that is how you determine which of the hundreds of networking events you'll frequent, just like diners.

You go to all the networking events in your price range, once a month, or once a fortnight, or once a week.

There are no good events, no bad events, but there are events that will suit you, and that will not suit your purposes.

Me?

Some groups are too technical even for me.

Some groups are socially more entertaining than a night at the movies.

Some are thronged with the kinds of people I need to meet to help me to grow.

And just like diners - if you attend an event and it doesn't seem good enough, try it a second time. Maybe you happened along on the one bad night they had all year.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Based on a Non-Fact is Based on a Lie

When I challenge a statement and receive the reply "Oh, I don't know", I figure that the statement was not based on fact, since the issuer cannot bring forth a fact to justify the statement.

A non-fact is a supposition, a fabrication, a fantasy, not provably true, and hence probably not true.

In other words, a lie.

A statement based on a non-fact is a statement based on a lie.

And a decision based on (a statement based on) a lie, is always going to be a bad decision.

If only because there's nowhere to fall back.

("Management Measures")

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

When Money Becomes an Obstacle

It shouldn't I know; it should be welcome, and it is.

I decided to add another organization to my list of speaking opportunities; telephoned etc. On September 9th at their request I emailed off a précis of half a dozen topics. On November 5th we managed to meet by arrangement. On January 25th I delivered the talk.

So far, what many of you will see as a "typical lag" when dealing with certain types of organization.

Here's the catch: At the Nov 5th meeting they said they would pay me to deliver; up until that time I was prepared to do it "pro bono", for the glory of having my name in lights, and to gain another name to hang on my "speakers" page.

I collected the P.O. from my mailbox on my way out the door Friday 5th Feb, too late to phone their office and ask why the P.O. appears to be for $200 instead of the $100 they had announced. That conversation will take place Monday morning.

Payment terms are 30 days, which means I might get a cheque for $100 by 10th March.

I'll do the calculation for you: 182 days a.k.a. half a year.

Presumably any future talks can be arranged without the initial 2 months preliminary discussions, so that it will be a 4-month order/payment cycle.

So why do I care? I was prepared to do it for free anyway, right? Right!

But a good maxim is BUSINESS IS THE EXCHANGE OF TWO PIECES OF PAPER, ONE OF WHICH MUST BE A CHEQUE.

And waiting four months to get paid means I have become a bank, which I do not want to be.

Without the payment I'd be happy to volunteer every fortnight; with the payment scheme it has become business, and a very poor business at that.

For six months labor I've got my name in lights just once (the talk was very well received), so it seems to me that without a regular speaking schedule, I'm not getting the exposure I had hoped for, and I'm certainly not getting paid enough to force my way forwards.

Monday, March 1, 2010

So. Right? Double Your Impact.

It was agony

For close on 60 minutes, the speaker prefaced every other statement with "So, ...", and terminated at least 95% of the statements with "Right?".

I know this because I wrote "Right?" on a scrap of paper and passed it to the manager sitting to my right, and five minutes later he passed back the sheet marked thus:

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Turned out we weren't the only two distracted by the repetitive "Right?" at the end of each sentence, twenty times per slide.

Make you wonder what all 100 of us might have gotten out of the presentation had the trailing word be removed, Right?

Actually, it gave me an idea for a service I could offer, right?

Take one of those small digital recorders to each seminar; record 5 minutes of the speaker, then make it available for download to the speaker, or make it available through a speaking coach, to the speaker, right?

Any speaker who hears themselves saying "Right?" every five seconds must appreciate that they need help, right?