What's Your Hook?

We hear the term 'Hook' bandied about a lot in marketing circles - usually it refers to your theme, your brand, your 'One Big Thing'. For me, it's Win Anyway! Don't worry, I won't go into that topic here today, I've got a whole different blog for that philosophy.

In your speech, your 'Hook' are the words that fill the first 30 seconds to 3 minutes of your speech. The first taste the audience gets of who you are. They decide in the first 30 seconds whether you are:

- credible
- interesting
- personable
- intelligent
- funny
- and - most importantly - worth listening to!

They can make the wrong choice, but that is usually our fault. You can change their mind as you go into the speech, but more people change their minds for the negative than the positive, simply because if they've already tuned you out, they usually have no reason to tune you back in.

Your 'Hook' has to do just that to the brains of your audience members - stab and grab their mentality, so their gaze doesn't wander to the ceiling, their neighbor, or their smart phone. Below are a few do's and don'ts for the beginning of your relationship with the folks waiting with baited breath for you to bring them what they ultimately sat down for - your solutions to their problems.

Don't

- Say thank you, how happy you are to be there, or wish them a good morning afternoon or day. You may think you're being conversational, but you're just making yourself more comfortable, while wasting valuable time, and giving the audience a great reason to ignore you immediately.

- Talk about A. your trip, your luggage, your hotel, B. the weather, C. how fantastic the buffet was that morning - unless it ties directly into your speech (say, A. customer service, B. dressing for success, or C. your name is Gordon Ramsay)

- Start with a joke. Seriously. I don't care how funny it is. Just don't do it.

- Try to get the audience to interact, with each other. Getting them to shake their neighbors hand or smile at them, or, shudder, give them neck messages is so 1992, and again, wastes their time.

- Try to get the audience to interact with YOU. "Repeat after me..." - umm - NO! I don't know you, like you, and I don't really feel like having you put words in my mouth unless it's "Time for Lunch!"

Do

- Start in the middle of a story. You're freezing to death. You just got fired. You're about to start a race. The first time you used their product (though not quite the way Don Draper does). Then tell us how you got there and where you're going - quickly - and transition to your Premise. (Caveat Don't: Don't tell a story that doesn't either relate to the topic or build your credibility)




- Use humor. This is not the same as telling a joke. Using humor in your story, particularly self-deprecating humor, will help open the audience's mind to you as a person they might actually like enough to listen to for the next 45 minutes. (Caveat Don't: Don't make fun of the company, someone in the company, or really, anyone else but you.)

- Use a shocking statement. This used to be a 'startling statistic' - but frankly, that's way overused, and shocking statements are catching up as well. Make sure it is either extremely shocking or somewhat humorous, or BOTH, before going this route. (Caveat Don't: Don't be so shocking as to alienate the audience - so know your audience!)

- Build an image in their mind. By engaging their imagination you'll be engaging them, and creating questions in their mind about where you're going. The more creative the image, the more curious they'll be. (Caveat Don't: Don't make them close their eyes. You may risk them not opening again)

- Ask a question. This one is also a bit overused, but the right question to the right audience can create curiosity and arouse emotions that will bring them closer to you and your topic. A question that makes them question their own behavior or skill set, without being insulting, can be particularly effective. Asking "Did you see the game last night" usually is NOT. (Caveat Don'ts: Don't be surprised if someone answers you - particularly if you ask a trivia question or a question easily answered, and Don't ask for a show of hands - not this early in the speech)

- Parachute onto the stage. If you're good at it. And it relates to your speech....

Kevin Burkhart, one of two one-armed skydivers in the world.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and yes, a lot of successful speakers do all the wrong things. This falls under my old English teacher's rule about why e.e. cummings didn't use capitals, and it was OK - because he knew the rules, and when, and WHY to break them.

For now, set yourself, and your audience up for success. Use those initial few minutes to "Hook" them, and spend the rest of your speech reeling them in. Ultimately, it's for their own good as well as yours.

Speak & Deliver - from the very first second.

What Will Make YOU a 'Top Speaker'?

Conversations about who's 'The Greatest' - be it musician, actor, athlete, or even 'company to work for' seem to permeate the media these days. Heck, they probably have for generations - there's just so much more media now than ever before. This morning on Mike & Mike, a U.S. sports radio program, they were discussing each city's 'Mt. Rushmore' of athletes - for example, Bill Russell, Bobby Orr, Tom Brady, and Ted Williams for the Boston Area. For what it's worth, as a Denverite, I'd put Dan Issel, Joe Sakic, John Elway, and Todd Helton on the Mile High City's version...but I digress.

Recently, I read a blog listing the 'Top 60 Motivational Speakers in the World' - now that's a tall order. I recognized 33 of the names, I've met 2 of them, heard 4 of them in person, and listened to 26 of them, either intentionally or otherwise. Names you've probably heard of include Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Les Brown, and Deepak Chopra top the list. Some I'd never heard of include Farrah Gray, Kevin Abdulrahman, Delatorro McNeal II, and Dr. Roch Paraye.

There's no real criteria listed beyond 'motivational' - and even among those listed, 'motivational' is loosely applied. A lot of them would be considered 'leadership' or 'marketing' or 'inspirational' speakers, or even simply experts in certain fields that encourage their listeners to be better - such as Dave Ramsey.

So, how do YOU become a 'Top Speaker'?
Let us count the ways.....
1. Find a 'Top Message' - one only you can give that the audience wants to hear.

It doesn't have to be an original message. Most of the speakers on the list all give the same basic message - it's how they personalize and package it - combining their authentic selves with the unique needs of each audience to help them 'Awaken the Giant Within' or 'Crush It' or 'Insert Random Platitude Here'. Gary Vaynerchuck is very different from Brendan Burchard - but much of what they have to say overlaps. Bob Proctor and Joe Vitale are practically the same speaker, simply differentiated by age and experiences. I'd still listen to both on the same day, even if I'm NOT a huge Law of Attraction fan.

2. Become a 'Top Marketer' - if you can't market yourself and your message, you quality will sit unnoticed on the bottom shelf.

Of course, it certainly helps if you can buy a bunch of infomercials, or star in a hit movie like 'The Secret'. It also helps if you're a celebrity, and frankly, having no arms and legs is an advantage for Nick Vujicic, though I'm sure he'd trade his 'advantage' any day of the week - he just might never have become a 'Top Speaker'.

But most of what these folks, and others, have in common is WRITING. Canfield and Chicken Soup for the Soul. Gitomer and his business articles in newspapers that become bestselling books. Writing almost always precedes the radio shows and the TV appearances on Oprah, much less getting your own shows on FOX.

Marketing can be as simple as networking to start - get yourself out there, meet people, and tell them who you are and how you can help them. The snowball has to be made before it becomes a snowman.

Ask yourself - what is YOUR advantage? It doesn't have to be losing a limb, climbing Everest, or appearing in a movie. It can simply be your powerful and effective reaction to adversity, be it personal, financial, physical - something the world can connect with, that you can transfer to your audience.

Then start creating - writing, recording, speaking - building product. The more you speak, the more content you create, the more you'll have to market, the more traction you can make in the business, and the faster you'll be recognized as the goto speaker in your space.

3. Become a 'Top Deliverer' - You may think I'm talking about delivering results for the audience, and while that is crucial, it's not always that measurable. I'm talking about how becoming a 'Top Deliverer' from the platform.

Having tight, entertaining and educational content paired with an intentional delivery, from voice to staging to pauses to breaks to sales pitches to crowd interaction. Have it all planned to a 'T' - and become so prepared that when all heck breaks loose, you're flexible enough to be great even then.

This is last on the list because, well, many of today's 'Top Speakers' are there because of #1 and #2, and #3 just isn't as big a concern. It's true, you CAN become a well-paid, in-demand speaker without 'Top Delivery'. But why would you want to settle? Adding exceptional delivery to an exceptional message and exceptional message turns you into an elite speaker - able to demand fees second only to major celebrities such as sports figures, past presidents, and Donald Trump.

In terms of what truly makes a 'Top Speaker' of any kind - it's a two-sided argument. First, you have to become the best YOU can be. Then, you have to let the audience decide. To some of them, you will be 'The Top'. To others, you will be 'The Bottom'. To most, you'll simply be 'The Best One Today'. And that's how most make their living.

Remember, even the top folks face their critics. Anthony Robbins, tops on this list, probably has as many or more people that HATE him as love him. Brian Tracy? Too corporate. James Malinchak? Too 'car salesy'. Michael Beckwith? Too spiritual. I could find something wrong with everyone on the list, if I looked hard enough, or asked enough other people. (editor's note: I'm a big Robbins & Tracy fan, as disparate as they are, I've followed Malinchak for years and enjoy his content and energy. Beckwith? Well, again, I'm not an LOA fan.)

At the end of the day, it's a nice list. It's missing quite a few I expected to see, and there are some I would drop off. Just like I do when I hear people discuss the top five NBA players who ever lived (Russell, Magic, Bird, Jabbar, and Lebron, btw).

Where are you with your message? Your marketing? Your delivery? As always, if you need some guidance in any of these areas, find someone to model, and find someone to coach you - like, y'know, ME.

Now go out there and quit worrying about your ranking and start worrying about your audience - go Speak....and Deliver! 

Winning Anyway in Kuala Lumpur - A Look Back

I've been back for about 8 days - and I've had a chance to more fully digest the 2014 Toastmasters Convention, and specifically, this year's World Championship of Public Speaking. Here's the rundown:

FIRST - the results - I didn't place in my semi. I came up fourth in the order, and two of the first three had similar themes to mine - enough so I actually mentioned it in my own speech. My humor fell flat - whether a cultural aspect, the late hour after a day of contests, poor timing on my part, sameness - I don't know for sure - I just know the strength of this speech simply WASN'T there on this night.

Who did win? Dennis Wright, out of Maryland, scooped up Third, Kuala Lumpur's own Palaniappa Subramamian took 2nd (he was 2nd to Ryan Avery in 2012's Finals), and Chris Woo, out of Brunei, took first, punching his ticket to the Finals. Did I agree with these results? Doesn't matter. I do agree that all three were deserving of being in the Top 3, and that my own speech, on this day, was not.

SECOND - I was prepared not to place - but yes, there was a glimmer when I didn't take 2nd or 3rd that I might have pulled it off. I also had strong hopes for my friend Douglas Winter to pull the upset. I had hoped, going into the results, that Douglas and I might at least place. I'm not depressed, as I have been in the past, over the results. My feeling are a bit mixed about competing going forward - but I'll address that further down.

THIRD - The Controversy - Chris Woo, the winner of our semi was the WCPS contestant who 'had no speech' in the Finals. I don't know if he had one he dumped, or just wasn't ready, or what. He apologized long enough to qualify, and received a lot of sympathy and support from the audience. He's only been in TM for six months, and may have just been overwhelmed.

We can all sit back and say 'he should have been ready', or 'he should have just given a speech of any kind that wasn't an apology', or even 'he should have let the 2nd place person in his semi compete' - but at the end of the day, the decision was his (a sentiment Palaniappa, echoed on his own Facebook stream), had no real 'right or wrong' aspect to it, and he will have to move forward with it.

FOURTH - The Finals - they could have been interesting had I won my semi. For one thing, one of my speeches featured the Flash and the Avengers Movie, whereas the first speaker opened with a story about wanting to be Green Lantern (who is Flash's best friend, fyi). Don't know how I would've handled that one.

I See Something in You - but I don't know what it is!

In addition, Kwong Yue Yang used his speech from 2011 - which won him the semi he and I competed in together, to win 2nd place in the WCPS (for the 2nd time, as he took 2nd to Jock Elliott in 2011). I don't know if I would have liked losing to that speech again, and wonder if I could have beaten that speech given a second try. What if, right?

FIFTH - the winner - Dananjaya Hettiarachchi from Sri Lanka, which had a HUGE contingent at the conference supporting not just him but Balraj Arunasalam, who ran for 2nd Vice President of Toastmasters, and won, was a pretty clear cut winner by my own judgement, as well as the audience reaction. I believe Kwong had a puncher's chance, especially if he'd been later in the order, but I think the right speaker won on this particular day. 3rd place winner Kelly Sargeant gave a fun and timely speech that stood out, despite her theme being touched on by a speaker later in the order.

I've often said that if you run the contest the next day, or mix the order, or change the judges, the results will change as well - it's that close. This year, I don't think it was that close. Kwong might have won twice if the contest were run 10 times - but Dananjaya would have won all other 8 times. 3rd place may have varied wildly - the rest of the speeches were very close in quality of message and delivery, though Chris pretty much took himself out of the running with his choice not to give a 'contest speech'.

LESSONS for NEXT TIME - if there's a next time:

A. No recycled speeches - I've made it to the semi's three times ('09, '11, '14) without writing a new speech. Mostly because I've moved so much. Clearly, while it's been successful to a point, it's not enough. It's time for me to build some new material - which may take a year.  Or five.
B. No fund-raising - if I can't pay my way, I won't compete. I have no real qualms with fund-raising. It does take time and energy, however. I'd also like to be in a financially safe place the next time I compete.
C. No roommate - I was blessed to room with my District's Lt. Governor of Marketing, Darryle Brown, but I like my privacy.
D. Three speeches, not two, regardless of the contest requirements. What wins in your District won't necessarily win in the semi-finals. The audience is just too different. I don't know how many of this year's winners used their District Speech - I just know I probably won't do so again.

THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR:

A. My Wife's Unwavering Support :)
B. Meeting so many friends, and so many new friends.
C. Dinner with Douglas Kruger, Conference Speaker, Car Enthusiast, and owner of the most sonorous voice I've ever heard.
D. Coffee with Doug Winter and Caroline Lyngstaad, both fellow Semi-finalists from my heat, on Saturday. Nothing like getting three motivational speakers together to encourage each other after losing!
E. My District's support - with funds, feedback, and friendships.

I sense evil afoot! - No, Kingi, that's just my New Foot Smell!

F. Pictures with so many old and new friends, including Kingi Biddle :)
G. Safe travels to and from, and the opportunity to watch a BUNCH of movies I missed in the theatres, including The Chef, which was tremendous.
H. The knowledge that my appearance in SPEAK the Movie matters to so many, and that Win Anyway has a worldwide reputation.

Overall, while the end results weren't all I'd hoped, indeed, there have been, and will be, many other victories involved. I went out there, I Spoke, I Delivered - and didn't chase the wrong trophy.

#WinAnyway!

Speak & Deliver in Kuala Lumpur

I've been busy - a bit too busy, perhaps - getting ready for the semi-finals of the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking in Kuala Lumpur on August 21.

Lots of practices, lots of fundraising, all on top of regular life with six kids.

In about 11 hours, I'll be on a plane out of Denver headed toward Tokyo, before switching planes to head to KL, where I'll arrive at 4 am Tuesday.

Thursday night, at 7 or so, my contest will start, and by 9, I'll know if I'm headed back to the Finals Saturday morning as a contestant or an observer.

I've been in this position before. Seven times previously, to be precise. But this year is different for me. I'm less focused on the trophy, and more focused on the message, and on the joy of the journey, as cliched as that might sound.

91 of us are going to be competing Thursday, and only 9 will advance to the Finals, and out of them, only 1 will crowned World Champion. The rest will be slightly celebrated by their friends and family, and even their local districts - but the overall feeling will be disappointment for most, and a feeling of being a downright 'loser' for others.

Nevermind that all of them will have won their District Contests, and 8 of the final 9 can say they made it to the Finals, and two of them can even say they finished in the top 3 in the WORLD. They will be branded by some, and perhaps by themselves, as LOSERS.

NOT ME. Not this year. There's a whole movie out there where I let myself be branded as a 'loser' in this competition - albeit a loser who never gives up. This year, that's just not going to happen.

How can 91 winners become 90 losers and a champion at the hands of 100 or so judges who are imperfect at best in their ability to objectively judge? How can 91 winners become 90 losers when the difference could literally be a handful of points between 1st and 'last'? How can 91 winners become 90 losers when all of them likely worked their tails off, and ended up giving a strong speech with a message that was important to the audience?

The contest is a zero-sum game, but we don't have to play along, my fellow contestants. We were winners from the minute we decided to enter our club contest - all 30,000 of us. We are winners for working the last several months to represent our districts, our families, ourselves in this contest.

A trophy should not define us. A trophy will not define me. Let the winner win - and rejoice. But let the rest of us remember not to chase the wrong trophy, and Win, Anyway.