Think about someone you don’t know, don’t like, or whose manner of living is a mystery to you. What would it take to begin a conversation? I usually find that great healing is available when I listen to the other and also feel heard. No matter what I have experienced in life, when I tell my story to someone who listens, I find it easier to deal with my circumstances. Listening creates our relationship. Listening moves us closer. Even crabby, self-indulged Lucy, from the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip knew the importance of listening. She started the famous ‘Psychiatry Booth’ where any and all could come and be heard. After all . . . listening is such a simple act.

The Coach asks . . . are you willing to listen?

(C)2011 www.schrift.com

Most professional speakers will end a speech with some call to action from their audience. Here are a few great and memorable closers from US leaders.

• “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” –John F. Kennedy
• “Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “Only if you have been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.” –Richard Nixon, “Au Revoir” speech

The Coach believes . . . Nothing is learned until it is used. What do you ask people to do at the conclusion of your speech? (call to action)

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I have been working with professional speakers since 1982. I notice that the best speakers listen to their audience as well as help their audience to listen to them. Here are a few tips on
how to listen to your audience:
• Begin with a personal story to create credibility and connection
• Know what is important to that particular audience and show them that you understand where they are coming from
• Then provide a solution(s) to their problem/challenge with ideas that meet their needs (benefits)
• Back up your recommendation(s) with actual case studies
• Give ‘em homework. What action step can they take now!

The Coach recommends the WIIFM factor . . . “What’s in it for me?”

(c)2011 www.schrift.com

Why do Apple, Amazon, Nike, Southwest, Starbucks, Zappos, and others succeed where others fail when it comes to customer satisfaction, employee retention, innovation and a robust bottom line? What do these companies do that others do not?

Apple “Life Made Easier.” “Think Different.” “The Power To Be Your Best.” Could it be that the secret to Apple’s success is “love?” They continue to create products that not only work well (logic) but are also beautifully designed(emotional).

Amazon “Everything we do is focused on the customer and making every interaction with us a little bit better.”

Nike “Just Do It.” Before becoming the Nike co-founder, Bill Bowerman was a track coach looking for a way to make a better running shoe. He “Just Did It” in his kitchen using his wife’s waffle iron. Good coaching here . . . Do what you can with what you have.

Southwest “You Are Now Free To Move About The Country.” Their slogan (above) also applies to their own people who are free to find ways to make flying fun. The result is happy employees, loyal customers, and an airline that is number one in every category that counts.

Starbucks “My Starbucks” The idea for the drive-through at Starbucks came from an employee who submitted his suggestion through the “My Starbucks” system.

Zappos “Family.” The fact that Zappos went from zero to over $10 billion dollars in sales in ten years is in part the result of the family atmosphere employees enjoy at the successful online retailer. AND they sell shoes!

The Coach asks . . . what makes you stand out from your competitors?

(C)2011 www.schrift.com

I am of the nature to grow old.
There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill-health,
There is no way to escape having ill-health.

I am of the nature to die.
There is no way to escape death.

All that is dear to me and everyone I love
are of the nature to change.

There is no way to escape being separated from them.
My actions are my only true belongings.

I cannot escape the consequences of my actions.
My actions are the ground on which I stand.

The Coach agrees . . . with Buddha’s sensible and practical
words. And, so, I am making greener choices.

(c) 2011 www.schrift.com

The last few years have been an especially rough ride for Americans. So let’s pull back and search for some positives.
Here are 11 great things to acknowledge: (I know there are many more.) Fortune magazine helps us celebrate some of our greatness.

• Opportunity – we still live in the land of it
• Interstate Highway System – gets us from one end to the other
• Navy Seals – they get the job done
• Steve Jobs – the brain behind the iEverything
• Microsoft Word – “the doc is king”
• The Kindle – save a tree!
• Special People – Bill and Melinda Gates, Rockefeller family,
Ben & Jerry, Warren Buffet, James Taylor and many more
• Budweiser Beer
• “American Pie” song By Don McLean
• Times Square in the Big Apple – where else can you find such crowds, noise and zillions of tourists?
• The Prom- one of the great American rituals

The Coach sez . . . for 89 more, go to: http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2011/07/01/100 great-things-about-america/ What would you add to this list?

(C) 2011 www.schrift.com

Have you ever made decisions on the spur of the moment? This means that as a speaker, you would not be relying on your script or any rehearsed material. One actor
compared improv to playing basketball. Basketball is an intricate, high-speed game filled with split-second, spontaneous decisions. But the spontaneity comes from hours of highly repetitive and structured practice – team members agree to play a carefully defined role on the court. This is also the lesson from improve, that “spontaneity isn’t random.” Great speakers allow themselves to be present with their audience and make necessary, fast change-making decisions on the spur of the moment.

The Coach suggests . . . the next time you give a speech, be prepared to improvise and develop a new action for your audience.

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Nervous at the podium? You are not alone. According to The Book of Lists, public speaking is the #1 fear among adults. So here are some tips to take the jitters out of your next presentation:

1. Accept your fear and realize that most people cannot sense your nervousness – so stay cool and don’t mention that you are nervous. Focus on your enthusiasm.

2. Arrive early and get comfortable with the room and any equipment you need to speak. Greet people as they arrive. This will put you at ease.

3. Most professional speakers do some deep breathing before they speak. Do this about 4-5 times.

4. Speak often – best antidote to minimizing your nerves. Soon you will relax and actually enjoy the experience.

5. Know your audience – be sure to research the company or organization before you speak to them. What are their hot buttons? Their needs? What outcomes do they want from you?

The Coach sez . . . remember, it is about them, not you!

Here is what I have noticed about “strong professional speakers:

• They don’t talk about being a speaker, until they ask about the other person.
• They have a first-class media kit that reflects their fee level.
• They do some no-fee programs each year.
• They have a database of professionals whom they can refer to others.
• They give lots of client “extras.”
• They take care of themselves and model the life their audiences want.

The Coach invites you. . . to contribute and share the ways you give “extra” to your clients.

For more speaking tips, go to:  http://schrift.com/blog/

Sign up today for my FREE newsletter, Monday Morning Mindfulness and receive a free e-book “How to Get Your Speaking to the Next Level”.

(C)  2011                 www.schrift.com

What do great speakers do to guide their audiences?

First, they share what they know to be true. They understand that they are not the focus. Their audience is. Great speakers have a passion for their material, a passion for teaching. The desire is infectious. If the speaker has it, the audience will most likely catch it. Great speakers practice vulnerability on the platform, not as a sign of weakness, but as a way to connect honestly with their audiences. If you don’t fully know yourself, you can’t fully know your audience, and therefore, you can’t connect with them.

The Coach sez . . . jazz musician Charlie Parker put it best . . . “If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.”

(c)2011          www.schrift.com