Intent - Content - IMPACT

Communication is a dicey business.

Unless what you think, say and what the others understand are aligned, communication can create embarassing sceanrios like it happened to an old mountain woman.

She was having trouble getting her donkey to pull its heavily laden cart up the hill. Seeing her plight, the village  lawyer got behind the cart and pushed it up over the hill and over the top.

As they stopped to catch their breath, the woman told the lawyer, " Thanks a lot. I'd never have gotten it done with just one donkey."

Speakers may want to change the profession from a lawyer to a software engineer or accountant and the like when using this story.

For similiar anecdotes, do look up ' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Podium" by Herbert V Prochnow.

Make your move.... NOW !

Recently I used this anecdote to amplify my point about the need to be agile and move swiftly by anticipating customer needs in a session on ' Change Faster' for a group of marketing managers. And it registered very well. I hope all of you find it amusing and some of you, perhaps, relate to this :-)
A husband and wife were playing chess.
"This reminds me of when we were dating" the wife said.
"We never played chess in those days, Honey," the husband said.
" No, but even then, it took you two hours to make a move."

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AUDIENCE ANALYSIS - COBBLER STYLE !

AUDIENCE ANALYSIS - COBBLER STYLE !

Stepping out to meet a client, I noticed I'd forgotten to polish my shoes. I stopped by a roadside cobbler in Royapettah in Chennai.

Even as his hands worked on my shoes with the dexterity of a surgeon performing a complicated task,he would regularly seek the attention of prospective customers.

When locals passed by, he said, "POLISH! POLISH ! "

And when a foreigner went past, he called out-" SHOE SHINE ! SHOE SHINE !"

I complimented him on his 'know your audience' pitch and he excitedly told me he learnt it from his European boss when he was working for a now- defunct leather firm.

Sixty five years old, with his children happily married and settled, he doesn't depend on them and takes pride in his skill and there's a zing in his voice as he goes about his job !

RESPECT !

 

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Devilish Retort

I had used this quip as an MC at a convention earlier this year - Definition of the Indian way of greeting -NAMASTE - the Divine in me respects the Divine in you !


Abhilash Annadurai, a Facebook friend's rejoinder - " I like the definition. However, in the case of politicians, it is 'the devil in me eyes the idiot in you !"

Speech Openers specific to Insurance Professionals

I recently spoke to a group of Insurance sales professionals in Dubai. All high performing achievers. And strangers except their Head, who had invited me. It was important to connect and build that crucial rapport.

I opened with " I have great respect for Insurance professionals because you are the most persuasive and persistent lot. I used to spurn life insurance salesmen.However, my friend Murali came in and said ' I don't want to put pressure on you. Here is a brochure on life insurance. Read this and go to sleep. And, IF you wake up tomorrow, give me a call ! Needless to add, I signed up right away !

The hearty laughter ensured I had bridged the gap between an otherwise suspicious audience and went on with my pitch to "Unleash your Humor Quotient".

To paraphrase Toastmaster and humorist Jerry Starke, the more specific your speech opener, the more terrific it is !