How to Engage Any Audience Instantly

Your introduction is WAY too long.

During your speech.
On your website video.
In the beginning of your book.

Way, way too long.

This is dangerous for three reasons:

FIRST: The attention span of a human being is about six seconds.
So, if you don’t grab them RIGHT AWAY you may never get them.

SECOND: The choices people have (besides you) are approaching infinite.
So, if you don’t grab them RIGHT AWAY, they might find something else to do or somewhere else to go, instead of paying attention to you.

THIRD: The information overload your audience is experiencing is ree-diculous. So, if you don’t get down to the good stuff RIGHT AWAY, your content will to blend into the noise and soon be forgotten.

Therefore, the #1 secret to engaging your audience is…

Hit the ground running.

Which brings to mind one of my favorite quotations of all time. In Elmore Leonard’s famous book, The Ten Rules of Writing, he reminds us:

“If you want to be a good writer, just leave out the parts that people skip.”

Of course! Brilliant!

And that’s not just about writing, it’s about ALL forms of communication.

Let’s explore three practices of how to hit the ground running.

1. ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE … of your speech. The most important words of your entire talk are the VERY first words that come out of your mouth. The minute you walk on stage, as soon as the applause dies down. These words set the stage for your entire speech AND are (probably) the only words your audience will actually remember.

In fact, most speakers fail to engage their audience in the first few MINUTES, much less the first few seconds. So, you challenge is to make them perk up, lean forward and think to themselves, “Ooooh, this is gonna be good!”

For example, think back to the last time you watched someone give a speech. During which sections of that speech did you “tune out”? Probably the intro, right?

DON’T START YOUR SPEECH WITH:
o It’s great to be here today… (Liar!)
o Thanks for having me… (Well, DUH!)
o Good morning… (Worst opening line for a speech EVER!)

INSTEAD, START YOUR SPEECH WITH:
o 2,743 days ago today… (That’s what I do, changing the number each time)
o The biggest mistake I ever made as a doctor was… (Humanizing)
o Do these pants make me look bald? (Thanks for that one, Steve Hughes!)

Just go. Hit the ground running.

2. ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE … of your website. Consider three statistics. First, the average amount of time most people spend on a website is only SIXTY seconds. Second, people’s brains decide whether or not they should trust you in under TWO seconds. Lastly, on YouTube, the average viewing time of any of their gazillion videos is only TEN seconds.

Stop wasting people’s time. They’re not going to sit there and watch your boring, low quality video if it doesn’t engage their emotions within the first couple of seconds. Instead, they’re going to hit that little “X” in the upper right hand corner and go to someone else’s website.

For example, think about the last time you arrived at someone’s homepage who had an automatic welcome video. Did you play the whole video? Turn it off? Mute your volume? Leave that annoying person’s website and hire someone else? Think about it.

DON’T OPEN YOUR VIDEO BY SAYING:
o Welcome to my website! (What is this, 2002?)
o Hello, my name is Ted and I would like to… (Zzzzzz!)
o I’d like to give you a tour of this site… (Sorry, but nobody has time!)

INSTEAD, OPEN YOUR VIDEO BY SAYING:
o Congratulations! If you’ve made it to this site… (Thanks, Harlan!)
o Ask yourself this question… (This is how I open my videos on NametagTV)
o The reason your company is LOSING money is because… (Who could resist?)

Just go. Hit the ground running.

3. ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE … of your book. Go to Borders and pick up ANY non-fiction book. Odds are, you’ll spend the first 20 pages of the book flipping through all of the typical, annoying, valueless, self-flagellating garbage most authors insist on making you read before you get to their ACTUAL book.

Testimonials, Introductions, SECOND Introductions to the Updated Edition, Prefaces, Notes from the Author (um, isn’t he whole BOOK a note from the author?) Acknowledgments, Forewords, Dedications, About the Author, blah blah blah blah blah…

Nobody cares! Just start the damn book. On the very first page. Think of it as a teaser. Then, after you’ve hooked the reader with a few REAL pages, you can go back and do some of those introductory pages. Readers won’t mind reading through that stuff if you’ve already engaged them.

For example, think about the last book you read. What pages did YOU skip? The stuff at the beginning? The stuff at the end? Those unnecessary self-promotional, four page stories that poorly illustrated a key point you already understood?

DON’T MAKE THE VERY FIRST PAGE OF YOUR BOOK SAY:
o No content of this book may be reprinted without permission (Bor-ring!)
o What people are saying about Dr. Jackson’s new book… (Um, value?)
o I’d like to thank my two beautiful and patient cats, Tiberius and Smokey, who purred at my bedside for two years as I suffered through a painful divorce and wrote this book … (Oh. My. God. Vlaargh.)

INSTEAD, MAKE THE VERY FIRST PAGE OF YOUR BOOK SAY:
o You’re about to read a book that will change your thinking forever. (Really? Sweet!)
o Nobody notices normal. (The opening line of my new book, Stick Yourself Out There.)
o There’s a 90% chance that your restaurant will go out of business by the time you’re done reading this book. (Holy crap!)

Just go. Hit the ground running.

– – –

HERE’S THE DEAL: Your audience members are CRAZY-busy, choice saturated and overloaded with information.

It’s not that they don’t CARE what you have to say – it’s that they demand to be engaged first.

THAT is your primary task.

Right away. Right now.

Whether you’re giving a speech, posting a video on your website or writing a book, remember to leave out the parts people skip.

Just go. Hit the ground running.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How many audience members are you putting to sleep because you’re not engaging them immediately?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “234 Things I’ve Learned about Writing, Delivering and Marketing Speeches,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Who’s quoting YOU?

Check out Scott’s Online Quotation Database for a bite-sized education on success!

www.stuffscottsaid.com.


Three ways to win a FREE copy of Scott Ginsberg’s latest book!

Great news!

In celebration of my latest book, Stick Yourself Out There : Get Them to Come to You, I’m going to be doing an exclusive promotion with … none other than … YOU!

If you would like to receive a free, autographed copy of the book, here are your three options:

1. Do you have an ezine? You can do Q&A w/Scott for an upcoming issue!

2. Do you publish a podcast? You can interview Scott for a future episode!

3. Do you post videos on your blog? Create your own three-minute video on how YOU stick yourself out there!

Read more about the book on Amazon, and if you’re interested in doing a cross promotion, send me an email no later than March 31.

This offer is limited to the first 19 requests ONLY.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How will you stick yourself out there in 2009?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
If you want an autographed copy, send an email to me – we’ll discuss the cross promotion- and I’ll send you the book for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

The world’s FIRST two-in-one, flip-flop book!

Buy Scott’s comprehensive marketing guidebook on Amazon.com and learn how to GET noticed, GET remembered and GET business!

NametagTV: ASAP is a Big, Fat Lie!

Video not working? Click here for Adobe Flash 9.

Watch the original video on NametagTV!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do your words demonstrate ownership?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “15 Ownership Phrases That Payses,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

The world’s FIRST two-in-one, flip-flop book!

Buy Scott’s comprehensive marketing guidebook on Amazon.com and learn how to GET noticed, GET remembered and GET business!

How to Create an Autoresponder That Customers Print Out & Show to Their Boss

Three questions:

1. Who has the best autoresponder you’ve ever heard?
2. When was the last time somebody complimented your autoresponder?
3. What could you possibly have to lose by making your autoresponder more fun, more memorable, more unexpected and more readable?

Three answers:

1. Not you.
2. Never.
3. Nothing.

HERE’S THE DEAL: Your autoresponder isn’t (just) an email.

It’s part of your brand.
It’s an extension of your values.
It’s the arbiter of your boundaries.

And yet, it’s one of the most commonly overlooked branding hotspots.

“Thank you for your email. Your message is important to me, so…”

Vlaargh.

And that’s the scary part. Some people send emails (just like this) over two hundred times a day.

That’s 50,000 times a year. That’s 50,000 instances of…

No value. No fun. No brand. No engagement. No honesty. No memorability. No humanity. No approachability.

Yikes.

Look, just because a computer sends the message doesn’t mean it has to SOUND like a computer.

On the other hand: What if your autoresponder was so good that people told their friends about it? So good that people actually printed out a copy of it to show to their boss?

Think that would boost business in a struggling economy?

Yep.

Here are seven ways to create an autoresponder that makes money, delivers value and reinforces your brand:

1. Roboticism doesn’t work. If you write like you talk, people will listen. What’s more, it will sound more human, which is an accomplishment when it comes to technology. So, try this: Before finalizing the language for your autoresponder, read it out loud. Run it by a few colleagues. Then, ask these two questions:

a. Does it sound like a human, or a Hewlett Packard?
b. Are there any words in this email I wouldn’t use in everyday conversation?

REMEMBER: These filters will keep your email approachable and real. How are you fully integrating your humanity into your autoresponder?

2. Keep it short. It’s an autoresponder, not an autobiography. People don’t care and they don’t have time.

REMEMBER: Actually, that’s it for this example. Does this email demonstrate a respect for others’ busy schedules?

3. Leverage your subject line. Avoid stock phrases like “Thanks for your email” and “Out of the Office.” Emails with subject lines like that will be ignore or deleted. Instead, try something unexpected like:

a. Include your brand mantra.
b. Ask people a question of the day.
c. Offer a famous quotation. (Hopefully one of YOUR quotations.)
d. “Please call if it can’t wait till 11am or 4pm.” (Thanks Tim Ferris!)

REMEMBER: Be sure your subject line best mirrors your goals, passions, boundaries and values. Whose self-interest does your subject line really reflect?

4. Brand your honesty. Honesty is so rare that it’s become remarkable. AND refreshing. So, here’s a novel idea: Just tell people the truth. Whatever your real reason for sending an autoresponder is, just write that. For example:

a. “You’re receiving this autoresponder because I’m very busy and don’t want
come off as a jerk. Thanks for understanding.”

b. “Greetings! I receive approximately 2,145 emails a day. I simply don’t have time to read them all. Please call (212) 555-9981 if it’s an emergency. If not, please don’t take this autoresponder personally. Instead, I recommend you invest your time in something more productive, i.e., changing the world. Good luck!”

c. “Don’t you hate autoresponders? Yep. Me too. But you know what I hate even more? Dishonesty. So, here’s the deal: I’m super busy and super protective of my boundaries. If you don’t hear back from me in the next 48 hours, it’s because I’m saying YES to me; not NO to you. Thanks.”

REMEMBER: People respond to policies. Lying causes stress. And honesty wins business. For my in-depth, helpful guide to branding your honesty, check this out. How radically honest is your autoresponder?

5. Funny makes money. If you’re going to use your autoresponder to promote your business, that’s cool. My only caveat is that you keep it light, fun and maybe even a little humorous. This will diffuse the defensiveness of the sales environment. Here’s an excerpt from my autoresponder:

“Also, while you’re poking around www.hellomyanmeisscott.com, my humble request is that you: Buy all eight of my books, hire me to speak at your organization’s next meeting, order customized video learning modules from NametagTV.com and rent my brain for a one-on-one business coaching session.

Not necessarily in that order, of course.”

Interestingly, about 30% of my recipients email me back a second time just to compliment this “playful pitch.” And about 1% of them actually buys something or hires me. Cool!

REMEMBER: We live in a sales-resistant culture. How does your autoresponder disarm people? How could you leverage your autoresponder as client attraction tool?

6. Mix the medium. If the purpose of your autoresponder is to filter out email overload and optimize your time, consider offering people multiple options for contact. For example, you could write:

a. “If this is an emergency, please call the following number…”

b. “If you need to physically send me something, my address is…”

c. “My wonderful assistant, Stephanie, gets paid BIG bucks to spend her whole day helping people like you. Her email is [email protected]. She’ll take care of ya!”

REMEMBER: Not everybody likes email. Some prefer the phone. Some prefer snail mail. How many contact options does your autoresponder offer?

7. Deliver value. Access doesn’t always mean presence. You can still answer people’s questions by including helpful resources For example, you might offer a link to your FAQ page or downloadable ebook. Or a link to your travel calendar. What about an interview you recently did? That’d be unexpected.

REMEMBER: A response demonstrates a sense of urgency. It’s also helpful and brand-consistent. Does your autoresponder deliver value? What resource could you send people? How else could you help people in your absence?

– – –

THE BOTTOM LINE: Boring autoresponders are taking money out of your wallet.

50,000 times a year, remember?

Fun. Engagement. Value.
That’s what it’s about.

Memorability. Humanity. Approachability.
That’s what it’s about.

REMEMBER: Just because a computer sends the message doesn’t mean it has to SOUND like a computer.

Because it’s not just an autoresponder – it’s a mechanism for delivering value, declaring val-UES and solidifying boundaries.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who’s printing out YOUR autoresponder and showing it to their boss?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “30 Ways to become the Most Interesting Person You Know,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

The world’s FIRST two-in-one, flip-flop book!

Buy Scott’s comprehensive marketing guidebook on Amazon.com and learn how to GET noticed, GET remembered and GET business!

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