Secrets of Successful CEOs who Speak Well

Secrets of Successful CEOs who Speak WellSecrets of Successful CEOs who Speak WellSecrets of Successful CEOs who Speak Well BatesTo speak, and to speak well, are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks. -Ben Johnson, British Poet and DramatistWhen it comes to public speaking, speakers must technically speak well, but they must also have substance. They must look and sound like leaders especially if theyre CEOs and executives.Your first focus must be content. Technical skill alone is not enough. Your first concern should be what you say and then how you can make it clear and compelling. The leaders cited in this chapter provide some guidance on powerful messages. Message is the foundation. Without that, youre just a speaker, not a leader.Secret 1 Talk about Big IdeasHe can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met. -Abraham Lincoln, 16th US PresidentEvery speech, presentation, or other communication needs one big idea. A big idea is all that most people can remember. A big idea has a life o fits own. And it doesnt require a big speech. Its big because of its power, not its length.Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address is 271 words, and its one of the best speeches ever given. Back on that day in 1863, the crowd hadnt even come to hear President Lincoln they were there to listen to the countrys most famous orator, Edward Everett, who talked for two hours. When Lincoln go up, he gave the address in three minutes. But in three minutes, there welches one big idea. He persuaded the nation to fight on.No one likes long speeches. Personally, I never like it when Im asked to give a forty-five minute keynote its too long Short speeches, big ideasthats the secret. Another example of a big idea is President Kennedys 1961 speech that inspired the United States to put a man on the moon. At the time, the country had fallen behind the Soviet Union in the space race and had made only a few successful manned flights. Kennedy said we would go to the moon, and we did we landed before the decade was out.We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge in one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.Secret 2 Speak in the MomentNo one likes a canned speech. Canned speeches turn people off. You must talk to people about what is happening in the moment. If you think about the usual setting, said one CEO, you have an audience sitting there saying, Who is this person and why is he talking? Thats not a great setting to start with. It appears somewhat adversarial. Your message must be about them and about whats happening in the moment in order to win over the audience that isnt sure it even wants to listen.Arnold Zetcher, president and CEO of T albots, was being honored by the National Retail Federation a few months after the tragedy of September 11, 2001. He knew this particular speech had to be different from the others he had given. He said, The first draft was a basic acceptance speech, and then we thought, Wait a minute, we need to talk about what people are thinking. We need to talk about something bigger. It has to be about the country. Zetcher and his team revamped the whole speech, and it was one of the best he had ever given.When Sovereign Bank was opening its offices in New England, there was a lot of doubt about whether the company could compete with the other banks in the region. Chairman and CEO John Hamill called a meeting of all five hundred employees to erase this doubt. I decided the only thing I could do was face the questions head on, he said. The meeting had to deal with what was on their minds, then and there. He talked about why he had joined the bank and why he believed in his heart they would succe ed. Confronting the doubt made it work, he said. When you are in touch with what people are thinking in that moment, you can confront it and clean it out to get them ready to hear the important message.Secret 3 Keep It SimpleOne problem with many speeches is that they try to do too much. Your message must be simple and straightforward to be remembered.Roger Marino, founder of the high-tech giant EMC, grew up in a working-class neighborhood on Bostons north shore and got his electrical engineering degree from a co-op school, Northeastern University. Yet, Marino was a salesman at heart. EMC sold one of the least sexy products or services you can imagine storage systems for computer information but he and his two partners built a company that went on to dominate the industry.Marino learned early on how important communication is in business particularly when it comes to keeping things simple. When I was in college and I would see one of these engineering professors talking, if I did nt get what they were talking about, it was annoying, he said. I couldnt figure out why other people thought a professor who couldnt explain things was so brilliant.Marino considered the brilliant professors to be the ones who could actually communicate the ideas in ways people could understand. Communication is everything, he said. You really have to fustel a message home.Taking his lessons learned in college to the business world, Marino considers the simple message his strength. Keeping it simple is how he keeps people interested and absorbed in the subject at hand no matter what it is. I can teach golf or tennis precisely because I dont have natural ability. I just explain the steps, he said. A CEO has to do the same thing take people from A to B to C.Author BioSuzanne Bates is an executive coach, author, certified speaking professional (CSP), former award-winning television news anchor, and CEO of Bates Communications, Inc. Her firm improves clients businesses by transforming leaders into powerful communicators. Clients include Dow Chemical, Merck, Fidelity, Mellon/Bank of NY, Habitat for Humanity, John Hancock, VF Outdoor, Raytheon, Deloitte, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, The North Face, and Stop and Shop. Suzanne is author of the bestselling business books Speak Like a CEO Secrets for Commanding Attention and Getting Results and Motivate Like a CEO Communicate Your Strategic Vision and Inspire People to Act, both published by McGraw Hill.

How the write the perfect letter of introduction

How the write the perfect letter of introductionHow the write the perfect letter of introductionYoure scanning your emails and come across this salutation in an email from a total stranger Dear Sir or Madam and, you promptly delete it. If youve ever received an email with an intriguing subject line but a dated and almost icky start, chances are good that you chose notlage to read any further. Who can blame you? You have enough junk in your inbox, we all do.So, how can you improve your own email introductions and letters to virtual strangers?Seasoned email marketers have complicated algorithms and methodology used to make koranvers that people open, read, and react to their emails. That doesnt mean the rest of us missing those skills will be relegated to the spam folder.Here are some ways to make koranvers your own letters of introduction stand out.1. The subject line is crucialWhen sending an introductory email, its important to craft a subject line that will make someone click in an d read on. Are you a friend of a friend or colleague? Use that name in the subject line, it will instantly remind that person that youre already connected somehow.2. Pay attention to detailThings like titles or the spelling of someones name can make or break a budding connection. For that reason, Communications Executive Sacha Cohen, of Grassfed Media said, I think its important to make sure you get titles right and make it clear why you are doing the intro in the first place. And when people contact Cohen, the thing that makes her automatically hit delete?The use of the motto Id like to pick your brain about3. Make it personalThough someone may work for a giant corporation, he or she doesnt want to feel interchangeable. Marijke Vroomen-Durning, a nurse turned author said, I always try to make a personal connection in the first paragraph. Why did I pick that particular person to reach out to? I find if I can zero in on a common thing, it increases the chances of getting a response.4 . Dont ask, offerAlong those lines, if youre simply contacting someone to ask for something big without offering anything in return dont. Ideally, starting a professional conversation should mean two parties are finding a way to interact and perhaps do future business together that might result in a mutually beneficial relationship. If you are asking or a favor or a freebie, youd better be offering something comparable or better in return.5. Short and sweetMost people I spoke with stressed brevity and emails that get to the point - especially when hearing from someone new. I really think the challenge of any LOI letter of introduction is to convey your specific credentials and still show some of your warmth and personality, is how Caitlin Kelly, a writer and writing coach put it.6. Shine the spotlight on yourselfGoforth Gregory said, I think the key is to make sure that you are immediately showing that you have specialized subject matter expertise. Or expertise in general that set s you apart from the competitive crowd. If you have an impressive professional pedigree, nows the time to share those details. Since Gregory counts Adobe, Samsung, IBM, and Verizon as clients, she shares this in her intros.7. Create a few versionsThe saatkorn way you might have one resume for your more creative self and another for the technical side of things, keep a few pre-written letters of introduction around that are ready to personalize. Gregory blogs prolifically on the topic and once wrote this The goal of an LOI isnt to get a potential client to hire you, but to get them to ask you for more information to start a conversation about how you can work together. For that reason, you want to be sure to give them the information that will pique their interest and start a conversation, not simply send the same information youre sending everyone else.8. Its a numbers gameRejection is part of the process. While its well and good to target someone youd love to work with, its wiser a nd more practical to research another 10 or 20 people and contact them as well. Itll be better for your ego and career.9. Follow upThen follow up again. It takes guts to contact a total stranger and sell yourself and your talents. Sometimes, though, they might miss your initial note or get distracted on their way to responding. When I was actively looking for work (my work has all come to me the last 20 months), I got most of my work on follow up, Gregory said. Writers who dont follow up are leaving money on the table. Its not uncommon to get work YEARS after you send the first email. Its happened to me several times.

How Virtual Internships Work

How Virtual Internships WorkHow Virtual Internships WorkVirtual internships are internships done entirely via email, online chat, or phone. They typically offer a great deal of flexibility and remove the necessity of having to live in a certain geographical location. Virtual internships, also called remote internships, are easier to fit into a busy college schedule and offer students an opportunity to gain experience without having to commute to a specific location at a specific time. Finding and Applying Many virtual internships exist in the fields of IT, sales, journalism, marketing, and software development. Jobs in those areas lend themselves to remote work, but you can find opportunities for virtual internships in other types of employment as well. Although the structure of a virtual internship may be different than that of a traditional internship, the application process is usually pretty similar. First, you will probably be asked to send in a resume and titelseite letter and perhaps some supporting materials, such as writing samples. If the manager likes what they see, you will be interviewed by phone. Before you accept a virtual internship, there are some questions you should get answers to What tasks will you be doing and what will your responsibilities be?Will training or supervision be offered only at the beginning or over the course of the internship?How many hours per week are required for the internship?Is the internship paid?Can you receive college credit for the internship?Will you receive an evaluation or recommendation letter at the end of the internship? Will your supervisor be able to act as a work reference after the internship is over?Could the internship lead to full-time employment at the company? Pros of a Virtual Internship Some of the advantages of doing an internship remotely include You can intern for any company, regardless of location, without relocating Internships are typically for a short period, whether its a few wee ks or a few months. It can be difficult to relocate your life for the short period of an internship- though many students do it because they want to intern with a particular company.A virtual internship enables students to work for their dream company without undergoing the hassle of relocating.The hours tend to be more flexible Because youre working remotely and not reporting into an office, you may be able to work the hours you want rather than those of a typical workday. The flexibility to work when you want is a great benefit on its own, but it can also free up your daytime hours to work at another job. That situation would be especially helpful if your internship is unpaid. You may be able to earn college credits more easily than with a traditional internship Its typically harder to fit in an internship during a spring or fall semester when you would have a class schedule to work around. Because the hours for a virtual internship tend to be more flexible, it should be easier t o manage your class schedule and internship schedule in a single semester.You wont have to commute With a virtual internship, you dont need to pay for a car or public transportation to get into the office at a platzdeckchen time. Cons of a Virtual Internship The downsides of a virtual internship include There might be a lack of structure and support An internship can become like a mentorship if your babo excels at providing structured supervision and support. You probably wont get that same feeling of having been mentored if youre communicating only by email and phone.There might be less job training and guidance Similarly, you may get less training on and guidance about the duties of the job from your boss and colleagues at a remote internship than you would if you could see them face-to-face. You wont experience the office environment You also wont be able to learn successful work behaviors such as following office etiquette and understanding and responding to a corporations culture. You will miss out on the daily experiences of life in a professional setting.You will have to be more self-motivating Without an in-the-flesh boss to answer to, you will have to muster the motivation from within to do your job. Offsetting the Cons As with any internship, what you get out of a virtual internship is commensurate with what you put into it0. If youre concerned a virtual internship might be a lesser experience, talk about that with the person who would be your boss before you accept the job. If your future boss is able to convince you the internship will be worthwhile, go for it. Similarly, while youre interning, do what you can to make sure the experience lives up to the expectations your boss established. In a professional manner, ask for more guidance and support if you feel like they have been lacking.