If you’re considering a career change, your mind might be swirling with what-ifs, anxiety, and conflicting arguments. Slow the process down and take some time to think through the following questions. Be honest with yourself, and clarity about the direction you should take will become clearer as a result. [Read more…] about Considering a Career Change? Ask These 15 Questions
leader
Leadership Comes with a Microphone
Have you ever endured a boring business presentation?
When I ask audiences this question, the response is the always the same. [Read more…] about Leadership Comes with a Microphone
061: Communication Is Multiplication
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SUMMARY:
In this week’s episode, Launch Youniversity members Jeff Henderson and Kevin Jennings discuss communicating new ideas. Launchers tend to believe that their idea alone is magic, but Jeff and Kevin explain why communication, messaging and phrases are key to true impact. When pitching an idea, it’s not about information, it’s about buy in.
Welcome to Episode 61 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.
HELPFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES:
Free eBook Launch Loop text LAUNCHPAD to 345345
How I Built This Podcast: Sarah Blakely of SPANX
THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. Messaging Matters
Launchers struggle with communicating new ideas. They tend to think the idea is so great that it sells itself. While the idea may be great, communicating it to others is what really makes it come to life. Gone are the days of slide decks and power points.
Most launchers may think, “The more information I have the better I’m going to communicate.” But this isn’t always true. You won’t get buy in of your idea by immediately spouting facts, numbers and details. Finding the right message to showcase your idea is important and can be difficult; but, just because it’s difficult to find the right messaging doesn’t mean you aren’t on the right track with your idea. Don’t be discouraged if it takes time to find the perfect fit.
2. Process. Prepare. Practice.
Jeff is a preacher’s son. As a boy, he remembers feeling amazed that his father’s words had the ability to impact people’s lives in such a strong way. This inspired Jeff to study other communicators to determine what made them successful. He noticed each communicator had a process that he or she followed, similar to the Launch Loop. He also noticed great communicators prepare and practice before presenting to their audience. Ask trusted mentors, coworkers or family to listen to your presentation. Ask for their honest feedback. If you aren’t able to gather anyone to watch, video yourself instead. Both options may feel awkward, but it’s key to being prepared.
3. A Phrase that Pays
When communicating an idea to a friend or colleague, you may see the interaction as simple addition. But to really get traction on your idea, consider it more like multiplication.
Think of it like this: You not only want to impact the person you’re talking to, but you want to impact five people down the line from him or her. You want them to understand your idea so well that they tells others (who will tell others, who will tell others, and so on). Remember, think multiplication if you want your idea to spread with you. Bonus tip: If you want to test whether your idea stuck, ask your colleague to repeat it back to you in the attempt to sell you on your own idea. If you get a blank stare, you know you have more work to do.
060: Why Your Pitch May Not Be Working
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SUMMARY:
You happen to find yourself on an elevator with a person of significance and you have a just a few seconds to pitch them what you’re doing. That’s what an elevator pitch is: Selling an idea in a clear and concise manner, in a short amount of time, and inspiring the person you’re pitching to take action. Whether you know that analogy, or this is the first time hearing it, your elevator pitch matters. Good ideas die with bad communication. This episode is about finding, refining, and improving your pitch.
Welcome to episode 60 of the podcast.
LINKS + RESOURCES:
JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR ELEVATOR PITCH
Elevator Pitch is an online, workshop-style video course that guides you through proven methods to shape, hone and sharpen your message and polish your delivery. It includes a printable, digital workbook with exercises providing the step-by-step directions and the writing space you need to develop your pitch as you go.
Following the process outlined in Elevator Pitch, you’ll have crafted your pitch in approximately four hours. How could a stronger, clearer message impact your next presentation, sales call or team meeting? Make your next presentation your best presentation with Elevator Pitch.
Registration for Elevator Pitch is currently closed. It will open soon. Sign up for the waitlist so you don’t miss the next enrollment.
THREE TAKEAWAYS:
If you can’t say it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.
The goal here is to keep it simple. When you pitch a product, you want to tell people who can tell other people. Nobody is going to share your idea with others if they can’t understand it.
A great idea, poorly communicated, is a stalled, unfunded and unsupported idea.
You might have the greatest idea in the world, but if you don’t know how to communicate it well then it’ll never get off the ground. When you’re building out your idea, practice how you would simply and concisely explain it to others. (And practice it again and again and again.)
Your pitch is like your packaging.
Think about the experience of buying a brand new iphone from the Apple store vs. buying a used one on ebay. One comes in the crisp white box, headphones perfectly folded, screen protector on. The one from ebay will probably arrive in a padded yellow shipping envelope. Which one would you be more excited for? That’s because packaging matters, and your pitch is your packaging. Don’t rely on the fact that you have a great idea and think that the communication doesn’t matter. The communication is what makes the experience great.
022: Launchers Are Learners: 10 Hacks to Make You a Better Learner
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Summary:
Launchers and leaders never stop learning. You probably know that you need to be always learning, but with busy schedules and ever-changing priorities, how do you actually become a learner? Jeff, Shane and David share 10 hacks for learning that they implement in their own lives. Listen to the full episode for their quick, candid and effective tips.
Launchers aren’t just learners, they are also listeners. If you missed last week’s episode on listening, catch up here.
Welcome to episode 22 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.
Links + Resources:
LYP 011: When Passion and Creativity Collide: An Interview with Morsel’s Hillary Sparks
Get Out of Your Office: 6 Things We Learned from Touring Facebook’s HQ
Three Takeaways:
1. Think about new people you can meet.
Ten years from now you’re going to be the same person that you are today other than the books you read and the people you meet. As you think about your development plan, identify the people who you want to meet and learn from. Write down their names and be intentional about finding ways to connect with them.
2. Create your own social experiments.
Give yourself permission to try something without making a long-term commitment. Knowing that it’s an experiment and not permanent opens up the opportunity to take bigger risks. David was an avid runner, but after an injury he wanted to experiment with Crossfit. It took some adjusting, but it ended up being a workout he loved for years. When David wanted to increase his flexibility, he decided to experiment with yoga. Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone in social experiments is a great way to open the door to learn new things.
3. Ask others what they’re learning.
Shane was at a professional event where everyone went around the room and shared what they were learning. One man surprised Shane when he told the group that he was learning how to grow sunflowers. Immediately, this opened up a conversation about the different kinds of flowers, farming and agriculture—a conversation Shane enjoyed having. And he learned a few things too!
021: Launchers Are Listeners
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Summary:
If you’re a launcher or a leader, you know how important it is to be a good listener. A few years ago, Shane began working with a Listening Coach. Through his time working on his listening skills, he learned that being a good listener is a lot more than just sitting quietly while another person talks. True listening is about helping people self-discover their own solutions. Today’s episode with Kevin, Shane and David is one all leaders and aspiring leaders need to hear.
Welcome to episode 21 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.
Links + Resources:
Can You Hear Me Now? by Dr. Dallas Demmitt
Why I Stopped Solving Problems for My Team
Listening to Customer Feedback in the Validate Stage
Three Takeaways:
Shane’s Listening Coach, Dr. Dallas Demmitt, created a simple but effective framework to become a better listener and thinking partner. Here are three ways you can become a better listener today:
1. Ask: How can I bring value to the person I’m listening to?
In order to truly be a good listener, you need to understand the person across the table. This is called anchoring the conversation. It’s putting yourself in a position to truly value the person you are listening to. Ask yourself: “How do I make ___ feel valued and appreciated?” Remember, the goal of listening isn’t to solve problems for them… it’s to help them self-discover their own solutions.
Read Shane’s blog on this: Why I Stopped Solving Problems for My Team
2. Eliminate outside distractions.
One of the hardest part of listening is focusing. Even if you’re listening, a quick glance at your watch or checking your phone can be perceived as you checking-out. Ask yourself: What’s most important here: The solution and your time? Or your ability to help the person? If it’s the ability to help the person, then put away your phone.
3. Summarize their thoughts back to them.
Allow someone to hear their own thoughts. Recap what they said to you and repeat it back to them. This moves you from solving their problems for them to taking them down the path to self-discovery.