Archive for January 2007

Holy Homily

Tuesday, January 30th, 2007

When I say holy homily, I mean it respectfully.  Given after the gospel passage is read, you might think of the homily (sermon to some) as one of the special parts of the service.  But of all the presentations I’ve given or live shots I’ve wrapped, speaking in front of the congregation at five different masses during that holy time was nothing I’d imagined.

But there I was with my homily partner Ed.  We were selected to help ignite the big marketing push for two upcoming adult retreats.  When I agreed to do it back in September, I thought ‘no problem, you’ve spoken in front of people countless times.’  I wanted to make it upbeat, insightful, and inspirational.

As January 20th approached, the hugeness of this endeavor took its own journey through my body and mind.  Ed and I had planned to chat and outline our talks together.  That chat never happened by the time we were in church one night for a meeting, and our head priest wanted a preview.  Ed had written his already…even had it all typed up.  I had just gotten off a plane before this meeting.  I wasn’t as prepared.  I decided to live in the NOW and wing it.

Ed went first.  While he gave his talk, I took notes on his remarks and outlined mine.  I prefer bullet points anyway when speaking in front of people.  Soon it was my turn.  We were at the podium where we’d actually give the homily.  It didn’t go too badly.  With some advising remarks from the priest, Ed and I planned to work separately on our talks and meet Saturday afternoon to rehearse.  The first homily would be at 5:15 mass Saturday.

At rehearsal, Ed had streamlined his remarks down to bullet points.  Good for him!  I had a copy of my bullet points for him to peruse.  We walked into church and went for it.  Because we decided to start at the podium together, we had a little choreography to figure out off the top.  It involved making sure we had our opening interaction with the audience down pat.  Unlike most homilies, we decided to involve the crowd.  This was beyond rhetorical questions or jokes.  We actually asked questions to which people had to stand or sit.
 
I’d say I felt the most butterflies before the first service.  By the last one at 6pm Sunday, I just had to keep my energy up and not get bored with my own talk.  I had to remember each crowd was hearing our homily for the “first” time.  To our delight, we heard the retreat table got lots of checker-outers.  Several people even signed up on the spot.

Ed and I felt good about our performance.  And the motivation to act, which our talks hopefully inspired, was awesome!  We even had people tell us they went to the table specifically because of our talks.  Even though this talk was special and required a certain kind of preparation, I realized basic presentation skills also applied.

Always analyze your audience–prior to and during the talk.  Have a purpose or intent with your message.  Make people laugh as a way to help them remember.  Structure your talk to leave them wanting more.  Less actually can be more because it means you’ve had to do quite a bit of preparation to streamline your thoughts and internalize your message.  No one needed to see Ed’s first version or my scribbled bullet points from the previous week.  All that mattered was we became our talks for that moment in time, and we knew what we were talking about.  With that confidence, we could even throw in customized comments based on the particular crowd.  I’m certainly glad I got to experience what speaking during a holy agenda entails.  The experience brings me added insight for all future presentations.

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The Race Isn’t Over

Thursday, January 25th, 2007

A few weeks back, I blogged about my upcoming half marathon and how it forced me to train through the winter.  Well, the race is over.  But guess what?  It’s really not.  I’ll give some highlights before I explain.

Phoenix proved to be a hot and not-so-hot spot for a January race.  Sure, a record 37,000 people raced in the half or full marathons.  But it was bleeping cold…for Phoenix.  Starting temps are usually in the 40s and into the 60s by the time you cross the finish line.  Well, at the finish it was barely in the 40s.  I know I come from the cold climes of Minneapolis, but I chose this race for a warm break!

Unpleasant temps aside, it was a beautiful day and a great race.  Doug and Sophia were my race mates through mile 10.  The first big race for both of them made them joys as partners.  I had us all pasta load for two nights prior to race morning and tried to start us out slowly.  They both finished a few minutes ahead of me, and I was proud of them for their enthusiasm and strength.  I hit the time range I wanted…despite inadequate training.  The things you start to dream about when you’re running for miles wishing nothing was starting to ache:  ‘I should have trained longer than seven weeks and run more than once or twice a week.’

The big takeaway for me went beyond my running shoes.  I want to do another half marathon soon.  I want to prove to myself I can run faster.  Thus the similarities with other areas of life.  When you do something you love, you just want to keep getting better at it.  I hear golfers say this all the time.  In my TV news days, I could relate to the golfer’s goal:  recreate the best shot you just had and don’t repeat the weak ones.

It took a marathon, a 10-mile race, a 10K, a 5K, and this half marathon within 17 months for me to feel comfortable with the “runner” label.  So now, I really want to operate at my peak.  I tell my journalism students at the University of Minnesota every script is an opportunity to get better.  Once you think you know it all, you’re really no good to your viewers or your subjects.  When I was a TV news reporter, I knew I had the opportunity to get better every day.  Now, every keynote I give is another opportunity to challenge myself to inspire my audience.  Every commercial shoot I have is an opportunity to perform better.  Every media training I give is an opportunity to spread understanding.  Repetition begets experience begets great performance.

The race isn’t over for me.  On the roads, with my clients, and with my students, I hope to hit the best times possible.

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To Ring or Not To Ring

Wednesday, January 24th, 2007

You’ve heard ‘em…the tune coming out of that lady’s purse.  The radiating noise from that man’s waist band.  At best, you’re amused by the unique tone.  At worst, you’re sent into body shock as you’re focused on an intimate dinner at your favorite restaurant.  Or, it makes you lose an important thought as you try to close a multi-million-dollar deal.

I’m not just referring to cell phones.  I’m talking about the cell phone owner, who thinks she is so important she can’t keep her cell on vibrate during any public outing.  Isn’t it annoying to have a friend or colleague checking his phone every time it rings or vibrates during “your” time with him?  I mean will their worlds really end if they don’t answer their phone or read a text message until after their time with you?

Calling all polite and respectable people:  Put your cell phone on vibrate or mute when you are anywhere outside your own home or office.  Ignore it when you have a client or social meeting.  That actually means leaving it in your pocket or purse.

The exception:  If you truly are expecting an important or emergency call, tell your lunch date or appointment mate:  ‘Sorry, I need to leave this out because my X is Y-ing.  But once I get the answer, I’ll put it away.’  The pre-apology goes a long way.

The most powerful selling tool you have is a calm and powerful presence.  The biggest gift you give the other person is your undivided attention.  Don’t spoil it with the latest ring tone you loaded onto your phone from the web.  And ask yourself:  ‘How much business am I losing or how many friends am I insulting because I can’t say no to the gadget?’

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CAN YOU LEAD THE NEWS?

Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

You hear it all the time.  Maybe you’ve even said it.  Why does television news cover so much crime?  Why do murder and mayhem always lead the newscast?

Well, you could change that.  Yes you.  Maybe you’re a newshound ready to tip your favorite news outlet about something you heard in your neighborhood.  But how about something a lot more familiar?

Pitch a story within your area of expertise.  Let’s say you’re a realtor, and the area is now experiencing a real buyers’ market and a bummer time for sellers.  You know there are a lot of local news viewers out there who fit into either group.  Plus, there are more viewers who could become a buyer or seller within six to twelve months.  You’re the real estate guru, the news outlet isn’t.

Figure out a way to make your story idea the lead story on tomorrow’s 6:00 news.  Savvy experts in other fields may already do this or have happened into their go-to-source status because they were good quotes and sound bites.  That’s why you see some of the same experts on some news outlets over and over.  News people will turn to who they know and re-use the best sources.

One way to get in front of reporters and news managers is to make yourself and, more importantly, your story idea valuable to the news outlet.  My approach, Getting Ink & Air™, is more strategic than sitting around and waiting or hoping for that random call from a reporter looking for your insight.  It starts with understanding the basic needs of news outlets as to the stories they would be willing to cover everyday.  And your idea specifically, stems from your expertise and thorough knowledge of your field.  Beyond that foundation, you can hone the ability to translate your expertise into an idea that works for the masses and clings to a news peg.

Knowing some basics and understanding how to use them should get you creative marketing and business results.  Just make sure you don’t mess it up.  Getting Ink & Air™ also involves thorough analysis of your presentation skills and coaching in how to bring out your assets and improve the rest.  Each type of media outlet requires a different style of presentation.  Once you understand how to maximize your potential for each format, you can cater your message accordingly.  Some may find they’re better suited for print versus television, or radio versus print.  If you’re an individual business owner and the only person speaking on behalf of the company, these points are crucial.  If you’re part of a larger business or media team within a business, perhaps you’ll decide to have one person handle all print interviews and another all television.  There is no one correct formula as to who does the speaking.

The crucial point though is how well-trained are you to speak once interview requests come your way?  Knowing how to use the media to market involves understanding how to develop into the go-to source.  But this process also focuses on making sure you’re completely equipped before you settle into that position.

So get ready to be on the 5, 6, and 10:00 news you Authority You!  Once you understand how to translate those ideas effectively, you will be getting as much air time as you’re able to pitch great stories.

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