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Susan Fee

In This Issue

News & Notes:  Monkey Business

Topic of the Month:  Make it Brief.  Use Six Words.

Questions for Reflection

Action Step

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News & Notes:  Monkey Business

Have you held a spider monkey?  Me neither.  Have you toured a jungle by zip line, suspended by a cable and soaring over the tops of trees?  That’s a no for me too.  But, ask me again in two weeks and I’ll have entirely different answers!

I’ll be in Costa Rica this month volunteering and vacationing through an organization called Tropical Adventures.  We’ll spend part of our time helping out at a wildlife refuge and the other part thrill seeking, although working with spider monkeys may count for both!

Here’s the best part:  we’ll be staying with a host family that may or may not speak English.  This could present the ultimate communication challenge, as I don’t speak Spanish.  What’s the Spanish word for fun?

 

Until next month,

Susan Fee

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Topic of the Month:  Make it Brief.  Use Six Words.

When I was working as a journalist, I came to appreciate those who could concisely make their points.  When you’re working on deadline, sifting through someone’s rambling thoughts for a pithy quote is a nightmare.  But it’s not just reporters who appreciate a well-crafted line.  Anyone who has endured a long, pointless meeting knows that! Sometimes, being brief is best.

I was reminded of this recently while enjoying a cup of Starbuck’s coffee.  The company began printing stimulating thoughts and opinions of well known and not so well known people on their takeout cups in a campaign called, “The Way I See It.”  I love reading these, mainly because the author has to evoke emotion with just a few words.  What would you write if you could?

Pete Berg’s Web site about Six-Word Stories, which was itself inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s famous example of telling a whole story in only six words: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” http://www.sixwordstories.net/  offers hundreds of examples of making your point in only six words.  How would you sum up what you believe in six words? 

I dare you, right now, to quote your company or organization’s mission statement.  What if it were just six words?  What about your personal mission statement?  If you’re interviewing for jobs right now, could an interviewer sum you up in six words?  Author Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Blink” suggests that first impressions are made within seconds, so what memorable imprint are you making?  The same idea works for public speaking.  If you can’t tell me what your point is in one sentence, you can tell me in one hour.  Brevity is good!  Here’s how to do it well:

Refine to define.  The more you refine your point, the more defined you become in the minds of others.  Think of significant people in your life.  Can you recall things they always said or advice they gave?  If you can, I’m sure it was a short sentence, not a paragraph. 

Be memorable.  Speaking concisely is not an excuse for barely speaking at all.  What you say has to be meaningful.  To do that, choose words that pack a punch.  Starting your sentences with verbs (action words) will add energy.  For example, my definition of effective stress management is:  “Define your values.  Support them with behavior.” 

Frontload your message.  Newspaper headlines attempt to capture the meaning of a story in a few words.  This is an example of frontloading.  It means starting with the end first, and then filling in the back-story.  Frontloading hooks your listeners by offering the bottom line, upfront. 

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Questions for Reflection

When you speak, do people seem to lose interest?  If so, at what point does their attention drift?

Think of people you quote or that others quote.  What makes their sayings memorable?

Do others quote you?  If so, what phrases of yours do they repeat? 

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 Action Step

Write a description of your personal mission statement in six words.  For the next thirty days, say your six-word mission statement out loud at the start of each day.  Notice what happens when you focus intensely on this short, powerful phrase.

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Interested in booking training or coaching?  Let me know how I can help, Susan_Fee@msn.com. 

 

Susan Fee is a licensed counselor, personal coach, and national speaker.  She is the author of Positive First Impressions, Dealing with Difficult People, Building Resiliency, Secrets of Successful Presentations, and the college survival guide, My Roommate Is Driving Me Crazy!  She can be reached through her Web site at www.susanfee.com or by email at Susan_Fee@msn.com. 

 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 2009