Turn Weak Speak into Power Talk

Are you a victim of Weak Speak? Do your words betray you?

If you ever wondered why your employees don't follow your lead or why your ideas are never accepted, here's a thought. You may be telling people that your ideas aren't important. It's not enough to have confident body language and a strong voice if your words are wimpy.

You are minimizing yourself when you say, "This is just a thought," "I'm only a beginner," "I'd like to make a suggestion," 

Wimpy words such as if, hopefully, suggest, feel, might, sort of, kind of, I think, weaken your conviction. Imagine a sales person saying,

"Hopefully, I've shown you that if you buy from us you might be able to increase your income." The potential buyer will walk away when hearing this type of message. The real message is "Don't buy from me. I don't believe what I'm saying."

Weak speak consists of tag lines, wimpy words, jargon, apologies, minimizers, colorless words, and sloppy speech.

Here's what you can do:

Taglines. Eliminate them. Tag lines are added to the end of a statement.. Phrases such as "Don't you think?" "Isn't it?" "Right?" will sound like you are asking permission.

Wimpy words. Substitute power words instead.

I feel I know

I believe I'm confident

If When, By

Suggest Recommend

Sort of It is

Might Will, Definitely

Problem Challenge

Worried Concerned

Share Discuss

Jargon. Spell it out. When adding buzz words or acronyms to your presentation, you risk losing part or all of the audience. Define terms and don't assume they understand your verbal shorthand.

Apologies. Skip them. Don't apologize or put yourself down.. Excessive use of the word "sorry" will make you sound weak.

Minimizers. Delete them. Using "just" and "only" will tell the listener you are less than something. Don't minimize yourself or your message.

Colorless words. Paint a word picture. You won't move people to action if your words are dry. Pepper your talk with metaphors, analogies, and alliteration.

Sloppy speech. Speak slowly and carefully. Mumbling, mispronunciations, and slurred speech create a negative impression and are difficult to understand. Tape yourself and practice sentence drills.

Tune in and listen to your language. By transforming your words you'll increase your credibility, take charge, and sell your ideas.

Copyright Diane DiResta 2000. All rights reserved.

Diane DiResta, President of New York-based DiResta Communications, Inc. is an International speaker, coach, and author of Knockout Presentations (Chandler House Press) and Conversations on Success (Insight Publishing.)

To read a chapter or to order our free newsletter visit http://www.diresta.com.

How to Follow up Your News Releases and Story Pitches

Can you remember a story idea you pitched a year ago that resulted in no news coverage of any kind?

If so, how quickly could you respond if a reporter called you today wanting to cover the story? Would you start groping for words, or asking stupid questions like "Who did you say you wanted to interview?" Or would you be ready, on a second's notice?

Sound ludicrous? Well, it happened to publicist Jill Lublin, who knew how to handle it, and it can happen to you, too.

A few years ago, Jill pitched an idea about one of her clients, a professional speaker, to Meeting Planner magazine. Despite several follow-ups, she never got a response.

"Then one year later--count 'em--365 days later, I got a call and this reporter said, 'Yes, we want to do the story, and by the way, tomorrow. Are you ready?' And of course the answer is yes, you're always ready when the media calls."

That's valuable advice regarding follow-ups. Never assume a story pitch is dead.

Jill, co-author of the book Buerrilla Publicity," also says:

When following up, remember The Rule of 7. That means you should follow up seven times, using a combination of phone calls and emails, before you stop contacting journalists. But always be ready in case they call you.

Never follow up on routine news releases announcing things like promotions or awards you've won, or they'll view you as a pest. Your efforts are better spent following up on larger stories you have pitched.

When following up, concentrate on benefits. Explain how the idea you are pitching is the solution to a problem--and do it quickly, in fewer than 30 seconds.

When you call or email, don't say, "Did you get my press release?" or "I'm following up on a call I made two weeks ago." Jill says: "I typically will say, 'I sent you some information.' That's my code word for press release. What I have found when talking to the media is they hate when you call them up and say, 'Did you get the press release?' What they love is for you to talk about the information in terms of how it can be readily used by them, and why they would care. Really. That's the bottom line. Why would they care?"

When following ups, never, ever ask a reporter to alert you when the story is printed, or to send you a certain number of copies of the story. It's your job to monitor the publications, then call the circulation department and order however copies you want. Expect to pay for them.

Jill shared dozens more tips for follow-ups during a live teleseminar in 2003 called Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or Pitch Letter."

Joan Stewart publishes the free ezine “The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week,” which gives you valuable tips on how to generate thousands of dollars in free publicity. Subscribe at http://www.PublicityHound.com where you can order the tape, CD or trasncript of the teleseminar.

The Incredible, Edible Subhead

Of course you're familiar with using *headlines* to call attention to Web copy, brochures, articles, or documents. But *subheads* can be just as effective in bringing out key points for your readers. And they also help make any document easier to read, because they break up long blocks of text into easy-to-digest bits. (Hence my "edible" title. Hmm.)

Subheads Break It Up

Subheads are generally viewed as goodwill gestures toward your readers, since they're most often used to divide lengthy articles into logical breaks. They may indicate a change of topic or simply break up a mass of type. Placing subheads every four paragraphs or so allows readers to skim through your article or document and skip sections without losing their train of thought.

The next time you flip through any magazine, notice how its editors use subheads throughout the longer articles. Readers are very averse to reading large blocks of text, so subheads break it all up into bite-size chunks.

Subheads Have "Idea Power"

Because subheads catch readers' eyes, you should use them to your benefit! Read through your document or article for your main promotional points, then summarize the ideas as subheads. This way your readers absorb your main points in just a few seconds by skimming through all the copy.

For best results, subheads should *not* read like a table of contents. To make your subheads engaging, it's important to include action or selling elements.

BORING SUBHEADS: "Our Story," '50 Years in the Business," "Our Department's Success."

ENGAGING SUBHEADS: "Five Clients Who Saved $10K With Us," "The Most Creative Solutions in the Industry," "Let Us Do All the Work for You!"

BONUS TIP: These types of subheads also work wonderfully for *sales letters* and *proposals*. Experiment the next time you compose a long letter - try looking at it both with and without subheads. You'll definitely see the difference!

Subheads Rule on the Net!

When you're writing copy to be posted online - either in an e-mail or on a Web site - it's even more crucial to use subheads! People don't like to spend a lot of time reading online - it strains the eyes. Subheads help readers skim over your main points and pick up your ideas quickly. And if they're looking for a particular piece of information, subheads help them locate it faster.

If you're writing an e-mail that's longer than one screen length, try inserting subheads every two or three paragraphs, if appropriate. It only takes a minute, it helps you organize your information, and your readers will love you for it!

Subheads Add Interest

Even if your document is a white paper that's about as exciting as white rice, don't be afraid of using 'sum-it-all-up' subheads to retain the reader's interest and break up the copy. Remember, you want people to be drawn to reading your masterpiece - especially when it's a formal document!

Examples: "Great Forecasts for Next Quarter," "Improvements Needed in Management," and "30% Sales Increase Forecasted."

So consider subheads your new best friend - whether you're writing an e-mail, Web copy, brochure, or report!

(c) 2000-2003 Alexandria K. Brown. All rights reserved.

Self-made multimillionaire and Inc. 500 CEO Ali Brown is devoted to creating financial freedom for women globally through the power of entrepreneurship. To learn how to create wealth and live an extraordinary life now, register for her free weekly articles at http://www.AliBrown.com