Business Without the Bullsh*t

by Geoffrey James

  Here’s a simple four-step process for making certain that every business conversation serves your purpose, whether you’re face-to-face, on the phone, or trading e-mails or texts. In the latter two cases you have a bit more time to think, but that’s the only difference.

  1. KNOW WHY YOU’RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION.

  There are times at work when you’ll just be enjoying the company of other people. While you need to be careful not to spread gossip or blurt something stupid, when you’re “shooting the bull” (as they say), you can relax and have fun.

  However, if you need to talk about something important, it’s best not to jump into the conversation without having an explicit goal in mind. Having a goal keeps the conversation focused, preventing you from wasting time and energy.

  Similarly, if somebody starts a conversation with you, it’s often useful to wonder why the conversation is happening and why now. It’s not worth obsessing about, but if you’ve got a sense of the “why” it’s easier to get “where” the conversation needs to go.

  2. IGNORE YOUR “MONKEY MIND.”

  The ancient Chinese believed everyone has a “monkey mind” that jumps from thought to thought, like so:

  What is she thinking about me?

  Will I make a sale?

  What if I can’t pay the mortgage?

  Gosh, that wallpaper is ugly.

  I’ve got to get to the airport in two hours.

  Etc., etc., etc.

  This constant mental noise pulls your attention away from whomever you’re conversing with and toward your own perspectives, priorities, and goals.

  If you listen to your “monkey mind,” you’ll hear only a percentage of what the other person is saying. In all likelihood you’ll misunderstand and/or forget what was said.

  You practice ignoring your monkey mind by sitting quietly by yourself and listening to it chatter away. By becoming more aware of it, you can more easily identify it and differentiate it from the focused thoughts that are relevant to a conversation.

  3. ACKNOWLEDGE, RECAP, AND RESPOND.

  When the other person has finished speaking, do not just leap into what you want to say next. Make some acknowledgment—even if just a nod of the head or a short “Ah!”—that you’ve heard the other person, rather than the chattering of your “monkey mind.”

  If the other person has said something complex or emotional, or has introduced significant new information, briefly recount and characterize what he or she said.

  Recapping what you’ve heard gives the other person an opportunity to correct any misperception or to elaborate as necessary to ensure you “get it.” It also prevents the conversation from going awry based on a correctible misunderstanding.

  Regardless of whether you’ve recapped, pause for a moment to consider what you heard, and then respond with a statement, story, or question that adds to the conversation and moves it closer to its point and purpose.

  For example, if a potential customer shares the details of a business problem, you might then tell a brief story—once you’ve restated the problem and are sure you understand it—about how another company handled a similar problem.

  While the above method seems a bit artificial when first practiced, with time it becomes second nature.

  SHORTCUT

  MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS

  KNOW the reason you’re having a conversation.

  IGNORE your “monkey mind.”

  CONSIDER what was said, rephrase if necessary, respond appropriately.

  SECRET 31

  How to Write a Compelling E-mail

  This is a foolproof six-step method for writing an e-mail that helps convince the reader to take the action you’d prefer:

  1. KNOW THE DECISION YOU WANT MADE.

  E-mails are the most common form of communication in the business world. Unfortunately many are so poorly written that recipients must struggle to figure out why they are reading the e-mail and what they are supposed to do about it.

  Therefore, as with any business communication, when writing an e-mail you must start by understanding exactly what decision you want made. Until you’re clear on this essential point, don’t send the e-mail. It’ll just be a waste of time, both yours and the recipient’s.

  2. WRITE THE CONCLUSION FIRST.

  Your conclusion is a simple statement of the decision you want the recipient to make, based on the contents of your e-mail.

  In school they probably taught you to start with an introduction and end with a conclusion. Bad advice.

  Nobody in the business world has time to wander through the development of an idea. If you don’t tell people the reason for the e-mail immediately, chances are they’ll just move on.

  So start with your conclusion. For example, suppose your goal is to get your boss to approve an in-house gym.

  WRONG:

  Jim,

  As you know, employee absenteeism is generally recognized as an ongoing problem with a steep financial impact, both in our company and in other companies in our industry. [Yada, yada, yada.] Therefore, we should consider allocating money for the installation of a gym at our headquarter facility.

  RIGHT:

  Jim,

  I want you to approve the installation of an in-house gym.

  Note that the “right” way simply gets to the point without all the excess verbiage.

  3. STRUCTURE ARGUMENTS INTO DIGESTIBLE CHUNKS.

  Once you’ve stated your conclusion (i.e., the decision you want made), collect the arguments that support it. To make your arguments “digestible,” break them into small chunks, presenting each point with a similar format and sentence structure.

  WRONG:

  According to a recently published government report, group physical fitness is extremely important even though very few companies actually demonstrate a commitment to it! Many firms identify physical fitness as an undervalued competitive asset, but don’t have a plan for improvement in this area, even though physical fitness is strongly linked to corporate and individual economic and personal success. I feel that if we do not address the issue of physical fitness as it enhances workplace productivity, we will be left behind.

  RIGHT:

  An in-house gym will:

  - Reduce absenteeism

  - Increase overall productivity

  Once again, the “right” way hits the most important points without wasting time on extraneous issues.

  4. BOLSTER EACH ARGUMENT WITH EVIDENCE.

  A “statement of fact” is only an opinion unless you can prove that the statement is actually a fact. While your opinion may influence those who trust you, most of the time you’ll want evidence to back it up. The best evidence comes from quoting an authoritative source.

  WRONG:

  An in-house gym will reduce absenteeism because people will want to come to work rather than stay at home since they’ll have more energy and they won’t get sick so much.

  RIGHT:

  - Reduce absenteeism. Companies with in-house gyms experience 20 percent less absenteeism than those that lack them, according to the National Health Institute.

  The “right” example expands one of the arguments with a verifiable fact. Do the same with any other arguments you make.

  5. REPEAT YOUR CONCLUSION AS A CALL TO ACTION.

  At the end of the e-mail, restate the conclusion in a way that provides the recipient with the next step he or she must take—assuming you’ve convinced that person to support the decision. Keep it simple and specific.

  WRONG:

  Your support for this project would be greatly appreciated.

  RIGHT:

  When you respond to this e-mail with your approval, I’ll get the process started.

  6. INSERT A BENEFIT IN THE SUBJECT LINE.

  Your subject line (aka the title) is the most important part of your e-mail, because your choice of words determines whether the e-mail gets opened and read. That’s why you write it last, after you’ve written down both your c
onclusion and the arguments and evidence that support it.

  Ideally a subject line should do two things: (1) create enough interest or curiosity that the recipient opens and reads the e-mail, and (2) imply the conclusion that you want the recipient to accept (i.e., the decision you want made).

  In most cases the best way to accomplish both tasks is to encapsulate a benefit (or benefits) that will result from the decision you’d like the recipient to make.

  WRONG:

  To: Jim@Acme.com

  Subject: The Health Impact of In-House Employee Fitness Programs

  RIGHT:

  To: Jim@Acme.com

  Subject: How we can reduce absenteeism

  Note that the “right” example positions the e-mail as something that requires action, while the “wrong” example positions the e-mail as a theoretical discussion.

  SHORTCUT

  WRITING E-MAILS

  KNOW what decision you want made.

  FIRST express that decision as a conclusion.

  SUPPORT that conclusion with simple arguments.

  PROVIDE evidence to bolster each argument.

  REPEAT your conclusion as an action item.

  WRITE the subject last and include a benefit.

  SECRET 32

  How to Give a Memorable Presentation

  Most business presentations consist of bullet-pointed outlines interspersed with illustrations (tables and graphics). Sometimes these outlines contain notes, usually intended for the speaker, but possibly including detailed information about individual slides.

  The best presentations, however, are those in which the focus is on the speaker and what he or she has to say, while the slides play a supporting role. Here’s how to create not only a presentation that people will remember, but one that will convince them to take action:

  1. REDUCE YOUR STAGE FRIGHT.

  The worst presentations always consist of the presenter reading his or her slides. People do this because (1) they don’t know any better and (2) they’ve got stage fright. If you’re afraid, it’s only natural to cling to something predictable.

  Stage fright is nothing to be sneezed at. According to at least one survey, more people are afraid of public speaking than are afraid of dying. Even so, it can be harnessed, just like any fear. (See “Secret 41. What to Do If You’re Fearful.”)

  In addition to that method, there is a secret way to reduce stage fright. Select one person in the audience and speak directly to that person. Pretend that everyone else is just overhearing what you’re saying, as at a party.

  Every time you move to another part of the presentation, switch to a new person. Talking to one person not only reduces stage fright, it also makes each person in the audience feel as if you were talking to him or her personally, even if you only “target” a few people.

  If you’re still suffering from stage fright, I’ve met several people who’ve overcome it by joining Toastmasters International. It’s easier to work through your fright when you’re not speaking in front of people with whom you work.

  2. CHART OUT THE EMOTIONAL JOURNEY.

  The primary purpose of a presentation is not to convey information but to bring the audience from where they are now (skeptical, bored, excited, etc.) to where you’d like them to be—convinced that the decision you want made is the right one.

  In other words, a presentation (i.e., the live speech) is a journey during which the audience goes from one state to another. You therefore want to structure that journey as a series of emotions, rather than a series of facts. For example:

  1. Fearful. (Draw their attention to a problem.)

  2. Relieved. (There is a solution to that problem.)

  3. Trusting. (They believe that you and your firm are credible.)

  4. Convinced. (They’re ready to take action.)

  Here’s another structure:

  1. Amazed. (Draw their attention with something they didn’t know.)

  2. Curious. (They see why your idea is interesting.)

  3. Inspired. (They see why your idea is revolutionary.)

  4. Activated. (They’re now crazy anxious to buy your book.)

  3. CREATE “SIGNPOST SLIDES” FOR THAT JOURNEY.

  In real-world journeys, there are two types of signposts: the ones that guide you to your destination (“Smallville, Exit 9, 3 Miles”) and the ones that tell you when you’ve arrived (“Welcome to Smallville!”).

  Now that you’re clear on where you want to take the audience, decide which fact, graphic, or table will best serve to either head the audience in the direction in which you want them to go, or mark that they’ve arrived at one of the emotional way stations.

  For example, suppose you’re attempting to sell a solution to a particular customer problem, and your map of the emotional journey looks something like this:

  1. Aware. (A problem exists.)

  2. Afraid. (It’s a really serious problem.)

  3. Terrified. (Holy crap, we’re screwed.)

  4. Relieved. (Whew! Other firms have survived this.)

  5. Secure. (This solution will solve the problem.)

  6. Excited. (This solution might even make us money.)

  7. Convinced. (We’d be crazy not to buy this solution.)

  The signpost for “aware” might be a single slide stating a dollar number, such as an estimate of how much money is being lost because the solution is not in place.

  The signposts for “afraid” might be a quote from an auditor’s report and a graph showing trends in the firm’s profits.

  The signpost for “terrified” might be a photograph of the corporate headquarters of a firm that went out of business because it ignored warning signs.

  The signpost for “relieved” might be a photograph of the corporate headquarters of a company that weathered a similar change.

  While these signposts are important to the presentation, they are not the presentation itself. They are what’s on the screen while you’re giving the presentation, emphasizing and crystallizing the emotional point you’re trying to make.

  4. BUILD A STORY FOR EACH SIGNPOST.

  Here’s the big secret about great presentations: they’re always a collection of stories. A story might be something as short as an explanation of how you arrived at a particular statistic, or an entire five-minute-long business anecdote.

  Because stories speak to our common humanity, they are more likely to create the emotional response you’re seeking.

  Here’s a simplified example of how the steps described so far may be implemented. In this case a person named Stan has invited John Doe to present an inventory control solution to Acme:

  Emotion Signpost Slide Story Notes

  Curious Solving Inventory Problems at Acme

  John Doe, ABC Software Stan: I’ve asked John to talk about inventory control. He’s a solutions consultant at ABC with extensive experience in our industry. John?

  Afraid Lost Revenue = $1,000,000 John: Yes, that’s a million dollars. Stan and I got together and ran the numbers and here’s what we believe you’re currently losing each year. If you notice in this chart, the revenue dips every time an order comes in, illustrating the overall problem.

  Relieved [Diagram showing solution] “What we’re proposing is the introduction of a new system that changes the way you handle the problem. Let me walk you through the basics…”

  Trusting [Chart of company that went through a similar recovery] “We know this is going to work because we’ve had experience in a similar situation. Let me tell you a story. A while back… [anecdote].”

  Hopeful [Graph showing full ROI in three months] “Based on the expected costs, we believe you can achieve full ROI on this project within three months. Let me walk you though the process that we used to come up with this figure…”

  Curious Questions? “Are there any questions about what we’ve covered so far?”

  Convinced [Schedule showing installation times] “With your go-ahead on this project, we can have your new in
ventory control system up and running within six months.”

  The structure of the journey will of course vary, depending on the destination. The signposts may also include additional details, evidence, and examples.

  5. SIMPLIFY YOUR SLIDE DECK.

  When preparing your slides:

  Keep the information relevant. Audiences pay attention only to stories and ideas that are immediately relevant. Consider what decision you want them to make and then build an appropriate case.

  Keep it short and sweet. When was the last time you heard someone complain that a presentation was too short? Make it half as long as you originally thought it should be (or even shorter).

  Use facts, not generalities. Fuzzy concepts reflect fuzzy thinking. As with your e-mail, buttress your opinions with facts that are quantifiable, verifiable, memorable, and dramatic.

  Simplify your graphics. People shut off their brains when confronted with complicated drawings and tables. Use simple graphics and highlight the data points that are important.

  Keep backgrounds in the background. Fancy slide backgrounds only make it more difficult for you to keep the audience focused. Use a single neutral color for the background.