Got something to say?

Last time, I talked about how your listeners or your readers can have a “stake” in you.

That’s a daunting reality, as well as an exciting one.

What happens if you’re not sure what to talk about, what to say?

Well, if you’re faced with the idea of uncertainty of how to communicate, the good news is that you have lots of company. Here are some images that you can keep in mind to understand just how widespread this challenge is.

When I used to write commercials in a radio station, I noticed that some salespeople were rarely in the office, as they had established success with an established client base. They were out as long as they had to, they came back with sales, and they wasted no time in coming back and writing them up.

Other salespeople never seemed to leave. They had what the industry deemed “call reluctance”. They were afraid to “pitch” a sales package to a potential client, even one who might have bought something from them before. Obviously, this problem isn’t unique to radio…it spans the entire spectrum of businesses that rely on sales…and just as obviously, that means every business out there!

So, you may see the same conundrum we had before. Clients are listeners, and if they need to buy your product, they need to have a stake in what you’re selling. If they don’t have that stake, then you need to make them believe they do. You need to up the risk for you, as well as the opportunity.

How does this relate to speaking and writing? 100%!

How do you “have something to say”?

EVERYONE has something to say, including you salespeople with “call reluctance”; you students wondering what to say in an essay to indicate you not only know how to write, but understand the reading material you’ve been assigned; and you speakers who are trying to “connect” with your audience.

Yes, EVERYONE has something to say. The real issue is whether you believe that what you say is important.

So, up the ante, raise the stakes, take a chance, call on someone, write something for someone, speak to someone.

How?

Stay tuned.