The 3 Keys to Public Speaking

At an after-dinner speech in 1887, General Sherman introduced Mark Twain by noting that "he could not make an impromptu speech unless he had four days for preparation."

You may never speak at TED, but performing in front of crowds is a skill every marketer needs.

Most acquire it by hiring a coach or joining a local Toastmasters Club.

Whichever path you take, you'll soon discover these are the keys to public speaking:

Preparation. As Sherman observed, a good speaker prepares, not just for hours, but for days.

Clarity. Listeners expect you to deliver a clear business case and a definite call to action.

Study. Good public speakers study the performances of great public speakers, such as Bill Clinton.

PS: Attire. Dress does matter. A tee-shirt and jeans may be some industries' uniform, but wearing that uniform while speaking in public harms your credibility. The rule-of-thumb? Look better than your audience.

Why Your Brand's Values Should Be Your Story

Your brand's values—its "higher purpose, philosophy, culture and contribution"—should be your story, says brand consultant Thomas Dawson in Branding Strategy Insider.

That's because stories about values resonate among customers who share those values; and when they do, "there is no need for selling, convincing, persuading and discounting."

But effective storytelling demands discipline many marketers lack:

Storytelling means ignoring many customers for a chosen few. Dawson reminds us of a line from Wayne’s World. "''Led Zeppelin didn’t write songs everybody liked. They left that to the Bee-Gees.' So it is with brand storytelling."

Storytelling means no more "marketing." Dawson defines marketing as the recitation of product facts. But facts are cold—and highly forgettable. Stories, on the other hand, "stir up intense emotions that are quickly and easily stored in our brains."

Storytelling means telling the truth. "Nobody trusts marketing anymore," Dawson writes. To earn back trust, you need to "feel authentic to customers." Authenticity is all about truth-telling and the avoidance of ad-like "tall tales."

Club Fed

Like any red-blooded, tax-paying American, I despise April 15.

Don't get me wrong. 

I'm the first guy to acknowledge my appreciation for the handy stuff our government does. National defense. Air traffic control. Clean skies. Student lending. Veterans aid. Crime detection. Disease prevention. Scientific research. Space exploration. Roads. Bridges. Historic preservation. Wildland protection. Etc.

But these things should come free, n'est-ce pas?

Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., famously wrote, "Taxes are what we pay for civilized society."

That's true only if you believe we enjoy a civilized society. (Ever watched an episode of Jersey Shore?)

I'll venture another definition.

Taxes are your membership dues in Club Fed.

What, don't like our club?

Join some other.

The Laws of Persuasion: Appeal to Self-Interest

Part 5 of a 5-part series

If you want to change customers' beliefs, remember to appeal to self-interest.

So said American philosopher, statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin in his 1734 pamphlet Poor Richard's Almanac.

"Would you persuade, speak of interest, not of reason," Franklin wrote.

We're taught to value reason, but "the world runs on individuals pursuing their self interests," as economist Milton Friedman once said.

The copywriter observes this law when she asks What's your WIFM?

Want to persuade?

Start with your WIFM.

The Laws of Persuasion: Character Counts

Part 4 of a 5-part series

If you want to change customers' beliefs, remember character counts.

So said the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle in his fourth-century BC Treatise on Rhetoric.

We like to think we're moved by good speeches, not good speakers.

But that's not the case, Aristotle says.

"It is not true, as some writers assume in their treatises on rhetoric, that the personal goodness revealed by the speaker contributes nothing to his power of persuasion; on the contrary, his character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion he possesses."

So stay upright and be strong; it will serve you well.

As the late Zig Ziglar once said, "The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is integrity.”