Today we review the book Pitch Perfect by Bill McGowan and Alisa Bowman. Its a book that teaches how to say it right the first time, every time. Its teaching is built on the premise that during pivotal moments of our lives, its not only what we do but also what we say that matters.Using the right tone to convey the right message to the right person at the right time is therefore the purpose of this book. In this book, the authors use their own principles of persuasion, which are highly effective and easy to learn, implement and master. The right language can make you more confident, persuasive and certain. It also serves to leave an indelible impression and create memories.
Moreover, the author says Pitch-Perfect moments happen in business every day. By using the simple seven principles of persuasion, we stand out by displaying genuine interest. It improves us in such a way that we create compelling stories, anticipate questions and speak with conviction.
Communication skills are always sought after by one and all. and every time we speak its an opportunity to inform, influence and inspire. If you say it right, you have sealed the deal. If you say it wrong, you might be considered annoying, tedious, ineffectual or irrelevant.
Pitch perfect moments may be recalled from our past when we deliberated a lot or rehearsed more and yet we did not succeed or may be we did. But how do we know what's perfect.
Here are some traits of 'Pitch-Perfect' practitioners:
1) They practice - there is no shortcut to rehearsal
2) They develop distinctiveness while most of us let us fall into a conformity zone
3) They show crisp conviction: they never equivocate
4) They keep it short - yes less is more, you usually have ten to eighteen minutes
5) They display sheer delight - Even if you need to fake it, you want to exude a palpable enthusiasm.
So what are the principles of persuasion:
1) The headline principle - Get attention by starting with your best material, especially a grabbing thought provoking line
Here we can choose to talk like a journalist when she writes a new story.
They have a compelling 'lead' paragraph that evokes "what's this about ? I want to know more"
They are short usually with the opening sentences.
They are suspenseful - the intrigue you include lets your audience to chew mentally rightaway and
They are surprising - often leaving with the audience "This is new. I haven't heard it before"
2) The Scorsese principle - Visual story telling is the sweet-spot of good communication. In a way good communicators are a lot like film directors. They provide rich detail but keep it tight. The authors cite studies where facts are recalled twenty two times more likely when they are told in stories and sixty thousand times more memorable than words. How to say it as a story ? The formula:
The Setup - weave the story in your presentation instead of calling it out
The Build - your build sets the scene, introduces key characters and hints at some tension or conflict to be resolved.
The Reveal - This is the anecdotal equivalent of a joke's punchline
The Exit - Let the message sink in with a pause for a beat or two
3) The Pasta-Sauce principle There are several incredible parallels between cooking and communicating - for example, less is more and simpler is better
How to boil down a message - Develop decisive starts and finishes. and serve your emotional ties to the content. Use the headline principle and practice a lot more. Avoid numbers. Rick Perry lost the election when he said he would eliminate three departments and remembered only two and always leave them wanting more.
4) The No-Tailgating principle : Think of your brain and your mouth as two cars traveling down the road The first gives the direction and the lead time while the latter give more space and lag. How to practice this ? Well:
Mix up your pace - quicker through familiar notes and more deliberate with others
Talk cleanly - the clearer the idea you present the better
When in doubt, stop talking - yes it helps too
Focus on what you want to say, now how it will be received.
Listen more, talk less if you really want to know how things are going.
5) The conviction principle - If you are confident, your message will be carried so. The author says there are three stages of public speaking:
Stage 1) Dread
Stage 2) Tolerance
Stage 3) Enjoyment
and the more you fake enjoyement, the more likely you will get there.
And also under this principle don't copy your colleagues. You want to avoid the cliches, industry speak and oversimplification.
Staying confident in rough conversations - Validate, don't bully, find out a way to agree and point out a strength.
6) The curiosity principle - This principle lets you stay tuned with the impression you are creating. It helps you overcome the mismatch between how you feel inside and how you appear on the outside. The more often you listen with curiosity, the more skilled you will be at reading people.
In reality, the best conversationalists are extremely good listeners. They demonstrate interest, generosity and modesty.
7) The Draper principle - Draper said "If you don't like what's being said, change the conversation". How to do this ? Steer the conversation away from your weaknesses. Get inside your interviewers head. Anticipate the question and line up the Pitch-Pefect triumvirate - the three questions you want to answer : a) what's my point ? b) How will I illustrate it ? and c) what are the first few words out of my mouth ?
Together these seven principles guarantee the following formula :
Fairness + Honesty + Empathy = Good Outcome.
Moreover, the author says Pitch-Perfect moments happen in business every day. By using the simple seven principles of persuasion, we stand out by displaying genuine interest. It improves us in such a way that we create compelling stories, anticipate questions and speak with conviction.
Communication skills are always sought after by one and all. and every time we speak its an opportunity to inform, influence and inspire. If you say it right, you have sealed the deal. If you say it wrong, you might be considered annoying, tedious, ineffectual or irrelevant.
Pitch perfect moments may be recalled from our past when we deliberated a lot or rehearsed more and yet we did not succeed or may be we did. But how do we know what's perfect.
Here are some traits of 'Pitch-Perfect' practitioners:
1) They practice - there is no shortcut to rehearsal
2) They develop distinctiveness while most of us let us fall into a conformity zone
3) They show crisp conviction: they never equivocate
4) They keep it short - yes less is more, you usually have ten to eighteen minutes
5) They display sheer delight - Even if you need to fake it, you want to exude a palpable enthusiasm.
So what are the principles of persuasion:
1) The headline principle - Get attention by starting with your best material, especially a grabbing thought provoking line
Here we can choose to talk like a journalist when she writes a new story.
They have a compelling 'lead' paragraph that evokes "what's this about ? I want to know more"
They are short usually with the opening sentences.
They are suspenseful - the intrigue you include lets your audience to chew mentally rightaway and
They are surprising - often leaving with the audience "This is new. I haven't heard it before"
2) The Scorsese principle - Visual story telling is the sweet-spot of good communication. In a way good communicators are a lot like film directors. They provide rich detail but keep it tight. The authors cite studies where facts are recalled twenty two times more likely when they are told in stories and sixty thousand times more memorable than words. How to say it as a story ? The formula:
The Setup - weave the story in your presentation instead of calling it out
The Build - your build sets the scene, introduces key characters and hints at some tension or conflict to be resolved.
The Reveal - This is the anecdotal equivalent of a joke's punchline
The Exit - Let the message sink in with a pause for a beat or two
3) The Pasta-Sauce principle There are several incredible parallels between cooking and communicating - for example, less is more and simpler is better
How to boil down a message - Develop decisive starts and finishes. and serve your emotional ties to the content. Use the headline principle and practice a lot more. Avoid numbers. Rick Perry lost the election when he said he would eliminate three departments and remembered only two and always leave them wanting more.
4) The No-Tailgating principle : Think of your brain and your mouth as two cars traveling down the road The first gives the direction and the lead time while the latter give more space and lag. How to practice this ? Well:
Mix up your pace - quicker through familiar notes and more deliberate with others
Talk cleanly - the clearer the idea you present the better
When in doubt, stop talking - yes it helps too
Focus on what you want to say, now how it will be received.
Listen more, talk less if you really want to know how things are going.
5) The conviction principle - If you are confident, your message will be carried so. The author says there are three stages of public speaking:
Stage 1) Dread
Stage 2) Tolerance
Stage 3) Enjoyment
and the more you fake enjoyement, the more likely you will get there.
And also under this principle don't copy your colleagues. You want to avoid the cliches, industry speak and oversimplification.
Staying confident in rough conversations - Validate, don't bully, find out a way to agree and point out a strength.
6) The curiosity principle - This principle lets you stay tuned with the impression you are creating. It helps you overcome the mismatch between how you feel inside and how you appear on the outside. The more often you listen with curiosity, the more skilled you will be at reading people.
In reality, the best conversationalists are extremely good listeners. They demonstrate interest, generosity and modesty.
7) The Draper principle - Draper said "If you don't like what's being said, change the conversation". How to do this ? Steer the conversation away from your weaknesses. Get inside your interviewers head. Anticipate the question and line up the Pitch-Pefect triumvirate - the three questions you want to answer : a) what's my point ? b) How will I illustrate it ? and c) what are the first few words out of my mouth ?
Together these seven principles guarantee the following formula :
Fairness + Honesty + Empathy = Good Outcome.
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