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Comment Schmomment 2010-07-31

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Posted on 31st July 2010 by Jade Handy in Comment Schmomment

Welcome back to my Shop-Talk-Off-The-Clock Series Weekend Bender Edition of Comment Schmomment. It’s my take on blog posts that caught my attention recently. Enjoy this periodic un-comprehensive list of people I’m discovering and paying attention to.

Comment Schmomment is designed, specifically, for someone interested in perusing what I’m into. Surely, I can’t be the only one out there who is interested in what others have to say. ;)

Also, it’s a great way to re-purpose my obsessive compulsive habit of saving for the sake of saving my comments posted on others’ posts!

Have a look-see…

Derrick Daye’s Brand Messaging for a Strong Emotional Responseon BrandingStrategyInsider.com

This is one of the most interesting posts I have read in a while. Relevancy Drives Connection. True, true, true. It’s rare and insightful truth.

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Siddhartha Herdegen’s Write, Talk, Think on PrinciplesOfFailure.blogspot.com

Once again, Siddhartha, you’ve written an exciting post. I like that you slipped some Robert Cialdini in there. He’s a favorite of mine.

Also, I especially liked your statements, “I think my writing should become outdated over time.” and “The world is ever-changing and our thoughts need to adapt as well. While there are many who value consistency, I would rather see growth.”

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Harold Jarche’s Shape Patterns, Not Programs on Jarche.com 

This post is perfect as written. Milan, we can not solve problems at the level they were created (Einstein paraphrase. No accuracy correction needed.) What I got from it is what I have been telling parents like me for several years even before I had children of our own. It’s not a child’s responsibility (parent criteria & “They are not little machines waiting to be directed by higher headquarters. “) to obey. It’s not even on their intellectual radar. So don’t work against the grain, go with it. Now, I can’t tell you the long term effects as I am not that wise in years, yet, but what I do know is a child is never too young or dumb to know what they want. Therefore utilize this. Find what they want and leverage it. It makes life for everyone so much easier and constructive. -Jade Handy

See also, People are Never to Young or Dumb

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Photo Credit: gcaptain.com on Flickr

Friday Shout Out 2010-07-30

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Posted on 30th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Friday Shout Out

Welcome back to Friday Shout Out. On Fridays, I highlight some of the Web and Social Media Messages I enjoyed giving a hoot about. Whether I retweeted them or wrote them into a blog post, you can now follow those I re-sourced, re-purposed, and referenced.

First, from this site.

Siddhartha Herdegen is at it, again, with another great article.  His thoughts on why people haven’t gotten themselves to write or blog, yet, is something I’m going to beg him to lend me when I do a program on Blowing Out the Inner Blogger.  He even slipped a little Robert Cialdini in there!  Great post.  Great Post!

Speaking of not blogging often. In Monday’s Smart Start à la Carte, I referenced Hypertrope.com to define antistasis because it was a great post.  And still is.  That post was from October 2005!  See, rhetoric is timeless.  So, just now, I click on the header to get to the home page.  I thought I pushed the wrong button ’cause it just refreshed the same article.  Turns out that was the only post ever written!  I couldn’t have planned for the timing of this in relation to the first article I Shouted Out.

Okay, I really didn’t plan this.   The following links lead to posts that I struggled to use when talking about selling wine.  But, as fate would have it, they fit perfectly into today’s created-as-I-go theme of  Blowing Out the Inner Blogger.  Just when you’re about to think your writing won’t appeal to anyone, read the these articles’ points; “Who cares—only your liking counts. Just do it” and “Do you like everything everyone does?  Of course not.  So take the plunge.  Give yourself permission to play.”  So what if these two articles are about wine and quilts, I’ll pretend I’m Billy Madison peeing my pants so it’ll make it okay for you, alright?

Now, on to my Google Reader Shared Items.

How Do You Pronounce Ghoti?  Read it and watch the video so you won’t be saying, “I am an English major, and take great pride in my grammar and spelling skills, but this session always does me in.”

The fallacy of no competition. Even I have caught myself saying this one.  Read this and get a grip on yourself.

And, last and certainly not least…tweets.

RT @ketelsen #GardenGruntTip: there’s never a good time to pull weeds..but right after it rains is the second best time < nice #autophasia

@JadeHandy You can`t get into community colleges right now. They`re all full. -Suze Orman on Today Show today < gl #autophasia

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Photo Credit: Flickr and stevendepolo

Do Breakthrough with Tony

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Posted on 28th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Persuasion

If you didn’t watch the premiere last night, get with the program.  This show rocks!  If you love language, you’ll love paying attention to the language and language shifts of both Tony and the participants. 

Tony may make this look easy and he may sound too conversational about it, but be rest assured every response he’s getting is calculated and methodical.  After all, this is his craft.  

In my previous post regarding the Mast Bothers, I said, “this is their craft and asked “what is yours?”  Maybe I’ll make this a series on my blog that I write about often.  But I digress.

Here are some clips from last night.

and something that wasn’t shown last night…

Are you one of those people who say, “yeah, but what happened to their lives after the show?”   Then click here to see follow up clips and the whole show.

Want to read more?  The Huffington Post has lots of excellent stuff specific to the show, including Huffington Post Senior Editor Willow Bay interviewing Tony!

The LA Times has a good article and interview, as well.

Old is the New New

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Posted on 28th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Persuasion

What’s your Craft?  This is theirs.

The Mast Brothers from The Scout on Vimeo.

And how can you (or get to a point to where you can) say this about what you do for others?

What Makes a Good Wine Good

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Posted on 27th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Persuasion |Selling Language

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A close friend of mine was one of the top wine sellers for the Olive Garden Restaurants.  One day, I asked him how he did it. 

Not surprisingly, he said people would ask him, “what would be a good wine for this meal?”  He didn’t go off on a big rant to try to make himself the expert with all the answers, but he did have some suggestions.  

You know what he told them?  He’d start off by saying, “you know what makes a good wine?”

“No. What?” they would say.

“If you like it.”

Obviously, that wasn’t the specific suggestion they were looking for, but he found that that wasn’t the first thing they needed to hear.

Customers, he found, need to be open to suggestion, first.

BTW, this thinking doesn’t just apply to your taste in wine, it goes for kilts, cars and quilts, as well.

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Just because they’re asking, doesn’t mean they’re open.  -Jade Handy

Photo Credit:  happeningfish on Flickr

Smart Start A La Carte

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Posted on 26th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Smart Start A La Carte

Welcome to Smart Start À La Carte. This is your à la carte path to linguistic excellence. Each edition includes an impressive array of ways to make an impression. Some are simple specific spoon-fed examples that you can slide into your daily dialog. Some are a description or definition of a pattern, concept or category of persuasive communication with an example, of course.

We | There are posts out there, whole blogs, actually, that will explain the togetherness and “community” of the word.

Here, we are going to talk about when it switches to something else.  And it’s usually to ”you.”

Here, let me explain.  Recently, my wife partner (vs. my wife or life partner) said, “We need to take this downstairs.  When can you get that done?”  Ever felt like the other shoe is dropping?

The easiest way to internalize this pattern is to notice when someone’s language switches from “we” to “you” and you end up doing the work.  Then, use that exact same wording with someone else.

For example, “John, we are considering taking on the Johnson project.  Can you handle this with your current schedule?”  Then, when you get home that night, try “Honey, we really need to do something about the garbage, can you do this.”  You’ll get a response.  Learn from it.  Then, learn how to soften it and do it in a way that doesn’t feel manipulative to you and those around you.

And, now for a 2nd helping. Open wide.

Greek Figure of Repetition | antistasis: Hypertrope.com will explain how antistasis and hyperlinks make love, but we’re not going to go into that with this post.

Let’s start by learning how to use this pattern, visually.  See these two logos below?  Read the text.

The first “it” refers to LoJack.

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Now read the second one.

The second “it” refers your stolen devices that LoJack can help you recover.

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Another example? ”While you’re working on your cereal, I’m already working on getting you more customers.”

Is this black and white enough for you?

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Dasani – The water that makes your mouth water.

Photo Credit:  Caro Wallis on Flickr

Language Hacker Award V

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Posted on 25th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Language Hacker Award |Reverse Engineered

The Cicero: State of Mind Coaching's Language Arts AwardBang POW – look who’s creating WOW!

Each week, we’re offering up a Language Hacker Award (or three) for those that have exhibited the expertise to exercise with excellence the exegesis of expression.

This is the best of what’s out there in terms of the demonstrated understanding of persuasive communication no matter the context and industry.  So, in other words, what I’m into and who’s into what I’m into.  Hahmana hahmana,what?… I know.

This week, we’re honoring 1 language artist…

Gary Vaynerchuk is a big deal.  I previously had been exposed to Crush It, but more so the teachings of the book and not so much the author.  Then, a friend posted this web 2.o expo YouTube video. 

You don’t have to like wine to like this guy on WineLibrary TV.

It quickly became obvious to me that Gary is a natural Language Hacker.  Natural Language Hackers are my favorite kind.  They probably haven’t studied language, sales, rhetoric, linguistics, or anything in terms of language arts, yet they have learned things along their life path that has worked.

I went through the YouTube video and over analyzed it for your reading pleasure.  Because there was so many language patterns and persuasive elements, I can’t do it justice for you in an organized fashion here in one blog post.  So, I’m just going to highlight some of the dominant patterns.  Dominant patterns are easier to pick up on, anyway.

The first thing I noticed is his use of repetition.  His energy is great, of course, but that’s not what makes him great at speaking.  What makes him great is, for example, tying the last words of one sentence to the next sentence by repeating the exact same words or phrase.  Notice, this paragraph has an example.  In rhetoric, this is called anadiplosis.  It helps you connect the dots vs. just collecting thoughts. e.g. “…starts with yourself.  Look yourself in the mirror.”

Speaking of repetition, several patterns are his strong suit.  He uses repetition well.  Anaphora, alliteration, commoratio.  In my Catchy to be Sticky post, I wrote about several of his patterns.  It’s as if he tore out this post and carried it around with him until he knew them like the back of his hand.  Other repeater examples are ”want to talk about” “need to care” “listen” “you have to” “you know” remember “pp…patience and passion”

Most of his repeaters are just repeating words or phrases consecutively just for the sake of repeating words or phrases consecutively.  Actually, they are for the sake of attention, amplification and impact. e.g. ”make some cash along the way” “freemium”

For him, it’s not just exact words and phrases, but also, concepts like, “…I can do that shit…what I decided I wanted to do” “Let’s talk about community.  Listen to your users.”  “This isn’t about parties.  We’re building businesses” 

He also repeats beats.  Notice he repeats sounds and rhythm.  But you have to listen for those.

If you’re wondering what makes him so funny, then I’ll tell you it’s because he employs the rule of three, ending with exaggeration and simple truth.  I haven’t written much on that, so it will be fun for you to research it.  Promise me you will.  I’ll pay you! 

Catch Gary on | Twitter | Wine Library TV | Tumblr | RSS | garyvaynerchuk.com

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So, there you have it, the Language Hacker Award recipient on this day in history, July 25th, 2010!

Comment Schmomment 2010-07-24

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Posted on 24th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Comment Schmomment

Welcome back to my Shop-Talk-Off-The-Clock Series Weekend Bender Edition of Comment Schmomment. It’s my take on blog posts that caught my attention recently. Enjoy this periodic un-comprehensive list of people I’m discovering and paying attention to.

Comment Schmomment is designed, specifically, for someone interested in perusing what I’m into. Surely, I can’t be the only one out there who is interested in what others have to say. ;)

Also, it’s a great way to re-purpose my obsessive compulsive habit of saving for the sake of saving my comments posted on others’ posts!

Have a look-see…

Mike Sansone’s From No Limbs to No Limits: Nick Vujicic Coming to West Des Moines on Converstations.com

Whew. It’s a tear-jerker of a story, but watch it if you’re macho, anyway.

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Darren Rowse’s Take the 7 Link Challenge Today #7links on problogger.com

Darren Rowse, you were certainly a genius blogger before this post hit the blogosphere on July 16th, 2010. Having inspired many others to do it, I thought I’d follow suit.

But, before I did, I said to my self, “you show me yours, then I’ll show you mine.” And, he did on the 17th. So, here are mine.

http://stateofmindcoaching.com/2010/07/this-is-my-7-link-challenge-7links/

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Darren Rowse’s Take the 7 Links for bloggers on problogger.com

A person could learn a lot by reading your list. I am.

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Chris Brogan’s Blogs as Loss Leaders on ChrisBrogan.com

Funny you should write about loss leaders today. Seth’s post is on under promise over deliver. I see them in close correlation. Some people are taking a loss (over promising) for the long shot of over delivering compared to promises (and skating by with excuses and charm if they don’t come through.) Some really good persuaders I have seen are minimizing their losses (just enough puff-ery to get attention,) following through with full disclosure during the presentation and then making darn sure the customer perceives them as overdelivering. It’s a tougher game, but with greater potential for referrals. That’s where the money is.

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Siddhartha Herdegen’s Write, Talk, Think on PrinciplesOfFailure.blogspot.com

Once again, Siddhartha, you’ve written an exciting post.  I like that you slipped some Robert Cialdini in there.  He’s a favorite of mine. 

Also, I especially liked your statements, “I think my writing should become outdated over time.” and “The world is ever-changing and our thoughts need to adapt as well. While there are many who value consistency, I would rather see growth.”

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Photo Credit:   By Choh Wah Ye on Flickr

Go Gary Vee

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Posted on 23rd July 2010 by Jade Handy in At Your Best |Coaching

I wasn’t aware of Gary Vaynerchuk (Wine Library) until I came across this YouTube video.  It impressed me enough to spontaneously post on it.  Watch it to see if it will do the same for you.
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Good Stuff? I thought so…

State of Mind Get it Heres how

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Posted on 23rd July 2010 by Jade Handy in Public Appearances

Social Media phenom, Mike Sansone.  As author of one of the web’s top 1% of websites, Converstations.com, Mike has gratiously invited me to be a guest on his show tonight. 

As the first to receive my Language Hacker Award, I greatly respect his verbal prowess. 

Tonight is the debut of his IDLFO show moving to the weekend slot, Friday nights at 11pm CST on Worldwide Amplified.

One of the ways you can participate with us is in the show’s chat room or on Skype (desmoinesamplified.)

I, for one,  am very excited about this public appearance and you will be, two.

Friday Shout Out 2010-07-23

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Posted on 23rd July 2010 by Jade Handy in Friday Shout Out

Welcome back to Friday Shout Out. On Fridays, I highlight some of the Web and Social Media Messages I enjoyed giving a hoot about. Whether I retweeted them or wrote them into a blog post, you can now follow those I re-sourced, re-purposed, and referenced.

First, from this site.

Seems I was all over the board this week.  Starting with the gossip site Snap Crackle Pop.  Didn’t think I’d be referencing a site like that.  But, oh well.  It fit the onomatopoeia thing, if just for the name.  But the Spinsucks.com’s article about the rise of the Kellogg’s brand is fascinating.  Very relevant to our current era in economics.

One of these days I’m going to write the nemesis of my post on adjectives called, The Dark Side of Adjectives, but until I do, I’ll have to settle for others’.  Others such as lovehateadvertising.wordpress.com’s, standup8times.com’s, and ventureblog.com’s posts on adjectives are good, helpful and insightful, but don’t quite get at what I’m trying to get at. 

Darren Rowse’s & 7 Links post was awesome!  Check out all the comments on his and all the 7 links posts this inspired.  Incredible!  That’s influence.

Seth Godin made it into my posts this week not once, but twice.  No, I’m not in love with him.  He just happened to hit the spot is all.  He’s a pretty smart guy, if you haven’t noticed.  I really liked how he talked around the issue of under promise over deliver in the first one.  It was crafty and is a refreshing way to present a timeless principle. 

Now, Chris Brogan.  I don’t think this is the first time I have posted about Chris Brogan.  His post directly inspired my Loss Leaders post.  And, was the inspiration to revisit the under promise over deliver post of Seth’s.  I like it when someone can help me create a bridge between two never-before-combined seemingly totally unrelated concepts (boy, I’m giving myself a lot of credit here, I know.) 

Sometimes I have to stretch to fit, or at least reword sentences, in order to shout out two excellent resources in one sentence.  I couldn’t not, though.  Paradelle.wordpress.com combined mirror neurons and synesthesia for the first time for me.  And science20.com was an excellent authority on the topic and had these added resources.  

Now, on to my Google Reader Shared Items.

What’s in a Job Title? – The Psychology Behind Proper Job Titles by Integrity HR Human Resources Blog.  Language Hacker Award Recipient Robert Cialdini’s authority principle of persuasion was highlighted.  It was a nice refresher for me.

Staying cool when stealing cars from Mind Hacks by vaughan really caught my attention by surprise.  At first I was like, “who cares about the mind of a criminal,” but then I was like, “what application could I gleen from it and utilize?”  Turns out there is something valuable.  State control.  Mental state control to be more specific.  I’ll probably expand more in a future post, so read this first.

Here’s a no-brainer that apparently is.  Reverse Mentoring the Social Organization from Gautam Ghosh on Human Resources by Gautam Ghosh.  Based on a Forbes article by Rawn Shah Why You Must Network With Your Younger Employees.  Read it in order to find out why.

Like I always say, “Find what works and use it.”

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Quotes that haven’t been repeated enough.

The successful use of metaphor is a matter of perceiving similarities.  -Aristotle, Poetics (4th Century B.C.)

Out of context quote remix:

“…the demand for buffets have become even greater… The quality of food at buffets today is every bit as good, if not better, than most midlevel casual restaurants… [buffets are] not the loss leader they used to be.  -Jeff DiVito

Photo Credit:  Flickr and stevendepolo

Colorful Play On Words

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Posted on 22nd July 2010 by Jade Handy in Persuasion

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Finally, the chance I had been waiting for for years.  How many times have you spoken a play on words with someone’s name? e.g. Someone saying to me, “Are you handy?”  nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.  I do this all the time to other people.

I walked into a paint store the other day.  I asked,

“How’s your day going?  Colorful.”

He looked at me.  I looked and him.  I then asked him if he gets this all the time.  Unbelievably, he said, “no.”  I then asked him if he uses this response to that question.  He said, “no.”

You have got to be kidding me!  Paint store.  Colorful.  I don’t know if it was that he didn’t know he could use colors to describe his day, or he didn’t know he could have fun with his work environment, or what.

For me, it’s kind of like synesthesia in one form or another. That’s where a thought in one representational system (the five senses: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, gustatory, and who knows, maybe even the sixth!) is directly linked up in the brain to something in another representational system.

With me and with this situation of paint store and emotional description.  Feel – paint store – color – colorful.  I guess you have to be open to and/or constantly searching for crossover, similarity, metaphor, etc.

All I know is, all my attempts through all of these years of trying to catch someone off guard with a play on words has paid off.  Maybe he is afraid to label himself or has chromophobia, the extreme fear of colors…

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The successful use of metaphor is a matter of perceiving similarities.  -Aristotle, Poetics (4th Century B.C.)

Photo Credit:  abbyladybug on Flickr

Loss Leaders

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Posted on 21st July 2010 by Jade Handy in Marketing/PR |Persuasion

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For those of you not familiar, loss leaders may sound like your company’s leader or the Pittsburgh Pirates, but it’s not. 

A loss leader is when Wal-Mart lures you into the store to save $2.00 on something you didn’t need in the first place and you soon discover you lost $4.00 in gas driving there!

It’s not that, either.  It’s them “losing money” on an advertised special on the hope that you’ll shop further and over-pay on everything else in the store.

This is what they, and others like them, mean when they justify with “we’ll make it up in volume.” 

Another meaning of “we’ll make it up in volume” is a used car salesman using it to hood-wink you into thinking the price is so cheap, but they’re willing to sell it at that price to you just to have you drive around with their name advertised on the car’s trunk’s dealer sticker. 

Hopefully, people are too smart to think someone is selling something at a loss and are making it up in volume like that.  Do the math.  They are baiting you for a bigger catch.

Attorneys do this with initial phone calls.  But, if you understand how to position the conversation towards dangling a carrot or saving them time, you can gain substantial decision-making information.

Buying drinks at the bar for a lady is the same thing.  More loss than lead, though.  Don’t bother.

My loss leader is my blog posts and RSS feed.  Like most of your favorite bloggers, I recommend you do the same with your business.  Put it out there and see what happens.

Seth Godin has touched on this.  Chris Brogan’s Blogs as Loss Leaders yesterday, July 20, 2010, was a real idea generator.  To quote Chris, “What’s your plan for value?  Where are your loss leaders?  How do you use them to bring business forward?”

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Out of context quote remix:

“…the demand for buffets have become even greater… The quality of food at buffets today is every bit as good, if not better, than most midlevel casual restaurants… [buffets are] not the loss leader they used to be.  -Jeff DiVito

Photo Credit:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmanviz/3085421999/

Seths Take On Under Promise Over Deliver

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Posted on 20th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Peak Performance |Persuasion |Selling Language

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Though Seth Godin doesn’t come out and say it, under promise and over deliver is the understanding he wants you to conclude.  It’s a critical skill.  For anyone. 

He’s saying the  underpromise part is tricky ’cause you risk not getting attention or not being believable, even worse.  This is where experience and skill come in. 

You have to track responses to your messages and then adjust accordingly until you can get it right.  There’s just no shortcut to perfecting this other than trial and error and getting your knuckles bloody along the way.

The trap for most is the short-term gain of getting attention by pushing the limit on the over promise side.  Most people I’ve seen riding this edge sell tons, but spend tons of time after the sale explaining and making excuses.  Don’t be that guy.  They live by the mantra, “it’s easier to beg forgiveness, then ask for permission.”  Permission doesn’t fit perfectly, but it works for them.

One way that’s better is to challenge yourself to see how much fluff you can leave out and still get your foot in the door.  Then, sell like hell what you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, your company can deliver. 

More tension this way?  More pressure to perform?  Absolutely. 

When it’s time to deliver, make sure you do.  Then, find ways to exceed their expectations so they perceive it as exceeding their expectations.  The bar on this is much easier to adjust and much easier to pole vault over.

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Formula for success:  under promise and over deliver.  -Tom Peters  #contrast

Test fast, fail fast, adjust fast.  -Tom Peters  #epistrophe  #antistrophe  #epiphora  (that was #rhyme)  (here’s #alliteration)  #epistrophe  #epiphora  #antistrophe

The first step in exceeding your customer’s expectations is to know those expectations.  -Roy H. Williams

Photo Credit:  Sebastian Mary on Flickr

Montana Share Your Experience

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Posted on 20th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Marketing/PR

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Ever read something wrong, but it made sense?

When I first saw this ad, I thought to myself, “Wow.  That’s a cool use of ambiguity.  You see, the “on Flickr” was below the fold, which is to say I couldn’t see it until I scrolled down a bit.

Why did I think it was cool?  ‘Cause it was reminiscent of other uses of ambiguity that I love.  Example, NBC used “Experience.  NBC.”  The Army, years ago, used “Find Yourself in the Air Force.” (also, you can find this slogan in Life and Popular Science June 1972 issues)

“Share your experience” conjurs up images of taking someone with me to Montana.  Which presupposes I’m there.

It, also, appears to mean share it with the local inhabitants, like this mountain goat.  Not my kind of company, but whatever…

Then, seeing “on Flickr” ruined that experience for me.  Not really.  It presupposes I have to go there in order to share the experience via pictures.  Still great…

I wonder if marketers use this same sort of thing on purpose…

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Photo Credit:  VisitMT.com advertisement on Flickr

This Is My 7 Link Challenge #7links

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Posted on 19th July 2010 by Jade Handy in What I'm Into

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Darren Rowse was certainly a genius blogger before this post hit the blogosphere on July 16th, 2010.  Having inspired many others to do it, I thought I’d follow suit. 

“The idea is to publish a post that is a list of 7 links to posts that you and others have written that respond to the following 7 categories.”

But, before I did, I said to my self, “you show me yours, then I’ll show you mine.”  And, he did.  So, here are mine.

My first post: How Goes It?  No picture.  No bold type (bold concept, though.)  Built, originally, in GoDaddy Quick Blogcast.  I’m surprised it had paragraphs, even.  But, hey, you have to start somewhere, right?

A post I enjoyed writing the most:  You’re So Vain was fun to write because I was just hitting my stride with flow.  I was linking in, linking out, bold type.  I enjoyed writing ambiguity into it.  It was written with a coaching client in mind. 

I Shouldn’t Have To Is a post that had a great discussion.  Siddartha Herdegen fueled this post with his comments.  It is a great exchange of 2 people saying the same things differently, being on the same page, but different sides, finding common ground while making some sound.  (some of that was just for rhyme’s sake!)

A post (actually a comment) on someone else’s blog that I wish I had written is Mark Suster’s When You’re a Hammer Everything Looks Like a Nail on bothsidesofthetable.com  One thing about this metaphor, it’s not going out of style anytime soon.  I think it’s great how you talk about both sides of the table.  Your level of disclosure astounds me as you know you’ll be in front of people who have read this post…Mark’s Reply:   Thanks, Jade…

My most helpful post was Make it Catchy to Make it Sticky vol.1.  If a person can start to realize and notice how prevalent these persuasive elements are, and then implement them in verbal and written communications, you’re words will stick like no other.  Check any 10 quotes and the majority will contain one of the patterns in the post.

This is a tough one.  I, actually, take great pride in my titles.  I don’t intellectualize them, they just pop into my head when I’m first thinking about the post’s content.  With that said, Smart Start À La Carte has to be up there at the top of favorite titles for me.  Alliteration, rhyme, French, and the ambiguity of smart start being first thing in the morning, Mondays, or rookie persuasion has me all worked up over the title.

RSS?  This Way is post that I wish more people had read, for both selfish and unselfish reasons, really.  Selfish, because it makes it easier for more people to subscribe to my posts.  And, unselfish, because it makes it easier for more people to subscribe to my posts. 

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Photo Credits:  each is just a click or two away, or see some of them in my Flickr favorites

Smart Start A La Carte

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Posted on 19th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Smart Start A La Carte

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Welcome to Smart Start À La Carte.  This is your à la carte path to linguistic excellence.  Each edition includes an impressive array of ways to make an impression.  Some are simple specific spoon-fed examples that you can slide into your daily dialog.  Some are a description or definition of a pattern, concept or category of persuasive communication with an example, of course. 

“Delicious Rich Chocolate” “Warm Red Colors” “Soft Sumptuous Feel” “Cool Jazzy Sound”   |  Obvious enough for you?  You never knew adjectives could be so sexy.  Wants more, they sell.  

Ever seen Home Shopping Network?  QVC?  ShopNBC?  Rachael Ray? (Yes.  Rachael Ray.)  Watch them for an hour and you’ll soon discover why they’re so popular and sell a ton on TV. 

Why watch them even though I just gave you the why?  Because you’ll soon be impressed with how easy it is to do in whatever field you’re in.  Because only then can you realize, really realize, how loaded a statement can be and still sound so natural.  

Take paper, for example.  Georgia Pacific Premium Ink Jet & Laser Paper.  HP All-In-One Printing Paper.  You’d have thought before reading this that paper was not an excellent example.  But, if you can apply it to something as banal and dry as paper, then seriously, you can apply it to anything.  

FYI – That was an example. 

Can you go overboard with them?  Yes.  But, don’t. 

Use the perfect amount.  Too much is too much.  Keep it simple. 

And, now for a 2nd helping.  Open wide. 

Greek Rhetorical Device  |  onomatopeia: Snap Crackle Pop! Into your morning.  Extremely appropriate timing for this example as I look at my timepiece and notice it’s Monday morning.  

Sound, what a wonderful way to start the day.  And, what a wonderful way to start to say, “cha-ching!” 

e.g. What benefit do you want your customers to feel “snap” that fast? 

Whoa!  There is even a website by the name Snap Crackle Pop.  This one is quite catty, though, hissss.  And, my Language Hacker Award even starts out with one.   

Yep, Onomatopoeias have definitely gone mainstream. 

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The character of a person with the adjectives that can normally use in conversation are learned. – Mark Twain 

Let’s try that a different way. 

A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.
Mark Twain 

Cliches and adjectives permeated my prose.
Dick Schaap 

In English we must use adjectives to distinguish the different kinds of love for which the ancients had distinct names.
Mortimer Adler 

To think straight, it is advisable to expect all qualities and attributes, adjectives, and so on to refer to at least two sets of interactions in time.
Gregory Bateson 

Photo Credit:  Artnow314 on Flickr

Language Hacker Award Vol IV

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Posted on 18th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Language Hacker Award

The Cicero: State of Mind Coaching's Language Arts AwardBang POW – look who’s creating WOW!

Each week, we’re be offering up a Language Hacker Award (or three) for those that have exhibited the expertise to exercise with excellence the exegesis of expression.

This is the best of what’s out there in terms of the demonstrated understanding of persuasive communication no matter the context and industry. So, in other words, what I’m into and who’s into what I’m into. Hahmana hahmana,what?… I know.

This week, we honor 3 language artists…

Bob Burg is big enough for the Language Hacker Award’s top spot and he’s big enough to have some of the best business books out there.  Endless Referrals…The Go-Giver…and on and on the list goes.  I read Endless Referrals quite some time ago and I find myself recommending it to others often.  More than anything, lately, I can’t get enough of his blog posts.  So, do the same and recommend him by name.

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Steve Booth-Butterfield Something makes me keep coming back to Steve’s blog on a regular basis.  I see him in my Google Reader what seems like daily.  He always has an unique perspective on things and always teaches me something along the way.  If you are jobless right now, consider reading his Persuasion on the Job Interview.  It’s a good one for starters.  After that, read my Heres My Chance.

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.:VirtualSalt

Robert A. Harris’ VirtualSalt.  Yes. A faceless website can win the award. It’s a resource. I’m the creator and I create the categories, damn it. (insert GWB’s face) I refer to this site often for clarification of rhetorical figures and devices.  Learn everything on this site and you’ll be well on your way to being me.

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So, there you have it, the Language Hacker Award recipients on this day in history, July 11th, 2010

Comment Schmomment 2010-07-17

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Posted on 17th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Comment Schmomment

Welcome back to my Shop-Talk-Off-The-Clock Series Weekend Bender Edition of Comment Schmomment.  It’s my take on blog posts that caught my attention recently.  Enjoy this periodic un-comprehensive list of people I’m discovering and paying attention to.

Comment Schmomment is designed, specifically, for someone interested in perusing what I’m into.  Surely, I can’t be the only one out there who is interested in what others have to say.   ;)

Also, it’s a great way to re-purpose my obsessive compulsive habit of saving for the sake of saving my comments posted on others’ posts!

Have a look-see…

Kare Anderson’s What’s Your Story on her Say It Better blog

On July 14th, I wrote about personal and professional stories and the power of knowing and changing them.  I love, love, love your post on this.  I only wished it had come out a week earlier.  I guess I’ll just have to be satisfied with broadcasting your post today on my Comment Schmomment series.

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Liz Strauss’ I Still Don’t Do Weekends – How Are You Finding Time for the Time of Your Life? on successful-blog.com

“Let’s something.” “Do what?” “I don’t know. What do you want to do?” I love it. On February 18th, I wrote, “What do you want to do?” I love your post on this, Liz.

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Jonathan Farrington’s Having A Tilt At Every Sales Opportunity Is Sheer Folly on thejfblogit.co.uk 

On May 12th, I wrote “Language as a Filter.”  Filtering is qualifying.  Qualifiying is filtering.  “Having a tilt at every sales opportunity that presents itself, in “Quixotic” fashion, is neither practical nor profitable.” is so true.  Chasing squirrels is for dogs

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Photo Credit:  Dave Hamster on Flickr

RSS? This Way…

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Posted on 16th July 2010 by Jade Handy in Uncategorized |What I'm Into

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 So, RSS.  Maybe you think this is only for those internet types or “social media types?”  It’s not.

It’s for business owners, professionals and all busy people that don’t have time to continually search the internet the way you’ve been doing it.

RSS *is like* a spam-free email inbox full of all your favorite email newsletters.

RSS *is like* a postal mailbox.  You can either drive to MidAmerican Energy your local newspaper or City Utilities office favorite magazine publisher to pick up your bill issue.  Or, you can have your recurring mail come to one mail box,… your mail box.

Do you Google?  Or use Google to seach the internet?

Do you sometimes find yourself searching for the same thing over and over, again?

Would you rather not?

If not, then “search once and subscribe.”  Then you won’t have to keep searching for the same thing over and over and over again.  Sound good?  Good, let’s go!

Here’s how.
1. find a web site with an RSS symbol.  Click on it.
2. find the Google button off to the right.  Click on it.
3. sign up for Google Reader.

Once you have a Google Reader account, and every time you find an RSS button that has a Google button, you’ll be able to “burn the feed” into your Google Reader aggregator.

If the RSS button doesn’t lead to a Google button, then
1. copy/paste the URL from the internet address bar at the top to the “add a subscription” button in your Google Reader (top left corner.)
2. And then, just like Prego, it’s in there!

Now here’s the “why do I do this?”  You can now do this…

1. after you do a Google search via http://blogsearch.google.com/ (the RSS subscribe button is above the fold on the left margin of the results page) or a Google search via http:/news.google.com/ (the RSS button is at the very botton of the results page.) 

2. when you want to subscribe to someone else’s tweets on Twitter without having to have a Twitter account yourself.  Go to Twitter.com.  Do a search on the Twitter username (not their full name, e.g. jadehandy vs. Jade Handy.)  Click on the blue username link inside their tweet (tweet is short for Twitter message.)  On the right margin underneath all the thumbnail pictures is “RSS feed of USERNAME tweets.”  Click, then copy/paste the URL into your Google Reader’s “add a subscription.”

3. for a YouTube search, weather reports for your zip code, mutual funds, sports scores of your favorite team, newspaper/magazine articles, facebook entries, Google Calendar updates of you or someone else.  Oh yeah, and to get a job! (see the presentation below)

4. Wash, rinse and repeat for any other website that gets updated.

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Other resources for RSS:

What the Heck? RSS, Google Reader & a Starters Kit
What the Heck is RSS
TIPS n TRIPS (TNT): Learn RSS Feeds Top to Bottom
RSS = Relevant Signal Stream
Wikipedia
A Starter Kit for Your RSS Reading
What Is RSS? RSS Explained

Using Rss To Let Jobs Come To You
View more presentations from inovolve.

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Photo Credit:  curiouslee on Flickr

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