My mom told me very early in life, "Who you are speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say." What she meant was you've really got to embody what you're trying to communicate. Ultimately, that's more important than mere words. You also have to have passion and belief. My dad worked for IBM. He said, "Look, I can't sell products I don't believe in. People will see right through me. But if I'm passionate and have a deep conviction about what I'm doing, I'm the greatest salesman there is." I've found it to be the same way for me. If that doesn't work, sometimes you have to do things that push people out of their comfort zone. I'll ask for a handheld microphone because I don't want to be behind that podium. Sometimes I'll jump off the stage and walk in the audience. I'll start with a joke and get people laughing, or I'll tell a story. Again, I go back to my father. He used to say, "Statistics tell, and stories sell."
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