10 Simple Secrets of the Worlds

Greatest Business Communicators

by Carmine Gallo
Sourcebooks 2005
234 pages

Focus
Leadership & Mgt.
Strategy
Sales & Marketing
Corporate Finance

Take-Aways
Top communicators have 10 secrets: The rst is "Passion," a combination of
energy and real enthusiasm. The other nine are:
"Inspiration." Charismatic leaders can convey their vision and share their optimism,
even with large audiences.

Human Resources
Technology & Production
Small Business
Economics & Politics
Industries & Regions
Career Development

"Preparation." To establish rapport with the audience, be completely ready to roll.

"Start Strong." People remember what they see rst and last. Also, put a premium
on "Clarity," since even the best messages can be simplied.
"Brevity." The optimal speech is 15 to 20 minutes; after that, retention decreases.

Personal Finance

"Say it with style." To be memorable, create an emotional link with the audience.

Concepts & Trends

"Command presence." Use body language to show professionalism and credibility.

"Wear it well." Your clothes tell a story; be sure it is the story you intend to convey.
"Reinvention." Keep it interesting with analogies, anecdotes, endorsements,
statistics and testimonials.
Football coach Joe Paterno, an exemplary speaker, communicated "emotion,
commitment, discipline, loyalty and pride" to help his teams win.

Rating

(10 is best)

Overall

Applicability

Innovation

Style

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Relevance
What You Will Learn
In this Abstract, you will learn: 1) How to use 10 straightforward speaking techniques; 2)
How passion and inspiration shape powerful communications; 3) Why its important to
look important; and 4) What famous speechmakers advise about making presentations.
Recommendation
This simple book can be skimmed easily to nd out the 10 straightforward secrets of great
presenters, but these standard tips are only part of author Carmine Gallos message. He
is equally concerned with the messengers: expert corporate communicators and founders,
from Howard Schultz of Starbucks to Richard Branson of Virgin. Although Gallos secrets
arent so secret (be prepared, be passionate, look spiffy), his style is punchy, if a bit windy
and repetitive, and he has gathered a virtual roomful of people youll nd interesting.
While his book does offer basic techniques that beginning communicators can use and
old pros have always used Gallos real accomplishment is in sharing the insights of his
podium role models. getAbstract.com recommends the company Gallo keeps. If you want
to feel like an ace presenter, just imagine Colin Powell and Rudolph Giuliani standing right
off stage and whispering suggestions to you about what to do next.

Abstract
Great business
communicators
toss the script
to catch the
audience.

Share the Excitement

Why can some people just naturally tell a story better than others? Well, because they
know what they are doing. To join their ranks and become a better communicator, add
expertise to your delivery by using 10 speaking techniques recommended by well-known
communicators. With these principles, you, too, can make memorable and motivational
presentations.
The amount of emotional energy that top speakers put into a presentation separates truly
exceptional communicators from the ordinary. They are able to make an emotional
link between their subject and their feelings that really touches an audience. However,
not every communication requires a high level of emotional connection. Business
presentations are targeted to three different levels of communication:

At its core,
passion
meanstouching
the hearts of
your listeners by
identifying the
deep emotional
connection to
your story and
sharing that
enthusiasm with
your listeners.

1. Communication focused only on delivering a message and preserving the speakers

or the corporations reputation.
2. Communication that incites the audience to care and to participate in what the
message invites them to do.
3. Communication that opens the door to a new perspective and creates a reality
distortion eld about how the audience views the world.
Superb presenters abide by the 10 following precepts:

1. Passion: Use Your Head to Reach Their Heart

Passion distinguishes great communicators. Passion can help you convey your story
with added emotion that expresses power and exceptional condence. You can become a
passionate speaker by combining your enthusiasm and energy.
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Whether you like

it or not, we now
live in a sound-bite
society.

Contemporary
audiences crave
speakers who
have passion, who
inspire and who
exude charisma.

Without passion
youre nished
as a speaker.

In many cases, speakers use passionate business presentations to mask ordinary content.
Financial author Suze Orman, who holds the record for selling the most books in an hour
on a national shopping network, says that her nancial advice is not new. But the forceful
way she delivers it helps her books sell well. Similarly, Sir Richard Branson, the British
entrepreneur, combines zeal with his desire to have fun. That combination helped fuel
the formation of Virgin Atlantic.
Many great communicators experience a moment of discovery, a turning point that leads
them to realize their passion. For Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, it was a visit to
Milan, Italy, where he rst saw successful coffee shops, and admired how they evoked
a denite mood. For California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, it was a national tour
during which he saw disadvantaged children in all 50 states. As a result, he decided to
work with inner-city kids and the Special Olympics.

2. Inspiration: Cmon Baby, Light My Fire

Charismatic leaders have a tremendous ability to inspire. They can convey their vision
and are effective storytellers, able to explain how their ideas can change peoples lives.
They often tell personal stories that connect with listeners at the emotional level and
inspire them.
During his 50-year career, football coach Joe Paterno of Penn State University motivated
his players to do their best to honor themselves, their families and their teammates.
Paterno recognized that if every boy on the entire team played to his best ability, the
team would win. This very successful formula involved getting the players to use their
emotion, commitment, discipline, loyalty and pride. Paternos team is arguably the best
in U.S. college division 1A football history.

3. Preparation: Toss the Script

Being prepared is the best way to establish a rapport with your audience. However,
relying on notes during your presentation is the surest way to reduce your effectiveness.
The best speakers make presentations look effortless, although they rely on extensive
preparation. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani started to prepare for his rst
February budget presentation in October. Great speakers make plans that include what
they are going to say, how they are going to say it and how they are going to end. They
never read from a script and rarely read directly from their PowerPoint slides. They are
in command of their material and have mastered its contents and basic messages.
Rehearsal is also important. Top communicators review their notes, visit the hall where
the presentation will be delivered, and examine the seating and lighting. When Al Gore
was preparing to debate Jack Kemp, he asked that the temperature in the rehearsal room
be the same as in the debate hall.

Enthusiasm
simply means
sharing your
excitement about
your service,
product, company
or cause.

To prepare, video tape your rehearsal. Criticize your performance. Ask yourself: Do you
appear energetic? Do you maintain good eye contact? Are you making effective use of
body language and gestures? Correcting deciencies during rehearsal is much better than
recapping your hits and misses after the presentation. One venture capitalist, a stand-up
comic in his off-hours, says a good presentation is 50% material and 50% delivery.

4. Start Strong: Dont Bury the Lead

Jeff Taylor, the founder of Monster.com, makes as many as 75 speeches annually and
energizes his audiences by starting with a bang. He invited a group of human resource
professionals to take off their shoes and hold them up. He asked a graduating class at
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Charisma is the
key to inspiration.

the University of Massachusetts to repeat words in unison. Taylor makes a memorable

impression by getting everyones attention. Studies show that people remember the rst
and last things that happen at an event. Ideas presented in the middle often get muddled.
Thats why newspapers use headlines: to get your attention and state the articles subject.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has earned a reputation as a powerful speaker because he gets to
the point quickly and succinctly. At one major presentation, he began by discussing the
new iPod. Within the rst two minutes, he listed its key features. As is often the case with
top speakers, his opening remarks led directly to his main theme. To focus on getting
your most salient points into a 30-second opening segment, answer these questions:

The worlds
greatest business
communicators
start strong.

1.
2.
3.
4.

What does my company provide, do or advocate?

How does my company solve customers problems?
What makes my company different?
What can my company do for you?

5. Clarity: Lose the Jargon or Lose Your Audience

On military missions, orders must be clear and concise. The task leaves no room for error
or jargon. The message has to be simple and readily understandable. Once you eliminate
jargon from your speeches, use analogies, anecdotes, endorsements, examples, statistics
and testimonials to enhance your presentation. These techniques can drive home a point
or help make a story more tangible.
Leaders on the
front lines of any
industry must
strive for simplicity
and clarity if they
are to inspire
and motivate
employees,
customers or
shareholders.

If you cant grab

them in the rst
10 words, you
probably wont
hold their attention
long and people
will be afraid to
ask questions
because they
dont want to hear
you ramble.

When Jack Welch was CEO of General Electric, he believed in simplicity. His executives
had to present business plans that were devoid of jargon. He also set simple rules. For
instance, any GE business had to be rst or second in its respective eld, otherwise it
would be closed. Jeffrey Immelt, who succeeded Welch at GE, continued to emphasize
streamlined communications by teaching that messages could always be simplied.

6. Brevity: Keep It Short. Period.

Short speeches and presentations can carry powerful messages. John Kennedys famous
1961 presidential inaugural speech conveyed his vision for a new nation, yet it was only
15 minutes long. To make your speeches and PowerPoint presentations memorable, use
short words and cut excessive owery language.
Given todays frantic bombardment of messages, people tend to get bored quickly. That
makes keeping things short even more important. TV or radio sound bites demonstrate
the virtue of brevity. Today, a sound bite takes about six seconds. A business presentation
should be no longer than 15 minutes. Even the Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan,
gave strict instructions that his speeches should last no more than 20 minutes. Academic
studies show that audience members can retain up to 90% of what they hear in a 20-minute
presentation. After that, retention drops signicantly. Thats why you should not confuse a
presentations length with its effectiveness. They are often completely unrelated.

7. Say It with Style: What Great Television Anchors Know

The way great business communicators look and act is often more important than what
they say. Thats why vocal delivery is important. Great speakers, such as British Prime
Minister Tony Blair, write their speeches for the ear not the eye. This means Blair uses
short sentences and selects his words carefully. Broadcast industry research shows that
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the ideal voice should be clear, have an average volume and not have any distracting
aws. A pleasing voice is even an important factor in being well liked.

Forty-four percent
of communication
is visual (body
language, eye
contact); 38%
is vocal (pitch,
speed, volume
variation); and
only 7% of
communication
involves the actual
words.

8. Command Presence: Movement Does a Body Good

Establishing a rapport with the audience includes having good eye contact, controlled
hand gestures and an erect posture. Your body language affects your credibility.
Slouching, putting your hands in your pockets or swaying while you speak detracts from
your message and credibility.
Hand gestures actually help speakers clarify their thoughts. University of Chicago
researchers found that when speakers made a concentrated effort not to use their hands,
it actually reduced their mental acuity. The research found that the use of specic
gestures indicates a more rigorous thought process. Making a gesture above the waist
is considered more powerful than making one below the waist. Ways to make a point
include clenching a st, gesturing with one or both hands, and holding your palms open
or closed. You have to know when to use gestures, so follow two rules: Use them rarely
and, then, only to emphasize a key idea or fact.

9. Wear It Well: Image Is Almost Everything

Dressing professionally and being well groomed pay a compliment to your audience.
Good grooming shows you care enough to make a special effort. It also helps you
establish a presence and become the center of attention. This means you look the part
of being a credible presenter or executive, so people can focus on your message and
not be distracted by your appearance. People who dress well and look attractive get
better service and are more warmly received than people who are not attractive. One
study from London Guildhall University found that more attractive people had more
successful careers, including faster promotions.
Every day at
every one of
Ritz-Carltons
57 hotels, 15
minutes are set
aside to discuss
the companys
core values with
the hotels 57,000
employees.

Men should follow three basic rules to dress their best, advises George Zimmer, CEO of
the Mens Wearhouse stores: 1) Buy a suit that ts. This is even more important than the
fabrics quality; 2) Buy suits in basic colors: black, charcoal or gray; and 3) Be stylish.
Reect fashion changes in your wardrobe.

10. ReinventionIts Your Choice

To remain fresh, stay topical and dont repeat yourself. When you face a setback, use
personal renewal to bounce back. Former President Reagan emerged as a powerful public
speaker after his acting career ended. He was signed by General Electric to give speeches
to its employees and to host a TV show. During that period, he perfected his speaking
skills. Arnold Schwarzenegger also had to learn to speak English before he became a
powerful speaker, but persistent practice made it possible. Exceptional communication
is the key to reinventing yourself and your company. The most important factor is to
believe in yourself and your ability to make a change in yourself and others.

About The Author

Carmine Gallo is a corporate presentation coach and Emmy award-winning journalist,
who has spent 15 years as an anchor, host and business correspondent for several media
outlets, including CNN, Fox, CNET and CBS.
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