putting a fine point on the speaking industry
Finding Focus in the World of Words
When you’re blessed
with a busy speaking
business, waiting for
the verdict on your
CSP and in charge of
Speaker magazine at
the same time, something happens.
You either go nuts, or you learn a few
lessons along the way. Lucky for
me, and my speaking busi-
ness, it was the latter.
(Although I confess it
could have gone either
way a few times.)
I learned little things:
that points are moot, not
mute, and “Web site” is two
words with just one capital let-
ter. I learned about people. That
some can ramble about their topic,
and others don’t even need a topic.
Some people, when I extended a thim-
ble’s worth of interest their way, care-
fully filled it with an eyedropper. Others pulled out a fire hose.
Which is how I learned my big-
gest and most valuable lesson—to fo-
cus. Drill down. Zero in. It’s called the
pitch, and it can
be a real—well—
let’s use the word
“pain” instead of
the one that rhymes
with pitch.
The name of an
interesting, talent-
ed, successful speaker is not a pitch.
What can readers learn from this speak-
er, or what makes this speaker’s life/ca-
reer/topic/approach irresistibly interest-
ing? Why this speaker and why now?
When you answer those questions care-
fully and thoughtfully, you might have a
good pitch. “I’ve been a member for X
years. Don’t you think I’m due?” is not
even close to compelling.
How about something on Google
adwords? Internet article writing? us-
ing technology to get organized? As
my focus filter sharpened, I was better
equipped to help writers pinpoint the
angle of a story assignment with la-
ser-beam precision. The column on
Google adwords, for instance,
was not a “how-to” story; it
was an “Is it right for you
at all?” story. Internet ar-
ticle writing could be a
daily blog: Dan Janal
zeroed in on how
to write a killer
bio box that
generates
response
All this focus on focusing is bound
to make me a better writer/editor. It
will make me a better speaker, too. This
surprised me a little because I thought
most speakers, including me, were al-
ready skilled at honing their content
and focusing their message. It’s part
of the job description. Ask a speak-
er to convert a 90-minute program
into a 10-minute audition for a room
full of meeting planners and you hear
“No problem!” Ask the same speaker
to write a 500-word column or even a
1,500-word feature story on the same
content, and you hear, “Ohmygawd—
I can’t do it justice in that amount of
space.” “Maybe I could write a series
of articles?” “Here’s a transcript of my
talk. Just cut and paste and use as many
words as you want.”
Readers demand pith. Audiences de-
serve it, too. Here endeth the lesson.
All this focu s on focusing
is bound to make me a better
writer/editor. It will make me
a better speaker, too.
Terri Langhans is the 2007–
2008 Chair of the Editorial
Advisory Board. The former
CEO of a national ad agency
and marketing firm, she is now
COE (Chief of Everything) at Blah Blah Blah.
Terri speaks to business audiences who want
to make their marketing stand out and their
lives less ordinary. For more information,
visit www.blahblahblah.us or www.
maverickmarketing.com.
instead. And rather than a page of bul-
leted technology tips, this month’s “It’s
Your Business” column shares the one
thing about using Outlook that
Technology Jam Session par-
ticipants said “paid
for their entire
trip.”
