How to cut through the crust  

 

With Valentine's Day around the corner, it's time to consider how to cut through the crust that protects the gooey centre of some people's hearts.

 

Even the crustiest people have beating hearts that quietly overrule their heads on many decisions. To make sure your Cupid's arrow hits the target, here are some techniques to try. 

 

Underlying benefits
When you're talking about  the benefits of your product or service, don't forget the deep emotional needs that may hide behind the obvious. For example, a prospect may read your white paper to acquire practical information. But she probably has  a deeper desire to good look in front of her peers.

 

Empathy

Show that you really do understand and care about the crusty one's fear, frustration or pain  No buzz words or platitudes. Dive as deep as you dare.

   

Anger

Sometimes you have to get people riled up, to acknowledge a problem that  you can solve.

 

Laughter

Humour also cuts through the crust, by lowering  the heart's defences.  Think of the movies that got you laughing and then smacked you with some profound emotional truth.

  

Stories
Tell a personal story that travels across common emotional ground.   But don't go on for too long. 

 

Pictures  

While kittens and babies work well with many people, try photos of happy business people, like the one above  right, which portrays an ideal secretly pursued by many crusty business people.

Of course, these techniques also work with people whose crusts are soft or thin. Fortunately, with them, you don't have to try so hard. Just speak from the heart.

Photos tell the story   

 

Speakng of stories and pictures, see the presentation I've created for Write like you talk--only better. Lots of photos and a few words but no bullets or charts.  

It's the basis of a talk I'll be doing February 21, downtown Toronto, with  the Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs .

Have a look, to learn more about my book and consider me as a speaker at your next Toronto-area gathering.

Pilot workshop filling up  

Also in Toronto, I'm running a pilot for workshops based on Write like you talk--only better on February 23.  Only $40 per person for a small-group, full-day workshop. Ideal for professionals who would like all the emails, reports and other writing they do to be better faster, friendlier and more effective.     

A few spaces are still open, so let me know if you or someone you know would like to participate.