5 Great Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read | Inc.com
5 Great Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read
BY PAUL GROSSINGER
Entrepreneurship is an industry of do-ers. Nonetheless, it helps to learn from those who have done it before - and are doing it now! - and there are a notable few entrepreneurs and authors who have been very successful at outlining how to succeed at founding a successful company.
Five books in particular epitomize what I consider to be strong core focuses for every successful and aspiring founder: leanness, willingness to question, purposeful passion, core drive, and realness. Each channeling one of the foci, these five favorites can help guide you to successfully found your own company in 2016 - or help you on journey that you have already begun:
1. Lean Startup, Eric Reis
Lean Startup is probably the most important book for any aspiring entrepreneur to read. Reis' philosophies are highly specific and sometimes too tailored to technology, such as his belief in pursuing a very rough MVP before anything else.
That strategy, while a great idea for most scalable startups, is not a fit for many other types of businesses. However, his underlying message of "fail lean, fail fast, scale once you hit" is the central mantra of many of the most successful growth companies of the past decade.
2. Rework, Jason Fried and David Hansson
Great founders all chart their own path. Linkedin wasn't created after Linkedin; Facebook wasn't created after Facebook.
Although most great companies have predecessors that creaked open a door - think Google vis a vis Altavista - transformative founders and their companies radically change industries and reinvent them precisely because they challenge the assumptions governing those industries down to the base axioms.
Rework provides some of the best examples I have read of how great founders educate themselves on - and then often disregard - the standard business practices of the past, to reinvent the future.
3. Purpose Economy, Aaron Hurst
Great leaders are propelled by their work. This finding, which underlies Hurst's theories on what he calls the fourth economy, purpose (replacing the informational economy) is central to understanding what lies in the brains of great entrepreneurs.
Simply put: it's impossible to put in punishing 18-hour days on something that hasn't been proven yet unless you are deeply and intrinsically motivated by what you do.
4. The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz
Although Horowitz's style can sometimes be challenging to read - such as a whole chapter explaining the hardship of a bad IPO (how many founders, self-included, would kill to have an IPO - however poorly engineered!) the book makes a very key core central point: transformative success is very, very hard.
Great founding stories don't look like The Social Network: three scenes in a dorm room, followed by three California pool parties, and a skip jump to a $600 million lawsuit. It's a long road - one great founders are prepared for and deeply motivated to take.
5. Startupland, Mikkel Svane
It's no secret that you have to have special skills, and a major opportunity, to make it big as a founder. But not all - in fact not most - great founders are birthed in Silicon Valley, or at Harvard.
That is the great lesson of Startupland: if they possess the skills, drive, and relentlessness, real people with families, lives, and responsibilities can make it big too. And, isn't that ultimately what entrepreneurship is about.
Tuesday, 9 February 2016
How long will social media platforms last?
How Long Will Today's Social Media Platforms Last?
Jayson DeMers
We live in a pivotal era of technology. After some tumultuous steps in the 1990s and 2000s, the Internet has been readily accepted and incorporated as a staple element of everyday life. We’ve seen countless websites rise and fall in popularity, seemingly overnight, and a handful of sites that have stuck around for 20 years or even longer. Who would have guessed that Napster would have died away, or that Google would become the ubiquitous technological juggernaut it is today back in the year 2000?
Because web technology has been a volatile development (think about how drastically concepts of web design have shifted, or the tech bubble “bursting” in the early 2000s), we’ve grown used to the idea that most web-based enterprises will eventually burn out or fade away. MySpace is a perfect example of this on the social media front—yes, it’s still technically alive—but it’s nowhere close to the level of popularity it used to enjoy.
A Question of Longevity
Think about the longevity of some of the most popular tech companies today. It’s hard to imagine Google, eBay, or Amazon ever disappearing, the same way we all suspect brands like Walmart and Coca-Cola will persist for hundreds of years. Facebook is a strong contender for this category, as it continues to evolve and push the limits of new areas (think: AI, digital assistants, virtual reality, universal free Internet, etc.). It’s also reporting strong revenue and its shares are at close to an all-time high from its tumultuous IPO just a few years ago.
For these reasons, I’m going to table Facebook in this discussion—it seems likely that Facebook will become another Google (if it hasn’t already) and persist for many years to come. But what about some of the other major popular platforms of our era? Can they last, for all intents and purposes, forever? Let’s take a look at each of the major players individually.
IBMVoice
How Digital-Era Sports Franchises Pump Up The Fan Experience
Twitter
Twitter has introduced a handful of new features recently—most notably Moments—but ultimately, it hasn’t changed much from its original launch. It introduced us to a world of more public interactions, hashtags, and short posts, but what has it done for us lately? Its abuse problem is still a major concern, it isn’t receiving much in the way of revenue, and user engagement continues to spiral downward. Twitter doesn’t grow so much as it just continues to exist, and many forecasters have predicted that Twitter will die soon.
YouTube
I’ll come out and say it—YouTube isn’t going anywhere. Competing video providers (think niche competitors like Netflix and Hulu, but also divergent competitors like Facebook) have threatened YouTube’s business, but user, content, and engagement growth just keeps increasing. Besides, it’s a household name that almost everyone uses, and if that weren’t enough, it’s owned by Google. Consider YouTube here for the long haul.
Recommended by Forbes
MOST POPULAR Martin Shkreli: 'I Would've Raised Prices Higher'
MOST POPULAR Photos: The Richest Person In Every State
TRENDING ON LINKEDIN Don't Get Suckered Into Working For Free
MOST POPULAR Photos: 15 Best Income And Growth Stocks For 2016
MOST POPULAR Martin Shkreli: 'I Would've Raised Prices Higher'
MOST POPULAR Photos: The Richest Person In Every State
LinkedIn has seen slow and steady growth over the years as more and more professionals start relying on it for HR, new jobs, sales, and other professional exchanges. LinkedIn is pushing into some new technological ground, and it’s proven itself as dominant in a niche that will never disappear (professional interaction). At the same time, its value has fluctuated wildly, and its revenue is anything but consistent. What does that mean for the future of the platform? It’ll be here for a while but “forever” is too long to say at this point.
Instagram has been hailed as the future of social media, in part because of its explosive growth. However, explosive growth is often an indication of a short-lived trend. At five years old, it’s hard to argue that Instagram is (or was) a trend, but with a niche focus in a medium (rather than a demographic) and few improvements over the past years, its future is indefinite.
SnapChat
SnapChat arose in response to a trend that’s already peaked; fears of user privacy on the Internet (specifically on social media). Its response to this—in the form of “disposable” or temporary messages—was brilliant at the time. But because it’s a kind of reactionary platform, is its lifespan limited? It also keeps coming out with new features and new functions, so it definitely has lasting potential; it’s just a matter of whether it can sustain that pace.
Pinterest’s bulletin board-style form has been much adored by its dedicated community. Pinterest users are deeply committed to the app, and its new business model is promising both for the platform and the businesses that use it, but it remains to be seen whether Pinterest will be able to adapt into something entirely new (and whether its most dedicated users will handle that change well).
Natural Selection
In evolutionary biology, the theory of natural selection dictates that individuals within a species with more adaptive traits will survive to reproduce and create more offspring, eventually helping the species retain more adaptive traits. Individuals, and eventually species, with maladaptive traits will die off. “Adaptive” here doesn’t mean strong or smart or deadly, at least not necessarily. It means perfectly suited to one’s environment.
Accordingly, the social media platforms that survive won’t be the ones with the most novel ideas, or the ones with the highest-functioning platforms; they’ll be the ones who have adapted best to new consumer trends and desires. Facebook, which adapts and reinvents itself constantly, will remain alive as long as it continues to evolve, while Twitter, which hasn’t changed much from the beginning, is doomed to die if it doesn’t change with its audience.
Armed with this knowledge, invest yourself in the platforms you believe to be most likely to survive the social media “mass extinctions” that are inevitably coming—and don’t forget to adapt your own business to changing circumstances.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2016/02/09/how-long-will-todays-social-media-platforms-last/#7a74be2b7cc0
Sunday, 7 February 2016
4 ways to become charismatic
[4 ways to become the most charismatic person in the room] is good,have a look at it! http://www.businessinsider.com/4-ways-to-become-the-most-charismatic-person-in-the-room-2015-10?utm_content=bufferc0da7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
They create an emotional connection.
The perception of the audience is all that matters. It doesn’t matter how many times you have practiced the speech on front of the mirror or what your colleagues think of the message. Unless you create an emotional connection with your audience, the message will fall short.
The audience is naturally sympathetic — they are there to learn, to be inspired, or to join you on your journey. They are open to building a relationship with you, so it is vital that you connect with them from the moment you enter the room.
A warm smile is usually a good place to start!
The best speakers use the emotional range of their voice to take the audience on a journey with them. When they express joy, surprise, pride, concern, fear, hope or any other emotion, they seek to elicit the same emotional response from their listeners.
They perfect the mechanics of speech.
Speaking well is about pacing your words and ideas, being expressive with your tone at the right moments, and learning to breathe properly to have the power to deliver your message.
Allowing your audience to pause at the right moments in any speech is crucial. The best orators vary the pace of their speech and give the audience time to digest their ideas while anticipating what might be next.
Few people can listen and think at the same time. The power of truly impactful speaking comes from your silences.
The tone of your voice has subtleties you don’t even realize. Being able to control your voice and insert the right hints of emotion at the right times will ensure that your audience is in no doubt as to your message. When your body language is congruent with your speech, you will naturally find the right tone.
When you speak, you require a greater volume of air to deliver your message. How many times have you heard people trail off at the end of the sentence when they should actually be emphasizing their point? It is often the case that the most important words and concepts come at the end of sentences. Breathe deeply with your diaphragm and you will have the “puff” to deliver those lines with aplomb.
The speaker's body matches his or her words.
When there is a disconnect between what someone is saying and how he or she is saying it, we automatically feel uncomfortable.
When positive language meets defensive body language, alarm bells start to ring — is the speaker being sincere? When passionate language is accompanied by a static pose, we wonder if the speaker is truly that excited.
When you speak to an audience, move when your language compels you to move. Use gestures to accentuate your language rather than draw attention from it. Give your audience hints as to how they will be feeling with your facial expressions, and they will soon get onto your wavelength.
Lastly, their content is truly compelling.
Telling personal and authentic stories allows the audience to relate to the speaker. The speaker is no longer a distant voice on a far away platform; he or she is sitting right next to you, sharing his or her unique journey.
There is something very special when you feel that someone is confiding in you — when an audience of hundreds feels that way, your story has won the crowd.
The best speakers give their messages a logical structure and build them around a central theme. Then they weave their stories around the basic foundations. They speak from a place of credibility, and the audience accepts their words because they believe in them.
Friday, 5 February 2016
Why The Next Generation of Online Video Companies Will be Vertical | Bothsides of the Table
Why The Next Generation of Online Video Companies Will be Vertical | Bothsides of the Table
Why The Next Generation of Online Video Companies Will be Vertical
Mitu Network is the largest digital media company for Latinos in the US and also targeting Mexico and South America. Founded in Los Angeles by Latinos to address the growing demand for short-form online video for Millennials it is probably single-handedly improving the diversity of the tech industry as the employee base is overwhelmingly Latino and proud.
And maybe that openness is what has attracted many on the management team of other ethnic groups of Chinese, Iranians and the like? And also why today Mitu attracted $27 million in funding from AwesomenessTV (DreamWorks/Hearst), WPP, Verizon and Upfront Ventures.
The first generation of short-form online video companies seemed to be a bit of a land grab as online video companies were mostly “horizontal” in that they produced video of nearly any genre that could drive views. The company that I invested in – Maker Studios – became the largest and covered video games, music, comedy, women’s life style, mom’s, animation and the like. They battled it out with FullScreen who was also very successful. Maker was bought to Disney and FullScreen by The Chernin Group (both for hundreds of millions of dollars) and both continue to grow and create new strategies. And of course the 800 pound gorilla – YouTube – is also horizontal in nature.
In long-form online video, companies were also broad in nature: Hulu, Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV.
In the online world the ecosystem is being fragmented into those that primarily produce content (Mitu, Vice, BuzzFeed) and those who primarily distribute it: YouTube, Amazon, Netflix, Yahoo!, AOL and the like. And while producers also have their own direct websites and distributors have their own originals: The world is specializing into mostly content producers and content distributors plus social platforms that also distribute video like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat.
Consumers have a limited number of hours in the day so the distributors compete for share of mind and while they can sign up for multiple services there are some natural limitations, which causes a battle for the share of wallet. The best way for distributors to win the share of wallet and the share of mind is have “must have” shows exclusively. That’s precisely why Netflix acquired House of Cards, why HBO produces Game of Thrones or Orange is the New Black and why Amazon has Mozart in the Jungle, which actually bested Netflix by winning 2 Golden Globes.
Exclusivity is expensive and acquiring content or producing from your own studios isn’t a sure thing. So the distributors are a battle of the giants and if you want to eke out an existence you really need to have some unique angle or audience or content (like Twitch had).
Enter content. Everybody wants it. Long form. Short form. Scripted. Unscripted. Sports, music, comedy, games, food, travel.
But there’s a reason why Bravo dominates the unscripted category in the cable / satellite world. It turns out that once you attract an audience to your channel and your brand becomes known for producing a genre of content you have an unfair advantage in acquiring customers for other shows who naturally migrate from one show to the next. And of course once you dominate a show like Real Housewives of Beverly Hills you get to make derivative versions in Atlanta, New York, New Jersey, etc. And the more you succeed the more advertisers in search of endemic audiences want to advertise with you.
Once you have stronger rate cards on advertising you accrue more money and you can develop or acquire more shows. And now the unscripted (aka reality) producers and talent want to work with you. And you have a franchise. And you can now negotiate for fees for cable and satellite operators to carry your channels.
This is the cycle of synergies that lead to strong vertical franchises in media. ESPN in sports. Discovery in adventure and travel. CNN/Fox in news. Nickelodeon and Disney in Kids. The Food Network. QVC and HSN in shopping. And so forth.
So when we sold Maker Studios to Disney and I wanted to figure out where to invest next in online video I knew that I had to find a strong vertical in which to invest. Of course there are many great verticals including: Auto, food, music, animation, shopping. I looked at a bunch of models. But the one I was most attracted to was Latino. I wrote about my investment 18 months ago when we led a $10 million round in Mitu Network, the largest Latino online video company.
Some quick facts to help put things into perspective:
There are 414 million people in the world whose primary language is Spanish while only 335 million have their primary language as English
There are 53 million Hispanics in the United States (17.6% of the population)
25% of all Millennials in the US are Hispanic. In just a few decades the Hispanic population is projected to be > 30% of the country
And of course these numbers are only increase.
Fast forward 18 months. We are now doing 2 billion video views per month and will do tens of millions in revenue this year. We have more than 6,000 content creators across our network and we produce content for YouTube, Facebook, our own website and Instagram. But we also have produced low-cost, short-form shows that have been picked up on broadcast television and we’re working on shows to be delivered OTT on platforms like Go90 (Verizon), Roku, Amazon, Hulu and the like.
And.
Boom.
Our announcement today that we’ve raised $27 million from many of the industry’s most significant players including WPP (the world’s largest advertising agency), AwesomenessTV (owned by DreamWorks & Hearst) and Verizon (the largest mobile phone company in the US who has announced a major initiative to serve mobile video). And this brings our total funding to $43 million to solidify our market position as the leading Latino digital media company.
Of course anybody can produce Hispanic content. But authenticity and expertise matters a lot and the more we’ve increased our scale the more we’ve been able to attract the best creators who want to be part of a network that understands them and employees who would rather “join the tribe” than to have to explain to their largely non-Latino leadership why they’re not a niche when in places like California at 40% of the population they are already a larger population than even Whites.
And to show you just how important authenticity and endemic audiences are, have a look at our Facebook stats as outlined below in December where our “interaction rates” (aka engagement) are amongst the highest in the industry. And while we’re not claiming we’re better than any of these other brands (which we respect and emulate) it is worth understanding the power of a vertical audience with strong affiliation and pride in what you produce.
http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2016/01/13/why-the-next-generation-of-online-video-companies-will-be-vertical/
Why The Next Generation of Online Video Companies Will be Vertical
Mitu Network is the largest digital media company for Latinos in the US and also targeting Mexico and South America. Founded in Los Angeles by Latinos to address the growing demand for short-form online video for Millennials it is probably single-handedly improving the diversity of the tech industry as the employee base is overwhelmingly Latino and proud.
And maybe that openness is what has attracted many on the management team of other ethnic groups of Chinese, Iranians and the like? And also why today Mitu attracted $27 million in funding from AwesomenessTV (DreamWorks/Hearst), WPP, Verizon and Upfront Ventures.
The first generation of short-form online video companies seemed to be a bit of a land grab as online video companies were mostly “horizontal” in that they produced video of nearly any genre that could drive views. The company that I invested in – Maker Studios – became the largest and covered video games, music, comedy, women’s life style, mom’s, animation and the like. They battled it out with FullScreen who was also very successful. Maker was bought to Disney and FullScreen by The Chernin Group (both for hundreds of millions of dollars) and both continue to grow and create new strategies. And of course the 800 pound gorilla – YouTube – is also horizontal in nature.
In long-form online video, companies were also broad in nature: Hulu, Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV.
In the online world the ecosystem is being fragmented into those that primarily produce content (Mitu, Vice, BuzzFeed) and those who primarily distribute it: YouTube, Amazon, Netflix, Yahoo!, AOL and the like. And while producers also have their own direct websites and distributors have their own originals: The world is specializing into mostly content producers and content distributors plus social platforms that also distribute video like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat.
Consumers have a limited number of hours in the day so the distributors compete for share of mind and while they can sign up for multiple services there are some natural limitations, which causes a battle for the share of wallet. The best way for distributors to win the share of wallet and the share of mind is have “must have” shows exclusively. That’s precisely why Netflix acquired House of Cards, why HBO produces Game of Thrones or Orange is the New Black and why Amazon has Mozart in the Jungle, which actually bested Netflix by winning 2 Golden Globes.
Exclusivity is expensive and acquiring content or producing from your own studios isn’t a sure thing. So the distributors are a battle of the giants and if you want to eke out an existence you really need to have some unique angle or audience or content (like Twitch had).
Enter content. Everybody wants it. Long form. Short form. Scripted. Unscripted. Sports, music, comedy, games, food, travel.
But there’s a reason why Bravo dominates the unscripted category in the cable / satellite world. It turns out that once you attract an audience to your channel and your brand becomes known for producing a genre of content you have an unfair advantage in acquiring customers for other shows who naturally migrate from one show to the next. And of course once you dominate a show like Real Housewives of Beverly Hills you get to make derivative versions in Atlanta, New York, New Jersey, etc. And the more you succeed the more advertisers in search of endemic audiences want to advertise with you.
Once you have stronger rate cards on advertising you accrue more money and you can develop or acquire more shows. And now the unscripted (aka reality) producers and talent want to work with you. And you have a franchise. And you can now negotiate for fees for cable and satellite operators to carry your channels.
This is the cycle of synergies that lead to strong vertical franchises in media. ESPN in sports. Discovery in adventure and travel. CNN/Fox in news. Nickelodeon and Disney in Kids. The Food Network. QVC and HSN in shopping. And so forth.
So when we sold Maker Studios to Disney and I wanted to figure out where to invest next in online video I knew that I had to find a strong vertical in which to invest. Of course there are many great verticals including: Auto, food, music, animation, shopping. I looked at a bunch of models. But the one I was most attracted to was Latino. I wrote about my investment 18 months ago when we led a $10 million round in Mitu Network, the largest Latino online video company.
Some quick facts to help put things into perspective:
There are 414 million people in the world whose primary language is Spanish while only 335 million have their primary language as English
There are 53 million Hispanics in the United States (17.6% of the population)
25% of all Millennials in the US are Hispanic. In just a few decades the Hispanic population is projected to be > 30% of the country
And of course these numbers are only increase.
Fast forward 18 months. We are now doing 2 billion video views per month and will do tens of millions in revenue this year. We have more than 6,000 content creators across our network and we produce content for YouTube, Facebook, our own website and Instagram. But we also have produced low-cost, short-form shows that have been picked up on broadcast television and we’re working on shows to be delivered OTT on platforms like Go90 (Verizon), Roku, Amazon, Hulu and the like.
And.
Boom.
Our announcement today that we’ve raised $27 million from many of the industry’s most significant players including WPP (the world’s largest advertising agency), AwesomenessTV (owned by DreamWorks & Hearst) and Verizon (the largest mobile phone company in the US who has announced a major initiative to serve mobile video). And this brings our total funding to $43 million to solidify our market position as the leading Latino digital media company.
Of course anybody can produce Hispanic content. But authenticity and expertise matters a lot and the more we’ve increased our scale the more we’ve been able to attract the best creators who want to be part of a network that understands them and employees who would rather “join the tribe” than to have to explain to their largely non-Latino leadership why they’re not a niche when in places like California at 40% of the population they are already a larger population than even Whites.
And to show you just how important authenticity and endemic audiences are, have a look at our Facebook stats as outlined below in December where our “interaction rates” (aka engagement) are amongst the highest in the industry. And while we’re not claiming we’re better than any of these other brands (which we respect and emulate) it is worth understanding the power of a vertical audience with strong affiliation and pride in what you produce.
http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2016/01/13/why-the-next-generation-of-online-video-companies-will-be-vertical/
The way you should ask for help at work - Business Insider
The way you should ask for help at work - Business Insider
Use these 4 words to ask for help at work
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-way-you-should-ask-for-help-at-work-2015-11
No matter how hard they can be to say, four simple words, used correctly and with the right intent, can make a powerful impact on your profession, your life... and especially on other people.
Here's how. When you need help, just say these four words:
"Can you help me?"
And then pause for a moment. Don't say anything else.
Here's why.
We're not kids anymore. We're adults. We're smart, experienced, and savvy. We've accomplished things. We've earned our place in the world.
So when we ask for help we also tend to unconsciously add image enhancers. For example, if I need help with a presentation I might go to someone and say, "I'm giving a TED Talk next week and my slides need a few formatting tweaks."
The problem is that wording frames and signals my "importance" and ensure my ego is protected. Okay, I may need a little assistance with a trivial little thing like a PowerPoint layout, but still: I am giving a TED Talk. I have important stuff to say. I am the big dog in this particular hunt.
Plus I haven't really asked, I've stated. (When you're in charge and accustomed to directing others, turning a request into a directive is a really easy habit to fall into.)
Here's a better way.
When you need help — no matter the kind of help you need or the person you need it from — take the bass out of your voice and the stiffness out of your spine and the captain out of your industry and simply say, with sincerity and humility, "Can you help me?"
I guarantee the other person will say, "Sure," or, "I can try," or, "What do you need?" No one will never say "No," even to a stranger. Why?
Simple: "Can you help me?" speaks powerfully to our instinctive desire to help other people. We all want to help. We can't help wanting to help.
Then make sure you don't frame your request. Don't try to protect your ego. Don't imply you place yourself above the other person. Don't make your request too specific. And don't say what you need.
Instead, say what you can't do. Say, "I'm awful at PowerPoint and these slides look terrible." Say, "We absolutely have to ship this order by Tuesday and I have no idea how to make that happen." Say, "I'm lost and I can't find my hotel."
When you ask that way, several powerful things immediately happen... for the person you're asking:
One, you instantly convey respect. Without actually saying it, you've said, "You know more than I do." You've said, "You can do something I can't." You've said, "You have experience (or talents or something) that I don't have."
What you've said is, "I respect you." That level of regard is incredibly powerful — and empowering.
What you've said is, "I trust you." That level of faith is incredibly powerful — and empowering.
Three, you instantly convey you're willing to listen. You haven't tried to say exactly how people should help you. You give them the freedom to decide.
What you've said is, "You don't need to tell me what you think I want to hear. Please tell me what you think I should do." That level of freedom is incredibly powerful — and empowering.
By showing you respect and trust other people, and by giving them the latitude to freely share their expertise or knowledge, you don't just get the help you think you want.
You might also get the help you really need.
And even though you might think asking for help places a burden on other people, it doesn't. You make it easier for others to ask you for help when they need it because you've shown it's okay to express vulnerability, to admit a weakness, and to accept you need their help.
And more importantly they gain the true sense of satisfaction and pride that comes from being shown the respect and trust we all deserve but so seldom receive.
And afterwards you get to say two more incredibly powerful words:
"Thank you."
And then everyone wins — which is how it should always be.
9 research-backed ways to be exceptionally persuasive - Business Insider
9 research-backed ways to be exceptionally persuasive - Business Insider
9 research-backed ways to be exceptionally persuasive
By Jeff Haden
One thing remarkably successful people (here's what they look like) have in common is the ability to persuade and convince other people.
I know, I know. The word persuasion conjures up images of manipulating, pressuring, cajoling, all the used-car salesman stereotypes.
But if you think of persuasion as effectively describing the benefits and logic of an idea to gain agreement, then everyone needs to be able to persuade — to convince others a proposal makes sense, to show stakeholders how a project or business will generate a return, to help employees understand the benefits of a new process, etc.
That's why the ability to persuade is critical in any business or career — and why successful people are extremely good at persuading others.
Here are some of the traits of exceptionally persuasive people:
1. They don't hesitate to take a bold stand.
You would assume data and reasoning always win the day, right?
Nope. Research shows humans prefer cockiness to expertise. We naturally assume confidence equates with skill. Even the most skeptical will at least be partly convinced by a confident speaker.
In fact, we prefer advice from a confident source even to the point that we will forgive a poor track record.
So be bold. Stop saying "I think" or "I believe." Stop adding qualifiers to your speech. If you think something will work, say it will work. If you believe something will work, say it will work.
Stand behind your opinions — even if they are just opinions — and let your enthusiasm show. You'll naturally win people over.
2. They modify how quickly they speak.
There's reason behind the fast-talking salesman stereotype: In certain situations, talking fast works.
Other times, not so much.
Here's what one study indicates:
If your audience is likely to disagree, speak faster.
If your audience is likely to agree, speak slower.
Why?
When your audience is inclined to disagree with you, speaking faster gives them less time to form their own counterarguments and you have a better chance of convincing them.
When your audience is inclined to agree with you, speaking slowly gives them time to evaluate your arguments and factor in a few of their own thoughts. The combination of your reasoning plus their initial bias means they are more likely to, at least in part, convince themselves.
In short: If you're preaching to the choir, speak slowly; if not, speak quickly.
And if your audience is neutral or apathetic, speak quickly so you'll be less likely to lose their attention.
3. They start by looking for small wins.
Research shows — yep, more research — that gaining agreement has an enduring effect, even if only over the short term. So instead of jumping right to the end of your argument, start with statements or premises you know your audience will agree with. Build a foundation for further agreement.
Remember, a body in motion tends to remain in motion, and that also applies to a head nodding in agreement.
4. They aren't afraid to (occasionally) swear.
Of course, swearing for no reason is just swearing. But say your team needs to pull together ... right freaking now. Tossing in an occasional — and heartfelt — curse word can actually help instill a sense of urgency, because it shows you care. (And, of course, it never hurts when a leader lets a little frustration or anger show, too.)
In short, be yourself. Authenticity is always more persuasive. And if you feel strongly enough to slip in a mild curse word, feel free. Research shows you're likely to be a little more persuasive.
5. They adapt to how their audience likes to process information.
A fellow supervisor used to frustrate the crap out of me. (See? That swearing thing works.) I was young and enthusiastic and would burst into his office with an awesome idea, lay out all my facts and figures, wait breathlessly for him to agree with me ... and he would disagree.
Every. Freaking. Time.
After a number of failed attempts, I finally realized he wasn't the problem. My approach was the problem. He needed time to think. He needed time to process. By demanding an immediate answer, I put him on the defensive. In the absence of time to reflect, he would fall back on the safe choice: sticking to the status quo.
So I tried a different approach. "Don," I said, "I have an idea that I think makes sense, but I feel sure there are things I'm missing. If I run it by you, could you think about it for a day or two and then tell me what you think?"
He loved that approach. One, it showed I valued his wisdom and experience. Two, it showed I didn't just want him to agree — I genuinely wanted his opinion. And most important, it gave him time to process my idea the way he felt most comfortable.
Always know your audience. Don't push for instant agreement if someone's personality style makes that unlikely. But don't ask for thought and reflection if your audience loves to make quick decisions and move on.
6. They don't just share positives; they share negatives, too.
According to University of Illinois professor Daniel O'Keefe, sharing an opposing viewpoint or two is more persuasive than sticking solely to your argument.
Why? Very few ideas or proposals are perfect. Your audience members know that; they know there are other perspectives and potential outcomes. So meet them head-on. Talk about the things they're already considering. Discuss potential negatives and show how you will mitigate or overcome those problems.
The people in your audience are more likely to be persuaded when they know you understand they could have misgivings. So talk about the other side of the argument — and then do your best to show why you're still right.
7. They consistently draw positive conclusions.
Which of the following statements is more persuasive?
"Stop making so many mistakes."
"Be much more accurate."
Or of these two?
"Stop feeling so lethargic."
"Feel a lot more energetic."
While it's tempting to use scare tactics, positive outcome statements tend to be more persuasive. (The researchers hypothesized that most people respond negatively to feeling bullied or guilted into changing a behavior.)
So if you're trying to produce change, focus on the positives of that change. Take your audience to a better place instead of telling your audience what to avoid.
8. They choose the right way to communicate.
Say you're a man hoping to persuade a man you don't know well, or even at all. What should you do?
If you have a choice, don't speak in person. Write an email first.
As a general rule, men tend to feel competitive in person and turn what should be a conversation into a contest we think we need to win. (Be honest; you know you do it sometimes.)
The opposite is true if you're a woman hoping to persuade other women. According to the researchers, women are "more focused on relationships," so in-person communication tends to be more effective.
But if you're a guy trying to persuade another guy you know well, definitely communicate in person. The closer your relationship, the more effective face-to-face communication tends to be.
9. And, most important, they make sure they're right.
Remarkably persuasive people understand how to frame and deliver their messages, but most important, they embrace the fact that the message is what matters.
Be clear, be concise, be to the point, and win the day because your data, reasoning, and conclusions are beyond reproach.
And always use your persuasion skills for good, not evil. Your ability to convince should just be the icing on an undeniably logical cake.
9 research-backed ways to be exceptionally persuasive
By Jeff Haden
One thing remarkably successful people (here's what they look like) have in common is the ability to persuade and convince other people.
I know, I know. The word persuasion conjures up images of manipulating, pressuring, cajoling, all the used-car salesman stereotypes.
But if you think of persuasion as effectively describing the benefits and logic of an idea to gain agreement, then everyone needs to be able to persuade — to convince others a proposal makes sense, to show stakeholders how a project or business will generate a return, to help employees understand the benefits of a new process, etc.
That's why the ability to persuade is critical in any business or career — and why successful people are extremely good at persuading others.
Here are some of the traits of exceptionally persuasive people:
1. They don't hesitate to take a bold stand.
You would assume data and reasoning always win the day, right?
Nope. Research shows humans prefer cockiness to expertise. We naturally assume confidence equates with skill. Even the most skeptical will at least be partly convinced by a confident speaker.
In fact, we prefer advice from a confident source even to the point that we will forgive a poor track record.
So be bold. Stop saying "I think" or "I believe." Stop adding qualifiers to your speech. If you think something will work, say it will work. If you believe something will work, say it will work.
Stand behind your opinions — even if they are just opinions — and let your enthusiasm show. You'll naturally win people over.
2. They modify how quickly they speak.
There's reason behind the fast-talking salesman stereotype: In certain situations, talking fast works.
Other times, not so much.
Here's what one study indicates:
If your audience is likely to disagree, speak faster.
If your audience is likely to agree, speak slower.
Why?
When your audience is inclined to disagree with you, speaking faster gives them less time to form their own counterarguments and you have a better chance of convincing them.
When your audience is inclined to agree with you, speaking slowly gives them time to evaluate your arguments and factor in a few of their own thoughts. The combination of your reasoning plus their initial bias means they are more likely to, at least in part, convince themselves.
In short: If you're preaching to the choir, speak slowly; if not, speak quickly.
And if your audience is neutral or apathetic, speak quickly so you'll be less likely to lose their attention.
3. They start by looking for small wins.
Research shows — yep, more research — that gaining agreement has an enduring effect, even if only over the short term. So instead of jumping right to the end of your argument, start with statements or premises you know your audience will agree with. Build a foundation for further agreement.
Remember, a body in motion tends to remain in motion, and that also applies to a head nodding in agreement.
4. They aren't afraid to (occasionally) swear.
Of course, swearing for no reason is just swearing. But say your team needs to pull together ... right freaking now. Tossing in an occasional — and heartfelt — curse word can actually help instill a sense of urgency, because it shows you care. (And, of course, it never hurts when a leader lets a little frustration or anger show, too.)
In short, be yourself. Authenticity is always more persuasive. And if you feel strongly enough to slip in a mild curse word, feel free. Research shows you're likely to be a little more persuasive.
5. They adapt to how their audience likes to process information.
A fellow supervisor used to frustrate the crap out of me. (See? That swearing thing works.) I was young and enthusiastic and would burst into his office with an awesome idea, lay out all my facts and figures, wait breathlessly for him to agree with me ... and he would disagree.
Every. Freaking. Time.
After a number of failed attempts, I finally realized he wasn't the problem. My approach was the problem. He needed time to think. He needed time to process. By demanding an immediate answer, I put him on the defensive. In the absence of time to reflect, he would fall back on the safe choice: sticking to the status quo.
So I tried a different approach. "Don," I said, "I have an idea that I think makes sense, but I feel sure there are things I'm missing. If I run it by you, could you think about it for a day or two and then tell me what you think?"
He loved that approach. One, it showed I valued his wisdom and experience. Two, it showed I didn't just want him to agree — I genuinely wanted his opinion. And most important, it gave him time to process my idea the way he felt most comfortable.
Always know your audience. Don't push for instant agreement if someone's personality style makes that unlikely. But don't ask for thought and reflection if your audience loves to make quick decisions and move on.
6. They don't just share positives; they share negatives, too.
According to University of Illinois professor Daniel O'Keefe, sharing an opposing viewpoint or two is more persuasive than sticking solely to your argument.
Why? Very few ideas or proposals are perfect. Your audience members know that; they know there are other perspectives and potential outcomes. So meet them head-on. Talk about the things they're already considering. Discuss potential negatives and show how you will mitigate or overcome those problems.
The people in your audience are more likely to be persuaded when they know you understand they could have misgivings. So talk about the other side of the argument — and then do your best to show why you're still right.
7. They consistently draw positive conclusions.
Which of the following statements is more persuasive?
"Stop making so many mistakes."
"Be much more accurate."
Or of these two?
"Stop feeling so lethargic."
"Feel a lot more energetic."
While it's tempting to use scare tactics, positive outcome statements tend to be more persuasive. (The researchers hypothesized that most people respond negatively to feeling bullied or guilted into changing a behavior.)
So if you're trying to produce change, focus on the positives of that change. Take your audience to a better place instead of telling your audience what to avoid.
8. They choose the right way to communicate.
Say you're a man hoping to persuade a man you don't know well, or even at all. What should you do?
If you have a choice, don't speak in person. Write an email first.
As a general rule, men tend to feel competitive in person and turn what should be a conversation into a contest we think we need to win. (Be honest; you know you do it sometimes.)
The opposite is true if you're a woman hoping to persuade other women. According to the researchers, women are "more focused on relationships," so in-person communication tends to be more effective.
But if you're a guy trying to persuade another guy you know well, definitely communicate in person. The closer your relationship, the more effective face-to-face communication tends to be.
9. And, most important, they make sure they're right.
Remarkably persuasive people understand how to frame and deliver their messages, but most important, they embrace the fact that the message is what matters.
Be clear, be concise, be to the point, and win the day because your data, reasoning, and conclusions are beyond reproach.
And always use your persuasion skills for good, not evil. Your ability to convince should just be the icing on an undeniably logical cake.
How the U.S. Can Beat the Global Rout | Inc.com
How the U.S. Can Beat the Global Rout | Inc.com
Why a Global Slowdown Won't Stop U.S. Businesses
Economies around the globe may be sagging, but business owners and financial industry experts believe the might of the U.S. economy will continue to power on.
Senior writer, Inc.@JeremyQuittner
Automaker General Motors recently made a huge surprise announcement: It notched record profits in 2015 of nearly $10 billion. Ford Motor Company set a record of its own, with $7.4 billion in profits for the year. What was especially noteworthy is that both companies made those gains largely by focusing on North American sales.
That should send a loud message for your business, especially if you've been listening to the relentless drumbeat of negative economic news from around the globe. Oil prices are nose-diving, which is setting off unease in commodities-producing countries and emerging markets. China's economic output and currency values are falling, causing stock markets around the world to gyrate. The Bank of Japan cut its interest rates into negative territory in an attempt to stave off that country's perpetual stagflation. And the list goes on.
But then there's the United States. At times it seems to be the sole sturdy element among wobbling global business prospects. Since the recession, business owners have steadily been adding jobs, returning unemployment to pre-recession levels, and consumer demand has recovered. Meanwhile the gross domestic product growth rate, though modest, has been reliably notching between 2 and 3 percent since the end of the recession.
So how long can growth continue in the face of weak global demand? A very long time, numerous economists and financial industry experts say.
"The sheer size and self-contained aspect of much of the U.S. economy gives us a great deal of momentum even in the face of slow growth elsewhere," says Paul Wachtel, a professor of economics at the New York University's Stern School. In other words, the U.S. may be big enough to keep itself upright and to fuel its own growth for the foreseeable future.
Of course the news is not all rosy. Reduced global demand does keep our U.S. growth in check, experts say, and very low wage growth domestically will also serve to keep GDP growth at around its current level.
Some economic experts even think there could be enough global headwinds to eventually plunge the U.S. back into recession. "[Global uncertainty] is going to have a long-term negative impact on U.S. growth," says Charles Kane, economist and senior lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Business, who sees growth potentially falling to below 1 percent in the next 18 months. Among the chief concerns are falling commodity prices, most critically oil, which will constrain global growth, as well as some growth in the U.S., Kane says.
The U.S. consumer is going to spend.
But there are always opportunities, even in constrained markets, says Drew Nordlicht, partner and managing director of asset-management firm Hightower Advisors in San Diego. One of those is the increasing value of the dollar. While that makes American exports more expensive, there are upsides. For one thing, people want to put money into the U.S. dollar and U.S. companies.
Following the recession, there's also pent-up demand for consumer items, particularly big-ticket purchases, as the record profits Ford and GM posted last year show, Nordlicht says.
"The lesson for the small business today in the U.S. is to realize the consumer is going to spend, and spend smarter, but the money will be there for the places where there is a need," he says.
That rings true to many entrepreneurs running fast-growth businesses, who say they are certain they can beat the tepid growth forecasts. Some, like James Marks, chief executive and co-founder of Whiplash Merchandising, an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based logistics company for online retailers, say they are confident the U.S. economy is big enough to sustain their plans for growth.
"The U.S. still has the largest e-commerce market by far, and it's continuing to expand," Marks says.
Whiplash has 40 employees and is expecting to increase revenues by 80 percent to $7 million in 2016 from $3.8 million last year. It's doing that partly by tapping more overseas retailers, who see an opportunity in the strong demand from U.S. consumers. With that in mind, the company set up a base in London in August to facilitate European shipments into the U.S.
"If your local market is performing less, then of course you are going to lean more on the U.S.," Marks says.
Savvy American business owners are taking advantage of the global economic climate in other ways as well. Andrew Jonathan Perl, the chief executive and co-founder of New York City-based Andy & Evan Industries, an Inc. 5000 company that makes high-end children's clothing, says for now the rout in commodities pricing and China's slump has worked to his benefit.
The company, which manufactures in China, now has leverage with factory owners there. That's because orders have fallen off from other clients around the globe, and producers are now willing to grant pricing concessions of between 5 and 20 percent to keep his business, Perl says.
"[Chinese manufacturers] are willing to cut deals right now," Perl says, and those savings will flow right to his bottom line.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)