Speak to Lead

Create a Marketing Habit in 21 Days: A Guide for Professionals

This is for those of you who lead small or solo practitioner professional services firms, and suffer the frustration of not having time to market when you're busy.The solution lies in Paula Black's new book, The Little Black Book - A Lawyer's Guide to Creating a Marketing Habit in 21 Days.

Don't get distracted by the lawyer focus; the process applies to all professional services. Paula kindly sent me a pre-launch copy and I think it's terrific. (In the interest of Washington DC's new love of transparency, I should be clear that I do not derive any income from recommending, nor from purchases of, the book.)

Here are 3 reasons I like TLBBALGTCAMHITOD (just try pronouncing that acronym!)

1. The 21-day plan breaks marketing into easy to do steps, short enough that you can fit them into a tight schedule. 
2. Because the steps are short and clearly defined, they do become habit forming. 
3. The formatting, typography and page design are worthy of an award. Key meaning jumps out at you; the look of the pages energizes you.  

For further information, and to see the bonuses Paula is offering for purchases today and tomorrow, follow this link http://tinyurl.com/nb8z3j

Speechwriting: 3 Lessons for Crafting Memorable Speeches for Executives and Political Leaders from Winston Churchill

Still under the influence of Mays visit to Chartwell, I recently read Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat: The Dire Warning - Churchill's First Speech as Prime Minister.

John Lukacs' account of Churchill's May 13th 1940 address to the House of Commons and subsequent speeches given that year has the page-turning qualities of a suspense novel.

Much of Europe had fallen to the Germans. Defeat of Great Britain by Hitler was a real possibility. Some of the British leadership were already discussing suing for peace. Churchill was widely disliked or distrusted by many in his own party.

But Lukacs shows how Churchill rallied the British people, turned political antagonists into supporters, and turned the tide of war. It's an interesting, insightful, and at only 147 pages, a quick summer read.

There are also lessons for speechwriters. (The first two would be especially useful for political speechwriters.) Here are 3:

1. Churchill's vision created the rhetoric. What a novel concept: have something to say before speaking.
2. He was willing to level with the public and let them know the difficulties and sacrifices they would have to make. He trusted the public rather than pandered to them.
3. Churchill often used conversations with friends and colleagues to try out phrases and concepts he was thinking about including in the speech. A trial run allows the speaker to refine content and increases the speaker's comfort and confidence.