Number 20: Defending Your Right of Way.
May 14, 2012
I was sitting in a high-powered meeting a while back listening to a client adamantly protest an action by the government of the day. The action was creating some challenges for the company but the organization had also reaped huge benefits over the years that might have been seen as a bit more than opportunist. They had it good and now reality was coming to bear. There was really nothing the company could do to reverse the situation. They had made their bed and it was time to lie in it. They wanted to do a big media campaign and government relations program. Temperatures were rising and the members of the group were building on each other’s indignations and self-righteousness. I felt like Liz Taylor’s Cat on the hot tin roof. The place was heating up and I was itching for an escape.
I could see the government relations expert in the room getting just as frustrated with the attitude and when there was a break in conversation, she just purposefully leaned forward, and said, “Remember the man on the railway tracks who died defending his right of way.” The room went silent. It was a great communications moment. They got the message in 14 pithy words. Brilliant.
Analogies, examples, quotes, sayings can help you be a more compelling communicator. I use certain lines in my speeches or workshops frequently to drive home a key point. The key is to make sure it is highly relevant and appropriate. I have seen people use quotes out of context and leave a room befuddled. I have also seen the faux pas of people using quotes when they don’t know who said it or where the passage originates.
Here are some of my favourites:
1. It would be like putting the scrambled egg back in the shell.
A politician said it of continuing to rehash something that was already irrevocably done.
2. She sees the seams, not the satin.
I cannot remember where I read that one but it is a nice way to get people focused on the positive in a situation.
3. You can’t run the sausage machine backwards and get pigs out the other end. Norman Augustine, Harvard Business Review
Sometimes, you need to get it right the first time, and that means being prepared.
Inserting an appropriate quote can be highly effective, but make sure you match the quote up with your audience. Dropping Harvard or New York Times names may add substance for some people, whereas quoting Seth Godin or Dan Pink from the online marketing world might impress others. Quoting famous foodies when with your domestic culinary pals or brilliant scientists when trying to dispel myths can make a huge difference in how people respond to your point of view. Knowing your audience inside out is essential. The next blog post, Psychographics Unplugged, will capture that in more detail.
In the meantime, share your favourite line that works — not one designed to illustrate how smart you are, but one that is strategic and useful for others to steal.
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