Written by: Vickie Sullivan | November 29, 2018
How to Sound Intriguing
Listening to speakers for over 30 years, I don’t get too excited anymore. But an interview with former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss, author of Never Split the Difference, made my head explode—in a good way, of course.
Like most books, I’m sure Voss has a lot of good ideas and techniques. But in the interview, he didn’t cover what he wrote about in his book. Instead, he discussed two things that amplified his stature and made him even more intriguing:
• The motivations. By explaining the agendas of the terrorists and criminals he negotiated with, the audience easily believed Voss knew where the bodies were buried. He made his professional career come to life. I call this “demonstrating your background.”
• The “tells.” We all know what these are, even if we don’t play poker. These signals are fascinating all by themselves. But Voss made these “here’s how you know” bon mots appear like classified information. The result: The audience couldn’t wait to hear more.
Listen: 2 Kinds of Information That Have Lost their Luster
In our content-saturated marketplace, great information can easily become white noise. The techniques you use to convey what you know matters now. So, the next time you speak, try these techniques. Your audience will thank you for it.
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