Fascinate any room with these few words
One of my favorite movies is the 1980 comedy, Airplane.
I absolutely love the two characters who speak “jive” on the plane. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't…go watch it now. (Prepared to be offended and delighted.) The fact that these two dudes on that plane can have an entire conversation in a language that nobody else on the plane understands except for them and “Mrs. Cleaver”, cracks me up AND fascinates me.
Don’t you just love it when people have interesting ways of speaking and conveying ideas?
When somebody has an interesting response to an everyday question…or a great analogy for a really complicated situation? They are the people who:
sell us into buying things
convince us in rethinking our stance on subjects
silence resistance and confrontations with quips and comebacks
think fast on their feet & grab people’s attention
Well, take it from someone who’s been speaking on stages for over 30 years and coaching for 14, these mannerisms of speaking aren't just happenstance. They’re cultivated and practiced.
They are learned forms of language that the speaker has been exposed to, practiced and adopted into their repertoire. They are forms of “wow”.
One of the most powerful ways to get people to listen to you is using what I call, “a wow”. That’s speaking in a way that quickly captures the attention and imagination of the listener…and keeps them listening. Easy ways to employ a wow are by sharing - when they are relevant:
quotes
statistics
anecdotes or stories
analogies & metaphors
This might sound like saying:
“I’m living the dream”, instead of saying, “Great”, when someone asks how you are.
“We are riding the glitter bus to pony town my friend!” , instead of saying, “The third quarter is going well.”
“$45k…that’s how much we’re up this quarter thanks to all of you. Bravo!” instead of beginning your meeting with, “Thank you all for coming.”
“We are like farmers of the most precious lands - clearing critical pathways for powerful things to grow,” instead of saying “Our job is to raise funds so we can move on to the next round of funding.”
I know: some funny and silly examples there. But, THIS is how you get people thinking, interested and excited to hear more from you. It’s one way of commanding the room in otherwise boring situations.
Keep in mind: this is a deeply powerful tool. Remember to always be respectful and to read the room before trying to command it. No one wants a conversation hog taking up all the air in the room.
One pro tip to share with you is this:
Prepare for your planned conversations by practicing your opening line ahead of time.
Think through what quote, story or anecdote you’ll share or what question you’ll ask your audience. Your audience will thank you for doing it by leaning in, listening longer and sharing your message with others. If you want to earn an outstanding reputation as an engaging leader, business owner or community member, start using more wows.