The Snowball Effect: Communication Techniques to Make You Unstoppable

296 Pages·2013·9.11 MB·English

by  Andy Bounds

Table of Contents
Cover
Epilogue
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Introduction
SECTION A Build your core The cornerstone of
successful communication
1 How to prepare communication that works
The Problem with How People Prepare Communication
The 231 Approach: The Best Way to Communicate Effectively
How to Know Your Communication Has Worked
Focus on 231, Not 123
Two Final Things To Help Embed the 231 Approach
Next Steps – In Other Words, Your “DO”
SECTION B Get more done more quickly How
to save one month per year
Why This Matters
2 When you want to ensure people do what you want
immediately
Step 1: Identify what the First Step Is
Step 2: Be Clear When You’ll Do This First Step
Step 3: Ensure You Remember, By Reminding Yourself
3 When you want to find the time to communicate
brilliantly
How to Find the Time You Need
4 When you want to impress senior audiences when you
haven’t much time
Why Walloping Is a Time-Saving Tip
5 When you want to ensure people remember your key
messages
6 When you want to quickly create presentations that
work
The Five Steps of Creating a Great Presentation
7 When you want to have better, quicker meetings and
conference calls
8 When you want to only attend the meetings you need to
9 When you want to prepare for meetings in the right way
10 When you want to ensure meetings generate actions,
not just discussion topics
Turning Discussions Into Actions
Making Success Inevitable
11 When you want to run punchy, interesting and
effective update meetings (or not have them)
12 When you want to get a quick response to an FYI
email
The Problem With Speed
Getting Good Responses to FYIS
Powerful Alternatives to FYI
13 When you want to empty your inbox
How to Receive Fewer Emails
How to Ensure You Never Look at Emails Twice
How to Remove Emails Once You’ve Finished with Them
14 When you want to see how much extra time you’ve
now got
SECTION C Persuade more people to say “yes”
How to convince others to do what you want
Why this matters
15 When you want to understand what really motivates
people
16 When you want to say things that excite people
Be Benefits-Based, not Features-Focused
17 When you want to align your agenda to everyone
else’s
Identify “Why That’s Good”
Say the “Best Bit” First
18 When you want to get an enthusiastic “yes” very
quickly
BO: A Better Way to Get a “Yes”
19 When you want to prove you’re someone’s best option
20 When you want to make a sale
ABCDE: The Simplest Way to Sell More
21 When you want to write a winning proposal or sales
presentation
Creating Sales Communications from Scratch
Editing First Drafts Quickly
22 When you want to stand out from the crowd
Which of the Super Six is Best?
23 When you want to cause long-term change, not a
short-term blip
Simple Ways to Reinforce Key Messages
Reinforce Messages the Right Number of Times
24 When you want to use the best communication
channel to get a quick “yes”
25 When you want to create titles that instantly grab
people
How to Create Engaging Titles
26 When you want to write eye-catching introductions
Use the 4Ws to Create Powerful Introductions
Combining Great Titles with Powerful Introductions
The 4Ws Even Works at Home
27 When you want to use analogies to make your point
How to Create Powerful Analogies
28 When you want to structure your communications so
they’re more persuasive
If Star Wars Can Do It, So Can You
Three Quick Steps, to Embed the “Star Wars Way”
29 When you want to pass an exam
Focus on the Marker
Read the Requirement First
Get Easy Marks First
Break the Requirement Down into Bits
Maximize Your Marks by Seeing Things from Different
Viewpoints
Stop on Time
Preparing in the Right Way
30 When you want to get a job interview
Start with the Employer’s Needs, not Your Background
Focus on the Results You’ve Caused, not the Work You’ve Done
Tell Your Unique Story in a Clear, Compelling Way
Link Your Experiences to Their Needs
And the Best Advice about Your résumé?
SECTION D Enjoy your job more How to make
work more fun
Why this matters
31 When you want to ensure everyone – including you –
thinks you’re great
How to ensure you think you’re great
How to ensure everyone thinks you’re great
How your AFTERs-focus improves your communication
And finally . . .
32 When you want to build powerful relationships
quickly
1. Know the right people
2. See your contacts the right number of times
3. Have the right conversations
33 When you want to get things right first time
To find lots of gold, dig deep
34 When you want to deliver interesting presentations
that impress everyone
35 When you want to use “word pictures” to help people
remember things
36 When you want to use initials to help people
remember things
37 When you want to use games and activities to make
your point
38 When you want to enjoy using PowerPoint
1. Go to PowerPoint last, not first
2. Use the visual thing for visual things
3. Make yourself smile
4. Press “B” or “W”
5. Use PowerPoint shortcuts
6. Chat, don’t rant
7. Unclutter your slides
8. And, the best one of all?
A point to ponder
39 When you want to create great visuals to enhance your
message
Step 1: Improve your title
Step 2: Prioritize your points
Step 3: Remove as many low-priority points as possible
Step 4: Remove the unimportant words
Step 5: Insert slide-builds
Step 6: Make the slides look nice
Useful Tip 1: Prepare two slide-sets, not one
Useful Tip 2: Preparing “Compare and Contrast” slides
40 When you want to start a presentation brilliantly
(when your audience is large and/or doesn’t know you)
Start with a bang
41 When you want to appear polished, even if you
haven’t practised much
Polished presenting (when you’re in a team)
Polished presenting (when you’re on your own)
42 When you want to prepare for – and deliver – an
excellent Q&A session
43 When you want to ensure your important initiatives
succeed
Step 1: Communicating upfront
Step 2: Communicating throughout
44 When you want to have good two-way conversations
45 When you want to enjoy attending networking events
The four steps of a pleasant, productive networking conversation
The most important thing about networking
46 When you want to help people read your documents
quickly
47 When you want to improve people’s performance
through observation and coaching
48 When you want to improve people’s performance after
annual reviews
Hold Previews, not Reviews
Focus on the “What and how”, not just the “What”
Get the foundations right
49 When you want to improve people’s performance
when you delegate to them
SECTION E Eliminate the negatives How to
remove your communication frustrations
Why This Matters
50 When you want to stop saying “no” too quickly
51 When you want to say “no” in a way that doesn’t
cause you problems
52 When you want to come up with good ideas, but can’t
think of any
53 When you want to remove someone’s concerns about
what you’re planning to do
A Step-By-Step Guide, To Make This Easy To Do
A Final Thought
54 When you want to remove someone’s final reason for
saying “no”