5 Black Friday Myths the Media Wants You to Believe

5 Black Friday Myths the Media Wants You to Believe

The alarms start going off at 3:30 in the morning. Soon-to-be shoppers stumble angrily out of bed with fanny packs of coupons strapped to their waists. Coffee begins working its way through the Thanksgiving-themed traffic jam in your entrails. Showers are neglected. Puppies are kicked. Bleary-eyed motorists start pulling out of driveways, and it becomes official. The Holiday Shopping Season has begun.

Even if you don't make the trip to the mall every Black Friday, you probably assume everyone out there is fighting through waves of toy riots and security guards to be the first ones in line. In reality, most of what you believe about Black Friday is a myth, right down to the day it falls on.

#5. It's the Biggest Shopping Day of the Year

What You Think:

Why else would the local news cover something as boring as shopping? You also may have heard, or just assumed, that online shopping was taking a bite out of Black Friday's lead over every other day of the year. This makes sense because it offers an alternative for people who don't want to suffer through long lines and threats of death by stampede. Just shop from home on any other day of the year, right?

But Actually ...

Actually, Black Friday wasn't the biggest shopping day of the year until the advent of online shopping. Before that, it was rarely even in the top five.

So why was the media paying so much attention to the fifth-biggest shopping day of the year? Well, partially because it's a slow news day. With most people off from work and spending time at home with their family, the media has a captive audience and approximately nothing to talk about. So they began reporting on the one sector of the economy that was actually working (instead of pretending to work while totally mailing it in, like the media).

Getty
"I'll be honest, guys, I'm not even sure what city this is."

Of course, stories about how everyone's out spending money weren't drawing complaints from the advertisers.

Black Friday finally did become the top revenue earner in 2003 by giving people who would rather stay home with their family a way to get at the deals. Weirdly, 2003 was right around when the media started reporting the idea that Black Friday was in trouble, and telling us about new players in the game like Cyber Monday -- the Monday after Thanksgiving, when online sales (or "cyber sales," as they're called by absolutely no one) supposedly spike.

Getty
Here's a good rule of thumb: If someone you know regularly uses the term "cyber," punch them and never stop.

So the story that the media had been reporting for years that Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year finally came true, and suddenly they want to complicate it with a bunch of other days when you have to remember to wear riot gear to the mall.

This is because of a new strategy among retailers to make holiday shopping into a four-week period. While Walmart holds the record for earliest holiday promotion with a special roll back on October 1, the majority of stores begin their bargains the first week of November.

Getty
This picture was actually shot in July.

Cyber Monday was created in 2005 as a crafty marketing plan from Shop.org, an association for "e-tailers." Shop.org encouraged their members to create special ads for that Monday, and after a few years it caught on. In 2010, Cyber Monday took in over a billion dollars in online revenue, the largest amount for any day in history.

Presumably, when Cyber Monday officially takes the biggest shopping day title from Black Friday, we'll start hearing about how Cyber Monday is in danger of losing its spot as the hottest shopping day of the year to "Tip Jar Tuesdays," when consumers just empty their wallets into jars by the cash register.

Getty
"Dump your cash on the pile and piss right off."

#4. It Turns Americans into Sale-Crazed Lunatics

What You Think:

Before going near a retail store on Black Friday, you should make sure your life insurance is paid up. If the news is any indication, you're going to be dealing with a bunch of feral materialists. Every year brings more tales of shoppers fighting or killing each other. It's as if the entire country is driven CRAZY by these great deals, but instead of slashing prices like the owner of Crazy Eddie's mattress emporium, they're taking it out on each other.

Getty
"I'll cut you so hard!"

But Actually ...

It seems like people are more violent on Black Friday because the national media doesn't pay attention to violence at retail stores until it happens on Black Friday. Wesley Strellis walked into a Walmart a little after noon, picked up a metal bat from the sporting goods section, carried it to electronics and methodically destroyed 29 flat screen TVs. There's the case of the 55-year-old man who punched a 72-year-old store greeter in the facefor asking to see his receipt, and the guy who walked into a Walmart and pissed on a case of steaks. And who can forget the man who lit three racks of clothes on fire in the men's department when Walmart wouldn't let him return an item. There are crazy people in this world who do crazy things. Often times at Walmart. CNN didn't report on any of those stories because why would they?

Getty
"Ho-hum, just another March gunfight at the mall."

There's also the fact that the story has a tendency to change in the retelling. Like all news stories about crazed shoppers, Neatorama's five-entry list of Black Friday Bloodshed includes the 2008 shooting at a Toys "R" Us that started with a brawl between two women and left two men dead. You have to click through to their source to find out that the initial brawl was caused by a pre-existing personal dispute, and that the shooting was believed to be gang-related.

For some reason, CNN decided to report the gang killing in the same story as the one and only death ever linked to the shopping rush, though even that isolated incident is hard to pin on the shoppers. It happened at a Walmart door buster sale -- a retail stunt specifically designed to create a spectacle of frenzied competition over a fixed number of big deals. Retail chains like Best Buy and even certain Walmart outlets hold these every year without anyone getting hurt. If everything is handled properly, it's a good way to get your store on the local news. That year, the Walmart at Green Acres Mall in New York decided to see what would happen if everything was handled in the worst way possible.

Getty
"This year, we're going to try something new and just stop giving a shit."

First of all, it wasn't the ideal place to hold a stunt that is designed to foster aggressive competition. In addition to being known as the "car theft capital of Long Island," the mall's other claim to fame was a shooting in which two groups of teenagers opened fire on each other during a screening of The Godfather III. Instead of hiring security to help police the free-for-all they were holding in the dark at their crime hotspot of a shopping location, the shoppers who camped outside the store all night were taunted by a handful of inexperienced Walmart employees who were put on crowd control duties. As the sale was about to begin, the crowd outside began pushing against the sliding glass doors, and employees on the inside began pushing back to keep the doors from bowing inward. The combined force of the crowd shattered one of the doors, and the crowd poured in, crushing a 6' 5" employee trapped under the door.

It was a horrible tragedy, and it could have easily been prevented. But on any other day of the year, it would have been a story about a horribly run store and the terrible power of crowds. But since it was on Black Friday, it has been used as a way to infuse the moral of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas with the post-apocalyptic violence of The Road Warrior.

Getty
It would take a shotgun and sleigh to get through this.

#3. Black Friday Is the Day After Thanksgiving

What You Think:

OK, this is clearly not a myth. Thanksgiving happens, and then Black Friday. But you probably think Black Friday is determined by the date that Thanksgiving falls on. All the cooking and eating is out of the way, and as an unintentional side effect of that, we get to start Christmas shopping.

But Actually ...

Actually, the day we celebrate Thanksgiving is determined by the day the retailers decide will make a good Black Friday. The start of the holiday shopping season is both more official and harder to move than the holiday it follows. That means when ranking their order of importance to our country, a national day of shopping beats a national day of gratitude. Not quite as surprising when we put it like that, right?

Getty
"I can't wait until we ditch all this family togetherness bullshit for some new electronics."

Thanksgiving originally didn't have a set date. George Washington proclaimed the first one on November 26, 1789, but the dates and even months changed for almost a century. Abraham Lincoln gave it a regular berth in 1863 as the last Thursday of November. It never occurred to Honest Abe that November sometimes has five Thursdays, and that this would create a problem down the road.

Getty
You'd think a man with a head that large would have some foresight.

One of those Novembers with five Thursdays happened in 1939, when the United States was recovering from the Great Depression. At that time, waiting until after Thanksgiving to start the holiday shopping season was seen as almost holy, but Thanksgiving fell on the very last day of the month. A short number of Christmas shopping days, starting on December 1, could hurt the recovering economy. That's why President Franklin Roosevelt had to put Turkey Day in its place.

A presidential proclamation was issued moving Thanksgiving to the second-to-last Thursday of November. Thirty-two states went along with FDR and issued the same proclamation, while the other 16 states said "fuck that." For two years, a third of the U.S. celebrated Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November, while the other two-thirds of the country celebrated it on the second-to-last Thursday. For family members living in opposing states, this was a very short, lethargic version of the Civil War.

Getty
"And may the Lord protect us from our decadent neighbors."

In 1941, Congress told FDR to knock that shit off and passed a resolution setting a fixed date for Thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November. The Senate, reminding them that there was shopping at stake, amended it to declare Thanksgiving as being on the fourth Thursday to get rid of the occasional five-Thursday problem.

Thus it was settled that the most important part of the holiday season is having a standard, sensible number of days in which to buy shit. Then we said "fuck it" and started the holiday shopping season in October.

#2. It's Good for Everyone

What You Think:

Black Friday is a time when you can earn big savings and the stores can earn big profits. Everyone is a winner!

Getty
"This $499 TV is saving me money."

But Actually ...

You might not save any money, and the stores might not make a profit.

If you see an advertisement for a giant discount on a big-ticket electronic item, you might think that you can snatch up the bargain as long as you're one of the very first people in line. Think again. While "door busters" sometimes list the number of items available, say 100, many advertisements don't list a quantity at all. Stores may only stock a couple of the items, just so they can run the ad. Some may not stock the item at all. In 2010, a Walmart in Alabama stocked zero of the Xbox systems they advertised at $199. A Sears in the same town didn't stock any of the gaming systems they listed as door busters, despite telling customers the items had come in that Tuesday.

Getty
Those are all actually display units. But they were half off!

Many retailers will put a "Black Friday" sticker on items that aren't discounted any more than they have been for weeks. Expect to run into "Black Friday" and even "lowest price ever" labels that mean absolutely nothing. Stores also use the shopping holiday to get rid of the excess inventory that hasn't sold yet.

If you think all this customer screwing means that the retail executives are just lounging around lighting cigars with $100 bills, think again. The educated customer can still get incredible deals, and savvy consumers are becoming less of a minority. A dedicated Black Friday website can help you plan ahead. Facebook and Twitter can alert you to the best sales. Black Friday apps can compare prices at the touch of a button. All this increased competition cuts into profits for retailers. In 2010, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. recommended that their readers sell off all stocks held for retailers before Black Friday. They predicted that disappointing holiday sales would lead to a decrease in stock prices in most retail chains between Black Friday and January.

Getty
We're not even sure who is screwing who anymore.

#1. The Name Has a Special Meaning

What You Think:

A common explanation of the name "Black Friday" is that is has to do with accounting. In older accounting practices, negative numbers were written in red ink and positive numbers in black ink. Thus, a business losing money is "in the red" and a profitable business is "in the black." Black Friday is supposedly the first day many stores turn a profit for the year.

Getty
"No more cat food for a whole two months!"

But Actually ...

In reality, Black Friday earned its name because it sucks. The term was coined in Philadelphia in 1966. "Black" was an adjective given to disastrous days in history. "Black Friday" also refers to the stock market crash in 1929 that started the Great Depression, as well as a flood in Cincinnati in 1937.

And an unsuccessful Allied air attack in 1945. Never forget.

In 1966, the Philadelphia police hated the first day of the holiday shopping season because of the massive traffic jams and the packed sidewalks it caused. Also, presumably because they wished they could be off from work like everyone else. Frazzled retail workers and exhausted shoppers were more than willing to accept the term.

The red ink/black ink explanation was never heard of until the early 1980s. Store owners who were satisfied with their sales started to become disturbed by the negative-sounding nickname. The president of Strawbridge & Clothier (bought out by Macy's in 2005) said, "It sounds like the end of the world, and we really like the day. If anything it should be called 'Green Friday.'" Another department store executive was even more hot and bothered, calling the name "the most disgusting thing I've ever heard. Why would anyone call a day, when everyone is happy and has smiles on their faces, Black Friday?"

Getty
"Who doesn't love this?"

Realizing that a name associated with national disasters might hurt net sales, the more optimistic explanation was encouraged by retailers. Campaigns spinning that the day made you max out all of your "love cards" and commit "funicide" were less successful, but at least the name stuck. A few decades later, even the New York Times is convinced.

By Geoffrey Young

Source Cracked

10 Surprising Success Tips From Amazing Sales Guru Tom Hopkins

Need a nudge toward success? Tom Hopkins has been training winners for nearly 40 years. Here are his 10 surefire tips.

In a recent column I found myself quoting a man I met nearly 30 years ago. I didn't just use one of his quotes, actually, I found I have been quoting him regularly without even thinking about it. That man is Tom Hopkins, author of more than 20 books including Selling For Dummies.

Hopkins has been helping sales people and executives achieve success for more nearly 4 decades and his advice never grows old.  I was lucky enough to sit down for a rare personal conversation with Tom last week and get him to share his insights. We discussed whichsuccess actions seem to surprise people the most. We agreed that these were 10 of the most effective tips:

1.    Covet your time. Time is precious--only 86,400 seconds in a day.  Average people waste most of those seconds in unproductive or unrewarding ways.  Successful peoplemanage their time efficiently.  They are aware of how they spend it and make conscious choices to use it wisely whether to work, relax or regenerate with family.

2.    Have a personal mission statement. Hopkins has his personal mission statement at his desk: I must do the most productive thing possible at every given moment. Mine is peppered throughout my published writing: Inspire people to pursue the awesome experience. Successful people identify what they are about and make their choices accordingly.

3.    Spend 5 minutes a day prioritizing. Without prioritization, it's difficult to be efficient and productive. Hopkins suggests taking 5 minutes at the end of every day to sit down, assess and choose the 5 or 6 priorities for tomorrow so you can begin with clarity.  Successful people don't squander effort and energy on unimportant issues.

4.    Surround yourself with likeminded people.  Wealth, status and accomplishment have their own rewards, but the more success you attain, the lonelier you can become, since others may no longer feel comfortable or relate to your lifestyle. Successful people are careful about who shares their time.  They look for people with a similar outlook, who can help them grow emotionally and spiritually.

5.    Be a follow up specialist. Many people talk a good game and then never deliver. Sometimes the cause is hypocrisy and sometimes it's simply being sloppy and careless. Successful people do what they say they'll do, and they pay close attention to detail so small issues don't get neglected and become major catastrophes.

6.    Take the best of the past to create the future. The world is full of shiny new toys and methods. It's easy for humanity to get lost in the glitz and glamour of modern technology.  Successful people embrace modern tools for communication efficiency and continue to use traditional and rare methods like handwritten thank-you notes to enhance connections.

7.    Don't be a lemming. If you are always heading the same direction as everyone else, you may move forward, but you'll have little control of your destiny. Successful people often figure out what everyone else does only to do the opposite, which many times puts them ahead of the pack.

8.    Keep a thick skin about rejection. For many each no is like taking a punch in the gut or a slap in the face. The way to get up and keep going is to remember that it's just business. Successful people know that the key to getting life's few brilliant "yeses" is to positively cope with the many "noes" you get on the way to receiving them.

9. Make others feel important. The greatest craving of most people today is recognition. Unfortunately, so many people are so tightly focused on their own status and problems they are ignorant to the needs of others.  Successful people recognize, support and encourage others on their journey, which brings synergy, energy and satisfaction to all involved.

10. Strive for more. Tom Hopkin's overall philosophy for success can be best summed up by his commitment on how to live life:

"I commit to learn more,
thus I'll serve more,
thus I'll build more,
thus I'll earn more,
thus I'll save more,
thus I'll be able to bless others by giving more."

Thank you for blessing us with your wisdom Tom.

By Kevin Daum

Source: Inc.

5 Sneaky Ways to Defeat Your Time Management Frenemy

5 Sneaky Ways to Defeat Your Time Management Frenemy


Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and your frenemies glued to your hip with wacky tacky. That’s how the saying goes, right? When it comes to time management, it’s sage advice. Phone calls, emails and other interruptions may be proven time management enemies, but the real threat is infinitely more insidious in its subtlety. The real threat is you.The human brain is an elegant machine, to be sure, but it also has some fairly conspicuous performance limitations. Unfortunately, the modern workplace gives these limitations little consideration. In fact, nearly every aspect of office life is tailor-made to drive you nuts. Observe:

1. YOUR BRAIN RUNS IN “SAFE MODE” AFTER 10AM.
The phenomenon is called decision fatigue, and it affects pretty much everyone with access to email. Here’s what happens:The prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that makes decisions, prioritizes, and solves problems) needs a ton of glucose to run. The harder your brain is forced to work, the worse our judgement becomes. Check. To combat the consequences of poor judgment, our brain responds by refusing to make decisions at all. After about 10am, we just stop making an effort. Jonathan Levav of Stanford and Shai Danziger of Ben-Gurion University studied this phenomenon by examining parole judges in Israel. All circumstances being equal, the researchers discovered that the odds of the judges granting parole were about 70% early in the morning. By late afternoon, there was only about a 10% chance the judges would be lenient.

Here’s What to Do About It: Focus on making your hardest decisions early, before you get tired. Schedule your planned or routine work for later in the afternoon.

2. ONCE YOUR BRAIN SHUTS DOWN, IT’S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PRIORITIZE.
The ability to evaluate trade-offs and opportunity costs is uniquely human. For this reason, it requires a ton of metabolic fuel to run. When our brain gets tired, we shut the power to the part of the brain that solves complex problems and run on instinct instead. On the one hand, this conserves energy and we live to fight another day. On the other hand, we’re now running around the office in “Mastadon-fighting mode.” Prioritizing becomes a nightmare.

Here’s What to Do About It: Make a plan for how to divide your day first thing in the morning, before you get tired or lose the ability to think critically about alternatives.

3. WE ARE TERRIBLE AT ENVISIONING THINGS WE’VE NEVER SEEN.Try imagining a color that doesn’t exist. Tough, huh? This task is made even tougher by the fact that the “mind’s eye” is a particularly feeble organ in humans. This is why it is so much easier to spend time thinking about problems (things we’ve seen) then solutions (things we haven’t seen.) The upshot for our schedule? We’re really terrible at estimating which tasks will be more difficult than others, or how we’ll feel about doing a task at a later time.

Here’s What to Do About It: After you’ve identified the two or three tasks that must get done, break them down into smaller chunks that are easier to estimate. In other words, don’t assume that writing a  report will be 2 hours. Write down the high-level tasks that are associated with that report, estimate time for each of them, and then add them up to get to a final estimate. This will help you more accurately estimate what can (or can’t) be accomplished in a single day.

4. OUR BRAIN IS LIKE A SPAGHETTI STRAINER…IT CAN’T HOLD MUCH AT ONE TIME.Scientists used to think that we could hold five to seven items in our head at once. Now they think that number is closer to four. The number is even smaller when you’re working with unfamiliar words or concepts (like during the first 90 days of a new job.) Unfortunately, any time you have to drag something from short-term or long-term memory into working memory, your glucose needs shoot up.

Here’s What to Do About It: A lot of people make their “to-do list” and then try to keep it in their head throughout the day. A better strategy is to use a visual technique (like a mind map or big boxes) to draw your high-level priorities. Then, keep it somewhere visible so that you can reference it whenever you need to. This will prevent you from needing to recall this information throughout the day–which, of course, involves draining your brain of glucose.

5. YOUR BRAIN CAN’T DO TWO THINGS AT ONCE.

…and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. Our brain is just not physically capable of doing two cognitive tasks at once. It is capable of switching very fast from one task to another—however, doing so is very draining and usually leads to poor judgment calls. Unfortunately, HR departments everywhere are still putting this as a “must-have skill” on job descriptions. As a result, people are switching activities every three minutes and working an average of 11 minutes on a project before dealing with a distraction…and everyone thinks this is normal.

Here’s What to Do About It: Explore a time management method like the Pomodoro Technique, which helps you single-focus on important tasks while still staying accessible to your team. Also, wean yourself off obsessive email checking–try going an hour or two with email notifications disabled. Every time you check an email, your working memory is derailed and your decision-making center of the brain is taxed.

By Sara Gallagher
Source: Blogging4jobs

8 Things Really Efficient People Do

8 Things Really Efficient People Do

Everyone wants more time. Efficiency is one way of adding minutes or hours to your day. Here are eight tips effectively used by the most efficient.

Most everyone would like to be more efficient. Just think, you would spend less time doing the things that you don't enjoy and more on the things that bring satisfaction, happiness and profit. Some people are actually very adept at efficiency.  They manage every manageable moment so they have more time for themselves to do the things they love. Here are eight techniques efficient people use to gain that freedom.

1. Stop Multitasking

Many people fool themselves into thinking they are good at multitasking. But actually very few can solidly focus on more than 1 or two tasks, particularly if they require focus and depth.  They fool themselves into believing they are getting more done when in reality they are accomplishing less and the quality of the work is poor. Really efficient people know that concentrated effort with few distractions leads to better work product in faster times. Otherwise the work may not be up to par, which means wasting even more time and energy going back to fix the mistakes.

2. Delegate

So much productivity is lost when people take on more than they can accomplish. Don't be inspired by CEOs and leaders who overload their schedules and burn the midnight oil. Really efficient people are extremely good at delegating tasks to others who will perform them better. When you know how to break down a task and empower others to contribute effort, you can choose the tasks most suited for you and crank through them in record time without distraction.

3. Use Appropriate Communication

Poor communication is a huge time-waster. A fast email transmitting bad instructions or an offensive attitude can end up adding many unnecessary hours to a project. The masters of efficiency take a little extra time to think through their communication in the beginning. They consider their objectives when deciding to get on the phone. They craft their emails with purpose using the exact language necessary to get the desired effect.  It takes a little more time at the beginning but can actually shave days from a project.

4. Apply Structure to the Schedule

With all the available scheduling and productivity tools you would think more people would feel they have a handle on their schedule. And yet often people feel their schedule drives them instead of the other way around. Efficiency fanatics create standard routines in their schedule so they can achieve a disciplined approach and be ready for the important events. The more you control the calendar, the easier it is to make room for the unexpected.

5. Give Everything a Proper Place

A lot of time is wasted chasing down lost items. Keys, pens and clothing hunts can cause distraction and frustration, especially when you have something important to do or somewhere important to be. People get really efficient from being organized. Establish a home for all the items you have.  Factories that practice LEAN create common homes for necessary tools of the trade. You can do the same. Organize clothes, papers and electronics in a way that you can easily find what you are looking for.  It may take you a few extra minutes to put things away but you'll save a ton of time and irritation from having to search for what's important.

6. Time Activities

Do you really know how much time you spend productively versus how much time you waste? I often know that I am talking on the phone with someone who takes efficiency seriously because they tell me when the call is almost over. Efficient people set a time for each of their tasks and work to keep the schedule. Try logging your time on conversations and activities for a week.  Then spend the next week setting specific times for similar activities and work to reduce the times with similar output.  You'll be pleasantly surprised at the gains.

7. Commit to Downtime

Tired and overworked people don't perform well. People pleasers will sacrifice their own downtime thinking they are benefitting others, but in truth they detract from productivity. Really efficient people make sure they get rest and recuperation so they can perform at their peak. Since one amazing employee can do the work of three average employees, best to let the team rest up and be top performers.

8. Plan Projects

Effort is often wasted when people don't have a clear path to success. Impatience is the direct enemy of efficiency. Really efficient people know they must take the time to research and break down a project into basic steps in order to achieve success consistently. Yes, planning takes a little time. But considering the challenges, process and responsibilities in advance will make for clear direction with the team. With good communication everyone can move confidently and efficiently to achieve all the objectives in record time.

By Kevin Daum

Source: Inc.

Great Promotions

Lakeview Consultants is pleased to announce and welcome Allison Young as its new Director of Human Resources. Allison has been with Lakeview Consultants since the beginning of June 2012 as a Corporate Trainer. Allison has trained, mentored, and developed over a dozen employees in her short time with the company.
Lakeview Consultants is even more pleased to announce Jamie Vega as its new Director of Recruiting. Jamie also began as a Corporate Trainer in May 2013, switching to Lakeview's Administrator that October and has helped the company quadruple in size as well as open two new locations.

We welcome and congratulate Allison and Jamie and look forward to a prosperous future with them both.

5 Secrets of Public Speaking From the Best TED Presenters

5 Secrets of Public Speaking From the Best TED Presenters

Ask just about anyone these days for great examples of public speaking and you’ll hear a variation on a single thing -- "Did you see that TED talk by so and so?" Powerful enough to change your life in 18-short minutes and garnering millions upon millions of views, the best TED talks are a well deserved cultural phenomena.

Could you borrow a bit of their magic?

That’s the premise of TEDx organizer Jeremey Donovan’s book “How to Deliver a TED Talk: Secrets of the World’s Most Inspiring Presentations.” Combing through the most viewed talks, Donovan tried to boil down what exactly makes them so gripping so he can bottle that special sauce for his readers. What did he come up with? A 33voices podcast featuring Donovan gives you a taster, including these tips:

One Big Idea

"If you had to say there was one magical element to the best TED talks, it’s that those speakers picked one really, really big idea," Donovan say, noting that the challenge is often that we have too much content rather than too little.

So how can you determine what your own single idea or message should be. Ask yourself: what is the best story I have to tell? Donovan suggests. Start with that story and what it taught you and then edit ruthlessly. He suggests asking yourself: "Is what I’m saying now a digression, or is what I’m saying now in support of that core theme?" Visualize the theme as a spine and ensure everything you say hangs nicely off that.

It’s Not About You

The biggest thing that people have to unlearn, Donovan says, is the notion that speaking is about your performance. It’s not. It’s about the audience. "I think the biggest transformation in speaking quality happens when you realize that this song is not about you," he says.

When speaking, your objective should be to give the audience a gift of something that you learned. If you conceptualize your talk that way you can come closer to being as relaxed and comfortable as the greatest TED speakers -- many of whom are not professionals, but simply passionate about communicating their message. Speak conversationally like you would to someone you care about. 

Nail Your Opener

How do you start your talk? Donovan offers three ways. The first and best, if you can manage it, is to jump straight into a story. And don’t skimp on the emotion. "Don’t retell your story. Relive your story with the audience," Donovan advises.

The most common opener is second best, according to Donovan, and involves starting with an an open-ended, thought provoking question. The answer must be your core theme. "You gotta be careful," Donovan cautions. "If you ask a series of questions, every single answer to each of those questions has to be exactly the same."  The final way is to start is with a shocking statistic, something unexpected that gets people disrupted.

The Catchphrase Is King

"The best talks have a repeated catchphrase," Donovan says, noting that this catchphrase isn’t mercilessly repeated but sprinkled through the talk at beginning, middle and end. So what makes for a great, memorable catchphrase?

"Catchphrases tend to work best when they’re three words up to twelve," he says. It’s also important to keep it  action centric: "You want people to make it personally relevant. Something they can do to change their lives." A rhyming or sing song catchphrase is more 'sticky' --  just think of ‘If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit’ which you no doubt remember (if you’re old enough) from the O.J. Simpson case all the way back in 1995.

Channel Your Inner Screenwriter

"We’re hardwired from our earliest childhood on how to tell stories," says Donovan, who insists that we’re all natural storytellers. Still, you can buff up your inherent storytelling skills by keeping classical, three-act story structure in mind.

"You open in act one with the ordinary world of your protagonist,” Donovan says, explaining that you should start with what your life was life before something incredible happened. Then comes some inciting incident, "something that happens to you that throws you onto a journey" whether it’s physical and mental. That’s act one.

"Act two takes you from the inciting incident through a series of escalating conflicts that are increasingly difficult," Donovan explains (try to throw in some comic relief). The climax of your story is the end of act two. "It needs to have high stakes and a critical decision that you need to make," he says. Finally, "act three takes you from the end of the climax into the new world, so what is your life like now that you have gone through this journey? How has your day to day changed and how has your mindset changed?"

Want more of Donovan’s insights? Check out a this presentation summing up his takeaways, or listen to the entire 30-minute interview.

What’s your favorite TED talk of all time and why?

by Jessica Stillman

Source: Inc