Transcription of Part 4

Now, besides keeping it real, I’ve got another related bit of advice for you: keep it relevant. Last week on a business trip I was hanging out in the lobby of my hotel. And I got to talking with a guy from England. He was really eager to tell me about his big idea, and why I should invest in it. And he started out by describing the economic problems in his hometown. Honestly, I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what he was talking about. Then he really lost me when he started using a bunch of soccer analogies. I mean football analogies, as he would say. I don’t know the first thing about soccer.  

 Needless to say, I didn’t invest in the guy’s big idea. I mean, what does it have to do with me? I really didn’t see how it was relevant to my life. And because he didn’t make his idea relevant to me, I can’t even tell you exactly what his big idea was. It didn’t stick. The only thing that was really significant to me was his failure to connect. I remember him talking about his hometown and about soccer because it amazed me that he thought I might be interested! 

 So how can you keep it relevant? Talk to people about their own lives and work. Tell them what your idea could mean to them. And use idioms and metaphors that they understand or can relate to. I talked a lot about metaphors in another lesson. Metaphors can be really powerful, but only if you’re connecting with your listeners.  

 If that guy in the hotel lobby talked about an economic problem that affects my hometown. And if he pulled out some baseball metaphors, things might have been different. His idea might have actually stuck. And I might be able to tell you what his big idea was. But instead, his idea bounced right off me. 

 All right, I’ve gone over two very important ways of making your ideas stick. First of all, keep it real. That means using concrete language about the real world and real people. And it means telling stories. Secondly, keep it relevant. Talk about things that your listeners actually know or care about. Doing these two things will give you a leg up.

VOCABULARY

To hang out: to spend time casually in a place; “Our new ad campaign targets teenagers in the places they like to hang out, like shopping malls.” 

 Lobby: the entrance/reception area of a hotel or building; “Let’s meet up in 30 minutes in the lobby.” 

 Eager: excited to do something; “In an interview, you should assess not only 

whether candidates have the right training and experience, but also whether they’re 

eager to work.” 

 To wrap one’s head around: to understand something, especially something 

complex; “Help me out here Wendy, I really can’t wrap my head around this new 

budget model.” 

To lose someone: to confuse someone during an explanation or story; “I’m sorry Stu, but you lost me on that last slide. Could you explain those figures again?” 

Analogy: a comparison between two situations or processes that helps people 

understand; “It may be interesting to draw an analogy between a business and a 

family.” 

 Needless to say: to introduce an idea or fact that is obvious but important, you can 

say “needless to say;” “Needless to say George, we need to roll out these new 

products before the busy season.” 

To relate to: to be able to understand a person or situation because it is familiar; “When we tested the ads, viewers said they could really relate to the frustrated mother character.” 

 To pull out: to suddenly use or refer to; “Every time someone disagrees with Tom he pulls out his Master’s degree as proof of his expertise.” 

 To bounce off: to hit something or reach someone but not stick to it; “I’m afraid the whole message will just bounce off the audience unless we use some visuals.” 

 Concrete language: words referring to real things in the world, rather than ideas; “Let’s take out words like ‘innovation’ and use more concrete language like ‘new product lines.’” 

 To give someone a leg up: to give someone an advantage; “In the world of international business, knowing a second, or even third or fourth language can really give you a leg up.”