Susan Young's
Amplify Blog

 

 

 

Talking Points Are Risky Business in Communication

There is a difference between following the “stay on message” rule and answering a specific and clear question posed by a prospect or client. 

Know the difference and how to navigate these situations. 

They are significant factors; not just communication nuances. 

Your responses can influence, persuade, and build trust in A/E/C meetings. 

Or destroy your credibility and revenue.

We see it all the time in political debates. 

Don’t allow your communication strategies to backfire. 

Sticking to talking points to stay on message shows you're not paying attention. 

It shows you're not listening and thinking on your feet. 

It shows a lack of creativity and critical thinking skills. 

It shows an agenda that others probably don't want to hear in that given moment. 

Others appreciate when we connect and communicate like human beings, not scripts, templates, or talking points. 

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Are You Making this Huge Communication Mistake?

 

Sending mixed messages to prospects and clients leads to confusion.

Does your body language match your words?

Here's a 30-second video example of a classic disconnect.

I coach an engineer in our Amplify program who tells the group he's got exciting things underway.

Watch what happens. 

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Speaking These 2 Words May Be Killing Your Business

The two most dangerous words when communicating in business and life are:

I know.

You may indeed know what the other person is saying.

Or trying to express.

Still, pay attention to how you say your "I know."

Is your tone one of arrogance or dismissal of someone else's idea?

This is about being self-aware.

And self-awareness is often a struggle in A/E/C.

You may be communicating to others subliminally that you are close-minded and closed-hearted.

A slight shift can help close a bid or form a new connection.

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Subject Matter Experts have These Qualities. Do You?

To be seen as a subject matter expert, you must know how to articulate your message.

It's not tricky.

The magic isn't in a bid package.

It's not about your slide deck.

It's not about how long you've been in the A/E/C industry.

You have to feel like a subject matter expert and leader.

You have to be willing to speak up. With Confidence. Charisma. Heart. Stories.

At meetings and conferences. Podcast and media interviews. On videos. At internal gatherings.

Look, you know your "stuff."

If the communication piece is missing, you can't share your knowledge and wisdom. #Fact

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The Only Place To Be In Business Is In Your Prospects Head

The best place to be in business is in someone else's head.

Don’t tell prospects everything you do. Introductions are often like that.

A verbal vomit.

Share the right things.

Tell them the right things in an order that makes sense to where they aspire to be.

Our brains need info that flows logically and seamlessly.

Your prospect wants to quickly understand in an easy and clear way what your expertise means to them.

How is your business going to help THEM?

Your introduction and message aren't about you. (Helloooo!)

Oh, people may look interested.

Don't be fooled. Your process and credentials only matter when someone asks about them.

That's because people care about themselves. They want to know how you can make their life easier.

Until then, they don't give a rat’s ass about how you work your magic.

The tricky communication part is that no one tells you this!

People want to be polite (most of the time).

But I know that in business, the best place you can...

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Why the World Needs to Hear Your {Real} Story

She was molested by her father.
 
She was raped. Twice.
 
She suffered a traumatic brain injury and couldn’t leave her house for months.
 
He was teased incessantly for stuttering as a child.
 
She was in a psychiatric hospital many times—against her will.
 
He is an alcoholic who lost his driving privileges.
 
These are my clients.
 
They are speakers, advocates, coaches, therapists, authors, and consultants.
 
Most share their stories because they want to impact others. They want to heal.
 
Infusing personal stories in our businesses—online or onstage—cracks open our humanness.
 
It’s about the revelation.
 
An exceptional story exposes our mic-drop lessons that impact others, emotionally and spiritually.
 
Granted, sharing deep shame is not for everyone.
 
If you do feel called to use your voice and share your story, know...
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The Only Way to Get the Bold Transformation You're Dreaming Of

Your comfort zone is the most uncomfortable place to be.
 
It’s a space with a (BS) story that keeps you from making the impact you dream of.
 
It’s nearly impossible to have an impact on the outside world when self-doubt is affecting (impacting) your internal world. Your thinking.
 
 
Within our comfort zones lies "comfort zone stories." They keep us stuck and frustrated.
 
They are indeed…lies. 👀
 
Comfort zone stories are mental and emotional tugs of war.
 
They yank and pull at our self-esteem every day.
 
You know, the stuff no one wants to talk about but everyone experiences…🤦‍♀️
 
Comfort zone stories keep you from…
 
✔ Cleaning up your messaging
✔ Showing up in a big bold way
✔ Sharing your story and changing someone’s life
 
A longtime private coaching...
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You Have Ideas – but You Believe You Have 'No Idea Where to Start'

Entrepreneurs are rarely short on ideas. 

And then we tell ourselves: I have no idea where to start.  

Let's ban the phrase, I have no idea where to start. 

It’s a familiar and comfortable narrative that has you brainwashed into believing you're stuck.

I’m calling you out on this BS because your internal story is blocking your business growth. 

You insist you're clueless and instead focus on external messaging like ad copy, SEO, and email automation.

Here's the thing. 

Your internal messaging is more important than anything else.

Because marketing rarely works when your internal story keeps hammering that you have no idea what to do.

Our words create our worlds.

 And our communication is “an inside job” that no SEO guru can tweak. 

When you start with Step 1 and commit to cleaning up your internal story, you'll have: 

 Qualified leads and decision-makers joining your list and...

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Your Messaging and Lead Gen Are Still Off Because You're Missing This Key Communication Piece

What do Donald Miller’s StoryBrand book, Toastmasters, and Dale Carnegie have in common?
 
They’ve pretty much missed the boat. 👀
 
You may have read StoryBrand. I loved it—and even interviewed Donald Miller in person in 2018. 
 
Toastmasters helped improve my public speaking in 2002. Big fan.
 
Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People was the first self-development book I read. Timeless.
 
Like me, you've probably invested in top coaches, books, and programs, too.
 
For some reason, though, your lead gen is still lousy, and your copy doesn't convert.
 
🎯The crucial prerequisite that's missing ...is YOU!🎯
 
All the strategy in the world is useless if you are (silently) doubting yourself.
 
👀You see, our communication is an “inside job.”
 
To reach new levels of success, you’ve got to notice AND do something to stop...
 
• Your internal story...
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My Client Was Full of It, and You Probably Are, Too

Humans are born with only 2 fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises.

Science proves it.

Everything else you’re afraid of was learned, most likely in your childhood (0-7 years old)

And we carry these fears—and the stories behind them—with us…for years.

• You talk about being afraid of heights.

• You talk about being afraid of dogs, spiders, or snakes.

• You talk about your fear of public speaking. Then, you give momentum to your (learned) story by talking about the presentation you messed up…in 2012.

Our words create our worlds.

And they usually keep us from growing ourselves and our businesses.

So, what are you afraid of, aside from maybe falling and loud noises?

My client, Don, was reflecting with me about how transformative this fear lesson has been for him.

Don’s a super smart techie.

He was studying computer languages long before the rest of us found the Internet.

His programs have been used by the Pentagon and...

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