How to Turn Off “The BS Light Bulb”

by Karen Cortell Reisman | Sep 1, 2020

“You know what ‘BS’ stands for?” I ask my audience of 900 home inspectors (yes… there is an association for every industry) when I keynoted at their national meeting. They reply, pretty much in unison, “Better service”!

“No,” I laugh, “Not exactly! You KNOW what it stands for.” They nod.

What they did not know is that everyone, that’s YOU too, has a BS Light Bulb attached to the front of your forehead. This light bulb is blinking at all times. We are very good BS detectors. Your role as The Communicator – chairing a zoom event, speaking at a board meeting, writing an email – requires that you make sure that your audiences’ BS Light Bulbs go from a flicker to OFF … quickly.

For argument’s sake, let’s say you are not engaging; or you’re not believable; or you are not relevant, the BS Light Bulbs on your recipients’ foreheads turn on – at a 1000-watt intensity. How do you know this? They stop listening. They’re scrolling on a device. They’re multitasking.

How do you get The BS Light Bulbs to go from 1000 to zero?

Adhere to this formula: K + A = C.

“K” stands for Knowledge. Speak about what you’ve earned the right to talk about. Know your stuff.

“A” stands for Attitude. Forgive me for being cliché … your listener does not care how much you know till they know how much you care. That said, you do NOT need to be a raging extroverted cheerleader. In fact, some of the best speakers are quiet introverts. Doesn’t matter. What does matter – caring about your topic. Believing in your words. We’ll know it.

“C” stands for Credibility. When you have your “K” and your “A” you become credible. Bottom line – this credibility can and will turn into trust – our Speak For Yourself® gold standard for selling your message, your brand, your expertise.

Share your knowledge, show your attitude, create credibility.

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