Ok, I’m a UT Alum and a Longhorn football fan. And, I even own longhorns that look like their mascot, Bevo!
Texas’ comeback
It seemed unlikely after a MISERABLE first half. I almost went to sleep.
But…
Arch Manning, UT’s quarterback, delivered in the 4th quarter as Texas shocked Ohio State, ranked #1, in a 20-point comeback.
It marked the first time since 2004 that a top-ranked team has lost a 20-point fourth-quarter lead.
Why is this relevant to you and your next speech?
🐄 UT’s Coach Sarkisian challenged his team to forget an “abysmal” first half.
🟧 I challenge you to forget past horrible speeches, or even a botched first half of a speech you are in the middle of presenting. Move forward.
🐄 The Longhorns had to figure out a way to slow Ohio’s star wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith.
🟧 Do you need to recalibrate your delivery, or update some bad ppt visuals, or align your content to overcome your audience’s obstacles? You have to figure out a way to strategize success, even making tweaks during your presentation.
🐄 Sarkisian told Manning during halftime, “There is no such thing as a 21-point touchdown pass. It is just going to take time.”
🟧 Guess what? There is no such thing as a flawless unprepared speech. It just takes time. You improve every time you make a presentation. One at a time.
🐄 Ryan Day, Ohio’s coach, after the first powerful half, was asked, “How does it feel to have this 20-3 lead?” He responded, “A game is four quarters.”
🟧 Best advice ever. It’s not over till it’s over. Please remember, especially when you feel you’ve had a bad presentation opener, or a crummy past speech, a bad speech can be resurrected by a strong close.
🐄 About luck…
🟧 Luck favors the prepared. Thank you, Joel Litman, for one of my favorite quotes!
🟧 I’ll add that it is nice when luck lands in your lap! When the Buckeyes kicker missed a 45-yard field goal with about 4 minutes remaining in the game, that provided the perfect momentum for my Longhorns to keep on keeping on. You have to keep on keeping on too.
🐄 The Texas Longhorns took a one-point lead with 25 seconds left in the game. 🐄
Photos Copyright – all longhorn pics taken by me at our Star Ranch
🐄 Content source: “Manning delivers in 4th as Texas stuns Ohio State in 20-point comeback”, ESPN, https://apple.news/AhqX4Q1ujRceOZy6_XV5vnQ
The Titanic Immersion Exhibit in Boca Raton, FL. Kate and Leo are somewhere….
Answer: No, it’s not your content or delivery. Read on ➡
Picture this scenario. You are a ship. Everyone you are talking to is the harbor.
If the ship misses the harbor, it’s rarely the harbor’s fault.
Last week Jimmy and I did an immersive adventure “on” the Titanic while visiting dear friends, Kyle and Jeff, in Boca Raton, FL.
It sank.
You’ll sink too if you don’t meet your “harbor’s” needs.
🚢 Titanic Moments
Last week I wrote about “What’s the fastest way to lose a room?”. (The answer is, “Point Number Four”. Please don’t give us 4 or more main points or reasons – it’s too much for our gnat-sized multi-tasking brains.)
🧊 You’ll lose us on Point Number ONE if you don’t understand who you’re speaking to.
🚢 Avoid icebergs by knowing these answers
Who are you talking to?
Where is their pain?
What are they good at?
Who competes with them?
Where can they improve?
What defines success for them?
How knowledgeable are they about your topic?
Experience range?
Not to insult you, but get the names right too! Just the other day a client told me that her prospective real estate agent kept calling her “Jay” instead of “Jordan”. She has gone a different direction!
🚢 The Titanic and you
A lot of mistakes were made on that 4.10.1912 voyage. The main cause was a mixture of overconfidence in the ship’s safety and fatal human decisions from sailing too fast in known icy waters to not enough lifeboats.
You can avoid Titanic Moments by understanding your audience and talking about what matters to them.
Happy sailing at the lectern, in your meetings, and with your teams.
Photo credit: corny pic taken by a fellow “Titanic passenger”
You explain, “There’re seven possibilities,” or “I’ve been thinking about a dozen data points.”
You’re thorough, but you’ve lost the room (especially if it’s virtual).
Keep it to 3 main points / reasons.
Why the Rule of 3 works
BTW all my clients, over many years, love The Magic Power of 3 Rule!
In fact, one client shared (with a smile), “Karen, I’m mad at you!” I asked, “Why?”
He replied, “Since you coached me to use The Magic Power of Three that’s all I see… everywhere … on bill boards, articles, presentations, and emails.”
Thank you, Tim Hughes, Founder/CEO of Falcon Realty Advisors, for that comment, and for sending me Andrea Wojnicki’s article in Inc. explaining the science of why this rule works. Using Andrea’s words:
1️⃣ Three is balanced. Think of a tripod or stool. Ever sat at a wobbly restaurant table?
2️⃣ Three is substantial. Two points feel thin, three “makes a trend”.
3️⃣ Three is manageable. You respect your audience’s capacity / cognitive load. Your message is easier to understand and to recall.
Where to use The Magic Power of Three
Newsletters.
Workshops.
Emails.
Sales pitches.
Meeting agenda.
Self-introductions.
Everywhere!
Note: Sometimes ONE point is enough, and sometimes it takes more… but make the rule of 3 your baseline.
The AI conundrum
The rule of three has become a signal that your content is AI-generated.
I agree with Wojnicki, “I’d encourage you to let that go. AI caught on because it works. It’s the sweet spot between too little and too much.”
You will give a toast somewhere (you probably already have) and it’s the wild card of every big event.
It might be the drunk groomsman, the never-ending colleague at the retirement party, or a friend that brings up politics or religion even after being told not to.
Start with T-O-A-S-T, a helpful acronym from author and award-winning speaker Ramona J. Smith, as reported by NPR, to give a memorable & heartfelt tribute.
🥂 T – Tell a story
Rather than doing a list of accolades, share a vignette about the person, event or couple you’re toasting. Then connect the story to the occasion.
🥂 O – Optimism is your North Star
Yes, you can tell an emotional story BUT shift to the positive. Ex: I coached a proud mother-of-the-groom whose son had overcome Stage 4 cancer… and here he was – standing next to his beautiful bride. She moved from despair to joy in her beautiful toast.
🥂 A – Authenticity (better than humor)
Be honest and vulnerable in your remarks. Ex: Sharing anecdotes of growing up together beats trying to be funny. It’s a toast, not a roast.
🥂 S – Speech means practice
Read your speech aloud to a trusted friend. Try to remember the very first and last sentence so that you are not looking at your notes when you start and finish.
🥂 T – Timing, think brevity
Have you ever thought, “Rats, I wish they had talked longer?” Time yourself when you practice and keep your message to less than three minutes.
🥂 BONUS
DO give toasts. It makes the special birthday party, annual Thanksgiving meal, or the quarterly girls’ dinner more special.
DON’T drink before a toast.
🥂 A toast to my faithful blog reader and friend, Dr. Elliot Michael Reisman, for sending this article to me.
We are back with our annual selection of the best Super Bowl Commercial.
Speak For Yourself® picks our favorite commercial each year. Why? To learn best ways to get YOUR message across in 30 SECONDS without paying over $LX,000,000.
Did you know?
Current Super Bowls ads cost about $8 million, which includes talent, production, and the very precious 30-seconds.
Drum Roll….
This year the Kellogg’s Raisin Bran “Will Shat” commercial wins. Use this list of strategies to reset and digest your next board presentation, zoom meeting or project review all modeled in this commercial.
1️⃣️ Clarity. Many of the ads tried too hard and became disjointed. You could not figure out what they were selling till the last second. Our Raisin Bran ad reveals the product and premise up front. From the third second to the last expensive nano-second you know what the ad is selling.
🏈 Note to you: On emails, in meetings, and in presentations are you letting your listeners know, upfront, what your premise and purpose is? AND what you’re selling?
2️⃣️ Self-deprecating humor. Give it up to William Shatner! He introduces himself with the punny line “Will Shat here,” in this playful sci-fi parody. He goes on to deliver fiber-focused one-liners beaming down from his spaceship after getting the “America: low on fiber” alert!
🏈 Note to you: Laugh at yourself – it makes you more approachable. We will then want to listen to you.
3️⃣️ Call to Action. This commercial (unlike most on the show) focuses on just one concept and it ends with one picture, a box of Raisin Bran.
🏈 Note to you: End your emails, presentations and meetings asking for what you want. Include “next steps.” Move the conversation forward.
4️⃣️ BONUS Tidbit – Be as simple as possible. Make sure your core pitch is digestable. After a night of chicken wings Raisin Bran can help get people back on track. Using Shatner’s persona this commercial makes a sensitive topic feel mainstream, funny and talkable.
🏈 Note to you: Observe what’s going on around your company culture and see if you can cleverly cash in on relating these events with your premise/purpose.
Your LX-million dollar communication takeaways ➜
Do a gut check. Be clear about who you are, what you want, and what you are pitching. Find the humor and laugh at yourself.
A lot of mistakes were made on that 4.10.1912 voyage. The main cause was a mixture of overconfidence in the ship’s safety and fatal human decisions from sailing too fast in known icy waters to not enough lifeboats.
Speak For Yourself® picks our 
2️⃣️ Self-deprecating humor. Give it up to William Shatner! He introduces himself with the punny line “Will Shat here,” in this playful sci-fi parody. He goes on to deliver fiber-focused one-liners beaming down from his spaceship after getting the “America: low on fiber” alert!
4️⃣️ BONUS Tidbit – Be as simple as possible. Make sure your core pitch is digestable. After a night of chicken wings Raisin Bran can help get people back on track. Using Shatner’s persona this commercial makes a sensitive topic feel mainstream, funny and talkable.
