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Train Others to Make Points

No matter where they sit in a company hierarchy, everyone can benefit from conveying real points. So don’t keep these ideas to yourself. Train your staff to identify and strongly convey their own points. Others will notice.

Here are some good ways to start:

When you meet with employees, encourage them to use the point-forcing power phrases like “I recommend” and “I suggest.” If they don’t do it naturally, make a habit of asking them, “What do you recommend? What do you suggest?” Eventually, they’ll get the hint.

Run group exercises in which your staff practices expressing points as “I believe” statements. This is helpful to a group because, in my experience, people learn as much from hearing others formulate points as they do from formulating their own.

Challenge employees to be louder, to embrace pauses, and to find and articulate their highest-value propositions.

Suggest that qualified members of your staff take speaking roles at internal meetings and conferences. Real-world practice builds confidence and strength.

Recommend that those terrified of public speaking join a local Toastmasters International club. What Toastmasters does best is make nervous speakers feel more comfortable about presenting.

Give them this book. It can’t hurt.