Tag: sense of humor

Lessons from the Cluetrain Manifesto

If you follow people like Hugh Macleod and Robert Scoble, etc., you know that we’re living in to eight the era of “the cluetrain.” I first read the Cluetrain Manifesto seven to eight years ago. One of the central ideas in the book is this: markets are conversations and companies by a large do not get that (even if their employees do). Traditional ways of mass-media marketing need to adapt or get out of the way. What Cluetrain was talking about were changes in current company-to-consumer interactions, though their emphasis was on how technology and the web, among other things, was changing this interaction in a radical way. What the Cluetrain Manifesto is saying, at it’s heart, is that communication matters and that the way we think about organization-to-customer communication needs to change.

It’s all communication
Websites, intranets, message boards, email blasts, blogs, developer conferences, sales presentations, and CEO keynotes — it’s about communicating. It all matters. Whether it’s a blog, an e-news letter, or a presentation, what audiences and customers yearn for from organizations is authenticity and transparency, simplicity, and a real human, emotion-without-the-BS approach to communicating. A real conversation…for a change.

The Cluetrain tenets — the “95 Theses” at the beginning of the book — speak largely to wired communications. But it’s all communication. While the “Theses” may not have been written with presentations in mind, many of the items fit nearly perfectly and can serve as good advice or reminders for how we need to connect and engage with our audiences today. Below are ten items (in bold) I took from the list of “95 Theses” in the Cluetrain (my comments follow).  I suggest purchasing the book, but you can get most of it free here.

Top-10 Cluetrain Theses: Imperatives for presenters

(1) “Markets consist of human beings, not demographic sectors.”
Markets are not abstractions, and neither are our audiences. They’re people worthy of our full attention and respect. If we can remember that it’s about them and not about us…we’re on the right path.

(2) “Conversations among human beings sound human. They are conducted in a human voice.”
I don’t hate politicians and I don’t hate marketers…but I hate the way they talk. “Mission-critical, forward-looking value propositions….” People do not talk that way! Many corporate speakers have a special gift for the “blah-blah-blah.” Is anyone listening? Speeches and presentation do not have to be be stuffy and dull, but neither do they need to be hyped-up and shallow — your audience is praying you’ll be different.

(3) “Already, companies that speak in the language of the pitch, the dog-and-pony show, are no longer speaking to anyone.”
Even if your presentation is directly sales related, you have to believe in your product (not the hype) deep down inside. I’m not talking about drinking the Koolaid kind of belief, I’m talking about believing in your product (your cause, research, etc.) like you believe in yourself. Speak to the audience like you respect them, like you think they are smart, like you think they are interesting. Don’t be a TV commercial. Commercials more often than not insult us. And even when they’re clever, we don’t really care and soon forget because…they’re not real.

(4) “Companies need to lighten up and take themselves less seriously. They need to get a sense of humor.”
The best presenters take their cause and their audience very seriously…but they do not take themselves too seriously. They are relaxed…they have nothing to hide. At that moment, nothing could be better than sharing time with the audience, and the audience feels that.

(5) “Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural, uncontrived.”
Your speaking does not have to be perfect. In fact, perfect speech and too much polish may alienate a crowd. It’s not real. Each case is different, but an open, natural, friendly, relax approach — away from the podium — is usually best. People pay more attention to a natural, open voice. And few things are more boring for a crowd than the reading of a long manuscript from a podium.

(6) “By speaking in language that is distant, uninviting, arrogant, they build walls to keep markets at bay.”
If you want your talk to fail, simply build a wall between you and your audience. There are many ways to do that: Speak in abstractions, stand in the dark, insult the competition, speak too long, create dreadful visuals, be evasive, and on and on.

(7)”Learning to speak with a human voice is not a parlor trick. It can’t be ‘picked up’ at some tony conference.”
You can learn a lot from presentation coaches and communication books, but this is not rocket science. We can be much better by simply looking at the presentation as an opportunity to have a conversation with others about something we care about. All the technique, training, and “PowerPoint” tricks are useless if the talk doesn’t come from your gut, from your heart and soul.

(8) “The inflated self-important jargon you sling around — in the press, at your conferences — what’s that got to do with us?”
Never try to impress. It didn’t work in high school (lord knows I tried) and it won’t work with your audiences (or your markets) either. A good presentation is like a good blog: it’s transparent, unique, fresh, honest, authentic, and accurate even if not perfect.

(9) “If you want us to talk to you, tell us something. Make it something interesting for a change.”
Most sales presentations are designed by committee and sent to people in the field with scripts in the PowerPoint notes view. No wonder the presenter sounds distant and “corporate.”

(10) “De-cloaking, getting personal: We are those markets. We want to talk to you.”
As the Cluetrain authors say, people “…do not want to talk to flacks and hucksters. They want to participate in the conversations…” The best presentations feel like a conversation.

Lessons as Presenter Imperatives from the Cluetrain Manifesto

consumer engagement

If you follow people like Hugh Macleod and Robert Scoble, etc., you know that we’re living in the era of “the Cluetrain.” I first read the Cluetrain Manifesto four-five years ago. One of the central ideas in the book is this: markets are conversations and companies by a large do not get that (even if their employees do). Traditional ways of mass-media marketing need to adapt or get out of the way. The keys are presenter imperatives, aren’t they?

What Cluetrain was talking about was the change in current company-to-consumer interactions, though their emphasis was on how technology and the web, among other things, were changing this interaction in a radical way. What the Cluetrain Manifesto is saying, at its heart, is that communication matters and that the way we think about organization-to-customer communication needs to change.

It’s all communication
Websites, intranets, message boards, email blasts, blogs, developer conferences, sales presentations, and CEO keynotes — it’s about communicating. It all matters. Whether it’s a blog, an e-newsletter, or a presentation, what audiences and customers yearn for from organizations is authenticity and transparency, simplicity, and a real human, emotion-without-the-BS approach to communicating. A real conversation…for a change.

The Cluetrain tenets — the “95 Theses” at the beginning of the book — speak largely to wired communications. But it’s all communication. While the “Theses” may not have been written with presentations in mind, many of the items fit nearly perfectly and can serve as good advice or reminders for how we need to connect and engage with our audiences today.

Below are ten items (in bold) I took from the list of “95 Theses” in the Cluetrain (my comments follow).  I suggest purchasing the book, but you can get most of it free here.

“Markets consist of human beings, not demographic sectors.”
Markets are not abstractions, and neither are our audiences. They’re people worthy of our full attention and respect. If we can remember that it’s about them and not about us…we’re on the right path.

“Conversations among human beings sound human. They are conducted in a human voice.”
I don’t hate politicians and I don’t hate marketers…but I hate the way they talk. “Mission-critical, forward-looking value propositions….” People do not talk that way! Many corporate speakers have a special gift for the “blah-blah-blah.” Is anyone listening? Speeches and presentations do not have to be stuffy and dull, but neither do they need to be hyped-up and shallow — your audience is praying you’ll be different.

“Already, companies that speak in the language of the pitch, the dog-and-pony show, are no longer speaking to anyone.”
Even if your presentation is directly sales-related, you have to believe in your product (not the hype) deep down inside. I’m not talking about drinking the Kool-Aid kind of belief, I’m talking about believing in your product (your cause, research, etc.) as you believe in yourself. Speak to the audience like you respect them, like you think they are smart like you think they are interesting. Don’t be a TV commercial. Commercials more often than not insult us. And even when they’re clever, we don’t really care and soon forget because…they’re not real.

“Companies need to lighten up and take themselves less seriously. They need to get a sense of humor.”
The best presenters take their cause and their audience very seriously…but they do not take themselves too seriously. They are relaxed…they have nothing to hide. At that moment, nothing could be better than sharing time with the audience, and the audience feels that.

“Whether delivering information, opinions, perspectives, dissenting arguments or humorous asides, the human voice is typically open, natural, uncontrived.”
Your speaking does not have to be perfect. In fact, perfect speech and too much polish may alienate a crowd. It’s not real. Each case is different, but an open, natural, friendly, relax approach — away from the podium — is usually best. People pay more attention to a natural, open voice. And few things are more boring for a crowd than the reading of a long manuscript from a podium.

“By speaking in a language that is distant, uninviting, arrogant, they build walls to keep markets at bay.”
If you want your talk to fail, simply build a wall between you and your audience. There are many ways to do that: Speak in abstractions, stand in the dark, insult the competition, speak too long, create dreadful visuals, be evasive, and on and on.

“Learning to speak with a human voice is not a parlor trick. It can’t be picked up at some tony conference.”
You can learn a lot from presentation coaches and communication books, but this is not rocket science. We can be much better by simply looking at the presentation as an opportunity to have a conversation with others about something we care about. All the technique, training, and “PowerPoint” tricks are useless if the talk doesn’t come from your gut, from your heart and soul.

“The inflated self-important jargon you sling around — in the press, at your conferences — what’s that got to do with us?”
Never try to impress. It didn’t work in high school (lord knows I tried) and it won’t work with your audiences (or your markets) either. A good presentation is like a good blog: it’s transparent, unique, fresh, honest, authentic, and accurate even if not perfect.

“If you want us to talk to you, tell us something. Make it something interesting for a change.”
Most sales presentations are designed by a committee and sent to people in the field with scripts in the PowerPoint notes view. No wonder the presenter sounds distant and “corporate.”

“De-cloaking, getting personal: We are those markets. We want to talk to you.”
As the Cluetrain authors say, people “…do not want to talk to flacks and hucksters. They want to participate in the conversations…” The best presentations feel like a conversation.

Do you have other online examples of good presentations?

Remarkable Lessons Albert Einstein Taught Me about Life

Albert Einstein’s brand of living life was stunning. Lots to learn from. I am a big fan of Albert Einstein, and though I have degrees in engineering, the reason I am such a big fan is not why he was so famous. Lessons Albert Einstein taught me about life go way beyond his scientific achievements. Let’s start with why he is famous and then I’ll explain why I am such an admirer.
Check out our thoughts on team leverage.

Lessons Albert Einstein taught
Lessons Albert Einstein taught.

Any fool can know. The point is to understand.
Here is a short review of why he was so famous. He was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, he is often regarded as the father of modern physics and the most influential physicist of the 20th century. While best known for his mass-energy formula E = mc2(often dubbed “the world’s most famous equation”), he received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect. The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory within physics.
Another inspirational story? Never Give Up On Your Dreams No Matter What
Very impressive indeed, but NOT why I am such a big fan. To see his true wisdom and value, you must study the man. I group his thoughts on living into 12 engaging lessons.
Let’s go through them:

how did Albert Einstein inspire people
How did Albert Einstein inspire people?

Laugh often

When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.
Einstein had an excellent way to make people laugh. To him, it was a serious business, indeed. He made people think while making them smile with almost all of his work.
My lesson learned is not to take myself so seriously. And laugh often.

 

Keep pushing

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
Einstein was often frustrated with the state of his times and felt that the world would require a substantially new manner of thinking to survive. But that did not mean he was without hope. He knew that rules of the game as much as the next guy, and an important rule was always to keep pushing.
 My lesson learned is to keep going despite indifference, and even when I feel discouraged with my work.
  

A simple life

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.
A focus on simplicity was one of Einstein’s central tenets, and though his skill in physics was renown, he believed everything that can be counted did not necessarily count and that everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.
 My lesson learned is to always think and live as simply as possible with balance in life.

 

Stand up for your beliefs

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.
Albert felt that the world was dangerous not because of bad people but because of people who recognize the evil, yet do nothing about it. His characterization of the age was that world leadership had developed a perfection of means yet had a significant confusion of ends.
My lesson learned is to be passionate about helping others and sharing the light.

 

Never quit

Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.
Einstein believed in being a giver, as he felt only a life lived for others was a life worthwhile. His characterization of the age was that world leadership had developed a perfection of means yet had a significant confusion of ends. He felt that you never failed if you never quit.
My lesson learned is always to share more than you receive and never give up.

Tell your story

I must be willing to give up what I am to become what I will be. 
Einstein’s view of a person’s life was that the real sign of intelligence was not knowledge but imagination and he believed that the only source of knowledge was experienced. He loved telling stories to influence.
 My lesson learned is to practice curiosity and imagination as often as possible and learn continuously.

 

Humble personality  

humble personality
Humble personality.

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.  
While having a strong will, Einstein was very humble and attributed his talent to his passionate curiosity and imagination. He felt both were more important than knowledge. 
 My lesson learned is to always tamp down on my ego and be as humble as possible.

  

Sense of humor

We all know that light travels faster than sound. That’s why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak. 
 Einstein often stated that his secret to creativity was knowing how to hide his sources. He felt that the difference between stupidity and genius was that genius had its limits. Einstein liked to say that only two things were infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and he wasn’t sure about the former.
 

Live your passion

Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.
 Einstein was a very observant person and noted that as he got more and more famous, the more and more stupid he also became. That, he said, was a very common phenomenon. But he loved to share his passions.
My lesson learned is to wear your enthusiasm and passion everywhere.

 

Go all in

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
Einstein didn’t think he was that smart; it’s just that he had the skill of persistence to stay with problems longer. He always went all in on everything he did.
 He maintained a strong belief in the necessity of eliminating biases to be able to look for what is and not for what they should be. Always stated that problems required a new level of consciousness beyond the one that created the problem … he was a big proponent of change.
My lesson learned is to continually look for ways to adapt to the changes going on and always go all in without fear of failure.

 

Lessons Albert Einstein taught … never stop questioning

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its reason for existing.
His thought was felt that imagination was more valuable than logic, logic could get you from A to B, but imagination could take you everywhere. He was an early believer in trying many new things and not fearing mistakes and felt that someone who never made a mistake never tried new things. His view was any wise fool could make things bigger and more complex, but the genius and courage were in heading in the opposite direction.
  My lesson learned is to try as many new things as possible in all facets of life.

  

Customer engagement
Customer engagement improvements are worth the effort.

 

Keen problem-solving skills

A clever person solves a problem.
A wise person avoids it. Einstein believed that if he were given 20 hours to solve a problem, he would spend 18 hours on understanding the problem and 2 hours on the solution.
My lesson learned is to focus on problem understanding well before trying to solve it.That is one of my favorite lessons from this thinker.

  

Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your job.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
 
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy continually improving your continuous learning?
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change.  We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed how reasonable we will be.
More reading on learning from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
9 Things to Know About Creative Visual Design Content
8 Presenter Mistakes That Are Rarely Made Twice
Know These Great Secrets of Collaboration and Co-Creation
How Good Is Your Learning from Failure?
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.

 

 

Albert Einstein Facts and Wisdom

I am a big fan of Albert Einstein and though I have several engineering degrees, the reason I am such a big fan is not why he was so famous. Albert Einstein facts and wisdom go way beyond his scientific achievements. Let’s start with why he is famous and then I’ll explain why I am such an admirer.

Einstein facts and wisdom.

Check out our thoughts on team leverage
Here is a short review of why he was so famous. He was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, he is often regarded as the father of modern physics and the most influential physicist of the 20th century.
While best known for his mass-energy formula E = mc2(often dubbed “the world’s most famous equation”),[he received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.
The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory within physics.
Related value: Never Give Up Your Dreams
Very impressive indeed, but not why I am such a big fan. To see his true wisdom and value you must study the man. I group his wisdom and value into 6 interesting categories. I will use these 6 categories to highlight Einstein’s true wisdom:

 

His Personality

While having a strong will, Einstein was very humble and attributed his talent to his passionate curiosity and imagination. He felt both were more important than knowledge. His view was that the true sign of intelligence was not knowledge but imagination and believed that the only source of knowledge was experience.

 

views on creativity
His views on creativity.

Views on Life

A focus on simplicity was one of his main tenets and though his skill in physics was renown, he believed everything that can be counted did not necessarily count and that everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted. He believed in being a giver… only a life lived for others was a life worthwhile.
Einstein was often frustrated with the state of his times and felt that the world would require a substantially new manner of thinking to survive. He felt that the world was dangerous not because evil people but because of people who recognize the evil, yet do nothing about it. His characterization of the age was that world leaders had developed a perfection of means yet had a significant confusion of ends.
His personality is shown well here: Albert Einstein’s Enormous Contribution to Science and How to Groom His Distinctive Mustache

 

Views on Creativity

His thought was felt that imagination was more valuable than logic … logic could get you from A to B, but imagination could take you everywhere. He was an early believer in trying many new things and not fearing mistakes … felt that someone who never made a mistake never tried new things. His view was any intelligent fool could make things bigger and more complex, but the genius and courage were heading in the opposite direction.

 

Problem Solving Thinking

Einstein believed that if he was given 20 hours to solve a problem, he would spend 18 hours on understanding the problem and 2 hours on the solution. That is one of my favorite lessons from this thinker. He didn’t think he was that smart, it’s just that he had the skill of persistence to stay with problems longer than most people.
Maintained a strong belief on the necessity of eliminating biases to be able to look for what is and not for what they should be. Always stated that problems required a new level of consciousness beyond the one that created the problem … he was a big proponent of change.

 

Education Views

Einstein was not a proponent of the education systems of his day. He used to say that one’s education was what was left after one had forgotten what one learned had learned in school. He also felt that it was a miracle that any curiosity was able to survive formal education.

Einstein facts and wisdom … laugh often

When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.
Einstein had an excellent way to make people laugh. To him, it was a serious business, indeed. He made people think while making them smile with almost all of his work.
My lesson learned is not to take myself so seriously. And laugh often.

 

Albert Einstein quotes about life … keep pushing

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
Einstein was often frustrated with the state of his times and felt that the world would require a substantially new manner of thinking to survive. But that did not mean he was without hope. He knew that the rules of the game as much as the next guy and an important rule was always to keep pushing.
 My lesson learned is to keep going despite indifference, and even when I feel discouraged by my work.

  

Albert Einstein famous quotes … a simple life

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.
A focus on simplicity was one of Einstein’s central tenets, and though his skill in physics was renown, he believed everything that can be counted did not necessarily count and that everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.
 My lesson learned is to always think and live as simply as possible with balance in life.

 

 

sense of humor
Cool sense of humor.

His Sense of Humor

He often stated that his secret to creativity was knowing how to hide his sources. The difference between stupidity and genius he felt was that genius had its limits … and liked to say that only 2 things were infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and he wasn’t sure about the former.
Finally, he was a very observant person and noted that as he got more and more famous he got, the more and more stupid he also became. That he said was a very common phenomenon.
Another great story: Great Stories and Storytelling Can Have a Very Healing Influence

 

The bottom line

So maybe you’ll agree with me about the wisdom of Albert Einstein, eh? What is most amazing to me is the fact that most of his wisdom is more applicable in today’s society than it was in his. He was always considered ahead of his time, wasn’t he?

 

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What are people from our history your favorite heroes? Any stories to share?
 
Need some help in capturing more customers from your marketing or advertising campaigns? Looking for creative ideas to help the differentiation with potential customers?
 
Call today for a FREE consultation or a FREE quote. Learn about some options to scope your job.
Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to improving your enthusiasm?
Do you have a lesson about making your motivation better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
 
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change.  We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
  
More inspirational stories from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
Great Stories and Storytelling Can Have a Very Healing Influence
Never Give Up Your Dreams
The Story of Tank the Dog or Is It Reggie?
 
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.