When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.
There was an old commercial … a guy would be in a room filled with people. He’d tell a friend that his E.F. Hutton broker gave him some advice. The room would go silent. Everyone hung on this person’s every word.
I worked with someone who was like EF Hutton*. When Mario talked, people would listen. It was mysterious. It was like magic. A room would hush while Mario spoke. I asked a colleague how Mario did this. His answer was succinct and on target. Mario managed to do 3 things consistently: Have a point, Be brief, Be relevant.
Two days ago, I wrote about beating up audiences when a point isn’t sharp and focused. Yesterday, I wrote about watering down our point by using too many words. I realized that I put the cart before the horse. To make a point, we need to have a point!
Anytime we open our mouths to talk, we do it for a reason. We do not say a word without wanting to accomplish something. This is true every single time we open our mouths. This is true of everyone the time we are born. The question is: What are we looking to accomplish? Don’t know the reason you’re talking? You don’t have a point!
Do you want to be treated like E.F. Hutton? Do you want to have a point? Answer this one question in a short sentence: “What specifically do I want to accomplish with this conversation?”
Want people to listen when you talk? Have a point!
More info on E.F. Hutton: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._F._Hutton_%26_Co. 1
