1. Make meaning, not money. Entrepreneurs should focus on making their product or service mean something beyond the sum of its components—and the money may very well follow.
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2. Make a mantra, not a mission statement. Bland, generic company mission statements serve no one. Nike stands for “authentic athletic performance.” FedEx is about “peace of mind.” Explain why your organization exists and how it meets customers’ needs and desires.
3. Jump curves. Innovating is harder than just staying a little bit ahead of competitors on the same curve. Most organizations define themselves in terms of what they do instead of thinking ‘what benefit do we provide the customer?’ True innovation comes when you jump curves, not when you duke it out for 10% or 15% better.
4. In product design, “roll the DICEE.” Deep (thinking about features that go beyond the norm), Intelligence, Complete (not just a product, but also support and service), Elegance, Emotive (products that generate strong emotions).
5. Don't worry, be “crappy”. Your innovation can have elements of flaws and does not need to wait.
6. Polarize people. If you try to be all things to all people, you often ship mediocrity,
7.Let 100 flowers blossom. Innovations may attract unexpected and unintended customers. Learn who’s buying your product, ask them why and give them more reasons. That’s a lot easier than asking people who aren’t interested ‘why not,’ and trying to change their minds.
8. Churn. Always improve. Listen to customers for ideas.
9. Niche yourself. Find your place. High value, unique products and services is where meaning is made, it’s where money is made, it’s where history is made.
10.Follow the 10-20-30 rule when presenting the idea. That means no more than 10 PowerPoint slides, a limit of 20 minutes for the pitch, and using a 30-point font size in the presentation.
- Abridged from an article “Ten Commandments from Entrepreneurial ‘Evangelist’ Guy Kawasaki” in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, from a talk delivered at the Pennsylvania Technology Conference.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Talk on Short Notice
A well-prepared presentation is possible at the last minute. It only takes a little practice. These principles can be applied whether you are speaking informally to five people or giving a formal speech to 50.
Impromptu vs. Unprepared Presentations
Impromptu presentations do not mean you do not prepare. Think through the following key points as well as how to best communicate what is necessary for the requested presentation.
A lesson taught early in presentation skills courses is to “treasure the threes,” which means create a presentation structure that has three main components: an opening, a body, and a closing. If you can manage those three, your presentation will be organized every time.
Getting Off On The Right Foot
An attention-grabbing opening is not difficult to develop. On short notice, no one expects you to be witty or humorous because last-minute presenters are usually expected to address a specific issue or concern.
Grab your listeners’ attention by beginning with the issue you are there to speak on. This can be done by asking a question that reflects back to the topic. For example, if you are asked to present the status of a project, begin your presentation with the question, “One of our current projects is Project X. Just where do we currently stand right with Project X and are we on track for our end goal?” This is exactly what everyone in the room is there to find out so you immediately have their attention.
Keep It Going
The body of your presentation – whether it’s five or 50 minutes – should then answer the question posed in your opening. You are giving valuable information to the attendees and you have their attention.
Plan to cover no more than three points in the body of your presentation. People best retain up to three pieces of information so list those three project points to the group up front. For example: this is where we stand, these are our budget concerns and this is the proposed process we are implementing to move the project forward.
Next, tell them in broader detail what you just outlined. If you are up-to-date with your project, you should already know this information and can expand upon it. The last statement in the body of your speech should then summarize the three points you just explained. You could say, “In summary, where things stand include Points One, Two, and Three. And we will overcome these concerns and move the project forward by doing actions a, b, and c”.
A powerful closing statement might start by addressing the opening question. This brings the presentation full circle and sums up why everyone has been listening. Then ask whether you have answered all concerns and field questions. Finish your presentation by calling the group to action or reaffirming everyone’s commitment to the project. Examples might include, “With the status I have just presented, I ask that you continue your commitment to move forward with the project”, or “With the concerns I have addressed, I ask that you commit another person to the task at hand.” These steps will reaffirm the commitment of the group members.
Public Speaking on Short Notice
If you burn this basic presentation structure into your mind, when called upon, you will be able to create a well-prepared impromptu presentation. You can apply this structure to almost any talk you give. To reiterate:
Remember the rule of threes – people remember threes best.
Follow a structure that includes an attention-getting opening that reflects the issue you’ve been asked to present; a body with no more than three points; and a closing that reaffirms, motivates, or calls to action.
Presenting on short notice is a strong, career-building skill.
- From an article titled “On Short Notice: How to Give Powerful Presentations When You Have Little Time to Prepare” in HR.com by Sylvia Henderson, who conducts experiential programs for people who want to communicate more clearly to achieve personal and more professional success. Refer www.SpringboardTraining.com.
Impromptu vs. Unprepared Presentations
Impromptu presentations do not mean you do not prepare. Think through the following key points as well as how to best communicate what is necessary for the requested presentation.
A lesson taught early in presentation skills courses is to “treasure the threes,” which means create a presentation structure that has three main components: an opening, a body, and a closing. If you can manage those three, your presentation will be organized every time.
Getting Off On The Right Foot
An attention-grabbing opening is not difficult to develop. On short notice, no one expects you to be witty or humorous because last-minute presenters are usually expected to address a specific issue or concern.
Grab your listeners’ attention by beginning with the issue you are there to speak on. This can be done by asking a question that reflects back to the topic. For example, if you are asked to present the status of a project, begin your presentation with the question, “One of our current projects is Project X. Just where do we currently stand right with Project X and are we on track for our end goal?” This is exactly what everyone in the room is there to find out so you immediately have their attention.
Keep It Going
The body of your presentation – whether it’s five or 50 minutes – should then answer the question posed in your opening. You are giving valuable information to the attendees and you have their attention.
Plan to cover no more than three points in the body of your presentation. People best retain up to three pieces of information so list those three project points to the group up front. For example: this is where we stand, these are our budget concerns and this is the proposed process we are implementing to move the project forward.
Next, tell them in broader detail what you just outlined. If you are up-to-date with your project, you should already know this information and can expand upon it. The last statement in the body of your speech should then summarize the three points you just explained. You could say, “In summary, where things stand include Points One, Two, and Three. And we will overcome these concerns and move the project forward by doing actions a, b, and c”.
A powerful closing statement might start by addressing the opening question. This brings the presentation full circle and sums up why everyone has been listening. Then ask whether you have answered all concerns and field questions. Finish your presentation by calling the group to action or reaffirming everyone’s commitment to the project. Examples might include, “With the status I have just presented, I ask that you continue your commitment to move forward with the project”, or “With the concerns I have addressed, I ask that you commit another person to the task at hand.” These steps will reaffirm the commitment of the group members.
Public Speaking on Short Notice
If you burn this basic presentation structure into your mind, when called upon, you will be able to create a well-prepared impromptu presentation. You can apply this structure to almost any talk you give. To reiterate:
Remember the rule of threes – people remember threes best.
Follow a structure that includes an attention-getting opening that reflects the issue you’ve been asked to present; a body with no more than three points; and a closing that reaffirms, motivates, or calls to action.
Presenting on short notice is a strong, career-building skill.
- From an article titled “On Short Notice: How to Give Powerful Presentations When You Have Little Time to Prepare” in HR.com by Sylvia Henderson, who conducts experiential programs for people who want to communicate more clearly to achieve personal and more professional success. Refer www.SpringboardTraining.com.
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