One of the most important ideas running through my trainings, articles, podcasts, and books is this: To make a point, you must know your point. And knowing your point starts with knowing what a point is.
If you don’t have or know your true point, everything you say will be pointless — and neither your team nor you want that.
An effective point combines two elements:
An articulation of the impact. A mechanism to produce that impact.
It isn’t the mechanism alone (“We will streamline our sales process!”) or the impact alone (“We must increase revenue!”). A solid point connects both, as in:
“Streamlining our sales process will enable us to double revenue by the fourth quarter.”
Getting from a non-point to a sharp point in your communications is not just a matter of choosing the right words but having the right mindset. As Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
Below are three easy exercises to help you build that understanding, construct meaningful points, and express them simply and sharply.
1. The “I Believe That” Test
Can your point fit into this phrase: “I believe that ________________” so that it forms a complete sentence?
Let’s take some random professional points and apply the test. If you took Language Arts in junior high, you know these are not complete sentences:
“I believe that increasing fourth-quarter revenue”
“I believe that the new online scheduling system”
“I believe that investing in cloud technology”
In forcing you to construct a complete sentence, this test will prompt you to produce lines like these:
“I believe that celebrity endorsements will increase our fourth quarter revenue.”
“I believe that the new online scheduling system will make our sales process more efficient.”
“I believe that investing in cloud technology will reduce our carbon footprint.”
Once you have a complete sentence, you are well on your way to making a sharp point. If you don’t have a complete sentence, reconstruct it so that it would earn you a check-plus in that Language Arts class.
2. The Formula
In my experience, effective points also follow a simple equation (far simpler than E=mc2):
“If we do X, Y will result.”
X is the mechanism, Y is the impact, and you can see how they manifest in the “I believe that” examples above.
“I believe that the new online scheduling system (X) will make our sales process more efficient (Y).”
Just make sure your X is a specific process, tool, resource, or commitment. Simply “doing better” and “working harder” will not suffice.
Keep your Y specific as well, and make sure you are expressing the most valuable or ultimate impact, not just a “badjective” or a short-term milestone:
Is the ultimate goal simply increasing website traffic or selling more product?
Is the ultimate goal merely spreading social awareness or increasing community activity?
Is the ultimate goal increasing financial contributions or saving lives with those funds?
Think of the people on the other side of the table or screen — perhaps a client, a customer, a partner, or your team. At the end of the day, what impact do they value most? The answer to that question should match your Y.
3. The Magic Words
To ensure my students and clients do more selling than sharing, I encourage them to adopt these point-forcing power phrases:
I propose
I recommend
I suggest
Similar to “I believe that,” these phrases force the creation of a true point that includes — maybe with mild tweaking — both a mechanism and an impact.
These phrases are also attention magnets. Saying “Here’s what I propose…” is a beacon for audience interest, and you certainly can’t say “I propose,” “I recommend,” or “I suggest” without proposing, recommending, or suggesting something. Magic!
These phrases are also valuable for professional development. Don’t immediately make a recommendation when someone you supervise comes to you with a status report or situation. Instead, ask them for one — “What do you recommend?” If you keep asking this question, sooner or later, that person will say, “Here’s the situation… and here’s what I recommend we do.”
I believe that people who use these power phrases are seen as leaders and eventually become them.
What happens when leaders elevate their broad ideas and topics into sharp points? They don’t just inform. They engage, they inspire, and they activate impact. That’s the power of having a point and the point of having power.
Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. This website makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact editor @saltlakecityutah.business
