I am doing the 4 mile Long Island Swim Across America on July 28th. Click on the link for more information.
http://www.swimacrossamerica.org/site/TR/OpenWater/LongIslandSound?px=1084546&pg=personal&fr_id=1510

Toastmaster Speech 4 - The Elevator Speech - Oh! Tell Me More

Toastmasters Speech 4 – How You Say It

The Elevator Speech – “Oh! Tell Me More!

Frank Schwall

Imagine for a second that you are at an airport on a Friday - about to board a plane for the ride home from an industry conference.

Your objective at the conference had been to establish business relationships and get follow up appointments to sell your company’s service.

 You are very tired and disappointed in your lack of success.

Finally you and your fellow passengers are called to board the flight.

As begin to file down the jet bridge you realize that one of the industry leaders you wanted to meet is walking right next to you.

 Your spirits briefly soar as you introduce yourself.  But reality sets in quickly when she asks you “so what do you do?”

You quickly estimate that you will have this person’s attention for about one minute before she takes her seat in first class.

(You of course are relegated to an exit row in the middle of the plane.)

How do you respond?

Are you prepared to give her a clear, concise and compellingly descriptive account of what you can do for her? 

And most importantly does it set the stage for a future conversation?

Filler words and rambling on will not get the job done.

What you need is an “elevator speech”. 

The term elevator speech comes from the idea that in real life you only have the time it takes to ride in an elevator to get people interested in you or whatever it is that you do. 

As Mike McDaniel says –“The goal of an elevator speech is to get the person you are talking with to respond by saying” – “Oh! Tell me more!”

Tonight I am going to talk about how a brief combination of descriptive words can help make your elevator speech a great one!

An advertising executive in the 1950s and 60s named Rosser Reeves (a real lifeDon Draper from Mad Men)really perfected the idea of the selling sentence or elevator speech.

The Mars Candy Company hired him to design a campaign to sell M&M’S. Do you remember the line? M&M’S melt in your mouth not in your hand. Pretty good selling sentence right?

It got people’s attention and caused them to want to know more about the product. Remember – you want people to say Oh! Tell me more!

Now let’s think for a minute about an elevator speech or selling sentence that did not go well.

This is a little bit of a stretch so give me some latitude here to make my point.

How many of you have you seen the movie The Christmas Story about the kid who wanted a BB gun for Christmas?

Ralphie was the kid’s name. He practiced and practiced his form of an elevator speech so that he would be prepared when his mom and Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas.

When the time came and he got the question he said…

“I want an official Red Ryder, Carbine Action, Two Hundred Shot, Range Model Air Rifle.”

He spoke to fast and sounded and did not leave anything open to the imagination.

What was his mother and Santa’s reply to Ralphie’s request?

--- Did they say “Oh! Tell me more!”

No. They said “You’ll shoot your eye out.”

His request was dead on arrival. There was no room for any follow up questions.

Maybe he could have said “I want a special toy that that will help me emulate the great pioneers that settled the west.”

That might have gotten his mom and Santa interested and set the stage for buy in follow up questions - so that it would be easier for Ralphie to get into the details of describing what he wanted.

Now think about what you want the essence of your elevator speech to be.

Let’s say you are working on your elevator speech for work.

First you need to brain storm.

Write down all the things that you and your company do for your clients.Do you provide convenience, comfort, safety etc.? 

Don’t be specific at first.

Write down everything that comes to mind.

Remember, no one wants to hear titles. For instance that you are a Managing Director of the Global Trading Desk at Goldman Sachs -  boring! 

They would rather hear that you make people rich!

You can give them all your titles after the client says “Oh! Tell Me More!”

Now, narrow down all things that you do to it most simple form.

Try to make this elevator speech 15 words or less.

Pretend you are talking with your 82 year old aunt. Be creative and get the client so interested that they say – “Oh! Tell Me More.”

The last important thing to remember is an old adage from comedians.

“Don’t step on the punch line!”

Stick to your selling sentence and then stop.

Let the person you are talking with speak first after you are done. If you have been successful they will say – “Oh! Tell Me More!!”

Thank You.

PS – My Elevator Speeches -

1.     In as little as 4 hours I can provide my clients with the fastest, safest and most beautiful private jets in the world, without long term contracts, so that they can get to their destination in the most convenient  way possible. Any jet,anywhere , any time.

2.     I provide clients with safe, fast, cost effective private jets on demand at any time andany where in the world.

Elevator speeches are sometimes referred to as a selling proposition or a selling sentence. You have to be able to explain what you do without taking all day and leave enough out there so that the client gives you permission to go on.

Wake Up - Speech for Toastmasters

Wake Up !!

Toastmaster Speech 3 – Get To The Point

In 1875 a committee was formed in the US House of Representatives to study the impact that the Horseless Carriage would have on the country. The committee was labeled the Horseless Carriage Committee. The committee report can be found in the Congressional Record. Here is an excerpt from the report.

 “Horseless Carriages propelled by gasoline might attain speeds of 14 or even 20 miles per hour. The menace to our people of vehicles of this type hurtling through our streets will call for prompt legislative action. The cost of producing gasoline is far beyond the financial capacity of private industry and the development of this new power may displace the use of horses which would wreck our agriculture.”

It is obvious that many of the US Political leaders of that time were out of touch with what was happening in their world.

I believe that is happening again. Our political leaders are focused on the wrong issues and are unable to see how the world is changing.

The goal of my speech tonight is to “Get to the Point”. My point is that our political leaders need to --- WAKE UP!!

I hope to persuade you to agree with me that the political conversation from both our political parties needs to first focus on recognizing today’s global realities and secondly to lead us in finding ways to enhance our countries natural advantages.

In getting to my point and persuading you to my way of thinking I will discuss how our political leaders see the world differently than CEOs. I will discuss how as Tom Friedman of the NY Times states, average is over, and that our country is well positioned to take advantage of this new world paradigm.

Think about what a politician sees when he or she looks at a map. They see states that contain voters. They want to be popular in each state regardless of the reason. Now think about what a CEO of a premier company that makes great products sees when he or she looks at a world map. They see places where their products can be made and sold. Michael Dell is always reminding people that 96 percent of his potential new customers live outside the US – the rest of the world. He points out that it is helpful to make at least some parts of the products he wants to sell in the countries where he wants to sell them. Many companies consider themselves to be global companies and citizens of the world. They have offices and factories and design teams located all over the place. The do not view things in terms of exports and imports. Tom Friedman writes that these CEOs rarely talk about outsourcing. The topic of Outsourcing is so 10 years ago. Their world is integrated. There is not an out or an in anymore. Many of their products might be designed/ imagined in the US, manufactured in the China, marketed in France and orchestrated by people here in the US. So the old phrase Made in America or Made in Japan are outdated. Most things are Made in the World. So our political leaders need to recognize this fact and quit acting like this is the 1970’s. They need to lead us in making policies that won’t attempt to fight the trend like the Horseless Carriage Committee but to take advantage of the trend.

Now let’s talk realistically about jobs. In the past here in our country people with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle. But as Friedman says – average is over. Adam Davidson writes in The Atlantic magazine that in the 10 years ending in 2009 US factories shed workers so fast that they erased almost all the job gains of the previous 70 years. Companies now have access to technology, software and automation not to mention access to cheaper labor in other parts of the world. These companies are not going to look the other way and pay US workers for jobs they don’t need to fill. Now our political leaders of the day blame the loss of jobs on political policies – taxes being too high or too low or greed or some other reason that is an easy scapegoat. Or they change the subject entirely i.e. birth control. But one of the main reasons we have lost jobs and are seeing higher unemployment is that the world economic paradigm has changed. Of course this is a hard pill for the American worker to swallow. I’m sure all the horse owners and horseshoe makers, not to mention the horses, got pretty upset too when the car starting putting them out of business. The point is to adapt to the trend. Instead of placing blame our political leaders need to be leading the charge in empowering our people to adapt and thrive in this new world.

The last point I want to make is that this is not bad news. Think about it. What country has historically welcomed talented people / immigrants from all over the world more than the US? What country has the best capital markets that are safe and credible? Our currency is strong and our stock exchanges are stable. The US is a great place to register for patents. And in our country .we have benefited by government funding of research and innovation that has led to huge gains in space research, bioscience and clean energy. There will be plenty of jobs for our citizens to design and market products and to manufacture and retail high end products. And of course all aspects of these products need to be shipped places and that shipping will continue to be a growing industry.

So our political leaders need to learn a lesson from the Horseless Carriage Committee. They need to change the political conversation and focus on today’s global realities and help lead our citizens to compete in a global interconnected economy where products are Made in the World, where average skills can no longer support an average life. Our political leaders should not fall back on petty placing of blame for the changes we are experiencing but instead embrace the changes and help to empower us to thrive. So to get to the point – our political leaders need to Wake Up!

Frank Schwall - favorite JFK quote

Frank Schwall 1/24/12

I have been reading the Chris Matthews JFK biography. One of my favorites quotes from JFK comes from an address he gave the Americas Cup Teams on September 14^th 1962 in Newport, Rhode Island.

“I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from whence we came.”

Can’t wait to get back to the beach.

Frank Schwall

Frank Schwall Toastmaster Table Topics

Table Topics Questions for Toastmasters

1/4/2011

By Frank Schwall

1.      “Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm.” Ralph Waldo Emerson – What thing or things are you enthusiastic about in this coming year?

2.      “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”Ernest Hemmingway – What book or books are you wanting to read this year?

3.      “People never notice anything.”Holden Caulfield JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye – What are you going to do this year that people will notice?

4.      In the movie Forrest Gump – Forrest is talking about a stock investment his partner Lt. Dan suggested. Forrest says “Lt. Dan got me invested in some kind of fruit company called Apple. So then I got a call from him saying we don’t have to worry about money no more and I said that’s good – one less thing.” What do you not have to worry about in 2012?

5.      “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” Ralph Waldo Emerson – What kinds of things – hobbies, new approaches etc. are you going to experiment with this year?

6.      “There is no such thing as bragging. You are either lying or telling the truth.” Al Oliver – what accomplishment or accomplishments are you going to be bragging/telling the truth about this year?

7.      “You can observe a lot by watching.” Yogi Berra – What trends/people/bands/ are you going to be watching this year?

8.      “Can one still make resolutions when one is over forty? I live according to twenty year old habits.” Andre Gide (French author) – What twenty year old habits do you still have?

9.      “One resolution I have made and try to keep is this. To rise above the little things.” John Burroughs (naturalist followed Thoreau) – What little things are you going to rise above this year?

10.  “The difference between involvement and commitment is like a ham and eggs breakfast. The Chicken was involved but the pig was committed.” Unknown – What are you committed to this year?

11.  “Happiness is good health and a bad memory.” Ingrid Bergman – What thing would you like to forget from 2011?

12.  “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings.” – Dan Cook Washington DC sports writer. What in your life has been written off by others but is not over?

13.  “It is all over but the shouting.” Rick Bragg – do you think the Republican Presidential Race is all over or does it remain to be seen who becomes the Republican nominee in 2012?

14.  “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield  to it.” Oscar Wilde – How did you deal with temptation on New Years eve?

Table Topics for January Toastmasters by Frank Schwall

Table Topics for Toastmasters International

By Frank Schwall

1.      “Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm.” Ralph Waldo Emerson – What thing or things are you enthusiastic about in this coming year?

2.      “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” Ernest Hemmingway – What book or books are you wanting to read this year?

3.      “People never notice anything.” Holden Caulfield JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye – What are you going to do this year that people will notice?

4.      In the movie Forrest Gump – Forrest is talking about a stock investment his partner Lt. Dan suggested Forrest says “Lt. Dan got me invested in some kind of fruit company called Apple. So then I got a call from him saying we don’t have to worry about money no more and I said that’s good – one less thing.” What do you not have to worry about in 2012?

5.      “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” Ralph Waldo Emerson – What kinds of things – hobbies, new approaches etc. are you going to experiment with this year?

6.      “There is no such thing as bragging. You are either lying or telling the truth.” Al Oliver – what accomplishment or accomplishments are you going to be bragging/telling the truth about this year?

7.      “You can observe a lot by watching.” Yogi Berra – What trends/people/bands/ are you going to be watching this year?

8.      “Can one still make resolutions when one is over forty? I live according to twenty year old habits.” Andre Gide (French author) – What twenty year old habits do you still have?

9.      “One resolution I have made and try to keep is this. To rise above the little things.” John Burroughs (naturalist followed Thoreau) – What little things are you going to rise above this year?

10.  “The difference between involvement and commitment is like a ham and eggs breakfast. The Chicken was involved but the pig was committed.” Unknown – What are you committed to this year?

11.  “Happiness is good health and a bad memory.” Ingrid Bergman – What thing would you like to forget from 2011?

12.  “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings.” Dan Cook Washington DC sports writer - What in your life has been written off by others but is not over?

Every Time

Mickey Mantle, the great baseball player for the New York Yankees, was asked if there was ever a time when he walked up to the plate with the sole intention of hitting a home run. He answered yes… every time.  That answer captures the essence of Mickey Mantle. He was funny, bold, a great story teller and larger than life.

Mickey Mantle was also a complex person, part hero and great friend but he could also be bad father and husband. Tonight I am going to discuss 3 aspects of Mickey’s life organizing it into 3 categories. First I will discuss his athletic accomplishments as a baseball player. Then I will talk about some of the fun times Mickey had by telling a story Mickey liked to tell. I will conclude my talk by discussing the last years of Mickey’s life as he came to terms with his accomplishments and failures.

Let’s begin with Mantle’s athletic accomplishments. Mantle who was born in Oklahoma was a great all-around athlete. He was offered a football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma. But he signed with the New York Yankees and spent the better part of the 1950’s and 1960’s playing for the Yankees. Mickey Mantle was voted the American League MVP 3 times. In 1956, his best season, he won baseball’s Triple Crown – leading the league in batting average, home runs and runs batted in. He holds the unofficial record for the longest home run in a game. In 1960 he hit a ball 643 feet over the Tiger Stadium roof in Detroit. Mickey played in 12 World Series and was on the winning side 7 of those times.  And in 1974 he was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

So these accomplishments are a big part of the legend of Mickey Mantle. But Mickey’s reputation as a fun loving and adventure seeking man who loved to tell stories of his escapades is also a big part of the Mickey Mantle story. To highlight this point I will share with you a story that Mickey liked to tell about a hunting trip with his best friend Billy Martin. The story shows Mickey to be fun loving and a joker but also shows the strong friendship and loyalty he shared with Billy.

 Mickey lived in Dallas after he retired from baseball. His friend Billy Martin had been hired to manage the Texas Ranger baseball team. So Billy and Mickey had time to spend together. Billy had been given a hunting rifle as a present and one day he asked Mickey if he’d like to go deer hunting? Mickey said no Billy you wouldn’t like it. We’d have to get up early and drive down to the hill country. But Billy was perscestant and Mickey agreed to set up the trip. Mickey knew a man in central Texas who had a big farm with lots of land that was perfect for deer hunting. So they got up really early and drove down to the man’s farm. When they got there Mickey told Billy that he needed to tell his friend that they had arrived and were off to go hunting. So Mickey got out of the car and walked across the barn yard that was full of farm animals cows and chickens and an old mule. The man was delighted to see two great baseball legends - Mickey at his front door and Billy Martin waiting in the car.  The friend said it would be great for them to hunt but as Mickey was about to say thanks the man said he had a favor to ask of Mickey. He told Mickey about his mule. They mule was old and sick and needed to be laid to rest. He said I have had that mule for so long and I don’t want him to suffer anymore but I don’t have the heart to shoot him myself.  Could you do me a big favor and shoot him for me. Mickey said come on I can’t do that but the man talked him into it.  As Mickey was walking through the barn yard to get to the man’s house he started to think about all the times Billy had played practical jokes on him. So he got an idea for a joke to be played on Billy. Mickey storms back to the car and said  “give me one of those rifles”. Billy said what’s wrong. Mickey said we got up so early and drove all the way down here and now that guy says he is not going to let us hunt on his land. I’m so mad at him I am going to shoot his mule. Billy said no Mickey you can’t do that. We’ll get in trouble and be in the newspaper it will be a big disaster. Mickey said I don’t care I am going to kill his mule anyway. So Mickey took the rifle, takes aim at the mule and bag shot him dead. But the next thing he knows he hears two more shots ring out. Mickey turned around and Billy said “I got two of his cows”.

Many more of these types of stories have been told but it was Mantle’s history with alcohol that adds a dark side to his life’s story. F Scott Fitzgerald once said “show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy “- His alcohol abuse led to a failed marriage and strained relations with family and friends. Underlying these troubles were two problems. First Mickey never thought he, like the rest of the men in his family, would live past his 40^th birthday. All the men in his family including his dad had died an early death. They were miners who died of various occupational hazards of that type of work.  Mickey did not think he had much to live for so he lived like there was no tomorrow. The second thing that Mickey always had trouble understanding was his fame and popularity. It made him uncomfortable that so many people would do anything to get his autograph or shake his hand. He never thought he was that great. He was very hard on himself and always said he could have been a better player. Many times he said that he wished he was never famous. Drinking was a way for him to escape the pressure that came with the high public expectations.  Mickey began to come to terms with his problem in 1994 when he checked himself into rehab. In 1995 he received a liver transplant – the result of hard living – It was during this time that Mickey was able to come to terms with his fame but he continued to be hard on himself.  He famously said “if I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself”

Mickey said, "You talk about a role model -- this is a role model. Don't be like me. God gave me the ability to play baseball and that's what I wanted to do. God gave me everything and I just wasted it". Mickey died in 1995.

None of us think that Mickey wasted it but he did live a complicated life shaped by his baseball accomplishments, his fun loving story telling ways and his attempt at the end of his life to address his problems.

Mickey wanted to be remembered as a great teammate and in fact that is the inscription on his plaque at Yankee Stadium.

A complicated man that tried to hit a home run every time he went to bat.

Frank Schwall - Frank Schwall asks what to do?

What should the Democrats do? - Panic

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