Newsletter: The Intrigue Expert Communication. In this issue Sam Horns' evolutionary approach for Socratically engaging people the 70-10-10-10 Rule®


	Great Ideas are Like Great Art

In This Issue:

May, 2011

•	Sam Featured in FastCompany.com

•	Who Said This?

•	Why is Guy Kawasaki Genius in Action?

•	When and Where Is Sam Speaking Next?

•	The Evolution of E-Publishing

Sam Featured in FastCompany.com

“Remember, you’re more interested in what you have to say than anyone else is.” – Andy Rooney, 60 Minutes

Thanks to Adrian Ott, author of The 24 Hour Customer who was also selected as the top consultant in Silicon Valley, for interviewing me for her Fast Company expert blog.

Here’s an excerpt . . .

Did you know there is a woman who has helped countless entrepreneurs raise funds, aspiring authors to land book deals, and speakers to deliver edge-of-your-seat keynotes?

Her name is Sam Horn, award-winning speaker and author of Pop! Stand out in Any Crowd. Sam is the official pitch coach for Springboard Enterprises which has helped raise $5 Billion in venture funding for companies such as ZipCar and Constant Contact. She also serves a who's who of blue chip clients such as HP, NASA, Cisco, Intel, and Kaiser Permanente.

While speaking at the Invent Your Future Conference, I had the chance to catch up with Sam to learn more about her techniques and her forthcoming book, Win Buy-In.

Adrian: What's an example of a winning pitch opener that gets attention?

Sam: That reminds me of a coaching session I had with Kathleen Callender, founder of Pharmajet, who said, "Sam, my pitch is only 10 minutes?! How am I going to talk about my invention, subcutaneous inoculations, clinical trials, and financials in only 10 minutes?"

I said, "Actually, you don't have ten minutes. Investors make up their mind in the first 60 seconds whether you're worth their valuable time, mind and dime." So here's what we came up with:

Did you know that there are more than 1.8 billion vaccinations given every year?

Did you know that half are given with re-used needles?

Did you know that we are spreading and perpetuating the very diseases we are trying to prevent?

Imagine if there were a painless, one-use needle for a fraction of the current cost.

You don't have to imagine it ... we've created it. And in this presentation about Pharmajet [share your evidence ]

In this new pitch, we went from confusing detail about subcutaneous inoculations to eyebrows up, blackberries down and complete attention by the audience. This pitch helped Kathleen Callender win the Nokia Health Award and BusinessWeek named her one of America's Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs in 2010.

Adrian: That's a great example. Now, let's dissect your approach. How can people apply this technique to communicating their ideas?

Sam: First, Get Context by answering three questions:

1. What's an upcoming project or communication where you want funding, support or a yes?

2. Who's the decision-maker? Rather than giving a vague description, given him or her a name and pinpoint their frame of mind? (i.e. skeptical, impatient, perfectionist, supportive)

3. What do you want that person to do at the end of your presentation? For example, do you want them to buy your product? Provide funding? Sign a one year contract?

Second, Envision three things your decision-makers don't know about your issue or topic that they would like to know. Keep that decision-maker in mind as you craft your opening. Ask yourself:

What's a startling statistic about my offering I can attribute to a recent, respectable source? It's very important to cite a credible source because you need the gravitas to establish trust that what you're saying is credible and measurable.

What popular trend or event could I reference that proves this issue has growing significance? For example, "Did you see the TED talk where they said 'Water is the new oil?"

What other surprising insights could I introduce that would help them care about the problem I'm solving? Here's an example I recently developed with a European client:

• Did you know fishing fleets are losing millions /month because killer whales and dolphins get caught in their nets and they have to cut them out which means they lose all their fish?
• Did you know some fishing boat crews are resorting to killing the dolphins and killer whales to keep them out of their nets?
• Did you know dolphins and whales are the only animals in the sea that have sonar?

When we tell our audience something they don't know--but would like to know--about the scale or scope of the issue we're addressing, it pulls them in and motivates them to want to know more.

Third, Engage Their Right Brain: Use the word "imagine" so they are right brain engaged, seeing what we're saying and picturing our point. Here's what we came up with in the dolphin example:

Imagine if you could create a sound, like fingernails scraping across a chalkboard, that only killer whales and dolphin could sense. Imagine that unpleasant sound could harmlessly keep dolphins and whales away from nets so fishermen don't have to kill them and they still catch their fish and don't lose money.

Adrian: So tell me more about the choice of words here. The fingernails on the chalkboard and re-used needles made me cringe.

Sam: That's the power of using words that are visceral and visual. You want to get a reaction because it means people are processing what you're saying rather than being preoccupied.

Adrian: These words really bring the story to life. Anything else you would like to add about this approach?

Sam: Great ideas are like great art. They work from every angle. The more you look at them the more they reveal.

That's why it's important to start with questions. They transform communication from being a monologue into a dialogue. Questions engage. Declarations sit on the page.

As Johnny Depp said, "No one wants to go out mid-sentence." We don't want people nodding off in the middle of our idea.

Want to win buy-in to your priority?

Check out our Win Buy-in e-book, CD or MP3 at . . . . . . . . Sam Horn's E-Products Page

Let's connect on social media!

Sam’s main website http://www.SamHorn.com

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Did you find these ideas interesting and useful?

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Why is Guy Kawasaki Genius in Action?


“It’s not enough to be the best at what you do; you must be perceived to be the only one who does what you do.” – Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead I’m always keeping my antenna up for people who are one-of-a-kind at what they do. I had the privilege of seeing one in action at Ruth Stergiou’s Invent Your Future conference in Silicon Valley. As The Intrigue Expert and a communication strategist for the past 25 years; I’ve seen and given thousands of presentations. (Really). So, when I say Guy Kawasaki’s keynote was one of the best presentations I’ve ever experienced, that’s saying something. I was compelled to take notes because it’s a privilege to watch a master in action. I shared my observations with Guy afterwards and shared them on my blog – http://www.SamHornPOP.wordpress.com so others could learn from his shining example and adopt/adapt some of his approaches to enchant (and intrigue) their future audiences. Here’s just 3 reasons Guy’s keynote Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Action was a perfect 10 . . . Please note: You might want to have an upcoming presentation in mind while you read this to get maximum benefit. What’s a situation you’ve got coming up in which you’ll be asking for approval, funding, support or a yes? Who’s the decision-maker? Who has the power or authority to give you the green light or the support you need to move ahead with this idea or initiative? What’s that person’s frame of mind? Or who will be in the audience and how receptive or resistant do you anticipate they’ll be? Factor that into how you design and deliver your remarks – and use these techniques that were so masterfully modeled by Guy – to increase the likelihood you’ll get a yes. 1. Guy had his audience at hello. “You’ve got to be a good date for the reader.” - Kurt Vonnegut No perfunctory opening remarks. That would have been predictable and predictable is boring. Guy pleasantly surprised everyone by starting with an amusing riff about how most speakers run long and no one’s ever angry at a speaker for ending early so he was going to jump right into things. Guy knows people are BBB – (Busy, Bored or Been there-heard that) and that we make up our minds in the first 60 seconds whether someone is worth our valuable time, mind and dime. He earned our good will in the first few minutes by being a "good date" and by kicking off with humor vs. the old-fashioned “Tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em approach ” which would have had us reaching for our smart phones. Bestselling author Elmore Leonard gave a keynote at the Maui Writers Conference (which I emceed for 17 years.) During the Q & A, a participant asked, “Why are your books so popular?” “Dutch” smiled and said, “I try to leave out the parts people skip.” Guy was instantly popular because he left out the parts people skip. 2. Guy engaged our head and heart - our left and right brain - with facts and feelings. "I never developed a plan for where I was going. I just counted on one interesting job segueing into the next. I let the universe do its work." - Bernadette Peters Any extreme is unhealthy. Many speakers (think engineers, IT professionals, physicians, professors, etc.) focus primarily on data, theories and facts. This makes for a lopsided speech because it’s long on logic but short on interest. Other presenters (think motivational speakers) share inspiring stories but there’s no “meat” – no tangible takeaways we can apply to reap real-world results. Guy was a sublime balance of head and heart. He let us know from the get-go he’d distilled his presentation into ten insights and 45 minutes. People love top ten lists because it indicates you’ve done the homework for us and edited the superfluous, which means we’ll be hearing only the most salient points, the best of the best. Anxiety is defined in two words: “not knowing.” If we don’t know how long this is going to take or the format, we may resent the speaker because, in a way, they’re keeping us in the dark and holding us hostage. Covering 10 points (or 7 steps or 6 keys or whatever) in a specified amount of time builds pace and momentum and keeps a speaker on track because you don’t have time to ramble. Logical left-brainers think “Oh, good. This is clearly going to be bottom-line and a good use of my time because it’s measurable and replicable.” Furthermore, a 10 point plan provides one of the quickest organizational constructs known to humankind because it provides an easy-to-understand-and-follow pattern. Listeners feel they’re in “the Allstate Plan” (they’re in good hands) and feel well-led as one interesting point segues into the next. Better yet, Guy balanced rhetoric (words) with photos (senses) throughout his presentation. Everyone was drawn in (and enchanted) because he “peopled his points.” His beautifully produced slides featured intellectually satisfying ideas, visually stunning images and named individuals which produced a holistic sense of symmetry. Well done! 3. Guy condensed his concepts into memorable one-of-a-kind sound bites. “I have a photographic memory. I just haven’t developed it yet.” – Jonathan Winters “Invoke reciprocity". "Conduct a ‘Premortum." "Incur a Debt." "Frame Thy Competition." "Separate the Believers.” These are just a few of Guy’s featured sound-bites (and chapter titles). How could you NOT want to know more? Guy got his ideas in our mental front door because he was not content to be common. Instead of lazily sharing platitudes and clichés (“It’s all about team.”), he coined first-of-their-kind phrases that got our eyebrows up. (Side note: What’s The Eyebrow Test? It is a technique described in my book POP! that gives you a way to test how compelling your communication is . . anywhere, anytime . . . in 5 seconds . . . for free. You don’t have to convene a focus group and spend thousands of dollars to determine whether your idea is commercially-viable. Simply tell someone your main point (or your elevator speech, business name, book title, the first 60 seconds of your pitch/presentation, or the first paragraph of your marketing copy) . . . and watch their eyebrows. If their eyebrows knit or furrow, it means they’re confused. They didn’t get it. And if they didn’t get it, you won’t get it. The goal is to get their eyebrows UP. Try it right now. Lift your eyebrows. Do you feel intrigued? Curious? Like you want to know more? THAT’s your goal as a communicator - to get the eyebrows up of busy, distracted decision-makers. It means you just got your message in their mental door.) Guy’s succinct sound-bites made his content POP! Because no matter how many books we’ve read or seminars we’ve attended, we’d never heard this before. By crafting unique sound-bites and NURDS (new words like Premortum), Guy gave his content a memorable long tail of influence. People love “the next new thing.” They’re more likely to share freshly-phrased ideas around the water-cooler – which means they’re Guy’s tribe, taking his work viral by becoming his voluntary word-of-mouth ambassadors. Phrases like “invoke reciprocity” are also monetizable and merchandisable. People will pay for refrigerator magnets (or coffee mugs or t-shirts) with sticky phrases like this. This keeps you and your message “in sight-in-mind” with your customers which gives your material even longer legs. Discover the other 7 things Guy did brilliantly at http://www.SamHornPOP.wordpress.com

The Evolution of E-Publishing


“Once a human being has arrived on this earth, communication is the largest single factor determining what happens to him.” – Virginia Satir What a pleasure it was speaking on the e-book panel at the ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors) conference in NYC. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my 70 – 10 – 10 – 10 Rule® which is based on the premise that our society is suffering from an epidemic of info-besity. Busy people don’t want more information; they want epiphanies. And they don’t get epiphanies from wah-wah info. They get it from The 70 – 10 – 10 – 10 Rule® - an evolutionary approach for capturing and keeping people’s attention – from start to finish. Moderator Susan Johnston did an excellent job keeping Peter Kay of W. W. Norton, Smashwords founder Mark Coker and me on track, delivering real-world value to everyone in the room. Mark and I had an opportunity to talk afterwards in the plush chairs of the historical Roosevelt Hotel. We were marveling at the rapid expansion of the e-publishing industry and both agreed the world has finally caught up to Dan Poynter’s (pictured on the right) pioneering vision that self-publishing is an equal opportunity option whose time has come. I remember Dan preaching the gospel of self-publishing at our first Maui Writers Conference (which I emceed for 17 years) in the early 90’s. Dan was surrounded by the top agents, authors and editors. To say they looked at him a bit askance is an understatement. He was considered somewhat of an eccentric for his views that publishing should be available to everyone - not just a limited few. You may remember that, back then, self-publishing was called “vanity” press. (Shudder.) It was perceived to be a last resort - something pursued only by people who couldn’t get a “real” book deal and were desperate to see their name in print. Aaahh, how things have changed. Back then, as Mark so eloquently observed, “New York publishers were gods who stood at the pearly gates of publishing and operated on a culture of ‘no.’ They had to pick YOU. If you were not ‘blessed’ by a publisher; you were out of luck.” As Mark noted, “Who knows how many cultural treasures were lost due to this narrow bottle-necked access? The good news is, self-publishing has now moved from the back of the bus to the front of the bus. Heck, it IS the bus.” E-publishing (which Smashwords does splendidly well) has removed the barriers to entry and democratized the process of getting your ideas into print. E-publishing is founded on the premise that YOU HAVE A VOICE and the right to be heard. It’s based on the belief that if you have something to say, you should have the opportunity to express it. Every Author Has a Responsibility to Produce a Quality Book “You’ve got to be a good date for the reader.” – Kurt Vonnegut Mark , Dan and I agree that with that right and opportunity . . . comes responsibility. None of us recommend you rush something into print. It’s in your best interests to produce a quality work that will add value for everyone who purchases it. Books have a long tail. You don’t want a book out there you’re not proud of (although another of the many advantages of e-publishing is you can actually go back - whenever you want, as often as you want - to correct typos and update/improve content.) Imagine that. Dan Poynter still logs tens of thousands of miles a year, speaking around the world (40 countries and counting), sharing his passionate conviction that “No one should die with their book still in them.” Dan Poynter’s site http://www.ParaPublishing.com and his classic, soup-to-nuts, everything-you-want-to-know Self-Publishing Manual give encouragement as well as step-by-step advice. Even more importantly, Dan reassures people that what you think matters. Sharing your story or heartfelt message is one way to leave a tangible legacy and will be one of the most satisfying achievements of your life. He believes sharing your expertise and experience is not about arrogance; it’s about service. Putting your epiphanies into print is not hubris – it can be a humble way of saying, “Here’s what I’ve learned. I hope you find it interesting, entertaining or useful.” Scale Your Readership Instantly and Internationally “If you stick to what you know; you sell yourself short.” - Carrie Underwood I believe Mark Coker is continuing Dan Poynter’s contribution on the evolutionary continuum of publishing. Not only does Smashwords provide an extremely quick and efficient process for getting your thoughts into print, it gets them onto more than a dozen different mobile platforms including Barnes & Noble. In the “old days,” New York publishers held the keys to the kingdom. The only way to get into bookstores was if your book was with Random House, Simon & Schuster - one of the “big” houses. Now, e-publishing is a viable, sometimes even preferable, option for entrepreneurs (speakers, consultants, service professionals) who want to: • scale their profile, visibility and brand • have autonomy over their project (vs. abdicating decisions to others re: cover, etc.) • benefit from a quick turn-around (an amazing 24 hours from submitted manuscript to e-book) • generate almost pure profit with little or no overhead • instantly access international markets • leverage online promotion and readership via digital devices and the internet It is also an ideal outlet for romance/thriller/cookbook, fantasy-Sci-Fi fans who have ever read a less-than-stellar book and thought, “Hey, I can do better than this.” Self publishing is perfect for people who think, “I’m not going to put the destiny of my dream in someone else’s hands. I’m not going to let gatekeepers tell me whether my work has value – I’ll let READERS determine that.” Still, getting into e-print is one thing. Getting your words into the heads, hearts and hands of readers is another. Mark and Smashwords take care of that. They deliver the holy grail of writing. . . DISTRIBUTION! They even help with marketing. As a former PR agency owner, Mark shares his top 31 tips for boosting sales and getting the word out about your work on his site – http://www.SmashWords.com and in his free, jam-packed-full-of-fantastic-advice eBook, The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide. Check it out. One of the many things I like about Dan Poynter and Mark Coker is their integrity and social responsibility. They both have a higher level mission regarding the potential and purpose of e-publishing. It’s not just about expanding the freedom and opportunity for self expression. It’s ultimately about connection. In the past few months, the blogosphere, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have shown us the global impact (the uprising in Egypt, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan) e-communication can have. In fact, in the May 2, 2011 issue of Time, Managing Editor Richard Stengel said in his opening column, The Democratization of influence: “Revolutionary change has been deepened, widened and accelerated by the power of social media. It’s never been easier to influence or to be influenced. We like to think revolutions rise from below, but through most of human history; it’s the elite who have caused and led revolutions. Now because of social media, anyone can communicate with everyone. We’re seeing that in the Middle East, Africa and China. The democratization of information may actually lead to real democracy. “ You’ll Never Have More Time Than You Have Right Now Baseball player to Yogi Berra: “What time is it?” Yogi Berra: “You mean now?” What is e-publishing but the democratization of information and influence? Ideally, (but why not operate ideally?), e-publishing can bring us closer together. It can give voice to people who might have lived silently, whose voices would have gone unheard. To me, that’s a noble goal worth striving for. And it could be part of putting your SerenDestiny in motion. SerenDestiny is betting on yourself – going all in on your talent – doing what puts the light on in your eyes. Does writing put the light on in your eyes? Do you feel you have a story or message that could make a difference for others? There’s no time like now. Visit www.Smashwords.com www.parapublishing.com or sign up for the one-day Writers Retreat I’m hosting in Houston, Texas for NSA - http://www.nsahouston.org/ - to discover how to get your message out of your head and into the world where it can make a positive difference for others and a profitable living for you. Remember, in 20 years of helping people get their story and message into print, I have never met any authors who were sorry they wrote their book. I have only met authors who were sorry they didn’t write it sooner.

Who Said This?


“I want compassion to be the new black.”?? Clue: This person is a rock legend who has re-invented himself and gained a whole new audience on a hit TV show. Submit your guess within the first 24 hours of this ezine being sent. We pick a winner from all the correct answers. The lucky winner receives his/her choice of any two of Sam’s CD’s – including her new CD (or MP3) of SerenDestiny: Are You Leading the Life You Were Meant to Live? . . . Win Buy-In: Get Anyone Intrigued in Anything in 60 Seconds . . . the 70–10–10–10 Rule: Sam Horn’s Business Communication Manifesto for Capturing and Keeping Attention – from Start to Finish. Email SamHornsAssistant@gmail.com with your guess.

When and Where Is Sam Speaking Next?

Sam just got back from Chicago and speaking for EO’s Global Leadership Council. Next up is:

Monday May 9 . . . 8pm ET (5pm PT)
Where: From the comfort of your own Home or Office
Who: Sam Horn tele-seminar - SerenDestiny: Are You Leading the Life You’re Meant to Live?
What: Are you leading your ideal life? The life you were born to live? Sam Horn explores how we can connect with synchronistic individuals and opportunities that set our best future in motion. Discover for yourself why this program received accolades at TEDx-NASA and why it's receiving so many views on YouTube. You'll be moved and inspired by the powerful stories of people who had the courage of their convictions and the valor of their vision and took responsibility for jump-starting their SerenDestiny and increasing their impact, joy and contribution.

If you missed the previous announcements and you couldn't make the tele-seminar, no worries you can still start your journey downloading Sam's SerenDestiny MP3 for only $20,

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Sam's Calendar

When: May 11-13
Where: Denver, CO
Who: BMGI's 2011 Global Customer Summit
What: Sam will open the conference with her keynote Can You Communicate Your Competitive Edge?
http://www.bmgi.com

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When: May 16-18
Where: Hollywood, CA
Who: SANG - Speakers and Authors Networking Group
What: Larry Benet, Founder of SANG (Speakers and Authors Networking Group) has invited Sam to their conference to work her Win Buy-In magic with “a powerful community of trendsetters and change agents, billionaires, iconic business moguls, bestselling authors and speakers, and top thought leaders.” A partial list includes Jack Canfield, Tim Sanders, Sandra Yancey, Marshall Goldsmith, Bill Phillips, David Bach, Leigh Steinberg (the REAL Jerry Maguire) and Darren Hardy (publisher of Success Magazine). Sam will be hosting a table and helping participants with their pitch, elevator intros and signature message.
Contact: www.sangevents.com

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When: May 21
Where: Houston, TX
Who: NSA - Houston
What: Sam will present a hands-on, one-day WRITERS RETREAT. Make 2011 the year you get a quality book out into the world to make a positive difference for others and a prosperous living for yourself.
Contact: http://www.nsahouston.org/

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When:     May 24, 2011
Where:    Hampton, VA – NASA Langley Research Center
Who:       TEDxNASA@LARC
What:      Sam will emcee this “taste of TEDxNASA” program being held exclusively for the NASA workforce at the Reid Center. She will also present on Win Buy-In: Get Anyone Intrigued in Anything . . . in 60 Seconds.
Contact: http://www.ted.com/tedx/events/2956

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When: June 7, 2011
Where: Orange County, CA
Who: National Association of Women Business Owners – Orange County Chapter
What: Sam will keynote the dinner meeting of the largest NAWBO chapter in the US. Her topic is Communicate Your Competitive Edge.
Contact: Christina.Becker@ml.com or visit http://www.nawbo-oc.org/

Did you find these ideas intriguing and useful?

Did you find these ideas intriguing and useful? We invite you to forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues so they can enjoy it also. It’s easy. Just click on the "forward" link below. Thank you. We appreciate you spreading the word about these ideas and offerings. Sam works from her home office on a lake near Washington DC's Dulles airport. Sam's Office Manager, Cheri Grimm, operates out of the Central California coast near Hearst Castle. Want to consult with Sam or arrange for her to speak at your conference? Contact us at 1-800-SAM-3455 Info@SamHorn.com Sam's Blogs http://www.SamHornPOP.wordpress.com http://www.SerenDestiny.wordpress.com Sam’s websites http://www.SamHorn.com http://www.TongueFu.com Let's connect on social media! Sam’s main website http://www.SamHorn.com Follow Sam on twitter Check out Sam’s LinkedIn page Sam’s facebook page Did you find these ideas interesting and useful? You are invited to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might enjoy it. Just click the "forward" link at the bottom of this page.