I carried out an experiment last week, which produced a fascinating result.
One of the most popular courses I teach is public speaking.
But I’ve always been surprised I don’t get more mid-level and senior managers, leaders and executives coming along.
I did a little research with some contacts at that level, and discovered a possible explanation:
- they already thought they were good, very good, or excellent at public speaking
This surprised me, even if I didn’t actually say so.
(I'm nice like that!)
Because although many of them were decent at public speaking and presentations, and some were pretty good, none were truly memorable or outstanding.
So when it came time to advertise a new course, I tinkered just slightly with the title.
Instead of public speaking and presentations, I made it:
- Advanced Public Speaking and Presentations
And guess what?
It worked!
I immediately got good numbers signing up, including the more senior people who had been missing before.
All that from the addition of just one word.
But, in truth, I should have realised the importance of the subtleties of language before.
A teacher once told me the story of trying to get more young people interested in maths.
She started a lunchtime maths club, advertised it around the school…
And got very little interest.
So she re-advertised it as the lunchtime puzzles club…
And filled the classroom.
In fairness, I perhaps should’ve realised the importance of the shades of words even earlier than that.
Going back more than 20 years, to when Niamh was very young…
I could never get her to want to go to the creche.
But if I mentioned a chance to visit…
– the kids fun club
It was instantly a very different story!
