 Adobe Photos Most need to realize how much work goes into delivering a high-stakes communication. It's high stakes because you are either going to win or lose. Bad things happen when you lose. Unfortunately, Joe Biden lost in his presidential debate with Donald Trump because he could not deliver even an acceptable high-stakes communication at the presidential debate. Based on Biden's poor performance, some in his party want him to end his presidential campaign. I will explain what you need to do to avoid this predicament. Note, Trump was terrible in the debate, but this blog post focuses on Biden since he was atrocious. Since job interviews are a form of high-stakes communication with which we are familiar, I will use the presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump to show how to communicate effectively and win. They were both interviewing for the job of the president of the United States in front of 50 million viewers. Joe Biden knocked himself out in the first 90 seconds, so Donald Trump was declared a winner in many polls after the debate. Trump now has an excellent shot to be the president unless something significant changes before November 5th, 2024 when people make a hiring decision. In my book "Winning Speech Moments," I stress three key elements you must master: Message, Content, and Performance. This may sound simple, but it requires dedicated practice. You can't just wing it. But with practice, you can feel prepared and confident in any high-stakes communication situation. Below is what you are trying to convey with message, content and performance. Message What you plan to do or deliver. Content What are things you want people to know so they can trust that you can deliver if hired. Performance What do you want people to feel so they trust you that you indeed will deliver on your message. This is it. You would think everyone would be able to win in high-stakes communication, but it is one of the hardest things to do. Why? You never get to test this with the decision-makers. You must use your instincts and make smart guesses. You only get one shot to win. Most people don't have a message, their content does not amplify their message, and their performance could be better. The result is they don't get a job, and the interview becomes a waste of time for both. If you integrate all three, you have a good shot to be hired. It sounds simple but is very difficult to execute. High-stakes communication is about trust. Just as we go to movies because we trust the actors to deliver a performance that makes us feel. You must be able to make your audience trust you. You can't be an effective communicator if you can't inspire trust. Your performance is key to building this trust. The performance is the most difficult aspect of high-stakes communication. Your visual is sending signals and everyone can see it. In these three attributes, Biden did not have a message, his content needed to be more precise, and his performance could have been better. Meanwhile, Trump at least had a message (America is bad because of Joe Biden); his content was filled with untruths and exaggerations, but was very clear when he said, "I did not have sex with a pornstar." His performance was ok in that he did not make weird faces or interrupt Biden (which he couldn't do based on the silent mic when it was not his turn to talk). Trump won because he at least knew why he was there. Biden didn't. So let's turn to your high-stakes communication: Job Interview. Message You must have a message about why the employer should hire you. You must show them how they will make money. You must keep repeating this since this is the only thing that matters to an employer. Content You better be able to answer questions briefly while amplifying your message. If you can't stay on message, then you are confusing the interviewer. Performance This is about persuasion, trust, and delivering results. Does your performance show that? As you can see, I have simplified this, but it requires a lot of work to succeed in high-stakes communication. If it is hard for residents, then just think how hard it is for people who rarely engage in high-stakes communication. So what can you do? Practice, practice, practice. I recommend you get a high-stakes communication coach or get my book. The reason coaching is important since only they will tell you ahead of time what's working and what needs to be improved. You don't want to find out when you don't get hired. People need to work on this money skill and not wing it. They get frustrated when they don't win. Communication is hard, and it is a must skill today to succeed. AI can do a lot of wonderful things, but it can't deliver a performance that results in a win. Only you can do that. So don't get intimidated by AI; just work on the most important skill for success: High-Stakes Communication. #####  I guide people succeed when they must win, such as getting a good job, advancing in career or winning a sales deal. I wrote a practical, no-nonsense book on winning throuhg speaking titled Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. Get the Free Speech Checklist Email: [email protected] Phone: 732-847-9877
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 Adobe Photos When interviewing for a job, you can easily get eliminated and not know about it. So, how do you prevent this from happening? To understand this, let's look at how Joe Biden got eliminated when he was debating Donald Trump. The debate was a high-stakes event, and Biden was either unprepared or could not execute. Joe Biden is trying to get re-elected as the president, so all the blame goes to him. Similarly, if you screw up a job interview, you are to blame. It is you who is not going to get the job. When you have a face to face interview and can't get the job, the interviewer is saying that you can't help them make money. It is that simple. It is always about money. Joe Biden lost the debate since he could not convince people how he will make their lives better. So, what can we learn from Joe Biden's mistakes in a high-stakes debate that can be applied to a job interview? Understanding these mistakes can provide valuable insights and help you avoid similar pitfalls. First Mistake: First Impression When Joe Biden enters the stage, he points to the lectern. Everyone in America knows that Biden has the lectern closest to him, so it makes no sense why he is unsure. Pointing to the podium makes Biden look unconfident. This happens before he utters a single word or even Donald Trump enters the stage. Strike One. But Biden still has two strikes left. Second Mistake: First Sound from Joe Biden. Biden's first sound in the debate was raspy and inaudible. He did not sound confident. If Biden was not feeling well, his campaign manager should have postponed the debate. Strike Two. Biden is now down to one strike. Third Mistake Since there were no opening statements, Biden had to clearly explain why he was debating a candidate convicted of 34 counts of felony, guilty of committing sexual assault and convicted of committing fraud where he has to pay $453 million. Biden had to make Trump unacceptable right from the beginning. Biden did not do that and made Trump acceptable. That's all on Biden. You can have a bad day playing a round of golf, but not when you want to remain the president. Strike Three. The debate was over in less than two minutes. Many who watched the debate past the first two minutes thought that Biden was better later in the debate, but it was too late. The damage was done. Joe Biden knocked himself out without Trump laying a punch on him. Go watch it, and you will see that this debate was torture to watch for 90 minutes since we went to "garbage time" after the first two minutes. Basketball games in the NBA have garbage time of no more than fifteen minutes, which typically happens in the fourth quarter when one team is so far ahead that the outcome has already been decided, and the players from both teams are just playing to run out the clock. The only event I remember that was just as short as this debate was when Michael Spinks fought Mike Tyson. It was on pay-per-view, so I paid to watch it at a colleague's house. I went to get some snacks in another room, and when I came back to the TV room, the fight was over. Tyson knocked out Spinks. I could not believe it. The fight was over in 91 seconds, and Michael Spinks never fought again. Joe Biden did not understand that you can't debate a felon. You are entering a boxing ring and must knock him out. That is on Biden. At least Michael Spinks took a punch from Tyson and got knocked out. Biden knocked himself out in less than two minutes, which I don't think was possible in a presidential debate with high stakes. What can you learn from Joe Biden's debate performance so you don't make the same mistakes in a high-stakes interview? First impressions are crucial, so you must work on how you will present yourself from the beginning at a job interview. For instance, dress professionally, maintain eye contact, and offer a firm handshake. The first impression is how the interviewer sees you without you saying a single word. Secondly, remember that your initial communication with the interviewer is as crucial as your responses to their questions. Clear and confident communication can set the tone for the entire interview and leave a lasting impression. Third, you must ensure that your and the interviewer's expectations are aligned. This means understanding the job role, the company culture, and what the interviewer is looking for in a candidate. It's not just about what you can offer, but also about what you can expect from the job and the company. Though this sounds simple. But, as you saw in the presidential debate, Joe Biden could not do this well, and it got worse from there. He did not even try to recover from or correct his mistakes in his closing statement. The entire debate was a disaster for Biden. SInce BIden was so bad, very little focus was being given to Donald Trump. He won the debate because of a self knockout commitred by Joe BIden. ##### I guide people succeed when they must win, such as getting a good job, advancing in career or winning a sales deal. I wrote a practical, no-nonsense book on winning throuhg speaking titled Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. Get the Free Speech Checklist Email: [email protected] Phone: 732-847-9877  Photo by DL Wyer on Unsplash Most people like watching the popular TV show Shark Tank because it is entertaining and can teach you a lot about entrepreneurship. But even if you don't aspire to become an entrepreneur, it can also teach you a lot about how to ace a job interview. It's hard for entrepreneurs to get on Shark Tank. Very few get to pitch their business to "sharks" (investors interested in funding entrepreneurs' business for equity). Getting a deal from "sharks" is harder. You have to prove your mettle and your growth potential. Similarly, getting a job interview is hard; walking away with a job offer is harder. Getting a deal on "Shark Tank" is not much different than getting a job. You have to use the same skills. Just like entrepreneurs on Shark Tank, to get a job, you must have these five things: Product, Purpose, Passion, Presentation, and Prize. Product Entrepreneurs on Shark Tank have a product or service they have developed over a long time. The product must solve customers' problems and make money. In a job interview, you are the product. And you have to show how you can solve an employers' problem so they can make money. Purpose This is your why. Most entrepreneurs on Shark Tank have a good story on why they are entrepreneurs. Sharks like to hear about entrepreneurs' why before they invest. When interviewing, you must have your why. Interviewers need to know why do you love what you do as a professional. Passion Entrepreneurs on Shark Tank are passionate about their products. This is a MUST. If entrepreneurs can't get excited about their product, they can't get "sharks" excited about making an investment. You must do the same when you are interviewing. You must show passion for your product---You--- and the value you will deliver. Presentation Entrepreneurs on Shark Tank are judged on how well they can present to "sharks." This is the test all entrepreneurs must ace. In a job interview, you must also do the same. You have to show who you are, what you have, and why they should care. If you do this well, you are likely to get the job. Prize Entrepreneurs know why they are on Shark Tank. They want a deal from the "sharks" to take their business to the next level. Also, they need to show why they are a prize for the sharks to want a bet on them. In a job interview, you must focus on getting a job offer and showing why the employer should bet on you to drive growth. Presentation Wins Deals To secure a deal from "sharks," entrepreneurs have to do a great job at presenting their product, business, and growth. Similarly, getting a job comes down to how well you can articulate the value you bring to an employer. You have to show confidence by displaying these five attributes in your interview like you are on "Shark Tank":
Simplicity Sharks get pitched a lot, so entrepreneurs must keep it simple. The successful ones tell, sell and close.
You have to do the same when interviewing. You have to keep it simple and must tell, sell and close. Clarity Entrepreneurs who are talking too much and not clear of what they are doing and where they want to go with their business are less likely to get a deal. The ones who get a deal are very clear and don't make the sharks think too hard. You must do the same when you are interviewing. Clarity is key to your success. You want to say less and let the interviewers ask for more if they are interested in knowing more details. Remember, the more words you use, the more you will confuse. You are likely to make the interviewers think hard. And when they have to think hard, they don't make a decision in your favor. Focus A lot of entrepreneurs lose deals because they are not focused. Lack of focus confuses the sharks, and they don't invest. In a job interview, you must stay focused on your message, narrative, problem-solving skills, and the value you can deliver to an employer. And keep repeating it. Saying it once is not enough. In the Old Testament, you see the Lord reminding Israelites how He rescued them from Egypt and gave them the land filled with milk and honey? There is a lot of repetition in the Bible. And the Bible is still the most popular book in the world. In an interview, act like a Lord and repeat what value you have delivered and will deliver in the future. It works. Money Entrepreneurs must be able to talk about money confidently. They must explain how much money they have made. How they plan to make more money in the future and how. Entrepreneurs are judged heavily on their ability to explain money. In a sense, it's all about money. Similarly, you must talk about money you have made for previous employers. How you plan to make money for the employer with whom you are interviewing. You are going to be judged on this part of the interview more closely than anything else. Employers may like what you can do for them, but it is your job to link it to money. Companies are in business to make money and lots of it. If you have done it, say it. Don't assume the interviewers will figure it out. And yes, like the Bible, keep repeating, "I help companies make money." Attitude If you are on a stage that can change your life, you have to act like a winner. Entrepreneurs who act like winners on the show not only get a deal but get an excellent deal. When you are interviewing, you must show a winning attitude. It's contagious. You will not just get an offer but get an excellent offer. You have to act like a winner before you can be a winner. You must maintain your composure in a stressful situation and stick to your game plan. If you do that, you will exude confidence and increase your chances of getting a job offer. Getting a job is no different than getting a deal on "Shark Tank." You must have something sellable, but that is not enough. You have to do a great job in presenting your value in a job interview. It is a test to get the job. With some work, and perhaps so some targeted coaching, anyone can ace it. Good Luck! #####  I guide people thrive on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, career advancement, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. I wrote an advanced and comprehensive book on public speaking titled Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. The main idea of the book is that if you want people to remember you and take action, you must create a winning speech moment in your speech.
Please contact me if you would like to thrive on high stakes stage. You can reach me at [email protected] or 732-847-9877. Remember, Time is Money but Communication is Wealth   One of my favorite scenes from the movies comes from "Tootsie," which came out in 1982. The movie is about an out of work actor Michael Dorsey, played by Dustin Hoffman. Getting a job as an actor is difficult for him since he is very picky in his roles. He decides to take a risk by impersonating a woman, "Dorothy Michaels," to audition for a part as a hospital administrator in a soap opera "Southwest General." He gets the part, and his role as Emily Kimberly becomes very popular. While working there, Dorothy befriends the lead actress on the soap opera, Julie Nichols, played by Jessica Lange. Michael is attracted to Julie. When Julie invites Dorothy to her place, Julie, after having a few glasses of wine, tells Dorothy how frustrating it is when it comes to relationships. She confesses she would respect a man if he stopped all the BS and just came out and said: "Listen... I could lay a big line on you, we could do a lot of role-playing, but the simple truth is, I find you very interesting and I'd really like to make love with you." Upon hearing that, Dorothy, naturally, starts feeling hot. Later in the movie, Michael sees Julie at a party standing alone with a drink in her hand. He approaches her and lays the same pick-up line that Julie shared with Dorothy. Julie promptly empties her glass on Michael. Michael learned that what one says in private is BS, especially when one is little tipsy. Now I don't like to get a drink thrown at my face or worse, get punched, but that pick-up line can be repurposed to network with someone. Let's face it, we meet many people that we would like to network with that rarely gets off the ground. Why? It is a lot of work on both sides to network effectively. Networking just doesn't happen; you and the other person must make it happen for it to work. So here is the repurposed line from "Tootsie" on networking that I have come up with. You can tweak it and make it better and post it in the comment section of this post. Why can't we just stop all the BS and be direct and say: "Look, I would like to network with you. We can help each other out. Let's set up a call ASAP and get to work." Is it bold? Not really. Will it work? Yes, if someone sees a benefit in networking with me. Will this save me a lot of time? Absolutely. I don't want to network with people who don't know how to network. As you know well that the half-life of any networking is when you end the conversation. Most of my networking contacts are just that. I am mostly at fault since I have not paid much attention to networking and developed any strategy and action plan. Instead, I spend a lot of time mastering other things and not focusing on networking. If we want to succeed in anything, we have to focus on networking with a strategy and a plan. It starts with being direct and letting someone know that you take networking seriously. You and the other person have to get to work right away to make it work. #####  Jay Oza is an author, speaker, executive coach. He makes people thrive on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. He is the author of a practical book Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. You can get this book on Amazon for $9.99 for a limited time. Please download the free speech checklist that you can use to help you create a winning speech for any situation.
Please contact him if you would like to discuss how you can work with him even if you are budget constrained due to the pandemic. If you are interested in inviting him to give a Zoom talk on job Interviewing or high-stakes speaking, you can reach him at [email protected].  cnn.com. I watched the first 2020 presidential debate, and Trump did not do what he had to do as an incumbent president. He acted like he is still a long shot challenger and that was a big miss om his part. But he does have a chance to turn it around in the next two debates. Will he? Before I go into what he needs to do, here are the reasons why Trump did not do well: 1) Trump did not sound, look and act presidential This was the easy part, and he couldn't accomplish that. Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all lost their first debate when they ran for re-election, but they all looked presidential. That allowed them to turn it around on second and third debates. Trump may have been angry that he had to be there, but he had to show respect for the position that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln held. He acted like a WWE wrestler at a presidential debate. 2) Trump did not do much counter-attacking Trump went on the attack right from the beginning. That is not what he had to do. He had to take punches and look for his spots in the debate and counter attack and walk away with a draw. That would have been a big win for him. Now he has to attack that will not make him look presidential and the format for the next debate is not conducive for attack style he displayed in the first debate. 3) Trump had to defend his record That may be the main reason why he stuck with his attack strategy. Unless he was willing to apologize for 7 million infections and over 200,000 deaths. Instead, he was blaming Joe Biden for what happened under his watch. He had to address his record head on rather than being defensive. 4) Trump did not give his vision for second term This is what he had to do, at the least, in the debate. He has no clue why he wants to remain president. What is he going to do that he has not done during his first term? 5) Trump could not change You are how you debate. Trump showed he does not follow the rules and thinks he can do anything he wants. Joe Biden didn't even have to say that. Trump did the selling for Biden. At the end, Biden outsold the greatest salesman the world has ever known without even being that good in the debate. Just think of that. Trump showed that he has no self-awareness and could not change. He was given ample of opportunity by the moderator and he wanted to blow up the debate and succeeded. Trump will struggle in the next two debate formats. He will have a hard time connecting with ordinary Americans in the next debate, a town hall format. Trump has a hard time being empathetic, which will be needed since he will have to look at the people who are asking questions. The third debate is about foreign policy. That is Joe Biden's expertise. Biden can go very deep. The bad news for Trump is that it is going to be the least-watched debate. Winning Strategy for Trump to Adopt in the Next Two Debates The biggest problem Trump has in 2020 election is that he won the 2016 election. He did everything to lose that election and carved out an electoral college win and lost the popular vote by close to 3 million votes. As we know that success is a bad teacher. He is doing everything again to lose the election, hoping that his base shows up and the Democrats will stay home. If that does not work, then create doubt and let the courts decide like they did in 2000. But a better strategy is to do well in the next two debates since he has such a low bar that if he just not make faces, maintains his composure and be polite to Joe Biden and the moderator, he will win. No one will care what he says. He must answer questions below rather than blame, obfuscate, or deflect. If he is going to take credit for things, then he must also accept the blame. He was the only president we had for the last four years. He must look like he is willing to live by the slogan that "Buck Stops Here." If he does not do that, the election will come down to---to put it bluntly---racist America vs. non-racist America. 1) What is his vision for the next four years regarding good jobs, health care, China, climate change, and deficit/debt? 2) Why the US has 4% of the world population but 20% of deaths? What went wrong? Why should we trust him that he can fix this? 3) Why is the country so divided over race and justice and how he plans to bring the country together 4) Why can't he release his tax returns to see if he has not committed fraud and who he owes money to? 5) How has his signature achievement, tax cuts, and trade deals, have helped ordinary Americans 6) Why should people believe that he cares about the Constitution, Democracy, Justice, Facts, and Decency? 7) Why is he the only modern president who has ever gotten asked by the media to denounce white supremacist groups? #####  Jay Oza is an author, speaker, executive coach. He makes people thrive on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. He is the author of a practical book Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. You can get this book on Amazon for 99 cents for a limited time. Please download the free speech checklist that you can use to help you create a winning speech for any situation.
Please contact him if you would like to discuss how we can work together even if you are budget constrained due to the current economic situation. If you are interested in inviting him to give a Zoom talk on job Interviewing or high-stakes speaking. You can reach him at [email protected]. Rather than playing Monday morning quarterback after the first presidential debate, I have written this post to show how I would coach Joe Biden's debate against Donald Trump. After the debate, I can then easily show what I recommended and what he actually did during the debate. I think this is a good exercise since I use this when I coach candidates who are going for high-stakes job interviews, sales calls or speeches. It is something I recommend you do if you want to handle a high stakes situation with both confidence and competence. We are close to the first presidential debate, and in this post, I will focus on how Joe Biden should debate against Donald Trump. Note this is not really a debate but an opportunity to get your points across. So I have prepared talking points that Biden must get across while being persuasive, hard-hitting, and entertaining. If he does that, Biden will win. It is not likely to move many voters but you want to get the voters motivated to turn out on election day. If Biden has a good performance, he will get the turnout he needs to win the presidency. At least that is what I think but that is what I thought in 2016. It did not turn out that way since Trump eked out an electoral college win. Winning this type of debate will not change a single vote. But it will assure those who support Biden that he can get the job done. That is his main objective in this debate. Note, I will not post one on Trump debate talking points since I don't think he is coachable and will do what suits him as he has always done: lie. You don't need any talking points with that bulletproof strategy. One thing Joe Biden has to be careful is not to respond to Trump's lies. If he does that he WILL lose and be thrown off his game. All Biden has to do is say calmly with a smile when Trump lies about him, "I am not going to dignify his lies" and then hammer Trump on why he is so unfit to remain as president. Biden just has to wear Trump down which is a strong possibility since Trump will not have his audience there. Trump struggles mightily when he is not talking to his audience. Biden just have to stay focused and let Trump expend all the energy and frustrate him with attack that hurts his myth of being a strong, competent and ethical leader. Below are the key talking points to get across if I were coaching Joe Biden. Opening I want to make one thing clear right upfront. I agree with Bernie Sanders when he says that "Donald Trump is a pathological liar." Folks, it gives me no joy to say this about the president of the United States. He has demeaned the office so much that it may never recover after he peacefully leaves on January 20, 2021. So one thing I want the viewers to note is that only I have come here to debate. Donald Trump has come here to lie, insult, bully like he always does. When you look at how awful his record has been for the last four years, he has no choice but to lie about his record and everything else. You already know all this but I have to make sure since the moderator is not going to be doing any fact checking. So pay close attention. He is not here to debate but to put on a show so you talk about him and not talk about issues that matter to you such as Covid, health care, jobs, justice and climate change. America First Donald Trump promised America FIrst when he ran in 2016. And boy have they delivered. They exceeded all expectations. We are first in most COVID cases. We are first in most COVID deaths. We are first in most people unemployed. We are first in most money spent during COVID. We are first in being the biggest laughing stock in the world. Donald Trump and Republicans are very proud of this accomplishments. They along with their right wing SCOTUS judges promise to deliver more firsts till your head keep spinning. Five Words Donald Trump recently demonstrated what a stable genius he is because he could cite five words like "dog, baby, diaper, bottle, candy.". Perhaps he can demonstrate it here, again. But the five words Donald Trump and the Republican party can't say even once because they don't believe in are these: Constitution, Democracy, Justice, Facts, Decency. Repeating "dog, baby, diaper, bottle, candy" a few times makes Donald Trump feel smart. Repeating "Constitution, Democracy, Justice, Facts, Decency" makes you feel safer that the president and his party will stand by their oath of office. Hoax Folks, my opponent has been telling you about hoaxes since he wanted to become president. First, it was Barack Obama's birth certificate. Then it was the Mueller Report. Then it was the Impeachment. Then it was COVID. Now it's the upcoming election. The only thing that is a definite hoax is Donald Trump and the Republican party. Cognitively Decline Donald Trump goes around saying I have cognitively declined. Folks, At least I know I am not the president. Donald Trump, after close to four years, still does not know that he is the president. "Sleepy Joe" He has been going around calling me "Sleepy Joe." Folks, the only person who has been asleep on the job, is Donald Trump with more than 200K COVID deaths, an economy in depression, and environmental destruction because of climate change. Lying Donald Trump lies to the American people all the time. People have gotten tired of counting them. I will give him this; he is our national champion of lying. But he is no match when he goes up against international players like Putin, Un, Xi, and MBS. They are grandmasters of lying. THEY. CLEAN. HIS. CLOCK. EVERY. TIME. Putin -- lied to him about Russia's involvement in our election. He bought it hook line and sinker. Kim Jong Un -- lied to him about denuclearization. He bought it again. Un still has all his nukes and more. Xi -- lied to him about COVID-19. Trump bought his lies and even repeated it to Americans what a great job Xi is doing. Again he bought lies from a despot that has killed over 200,000 Americans. MBS -- lied to him that he didn't kill Khashoggi. Trump bought his lie, thus endangering journalists everywhere. Trump may win with lies over his base and scared Republican Congressmen and Senators, but he is always the biggest loser when he goes up against grandmasters of lies like Putin, Un, Xi. MBS, and many others. Economy Our economy is in bad shape, and it is all Donald Trump's fault. Donald Trump has a successful track record of declaring bankruptcy, His daddy gave him close to half a billion dollars, and he lost it all. Gone. Think about that. He has had to declare bankruptcy something like five times, meaning I win, and everyone who invests in me loses. When he became president, he inherited an excellent economy from President Obama and now look at where we are: unemployment greater than the Great Recession, a declining GDP, markets in turmoil, rising debt and deficits, loss of confidence. We are not just dying from his incompetent response to COVID response. The American economy is dying from that too, and worst of all, people have lost hope about their future. Kamala Harris and I will turn things around like the way Barack and I did when we took over in 2009. Race Donald Trump was a racist before he became president, but he has succeeded in Making America Racist Again. He was racist when before he became president. His racism helped him take over the Republican party with the birther lie about Barack Obama. After he became president, he said there were good Nazis marching in Charlottesville. He calls African countries as "s-hole" countries. He hates anyone who is non-white. He won't condemn a white teenager who killed two people who were protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake. Donald Trump promised he was going to Make America Great Again. All he has done is Make America Hate Again. The only way to stop this is from voting Trump and the Republicans out of the office on November 3rd. Health Care Republicans have no ZERO interest in coming up with a healthcare plan. ZERO. But worse, they want to get rid of the plan that was passed by Congress. Millions of people depend on this for their wellbeing. Without ACA, everyone suffers. The cost goes up for everyone. Health care gets worse for everyone. Seniors will suffer the most since they will have to wait and wait since emergency rooms will be packed with the uninsured when they have an emergency. Hospitals will be stressed and will be forced to close down. We took a Republican plan that Mitt Romney passed in MA. But not a single Republican supported it when it came for a vote, but have worked relentlessly to repeal it. Why? They simply don't care about people because ACA benefits all Americans. They only care for their rich base who don't need ACA for their healthcare. Leadership America no longer is viewed as a leader in anything Just look at our Covid-19 response. If America had like it has always led, US and the world would be doing so much better. Now we can't lead since we can't even take care of Americans. Donald Trump had thee choices when he spoke to Xi on February 6, 2020: Lead, Follow or Lie. He lied repeatedly and still keeps on lying about Covid-19. But numbers don't lie; misery don't lie; hopelessness don't lie. We are dying not because of Covid-19 virus but because of MAGA virus that Trump spread and keeps on spreading. Taxes We have an unfair tax system where rich and corporations pay little to nothing and middle class people are viewed as losers and suckers who have to support our government. That is totally unfair. That is another thing we have lost in America with Trump and his billionaire cronies: Fairness. We can't have Donald Trump who says is worth over $10 Billion paying zero taxes. Is that fair? Is that what you want? Another huge tax cuts for his Mar-A-Lago mafia and you end up losing ACA, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans care, social security, education, etc. Trump and the Republicans believe that only the little guy who works hard pays taxes and rich guys like Trump can use all kinds of scams from paying little to no taxes. The only way we will have a fair tax laws that works for everyone is to get rid of Trump and the Republicans. Kamala Harris and I will restore fairness that has been the bedrock of American values since the beginning. A $10 billion dollar con man paying zero taxes is not fair wherever you live, especially Scranton, PA where I come from. Killer Line Donald, you can go to my website (joebiden.com) and see all my tax returns and see what a sucker I have been for paying so much taxes. If you want us to believe you that you too are a big sucker like me and paid a lot of taxes, then Be the man and release all your tax returns before midnight. We the Losers and Suckers Look folks, when you are worth tens of billions of dollars and pay zero in taxes you can afford a $70,000 haircut. That reminds me of the time when I grew up in Scranton, PA. After my parents paid taxes and if they had any money left, they would give it to me to get a hair cut and made sure I tipped the barber. They wanted me to look good so maybe a girl would go out on a date with me. Folks do you know who paid for Donald Trump's $70,000 haircut? Losers and suckers like you and me. We paid $70,000 when he was not president. You know how much Donald Trump likes to scam little people. E, losers and suckers, will be paying million dollars for his haircut. Get to the Truth I promise you if you elect me, I will release all of Trump's tax returns and see what fraud he has committed. And if he has committed fraud, then he is going to jail. Donald, be the man and release all your tax returns tonight. Be brave and release your tax returns. You can do this even with bone spurs. Law and Order The person who is the number one law breaker is Donald Trump. If you are white, male rich and president you can get away with murder as he once said. And he has gotten away with a lot. According to his personal lawyer, he may have committed tax fraud. That's why he won't release his tax returns. He has obstructed justice and he was impeached. But unlike Trump, we don't have William Barr and the Republican Congress to protect him. So law and order starts with the president and you can't have law and order if he is the number one law breaker and spreads chaos. Knock the Bully Out on November 3rd Donald Trump has always been a bully. He knows how to bully people that are weak, scared and powerless. Just look how scared the Republican Congressman and Senators are of Donald trump. They would rather crap in their pants than to confront this Bully-in-Chief. Folks, you have the power to knock this bully out on November 3rd and he will never be heard from again and free the Republican party will once again become the party of Abraham Lincoln. Closing I mentioned when I ran that this election is about capturing the soul of America. What kind of America are we going to have? A country that is based on Constitution, Democracy, Justice, Facts and Decency or country where Trump and the Republicans can do whatever they want. Constitution can be trampled at will Democracy is denying people to vote Justice is only for rich and powerful Facts are lies and Decency is weakness. Here is what I will focus on if I am elected: First, we need to get Covid-19 crisis under control.. This administration will go down as the most incompetent in the history for its response. When you have over more than 200,000 deaths, the Trump has failed miserably. Second, we need to get Obama Care strengthened and I will do that. Trump and the Republicans will take it away from millions and that means it will raise cost for everyone for worse. Third, we have to rebuild a better America that is fair for everyone, not people like Trump and his rich friends who think that winners are scammers and tax payers and people who serve in the military are losers and suckers. Trump did not make America Great. He told us that America can only be Great if losers and suckers like you pay your fair taxes and people like my son Beau serve in the military so scammers like him and his rich friends can walk away with millions and billions. That is Trumpmerica in a nutshell. We work they play. Trump and the Republicans have turned America from being a Great nation to a failed state. The election comes down to a simple choice: What kind of America do you want? Trumpmerica or America. You decide. If Joe Biden comes prepared and do some of the things I suggest in this post, he will make his points clearly, emphatically and entreatingly and show he is ready to lead and turn things around from day one. #####  Jay Oza is an author, speaker, executive coach. He makes people thrive on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. He is the author of a practical book Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. You can get this book on Amazon for 99 cents for a limited time. Please download the free speech checklist that you can use to help you create a winning speech for any situation.
Please contact him if you would like to discuss how we can work together even if you are budget constrained due to the current economic situation. If you are interested in inviting him to give a Zoom talk on job Interviewing or high-stakes speaking. You can reach him at [email protected].   “Nothing else in the world…not all the armies…is so powerful as an idea whose time has come.”–Victor Hugo, The Future of Man. One thing we have learned from President Trump is how leaders like him think and hire. The leadership books make it appear that leaders have a methodical process that they follow when hiring. But that's not true. Leaders in business and politics operate by the gut. The trick to getting the job with them is to appeal to their gut. In this post, I will focus on William Barr, Attorney General (AG), in how he got the job of AG. I am using an example from the political world since most are probably familiar with him and can verify for themselves, but Barr's technique will work in any field. Note, you don't have to like William Barr or the job he is doing as AG, but you can definitely learn a lot on how to get a job. If you follow his technique, you too can get the job you want. What I find so interesting about William Barr is that he was not on anyone's shortlist to replace Jeff Sessions as the AG. So how did he end up getting the job? Below you will find the technique he used. Below are the steps William Barr went through that not only got him the job he wanted but has enabled him to keep the job, which is hard under President Trump. Validation Everyone wants to be validated and no one wants this more than leaders. If you validate their thinking, you are likely to get their attention. And no leader has demonstrated this more than President Trump. President Trump kept saying after he became President that he wanted his "Roy Cohn," a lawyer who can get him out of legal troubles. Roy Cohn was his lawyer in New York City who got him out of legal troubles. Unfortunately, he didn't have his "Roy Cohn" in the justice department to get him out of legal trouble, especially the Mueller investigation. President Trump was letting everyone know about his problem and what he was looking for in an AG who can solve his problem. President Trump's problem started when his first Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, had recused himself from the Mueller investigation since he had contacts with the Russian Ambassador to the United States. Sessions got the AG job because he helped Trump get elected President. Sessions, when he was the senator, was the first major political figure to endorse Trump. Sessions was very loyal to Trump and did everything Trump wanted in enacting his policies, especially when it came to immigration. But Sessions was not his "Roy Cohn." For recusing from the Mueller investigation, Sessions drew Trump's ire. It was a matter of time before Trump replaced Sessions. Enter William Barr. He has always had this view of the Imperial Presidency. Barr's interpretation of the Constitution allowed a president to exercise unlimited power with little to no checks and balances from Congress. Barr and the President thought alike. Barr's idea and time had collided and he was not going to miss this golden opportunity to redefine the presidency the way he envisioned it. But first he had to get his idea to the President since I don't think Trump knew who William Barr was. But how do you get the President's attention? Appeal to his self-interest. One thing I want to mention. All CEOs will say that they are not driven by self-interest. But when you look deeper, that is not likely to be true. All leaders are driven by self-interest. You just have to do some research to find out what that is and if you focus on that, you will not only get their attention but a job too. Thought Leadership Barr had the credibility and the experience since he was the AG under George H.W. Bush for fourteen months. But he didn't get to re-define the presidency as he envisioned since Bush was defeated in 1992. Barr saw an opportunity with President Trump. Barr understood Trump's problem and knew how to solve it. But first, he had to get his view in public so Trump would find out. Barr was positioning himself as the "Roy Cohn" Trump was looking for. Barr wrote a memo dated June 8, 2018, titled "Mueller's 'Obstruction' Theory" that explained what he saw wrong with the Mueller investigation. In short, he thought that a president can't be investigated while in office. Below was the opening sentence in this memo: "I am writing as a former official deeply concerned with the institutions of the Presidency and the Department of Justice. I realize that I am in the dark about many facts, but I hope my views may be useful." To follow an appropriate protocol. Barr sent the memo to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Assistant Attorney General Steve Engel. But his ultimate audience was President Trump, and he knew that with his credibility and experience, the memo would get Trump's attention. And it did. Build Consensus But President Trump needed to see whether William Barr had support from his core supporters before he replaced Jeff Sessions. Barr had plenty of support. One of the people who lobbied on behalf of Barr was Pat Cipollone. Cipollone was Barr's former speechwriter, a fellow board member at the Catholic Information Center, and White House Chief Counsel. Barr also received plenty of support from Fox News, especially Laura Ingraham, whom president Trump frequently talks to get her views on political matters. President Trump now had the cover from inside the White House and Fox News who he depends on getting ideas and making decisions. Trump wanted Barr. Getting the Job Selling President Trump was not hard since the memo did the job. Since Barr's view of the Imperial Presidency aligned with President Trump's view, Trump finally had his "Roy Cohn." To make it official, Barr had to look and sound reasonable in the Senate Judiciary hearing to not cause any consternation among Senate Republicans when it came to confirming Barr. Since the Republicans had the majority Barr was confirmed along party-line votes. Doing the Job Barr now had to live up to being Trump's "Roy Cohn" and he did not disappoint. Mueller Investigation Instead of releasing the report, Barr released a four-page letter with his interpretation of the Mueller report on March 24, 2019. And the redacted report was not released till April 18, 2019. This allowed Barr to spin the report that Mueller did not find any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians. He also did not find any obstruction as he wrote this in the four-page Barr letter: "... Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and I have concluded that the evidence developed during the Special Counsel's investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense." The characterization of the Mueller report in the Barr letter allowed President Trump to keep repeating "No Collusion, No Obstruction, No Nothing." And it stuck. Trump did not get impeached even though there were at least ten incidents of obstruction cited in the Mueller report that were committed by President Trump. But Barr kept Trump out of trouble by creating narrative that the investigating didn't find anything impeachable. It worked. Michael Flynn Investigation William Barr recommended that charges be dropped against Michael Flynn, the National Security Advisor. Flynn had admitted that he had lied to the FBI twice regarding his contact with the Russian Ambassador. The reason Barr cited was that Barr felt that the government had no legitimate reason to investigate Flynn in the Russian probe. Again, Trump did not want Flynn to go to jail, and Barr acted as Trump's "Roy Cohn." The Appeals court will decide whether the justice department can drop the charges against Flynn. Roger Stone Investigation Roger Stone, long time ally of President Trump, was found guilty of witness tampering and lying. The prosecutors in the justice department wanted to recommend a sentence from seven to nine years. But when Trump sent angry tweets, the four prosecutors withdrew from the case. Another prosecutor working for Barr recommended that the original recommendation was too harsh. Again, Barr came through as Trump's "Roy Cohn." Stone was sentenced to 40 months in prison, a $20,000 fine, two years of probation, and 250 hours of community service. But he never served any time in jail since his sentence was commuted by President Trump. E.J. Caroll E.J. Carroll, an American journalist and advice columnist, had filed a defamation suit against Trump. She had accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her at the Bergdorf Goodman store in the late 1990s. When a judge ruled that Trump had to provide his DNA, Trump again needed his "Roy Cohn" to go into action. And that is what Barr did. The justice department took over the case, and at the least, it buys Trump some time during the re-election. At worse, the case will simply disappear since the government can't be charged with defamation. Barr knows what his job is and why he wanted the job and has not disappointed Trump thus far and unlikely to do so. Barr understood Trump's problem and knew he could solve it. He got Trump's attention by writing a memo and got the job. He has kept Trump out of legal troubles. If you do what Barr has done fro Trump, you too can get the job you want. #####  Jay Oza is an author, speaker, executive coach. He makes people thrive on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. He is the author of a practical book Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. You can get this book on Amazon for 99 cents for a limited time. Please download the free speech checklist that you can use to help you create a winning speech for any situation.
Please contact him if you would like to have a two 75 minute coaching session on job interviewing or high-stakes speaking. If you are interested in inviting him to give a talk on job Interviewing or high-stakes speaking. You can reach him at [email protected].   When we are speaking, we want to get our point across, so it resonates with the audience such that some, if not all, will take action. If we are not successful, we will not achieve our objective. But suppose if you are a prosecutor and your objective is to put bad guys away. If you don't resonate with the jury in your rebuttal argument, you could lose the case. Bad guys go free. You don't get a second chance. We all remember the famous OJ Simpson trial. The trial lasted for eleven months. In the famous closing argument, Johnny Cochran, OJ's lead attorney, exhorted to the jury that "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." Cochran was referring to the botched effort by the prosecution to have OJ try Aris Light gloves. Since OJ was wearing latex gloves, it didn't fit. That failed demonstration helped acquit OJ since the jury saw it and OJ made sure the jury saw it. And Cochran made sure in his closing argument that the jury did not forget that the gloves didn't fit. The jury didn't forget. They deliberated less than four hours to find OJ not guilty. What Cochran did was he did not make the jurors think too hard. The jurors saw with their own eyes that gloves didn't fit; hence, they ignored all other evidence. Though prosecution had better facts, it did not have a better story. And that is often the difference between winning and losing since both sides are persuasive in their arguments. A prosecutor gets to make the rebuttal argument. It is the last argument the jurors hear before deliberating. The challenge the prosecutor faces is to come up with an argument that is simple, clear, and memorable so the jurors can latch on to that and come up with the justification they need to find the defendant guilty. And it has to better than the one defense attorney uses to acquit their client(s). So how do you make the jury not think hard? One way to do it is by using a children's poem. Anything a children can understand then adults are certainly going to understand. Jason Masimore, a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), used a children's poem to convict Republican State Senate majority leader of New York, Dean Skelos. Preet Bharara explains this in his book Doing Justice. Skelos was a powerful man in New York politics. He abused his position by extorting money from businesses that went to his son, Adam Skelos. The SDNY, led by Preet Bharara, charged Dean Skelos with conspiracy with his son. The SDNY had strong evidence against both the father and the son. Still, Bharara did not want to take any chances. Some jurors could be sympathetic to defense's best argument that Dean Skelos was just being a good father by helping his son. To game-out this argument, SDNY hired a jury consultant to see what the focus group said during the deliberation. Most in the focus group were not persuaded by the father-son argument, but some did bring it up. So SDNY had to come up with a better story in their rebuttal argument. And they did. Jason Masimore had read to his son a poem "gorilla" from Shel Silverstein chidren's book Where the Sidewalk Ends. In the poem, this kid goes to school riding on top of a gorilla, and everybody is nice to him. He gets presents. He gets all As. Life is really good for the kid because others know that if they piss off the kid, then he will unleash the gorilla on them. No one wanted that to happen so they did whatever it took to satisfy the kid. Adam Skelos did not have to say anything or do anything to extort money from businesses to pay him. Businesses knew how powerful his dad was. Masimore explained to the jury: "The gorilla in this case that you heard about, it's the power of the office of the senate majority leader." This children's poem was a perfect metaphor since it got to the heart of how an abuse of power works. The use of it helped convict Dean Skelos and Adam Skelos. This example shows that whenever you are making a case, you need a better story than your competitors to persuade decision makers. You need an argument that is simple, clear, and memorable. If this could work in a high stakes criminal prosecution, it will work in business or anything. ##### Jay Oza is an author, speaker, executive coach. He makes people thrive on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. He is the author of a practical book Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. You can get this book on Amazon for 99 cents for a limited time. Please download the free speech checklist that you can use to help you create a winning speech for any situation.
Please contact him if you would like to have a two 75 minute coaching session on job interviewing or high-stakes speaking. If you are interested in inviting him to give a talk on job Interviewing or high-stakes speaking. You can reach him at [email protected].  People want to improve their speaking skills so they can influence, persuade, and win. But very few want to put in the time to improve this skill. As you know, there are no short cuts to developing and mastering any skills. Ben Hogan, a great American professional golfer, when asked what was his secret to success in golf? He would point to the ground and say, "it's all in the dirt." He meant that unless you engage in deliberate practice in pounding many golf balls every day, you are not going to improve your game. This applies to speaking skills. My "hoganese" answer to this is "It's all in the videos." I will show you what you can do in the next thirty days to set yourself apart from the rest in improving your speaking skills. It will be hard in the beginning, but after thirty days, you will be able to speak to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Are you ready to improve this skill? What is the 30-Day Challenge? You will record a three-minute video on any topics for 30 straight days. It is that simple. Unfortunately, I can't even get people to record even one three-minute speech. I have found when I talk to the audience, and I ask how many will record one three-minute speech, all the hands typically go up. But do you know what percentage actually do it? Just one percent. That's right. Even with smartphone cameras, it is tough for people to record a simple three-minute speech. For example, I recently coached a job candidate. I asked him if he can put together a 3-minute speech on why someone should talk to him about the value he can bring to a company. He said it should be easy since all he had to do was record it on his iPhone. I told him about the low percentage of people who actually follow through. He said he will definitely do it. Since I didn't get his video the next day, I sent him a script to make it easier. A week has gone by, and I still have not received his three-minute video. So as you can see, it looks simple, but it id very hard in practice. Why take the 30-Day Challenge? Here are some of the benefits of taking this Challenge:
What process to use to record a three-minute speech? I used the following process when I recorded my speeches. I spent no more than one hour on each speech.
Note, you can always go back and redo a speech after you finish the 3/30 Challenge or make it unlisted or private on YouTube. Examples of 30 speeches from the 30-Day Challenge Here are my 30+ speeches: Intro Speech: Title: The 3/30 Challenge to Improve Your Speaking Skills Link: https://youtu.be/ebijyw9CdoI Speech 1: Title: Who should you NOT listen to in order to become an excellent speaker? Link: https://youtu.be/n1nhf8p-lfw Speech 2: Title: How do you answer 'what do you do' question? Link: https://youtu.be/OFg5rrZ2xOQ Speech 3: Title: Lesson learned from "The Peanuts" Movie Link: https://youtu.be/KS4xjI0nQ8E Speech 4: Title: Networking Tip for Professionals Link: https://youtu.be/ac3p5RXUDo8 Speech 5: Title: Networking Tip for Amateurs Link: https://youtu.be/UKHyspL-IB0 Speech 6: Title: Don't purchase anything you are not going to use right away Link: https://youtu.be/BpKCQDWrO7U Speech 7: Title: Secret to Donald Trump's success with the media Link: https://youtu.be/HEb-qZ929PU Speech 8: Title: Analysis of a scene from the movie Godfather II -- Part 1 Link: https://youtu.be/C1mO-b6GdxM Speech 9: Title: Analysis of a scene from the movie Godfather II -- Part 2 Link: https://youtu.be/rb5_xBr0opY Speech 10: Title: Analysis of a scene from the movie Godfather II -- part 3 Link: https://youtu.be/gVjEMz-L4Hw Speech 11: Title: Giving attribution in a speech Link: https://youtu.be/AJvLvxnvWAg Speech 12: Title: Why you don't want to give a flawless speech? Link: https://youtu.be/khx2GLKhWI8 Speech 13: Title: How a three-minute speech can save you time, money and energy? Link: https://youtu.be/yFwQ6hgxfrs Speech 14: Title: Interview Tip for Amateurs: What if the key decision maker can't meet with you? Link: https://youtu.be/enjlAPfd2ew Speech 15: Title: Interview Tip for Pros: What if the key decision maker can't meet with you? Link: https://youtu.be/LjlNWqHe8Hw Speech 16: Title: Difference between a solopreneur versus an employee Link: https://youtu.be/xFlKI-gsDzo Speech 17: Title: The 60/30/10 Principle of Sales Link: https://youtu.be/KqaAZLTLR40 Speech 18: Title: Importance of coaching Link: https://youtu.be/5hj3SFyW60o Speech 19: Title: How Under Armour motivated my son to exercise? Link: https://youtu.be/LmBNF0Si5Ag Speech 20: Title: When did Barack Obama know he could be the president in 2008? Link: https://youtu.be/8SVa6A5Re94 Speech 21: Title: Job Interview Tip: Resume candidate vs. Potential candidate: Whom do you hire? Link: https://youtu.be/SDm2BNlU1Yo Speech 22: Title: Job Interview Tip: Are you a star candidate or a sucker candidate? Link: https://youtu.be/isS4jDNiPeo Speech 23: Title: How important is motivation to your success? Link: https://youtu.be/7HQipWsxrNo Speech 24: Title: Why I am still not a cool dad? Link: https://youtu.be/LhOf5Iqqrvk Speech 25: Title: How to turn a ten dollar speech into a million dollar speech? Link: https://youtu.be/u1cAuSXhcOE Speech 26: Title: What is the most important question you must ask a hiring manager? Link: https://youtu.be/LplG_JJBI0c Speech 27: Title: Donald Trump is very transparent if you read "The Art of the Deal" Link: https://youtu.be/WvKZdvCVg7U Speech 28: Title: Can creativity and productivity co-exist in companies? Link: https://youtu.be/CJTYpL0UPiU Speech 29: Title: How did Gandhi become the "Mahatma"? Link: https://youtu.be/duKDq7-WuhY Speech 30: Title: How to come up with catchy phrase for your speech? Link: https://youtu.be/q00Kgd32h1k Speech 31: Title: What insight helped Gandhi helped gain India its independence? Link: https://youtu.be/NauQvXmiIN4 I hope you take this Challenge because I feel it will help you become a better speaker than you were before the Challenge. Good Luck! #####  Jay Oza is an author, speaker, executive coach. He makes people thrive on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. He is the author of a practical book Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. You can get this book on Amazon for 99 cents for limited time. Please download the free speech checklist that you can use to help you create a winning speech for any situation.
Please contact him if you would like to have a two 75 minute coaching session on job interviewing or high-stakes speaking. If you are interested in inviting him to give a talk on job Interviewing or high-stakes speaking. You can reach him at [email protected]. If you want to get a job, persuade people with your ideas, you must know how to deliver a bullet-proof pitch. If you don't know how to do this in one minute, learn from Captain Quint how he does it in the movie "Jaws." With his pitch, he gets the job to kill the Great White Shark that has been terrorizing beachgoers in a fictional New England summer resort town called Amity Island. Pitching is hard. You have to know a lot and synthesize it into something short, clear, and impactful so that it results in a win. Captain Quint's pitch is so good that I want you to watch this video clip before continuing with this post and see if you agree with my assessment. Now, this pitch is in a movie, so it has to be perfect. A movie has the luxury of having the best screenwriters, best directors, best actors, best editors, and multiple takes. We have to do all of this ourselves to deliver a great pitch, in one take. What Does Captain Quint do so well in this one minute? A lot. The one thing you probably want to avoid is the part where Captain Quint scratches the chalkboard with his nails to get attention. But everything after that is absolutely perfect on how to make your pitch in one minute. Note, there are no questions asked after he delivers his pitch since he addresses everything that matters. 1. Understand the problem and situation well before giving the pitch Captain Quint is patiently sitting in a room full of scared and frustrated people in a town council's meeting. The council members are trying to figure out how to kill the shark that has killed a couple of people in their beachfront town. Captain Quint is well prepared before he gets their attention. He knows that the town has a major problem; he knows there is an urgency; he knows they don't have much time; he knows they don't know who can get the job done; he knows there is confusion on what action to take. Once he senses that and validates it by attending the meeting, he shows up, seizes the moment, and secures an offer. Takeaway: Don't act unless you have everything figured out. Don't ever "fly blind" when you are trying to win by pitching. Once you have all the facts, then show up, seize the moment and win. 2. Establish your credentials early Once Captain Quint gets the council's attention, he tells the attendees that they already know him. He doesn't waste time going over his background. He is known. And he also knows that people tend to hire whom they know. Takeaway: Similarly, when looking for a job, you should provide all the information to potential interviewers about yourself ahead of time. You want to keep the focus at the meeting on the job that has to be done. Also, no one cares how you get their attention if you can solve their main problem cheaper, better, faster, and smarter. Salespeople often waste a lot of time establishing their credentials. Don't do this. Make sure you are already credentialed before you show up. 3. Explain the problem as people see it Captain Quint tells the people at the council meeting exactly what the problem is, i.e., there is a "bad fish" out there. He says he will catch this bird for them, but it isn't going to be a walk in the park based on what they are dealing with. He sets the proper expectations right up front; he does not try to oversell himself. He is persuading through logic. Takeaway: Let the employer know the difficulty of the job and set the proper expectations. If it were easy, then they would have already found someone to do the job. 4. Get to the pain that people feel---losing money here Captain Quint then proceeds to tell the town council that they better act quickly. Time is not on their side since if they don't act soon and get rid of this problem, they stand to lose the tourist's business, which would be disastrous. Takeaway: Unless you know what the company stands to lose, they will have no urgency to hire you. You must put this in cold financial terms. 5. Instill confidence that you alone can get the job done Captain Quint never mentions his competition but hints that the council is better off with a bird in the hand versus two in the bush. He is there in front of them, and others are not. So he has the advantage since time is on his side and the shark is still out there, causing havoc to the town's people and its economy. And we know this works since we know someone who did this in 2016. Takeaway: Get the employer to make a decision quickly. Otherwise, the employer will be left with an alternative that may not get the job done as well as you can. You have to make the employer move to a decision. 6. Negotiate price once you have shown that you can solve the problem Captain Quint first tells them how tough the job is and then informs the council that his price is $3,000 to find the shark and $10,000 to catch it and kill it. Takeaway: Negotiate the price upfront and tell them what you are willing to do it for. In the end, this is still a business transaction. 7. Don't make people think too hard Captain Quint then urges the council to not be cheap and make a decision real soon, and they better be smart and meet his demands. He is not letting the council overthink since he does not want any delays. Also, he knows it is in the council's interest to not delay awarding the contract to Captain Quint. Takeaway: Don't let the company think too much since if they are thinking, you are losing. 8. Reinforce another pain---survival Captain Quint does something interesting by telling them that besides money, their lives are at stake, and are they going to be cheap when it comes to saving lives? Takeaway: Don't dilly dally about money when survival is at stake. How much is that worth to a company? 9. Set the terms for taking the job Captain Quint then tells the council his terms. He will work by himself since that is the best way to deliver the result the council is looking for. Takeaway: Tell the company how you like to do the job, which is your way of doing it to succeed. 10. Close the deal with a strong emotion Captain Quint then goes for the kill for what the people want but are afraid to say it. He will deliver to them the "head, tail, and the whole damn thing." Nothing more needs to be said. Takeaway: Tell them what outcome they really want but are afraid to say in simple language. The mayor would give him the job right away, but protocol prevents him, so he sheepishly tells him, "We will take it under advisement." Captain Quint departs without saying anything more than paying his respect to the people in a polite manner. He gets the job. #####  Jay Oza is an author, speaker, executive coach. He makes people thrive on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. He is the author of a practical book Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. You can get this book on Amazon for $9.99. Please download the free speech checklist that you can use to help you create a winning speech for any situation.
Please contact him if you would like to have a two 75 minute coaching session on job interviewing or high-stakes speaking. If you are interested in inviting him to give a talk on job Interviewing or high-stakes speaking. You can reach him at [email protected]. |
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