Use a Quote to Open Your Talk
by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

You have thirty seconds to command the attention of your audience. Don't waste it!

General Eisenhower said, "Leadership is the ability to decide what
has to be done and then to get people to want to do it." When I talk on leadership, I might start with that quote. I'm also a believer in quoting mostly others besides Dead White Men--not that many haven't said wonderful things.

Consider quoting live individuals. When I'm talking about getting and keeping customers, I say, "As Bill Gates said, 'When you lose a customer, you lose two ways. First, you don't get their money. And second, your competitor does.'" And pantomime stabbing myself in the heart, which usually gets a laugh.

Quotes can be both informative and surprising. As the great philosopher Raquel Welch said, "Style is being yourself, but on purpose." I add, "Every time you stand up to address an audience, you have to be yourself, but slightly larger than life, in other words...on purpose."

A great source of quotes is the audience you are addressing or those they know. At a 4 day Texas Instruments conference, I told the audience, "I'm here to tell you how to future-proof your careers." I had heard their chairman use the phrase "future-proof" two days earlier. He said the TI strategy was to future-proof the shareholders' investment. I borrowed his words to connect with the audience, though they were actually technology users, not investors. The phrase already had the company stamp of approval. What made that engagement so successful was the fact I quoted every single person who had spoken on the program before me over the prior three days.

Any important or recent quote related to the industry or organization you are addressing can get you immediate attention and establish a connection between you and your listeners. I often quote something from my client's most recent corporate report. Clients tell me, "We're so glad you quoted our Chairman. We always send the report to our associates, but we don't think they ever read it."

GOOD QUOTES CAN BE SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT YOUR TALK

It seems to me, many speakers always use sports stars or often over-quoted sources that the audience is very familiar with.

BE CREATIVE

If your audience has not heard your quotes before, your entire
message will seem fresher and more original.

MAKE A LIST OF ORIGINAL SOURCES

Do you have any quotes from:
- Your father, mother, siblings, grandmother/father
- Teacher or coach
- First boss or managers who inspired you
- Your brilliant or successful clients
- Yourself!

HERE ARE SOME OF MINE
(Use if you want, just give me credit)

MY FATHER: A.H. Fripp
"Don't concentrate on making a lot of money, but
rather concentrate on becoming the type of person
people want to do business with, and you most likely will
make a lot of money."

MY MOTHER: Edie Fripp
"Of course it is the inner you that counts, but dress up and
look good so you can attract people so they can find out how
nice you are, how smart you are, and how valuable you can
be to them."

MY BROTHER: Robert Fripp
"Discipline is not an end in itself, but a means to an end."

MY BRILLIANT HAIRSTYLING CLIENT: Manny Lozano
(In case you did not know, I was a men's hairstylist for 15 years)
"Keep promoting even when your appointment calendar is full. You
need to resell the clients you have this is still the place they want
to come."

JERRY SEINFELD
"I will spend an hour editing an eight word sentence into five."

PATRICIA FRIPP
"The only thing I ever wanted in business is an unfair advantage."
(624 words)


This article is part of a series on openings that appeared in SpeakerFrippNews. For a free subscription to SpeakerFrippNews visit:
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Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based executive speech coach, sales trainer, and award-winning professional. She is the author of Get What You Want!, Make It, SoYou Don't Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of the National Speakers Association. She can be reached at: PFripp@Fripp.com, 1-800 634-3035, http://www.fripp.com

We offer this article on a nonexclusive basis. You may reprint or repost this material as long as Patricia Fripp's name and contact information is included. PFripp@Fripp.com, 1-800 634-3035, http://www.fripp.com