102 How to Sell Yourself
He called me when the show went off the air and chuckled. He
said, “Three weeks ago, I would have angrily said, ‘The Volvo is
not junk.’” With 8 to 12 million people watching, he said, “I’m
proud to be able to tell you that the average life of a Volvo on the
highway in Sweden has reached 19 and a half years. Imagine driv-
ing the car you’re driving today for almost 20 years. And I’m even
prouder of the fact that Volvo has become the standard of safety
for the entire automotive industry.”
He sold cars. I believe he sold more cars than he’d have sold if
Volvo had bought a dozen commercials on the Super Bowl.
Caring
No one succeeds the way a loving communicator does. It’s as
essential an element as breathing. When you care about me, I
care back. So here are a few spoken lead-ins that will serve two
purposes in confrontation and media interviews. They’ll help you
occasionally limit the silent pauses, and they’ll give your state-
ment a caring opening.
- “I’m sorry you feel that way...”
- “I understand how you could reach that conclusion...”
- “Let me explain what the facts really are...”
- “If I understood your question, what you’re really asking
me is...” - “I’m proud to be able to tell you...”
Caution. Don’t repeat any of them in a given exchange or you’ll
sound programmed. If they’re not comfortable for you, stay with
the silent pause with constant eye contact. We always feel that the
person who repeats the same lead-in over and over again seems
automated and is the victim of bad coaching.
Bill Clinton was very effective in a debate when he walked to
the edge of the stage and said, “I feel your pain.” That gesture was
hugely successful for him, but then he made the mistake of re-
peating it several times in subsequent television appearances. The
repetition destroyed whatever statement followed.
In vice-presidential debates during the 2000 election, I stopped
counting how many times Dick Cheney said, “Governor Bush and
I...” and Joe Lieberman said, “Al Gore and I....” Someone said to
each, “Look, you’re running for #2 on the ticket. Don’t let them
forget who’s #1.”