How To Talk To Humans
How To Talk To Humans
It's All in the Name! #69
On this episode, Larry Wilson dives into the culinary world and discusses the value in the Name of a business...in particular, Restaurants! He uses several examp[les of business names that fail and win in the communication game. Making sure the customers understand what you sell is so important. Anyone opening a small business...Listen to this episode!!
Larry Wilson is a well-seasoned expert in the realm of show business, having spent over four decades working alongside world-renowned celebrities and superstars. His insights on the topic of effective communication have been shaped by his experiences in the industry and collaborations with notable figures such as stand-up comedian Jay Leno. Wilson advocates for concise and direct communication, emphasizing the significance of eliminating unnecessary words to improve the clarity and effectiveness of the message. Drawing parallels from Jay Leno's approach to refining jokes, Wilson illustrates how a minimalist use of language can yield better outcomes such as increased engagement and stronger responses. His core belief in the power of succinct and clear communication is a theme that runs continually through his work, influencing his perspectives and teachings.
(00:01:51) Enhancing Impact Through Concise Communication
(00:14:16) The Power of Brevity in Communication
(00:14:34) Optimizing Humor Through Word Removal Strategy
Hosted by Larry Wilson
Produced by: Verbal Ninja Productions
Producer: R. Scott Edwards
Sponsored by: The Wilson Method
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Hi, this is Larry Wilson, and this is how to talk to humans. This is the podcast that shows you how to improve your communication skills. Are you looking to get a better job? Are you looking to find a relationship? Are you trying to do things in your life that have frustrated you and eluded you so far? I can show you so easily how to change that now. I can only do it with humans. If you're looking to deal with vampires or zombies, extraterrestrials, this is not the show for you. But if you're really looking to improve your communication skills, I can show you what I've learned from 40 years in show business, working with the biggest celebrities and superstars in the world, and their secrets are unbelievable. What I'm going to be teaching you during the course of this podcast every week are tools that you can use to communicate toward success.
Larry Wilson:Hi, this is Larry Wilson. Thank you once again for joining me for another episode of how to talk to Humans. This is a particularly interesting episode this week. You know, I realize I must say. That every episode, but it's the truth. Every time I record one of these, it's completely different and at least to my mind, explores something that I don't. Hear being discussed anyplace else. If it is, I hope you'll reach out and tell me, because I'd be. Fascinated to hear that. Another listener, loyal listener of this podcast. Asked me when I was talking about. Short, succinct sentences in writing and in speaking. They're very powerful. And I thought of it because of some advertising, marketing stuff I saw. And I want to emphasize here very clearly, I'm not being paid to promote any of these places. I'm going to name their real places. And that's the only reason I'm using the name. I don't want you to think I'm inventing something here. They're restaurants. I just, I happen to see things. Sometimes I'll snap a photo of something to remind me. I'll go, oh, that's interesting. That's really wild. And again, clarity is the highest goal. We can seek to attain clarity. If we're very clear about what we're trying to communicate, if we're writing or. Speaking in short, declarative sentences, we're on top of the world. We're hitting with the most powerful kind. Of shot you can hope for. And I hope that what I'm going to discuss here, I hope this makes sense in that perspective. I see, like I say, I'm traveling around all the time. I'm constantly on the road I'm always. Struck by how some businesses are so clear with their message, with the name of their business, and others are not. I'm not in charge of checking their. Dun and Bradstreet ratings. I don't know how their business is actually doing. But I know that people involved in business are listening to this podcast, and so you may find this particular particularly worthwhile. I saw a restaurant called Chicago Fire, and I wondered, what could that be? I assumed it was a restaurant, looked it up later and found out, yes, it was a restaurant, but it was called Chicago Fire. What does it make you think of if you knew it was a restaurant? What kind of restaurant do you think it is? Well, as it turns out, it's a pizza restaurant. And I thought, wow, I'll bet the person who owns this restaurant must come. From Chicago, and maybe they serve Chicago. Style deep dish pizza. I don't know. I didn't look into it that far, but I thought, oh, this is interesting. This is someone who's thinking, they want you to be interested in understanding their. Message rather than the opposite of what I would recommend, which is for you. To be trying to think about what. Your potential customers want, need, think, feel all those kinds of things. Those are the principles of empathy that. I have discussed at great length here and in Wilson method training, because if you learn to employ empathy successfully, it's. As close as you'll ever get to being able to read minds. And I thought, that's so funny, Chicago fire. Then a few weeks later, I passed another restaurant. It was called sizzle pie. Now, what do you think they sold? Well, it's another pizza restaurant, and it also helps that sizzle pie was written. On a big sign that had a. Big picture of a pizza there on. It struck me how radically different the two were. Chicago fire, sizzle pie. Sizzle pie is so evocative, it makes. Me think of a sizzling pizza. In fact, my mouth is watering now. Just thinking about sounds so good. Although I emphasize once again, the finest pizza west of New York City is Lamonica's New York Pizza in Westwood, California. For those of you who weren't sure. About this, now I want to point out, of course, this is thin crust New York pizza. I just wanted to point that out. But if you're not in Westwood Village in southern California, and you see the. Sun says sizzle pie, you might think, ooh, that sounds delicious. I thought, wow, that person, whoever named. Whoever picked that name was really on point. They were thinking about, what is somebody. Who'S looking for a pizza, thinking about. What might be going through their mind. Mmm, sizzling hot pizza. It's great. Then I saw another example of this. I saw. I didn't know it was a restaurant at first, but it turned out it. Was a restaurant called Pretty Bird. This was very puzzling to me, and the font that the typeface was in looked like it might be, I wasn't. Sure, maybe a women's fashion store of some kind. I didn't make the connection right away. That it was food, and it turned. Out that they served fried chicken. Now, I want to emphasize again, I. Certainly do not want to impugn the. Fine reputation of any of these restaurants. It so happens I haven't eaten at any of them, but they may be. Fantastic, for all I know. But pretty bird was not that clear. A message to me. If someone said to me, oh, you've got to go to pretty bird, it's fantastic. Fried chicken. Well, that's a different story then I think, oh, okay, if that's what I'm in the mood for, then I'll go there. But driving by and seeing it, it did not communicate the message to me. Strangely enough, a few weeks after that, I was in a different city, in a different state, and just happened to. Look out the window of the building I was in. And across the parking lot was a. Place that said, dave's hot chicken. Now, what do you think they serve there? I'm guessing it's a guy named Dave, and he serves fried chicken that's really hot. Now, I said before, I haven't tasted any of these chickens or any of these pizza. Not entirely true. At least at that point in the broadcast, in the podcast, when I was saying that it was true, but I. Was compelled to go to Dave's hot chicken. I'd never heard of it. I didn't know what it was, but. I was so intrigued that someone was. So direct and clear with their message. I realize this may not be considered. Modern or marketing forward or any of that. I don't know anything about that. All I can tell you is, as. A consumer, and this is who you. Should be thinking about. If you're in business, you shouldn't be. Trying to impose your will or your. State of mind on the consumer. That will be a very, very tough road to travel. You should be thinking, what is the consumer experiencing? What are they thinking? What do they need? What do they feel? I had no intention of going to. Dave's hot chicken, but I did, and. Let me tell you, it was really fantastic. I do not receive any remuneration from Dave's hot chicken. They do not sponsor this podcast. I wish they did. Wouldn't that be nice? Maybe I'd get some free hot chicken out of it. But there were several different gradations of heat that you could get on the chicken all the way from no spice to it was, I can't remember, but it was something that indicated there was. Medium, which is what I got, which was hot, but very good. Then there was hot, then there was extra hot, and then there was this top of the line. So I was so impressed. I was so impressed that Dave's not. Only had great marketing, but also great product. What a great thing. Good condition. Then I did some research, looked up. Apparently I'm the last man in North. America to know about Dave's hot chick. Apparently there's franchises of it all over the country and there must be people delighted to eat it everywhere. And I only bring this up again. Because I think this is such a good example of now I have to interrupt myself. Did the marketing team at Dave's Hot chicken consciously think this out? I don't know. I don't know them. If one of them listens to this podcast and wants to reach out, that would be wonderful. I'd love to find out about it. Because their message was so clear. It's chicken and it's hot. Now, if you don't like hot, spicy food, probably not a good place for you. If you're really looking for a good burger, probably not the right place for you. But if the idea of some spicy. Fried chicken sounds delish, they've hit the. Bullseye with this name. I was quite impressed and you can see it's not hard to do at all. But you can also see that someone. Either by intent or by happy accident. Did not say Dave's absolutely volcanic and delicious fried chicken. Didn'T need that much. They went for short, succinct, declarative. They didn't name the restaurant. Where should you go if you want delicious chicken? No, short, declarative. And I thought it might be interesting this week, before I take my leave of you to give you a challenge. I'd like everyone listening to. You can write something original. You can write an email, you can handwrite old school on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil. Write anything. Write a sentence. Then look at it and ask yourself. What words can be removed? I think you'll be surprised if you're ruthless. And that's what's called for here. What words can you take out and still retain the meaning, I have to tell you that years ago, when I. Worked a lot in comedy clubs, I worked many, many times with the stand up comic Jay Leno. And from the very beginning, I saw an incredible skill that he had. At the beginning of the week, he would have a new joke that he. Whatever it was, some new piece of material, and invariably it was great stuff and always got big laughs. But the next night he had cut some of the words out of it. And it got a bigger laugh. And the next night he got even more words out. By the time we got to Friday or Saturday night, he was left with the absolute leanest, meanest, tightest, just the essentials of the joke. And it got the biggest laugh so far. I saw him do it again and again and again, and I've never forgotten that. Now, Jay, I don't think, would consider himself marketing. He was doing stand up comedy. But stand up comedy is clearly about. Communication, and the more direct, the more succinct, the more effective it is, and. It'S measurable in laughter. So I want you all to write a sentence and then see how many words, after you've written it out, go in and start trying to cut. See what you can accomplish. And I'll see you back here next week. Thanks for joining me again on how. To talk to humans.
Announcer:This has been Larry Wilson. I want to thank you for spending this time with me, and I hope.
Larry Wilson:You found this information useful.
Announcer:If you're looking for more, you can find it@thewilsonmethod.com. there's a ton of stuff there. In fact, if you want, you can even speak to me because I'm human.
Larry Wilson:Send me an email.
Announcer:Email it infoilsonmethod.com, because I read every single one. I hope that you'll join us next week in this continuing journey, and you'll be with me for the next episode of how to talk to Humans.
