This title may not appeal to writers because “gooder” is not a recognized word.  But trust me, if Liz Goodgold has her way, it will be in the dictionary next year.  Why?  Because we all need to speak better in this digitally distracted world.

According to Liz the goal of her book “is not teach you to speak like me, but to speak like you better.” Here are some of her tips:

 

• Get to your presentation early and greet your audience.
• Have someone introduce you and make sure they know how to pronounce you name.
• Wear a name tag (she suggests you have one made) before and after your presentation but not while on stage. It might be a distraction.
• Have a visual brand. For Liz the color red is part of her visual brand.  She has numerous red jackets.
• Be sure to wear comfortable clothing and shoes when speaking. It is hard to be convincing when your feet hurt.
• A memorable talk contains stories.  Data is easily forgotten but according to Liz “stories stay.”
• Avoid carbonate beverages, Vaseline rubbed on your lips and gums will keep your mouth moist, and hot tea is a good way to keep your voice smooth.

Hera Hub Writer’s Salon

Last week Liz spoke at a Hera Hub Writer’s Salon in Carlsbad and began her lively talk with an activity.  She challenged her audience to break into groups of two and come up with a “Quip on the Hip.”  Something to say when someone asks about your day.  The goal of the exercise was to respond with a short statement about you that starts a conversation.

Driving home I keep thinking about Liz’s presentation and it hit me.  All writers need to have a “pitch in their pocket.”  We always need to be able to talk intelligently about our work and what better way to start a conversation than to have a short pitch ready about our current project.

So here is the pitch in my pocket for today:

“Hey, Lynda.  How is your day?

“Great, I discovered that George Eastman, the founder of Kodak, loved Lemon Pie and I have his recipe.”

Do you have a pitch in your pocket?