When You Speak … Does It Create a Tell Me More Response?

I’ve been to more writing and publishing conferences than most. As a speaker … a learning participant.

At all times, I’m a listener and observer. And more times than I can count quickly, I’ve lost interest and at times, downright bored. I want to be in a spot where my mind is saying, Tell me more. Or I express it out loud. The speaker has engaged me. I want more info about what they are talking about.

How about you … have you ever been in my place—the losing interest and downright bored one that you would love to desperately escape from? And, how about you … have you ever been the deliverer of boring and interesting information? Bet you have.

When I ask an author about their book—I … do … not … want … it… life-history. Or the author. I want to be hooked. Immediately. Most authors are piss-poor at doing it. The pitching part.

It’s time to step up your game. In an online series on speaking based on my book, How to Create a Million Dollar Speech I’m creating with my partner, Jaclyn Kostner, I talk about the eyebrow phenomenon—the way to read people in a nanosecond via their eyebrow facial expression when you speaking to them or someone else is.

Eyebrows say lots … they reveal silent words that shout out.

Pay attention. How do your listeners—or any that you are observing—display? Usually, there are three variables.

• Are they neutral or no expression?
• Are they wrinkled, crunched, and sometimes the eyes are squinty?
• Are they raised?

If their eyebrows are blah with no expression, either the listener is bored or there is no connection. What you said didn’t have the element of intrigue to deliver the hook. Or the face could have some type of paralysis. Or the listener might have had a recent injection of botulinum.

If their eyebrows are wrinkled, crunched and sometimes the eyes are squinty, you’ve missed the mark. And an opportunity. The listener doesn’t get what you are saying. Oh-oh—whatever you are saying is spiraling to the feet, which could head for the door.

If their eyebrows are raised, you’ve hit the jackpot. Interest is in the listener’s mind. It wants YOU to tell them more. Bravo. No one is walking away.

My two bits … If a goldfish has an attention span of eight seconds, and most people don’t, you MUST step up your game to grab their attention. To be intriguing. To get them to think, or say, Tell me more. Can you do it in less than fifteen words? How about ten … that’s your “To Do” assigned for the week.

Dr. Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. Often, she must roll up her writing sleeves and become a Book Doctor, juicing up storylines and author words. She empowers authors and works directly with authors who want to be seriously successful and has been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the ’80s. Judith is the author of 37 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms, Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers, and How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech. Her personal memoir When God Says NO-Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present is a #1 bestseller on Amazon. Collectively, her books have earned over 45 book awards. Judith speaks throughout the year at publishing conferences. 

Throughout the year, she holds Judith Briles Book Unplugged in-person and online experiences: Publishing, Speaking, Marketing, and Social Media. All are two-day intensives limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. Join Judith live for the “AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing” podcast on the Toginet Radio Network HERE. 

Follow @AuthorUYOUBooks and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorYOU, and join the Facebook group Book Publishing with The Book Shepherd. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her.

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