Praise for The Bullseye Principle

“Effective communication is vital to business success. It is the key to real leadership and itis necessary at all levels of any enterprise. The Bullseye Principle is an invaluable guide tosuccessful communication.”

—Colin Stanbridge, CEO, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry

“A useful reminder for leaders and advisers of some key principles and practicalapproaches that will increase your impact within your organization and with yourclients.”

—Michael Burke, CEO Talent, Rewards, Performance, Aon

“Great insights to engage and influence people who matter the most in the moment whenit matters the most, and all I need to do is to bring my best self.”

—Arti Gusain, Group Leader, Leadership and Organizational Development Team,Infosys Leadership Institute

“The Bullseye Principle not only outlines simple tools and a -step process to help meconnect with my audience, it also reinforces the importance of intentionality andauthenticity.”

—Pat Wadors, Chief Talent Officer, ServiceNow

“Love it! The Bullseye Principle is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to be a moreengaging and influential leader.”

—Kevin Kruse, Founder, LEADx.org and New York Times Bestselling Author

“The Bullseye Principle has empowered me to better command the attention of myaudience, ensuring my message and my call to action are clearly understood.”

—Jim De Maria, former Executive Director of Communication, Chicago Blackhawks

“Yet another masterpiece by Lewis and Mills . . . enthralling and captivating.I recommend this book, especially to executives who want to make their mark.”

—Prachi Mishra, Learning & Development Head, Dassault India

“The Bullseye Principle deals with pragmatic communication strategies and tools . . . agood reference for leaders who aspire to lead transformations, persuade changes, andconnect with an audience to deliver results.”

—Ajinth Sreedharan, Head of North America Learning and Development, Capgemini

“The stories we tell ourselves and others make or break an organization. Lewis and Millsprovide a gold standard resource here for leaders to connect with others effectively, and tosimply get things done. Fabulous read.”

—Han Ee Lim, CEO, Singapore Sailing

“A great read for the executive who needs a tune-up on how to have impactfulconversations with their audience. The authors remind us how communication is anart in need of practice.”

—Holly Buckendahl, CEO, Ronald McDonald House Charities®

Chicagoland & NW Indiana

“For years, our Executive Education clients have ranked the techniques taught by Lewisand Mills at the top of the scale. The Bullseye Principle is yet another ‘top pick’ for thosewho are serious about mastering communication.”

—Bill Joiner, Executive Director, Business Development,Southern Methodist University, COX Executive Education

“Relevant and timely. In an era of communication confusion, The Bullseye Principle,brings to light distinct communication struggles and exactly how you can improveyourself to succeed personally and professionally.”

—Krysta Van Ranst, Director of Learning and Development,Dellbrook | JKS

“The Bullseye Principle delivers exquisite techniques that help our leaders drive businessimpact and meaningful conversations that matter.”

—Christina Itzkowitz, Senior Director Global Talent Management,Charles River Laboratories

“The Bullseye Principle hits the mark dead center. As a former Major League Baseball player,knowing the techniques in this book would have made me a better team communicator andteam leader. It definitely will aid me, post MLB, as I pursue my speaking career.”

—Brian D. Barton, former Major League Baseball Player, St. Louis Cardinals

“TheBullseye Principle is one of the most useful and captivating books I have read in years.Simple and powerful, it cleverly links a proven methodology to help readers buildexecutive presence and influence others simply by the way they communicate.”

—Mark McNitt, Director Business Process, Ferguson Enterprises

“With an emphasis on objective and intent, Lewis and Mills have constructed a succincttechnique that enables one to clearly achieve their goals through communication.”

—Scott Michael Campbell, film and television actor(Brokeback Mountain, Flight of the Phoenix, Shameless)

“Recent college grads, as well as more experienced workers, will find not only anentertaining read but a book that moves you from mere ‘ah-ha’ moments to actuali­zing an exciting new approach to communication and influence. Readers beware . . .there is a new you on the horizon!”

—Janine G. Tarkow, Director STRIVE Leadership Program,University of California, San Diego

DAV I D L EW I SG . R I L E Y M I L L S

THE BULLSEYE

PRINCIPLEMastering Intention-Based Communication

to Collaborate, Execute, and Succeed

Cover image: ©malerapaso/Getty ImagesCover design: Wiley

Copyright David Lewis and G. Riley Mills. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any formor by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except aspermitted under Section or of the United States Copyright Act, without either the priorwritten permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy feeto the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA , () –, fax() –, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission shouldbe addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., River Street, Hoboken, NJ, () –, fax () –, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best effortsin preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy orcompleteness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties ofmerchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by salesrepresentatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not besuitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither thepublisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, includingbut not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact ourCustomer Care Department within the United States at () –, outside the United States at() – or fax () –.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some materialincluded with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on­demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version youpurchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more informationabout Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Names: Lewis, David H., - author. | Mills, G. Riley, author.Title: The bullseye principle : mastering intention-based communication to

collaborate, execute, and succeed / David Lewis, G. Riley Mills.Description: Hoboken : Wiley, . | Includes index. |Identifiers: LCCN (print) | LCCN (ebook) |

ISBN (pdf) | ISBN (epub) | ISBN (hardback) |ISBN (ePDF)

Subjects: LCSH: Communication in management. | Leadership. | Cooperation. |BISAC: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership.

Classification: LCC HD. (ebook) | LCC HD. .L (print) | DDC ./–dcLC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/

Printed in the United States of America

Dedicated to Celeste, Rider, and Hunter. You inspire meto do more, to learn more, and to play more.

—DL

For my Mom. Thank you for a lifetime of inspiration,guidance, and unwavering love and support.

—GRM

When an archer misses the mark . . . failure to hit thebullseye is never the fault of the target. To improve your

aim, improve yourself.—Gilbert Arland

Contents

Introduction

1 Hit Your Mark

Utilizing Intention to Maximize Message Impact

2 Define Your Personal Brand

Establishing and Projecting Executive Presence

3 Land the Job

Strategic Interviewing Techniques to Get You Hired

4 Communicate Like a Leader

Influencing Emotion through Style, and Delivery

5 Inspire and Motivate Others

Engaging Workers and Leading a Teamthrough Change

6 Build Relationships

Making Connections, Establishing Trustand Earning Respect

7 Create a Memorable Narrative

Leveraging the Power of Storytelling in Business

vii

viii Contents

8 Handle Difficult Conversations

Providing Feedback, Managing Emotions,and Speaking in the Moment

9 Run Killer Meetings

Facilitating Like a Pro to Get Results

10 Make the Sale

Being Assertive, Influencing Others, and Preparingto Engage

Notes

Glossary of Terms

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Index

Introduction

In order to succeed, we must first believe we can.

—MICHAEL KORDA

T ruth be told, we never intended to write the book you are nowholding in your hands. After completing our first book, The PinDrop Principle, we thought we had said everything we wanted

to say on the subject of communication skills and becoming a moreinfluential speaker. But in the years since its release, as we traveled theworld training and coaching executives across various industries, some­thing interesting started to happen. We began to notice distinct shifts inthe way people were communicating with one another, how they werepresenting information and new ways in which they were managingtheir teams. Communication in the corporate arena was changing andmany of the old ways were no longer proving useful. One study foundthat people interact with their cell phones—touching, tapping, swip­ing—an average of , times a day. Another study revealed that percent of people felt that the meetings they attended at their job weregenerally a waste of time and a third study found that percent of

The Bullseye Principle

workers wanted to receive more feedback from their managers becausethey were not getting what they needed. We suddenly realized it wastime to revisit some of the concepts we had touched upon previously andexplore them in greater detail, to further the conversation and continueto untangle the intricacies of human communication and the ways inwhich people interact with one another.

And then the election of happened.As a young man growing up in Queens, Donald Trump often

fantasized about being an actor on the New York stage, commanding theattention of an audience and basking in the spotlight. In , Trump’sshocking electoral victory made the public question everything theythought they understood about how leaders are expected to behave, howmessages get conveyed, and how opinions are developed. What was oncethought of as effective communication seemed to momentarily getscrambled, and in some ways, redefined. We will touch upon thegood, the bad, and the ugly aspects of Trump’s communication in laterchapters, but this, combined with groundbreaking new research on thetopic of communication, created an urgency for us to embark on a moredetailed exploration of modern communication with the hope ofeventually sharing our findings with the public. This book is theculmination of that work.

The ability to communicate with purpose and clarity is the key topersonal and professional success.

That statement is the core and founding belief behind our globalcommunication skills training firm Pinnacle Performance Company.Those who have trained with us or read The Pin Drop Principle knowthat we approach the subject of communication from a very uniquevantage point in that we both have extensive experience runningbusinesses and managing sales teams in the corporate arena, whilealso having enjoyed careers as professional actors, working in television,film, and theater. It is the meshing of these two distinct skill sets—thecorporate and the creative—that has formed the basis of our acclaimed,intention-based communicationTM skills training and methodology.

For the past years, we have been fortunate to train leaders andexecutives in nearly countries, studying the way people interact with

3Introduction

one another and noting what works, what doesn’t, and where commu­nication gets short-circuited. In the end, human beings all want tounderstand and be understood, but effective communication is notsomething that happens easily. And without a firm grasp of the elementsneeded to be a good communicator, there is no guarantee it will happenat all. Think about how communication impacts you on a daily basiswith your boss, your clients, your peers, and even your family members.In fact, think about your life at this very moment. Wherever you are asyou read this paragraph, chances are pretty good that right now, today,there is a relationship in your life, either personal or professional, that iscausing you stress or anxiety. And there is also a high probability that thecause of that tension can be traced back to a problem with how the twoof you are communicating with each other.

In the Pinnacle methodology, we detail how the same set of toolsthat actors have used for centuries to appear more confident, credible,and captivating, can just as easily be utilized by someone in the corporateenvironment. In the following chapters, we will delve deeper into theseconcepts by sharing additional principles that professional performersutilize to define their brand, show empathy, perform under pressure,and collaborate effectively with others. We will show you just howquickly and easily these techniques can be transferred to the corporatearena—helping you improve performance, re-engage with your content,and get results. Our award-winning, intention-based methodologyutilizes a strategic psychological approach that incorporates the actingmindset of objective and intention to influence audience emotion tomotivate behavior change. We have distilled what we call The PinnacleMethodTM down to three specific steps that we will share in Chapter . Itis the implementation of these three steps that will serve as a foundationfor the material we share throughout the rest of this book. At the end ofeach chapter, you will find guides called “blueprints” that we have createdto help you apply the content to yourown communication. These guides Being good in business is thewill not only help you lock in the most fascinating kind of art.learning, they can also serve as aresource whenever you need to revisit —ANDY WARHOL

The Bullseye Principle

a specific topic—when dealing with a sudden change scenario at work,adjusting to a new role, or running a weekly status meeting.

The quote from Gilbert Arland that we include at the beginning ofthis book is an illuminating one. Picture an arrow whizzing through theair toward its target. That is how we view communication. It doesn’tmatter your role or what topic you are discussing, if the arrow that isyour message does not hit its intended bullseye, you will have fallenshort of the mark as a communicator. If your audience is bored duringyour meeting or confused during your presentation, it is your fault. Theburden of engagement always lies with the speaker.

To extend the metaphor even further, if the bullseye in this image isthe objective you seek with your communication and the arrow repre­sents your message, then your intention is the way in which you launchthat arrow—the specific adjustments you make with regard to the aim,angle, and depth of the pull—that sends your ideas out into the world.The pairing of a strong intention utilized in the pursuit of a specificobjective is the secret weapon that actors and great leaders use to engageand influence and is something we will explore in greater detail shortly.

Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the brilliant computer scientists whofounded Google, always believed that “hard skills” and technical exper­tise were the most important qualities necessary for workplace success.But in , Google ran a study called Project Oxygen that shockedeveryone by concluding that, among the eight most important qualitiesof their top employees, technical expertise actually came in dead last.The top seven characteristics of success for their teams were all “softskills”: being a good coach; communicating and listening well, havingempathy toward one’s colleagues, etc.

In a recent Wall Street Journal survey of nearly executives, morethan percent said skills such as communication and collaborationwere “equally important” or “more important” than technical skills withregard to their workforce. Unfortunately, nearly the same number ofexecutives— percent—said they have a difficult time finding peoplewith these requisite attributes. One recent survey found a huge gapbetween the younger generation’s perception of their skills and whattheir bosses actually thought. About percent of these young workers

5Introduction

believed their oral communication skills were good enough for them tosucceed at work, but only percent of their employers agreed. Theirability to collaborate as part of a team was also seen differently, as percent of students thought they worked well with others but only percent of their bosses agreed. What these numbers reveal is thatcommunication in the corporate arena needs to be better for your teamsand organizations to thrive. According to Richard Branson, the billion­aire founder of Virgin Airlines, “Communication is the most importantskill any leader can possess,” and Warren Buffett agrees, saying, “Youcan improve your value by percent just by learning communicationskills.”

Scientists and experts have been studying communication for centuriesto try to understand why people behave the way they do. As professionalactors, we know that communication is never simply about the informationbeing exchanged; it is also abouthow it is being communicated. In the end, itis the emotion and motivation behind your message that will compel youraudience to take action. The subtle tactics and modifications an actor orspeaker add to their delivery are called intention cues, something we willdiscuss in Chapter . According to Ken Howard, an Emmy- and Tony­award-winning actor who has also taught a course on salesmanship atHarvard, “Like an actor, the effective communicator has to have an overallobjective and then play the actions to fulfill that objective. . . . At everylevel—in politics, diplomacy, law, education, business, social relations—effective communication is about winning people’s attention, impressingthem, then getting them to do what you believe they ought to do: buy theproduct, beat the competition, hire you.”

Communication, when delivered effectively, has the power to trans­form and deepen relationships, while ineffective communication canresult in a toxic stew of anger or resentment that can lose clients, negativelyimpact employee morale, and ruin

Power consists in one’s capacityfriendships. Sadly, when it comesto communication, most people to link his will with the purposeare simply not very good at it. of others.According to recent studies, per­cent of those surveyed reported —WOODROW WILSON

The Bullseye Principle

that their managers did not spend enough time explaining goals to them.

Additionally, percent of respondents in another survey said they wouldbe happier and percent said they would be more successful if they gotalong better with their bosses. These numbers should be a wake-up call toanyone tasked with leading a workforce or managing a team. One popularGallup study found that a stunning percent of employees in the UnitedStates were currently “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” with theirjobs and that number climbs to percent worldwide.These disengagedemployees end up costing U.S. companies an estimated $– billionannually. In upcoming chapters, we will delve deeper into the solutionswe recommend for keeping people motivated, but clearly communicationis at the forefront of these efforts.

To engage an audience and make them listen, to persuade them totake action or see something your way, your message should provide abenefit and connect directly to their own personal wants, needs, or desires.Twentieth-century Russian theater director Constantin Stanislavski, oftencredited as the father of modern acting, knew the importance of engage­ment. “Completely absorb an audience,” he would say, “Making [them]not only understand but participate emotionally in . . . an experiencewhich will not be erased by time.” In the following chapters, when we usethe term “audience,” we are referring to anyone with whom you commu­nicate, such as peers, clients, wedding guests, or your future in-laws.Anyone you come into contact with or communicate ideas to is anaudience. Viola Spolin, who revolutionized the idea of improvisationalacting for twentieth-century actors, once said: “The audience is the mostrevered member of the theater . . . everything done is ultimately for theenjoyment of the audience. They are our guests, fellow players, and the lastspoke in the wheel which can then begin to roll.” This same idea appliesto anyone presenting information in a business setting, whether deliveringa presentation to clients or running a meeting for your local PTA. Like anactor in the theater, the success of your performance will depend on howeffectively you deliver your message and how well it is received by yourintended audience.

“The role of public speaker has much in common with acting,” saidKen Howard. “The character that you have to perfect is the best version

7Introduction

of yourself—for that occasion and that audience. Not a phony version ofyourself, just a better-prepared version.” In the corporate arena, thespeaker’s situation is similar to that of the actor’s. They both have anobjective they are pursuing and both employ various tactics—what wecall intentions—to achieve that objective. The renowned acting coachDeclan Donnellan takes this idea one step further, stating, “We live byacting roles, be it father, mother, teacher, or friend. Acting is a reflex, amechanism for development and survival.”

In business, everyone has a role to play and an audience to influence.Our training is at the forefront of a new movement in the business worldto utilize the methods of professional actors to help business leadersthrive. Schools such as MIT Sloane School of Management, StanfordGraduate School of Business, Darden School of Business at University ofVirginia, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Cox School of Businessat Southern Methodist University, and University of Oxford and War­wick Business School in the United Kingdom have all drawn lessonsfrom the world of theater and acting to enhance their MBA students’abilities to be strong leaders and communicators. In his groundbreakingbook Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman makes the connectionbetween the skills of an actor and how these can be utilized for each of usin our daily lives. “People who make an excellent social impression,” saidGoleman, “are adept at monitoring their own expression of emotion, arekeenly attuned to the ways others are reacting, and so are able tocontinually fine-tune their social performance, adjusting it to make surethey are having the desired effect. In that sense, they are like skilledactors.”

Influential leaders have been employing the principles of profes­sional actors to improve their communication for centuries—going allthe way back to BC, when the actor Satyrus transformed theAthenian statesman Demosthenes into one of the most dynamic oratorsof all time. So revered as a communicator was Demosthenes that thefamed ad man David Ogilvy, widely hailed as “The Father of Advertis­ing,” cited him as the inspiration for his persuasive ad campaigns,saying, “When Aeschines spoke, they said, ‘How well he speaks.’ Butwhen Demosthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let us march against Philip.’”

The Bullseye Principle

The idea of influential speakers borrowing from the actor’s toolboxhas a very prominent place in world history. Winston Churchill andAbraham Lincoln performed Shakespeare to help sharpen their oratori­cal chops. Ronald Reagan, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Strahan, VaclavHavel, and Justin Trudeau were all actors before transitioning toleadership roles. And yet others such as Barack Obama, Bill Clinton,Angela Merkel, John F. Kennedy, Suze Orman, and Tony Robbins allstudied with acting coaches to improve their presence and delivery. EvenDale Carnegie, the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People,started out as an actor. And there is good reason that all of these leadershave leaned on the performance methods of actors to improve theircommunication. Through training and practice, actors become bodylanguage detectives, human sponges, studying the way people speak,move, gesture, stand, and dress, down to the smallest detail. To somedegree, the same holds true for anyone working in the corporateenvironment. We all make judgments about others based on howthey look, what they say, and how they say it. To be trusted, weneed to appear authentic and credible in the eyes of our audiences.Consequently, the more credible and believable you appear, the moretrust you will engender with your audience and the more success youwill inevitably achieve. Stanislavski always demanded “believable truth”from his actors, saying, “On the stage, as in real life, action, objectives,given circumstances, a sense of truth, concentration of attention,emotion, memory—should be indivisible.” Many of Stanislavski’smethods and texts, though originally meant for actors, can serve anyonewanting to be a more influential communicator. Actors understand that

communication comes from theIntention is the key to mastery. total presence of a person and

the following chapters will pro­—ROB HANNA vide information on how toimprove that as well. We all have a natural energy that runs throughus and affects the way we breathe, speak, move, and listen. Much like anactor performing a scene in a play or film, when you and a coworker aretalking, you’re attuned to and making judgments based on their facialexpressions, gestures, and tone of voice, as well as the actual words they

9Introduction

are speaking. You are in motion as you try to relate to each other and youare both responding to dozens of intention cues that are happening all atonce. This is the realm of the professional actor.

Jayne Benjulian, who served as the first chief speechwriter for Applein the s, understood the parallels between the performance of anactor and that of an executive in the boardroom. “Once,” recalledBenjulian, “I took an Apple executive to a writing workshop to showhim how actors work. He asked me: ‘How do you act sincerely?’Truthfully, it’s not an act. Great speakers risk being fully present inthe moment.” Effective communication, whether during a meeting orpresentation, should feel fresh and spontaneous to an audience, as if theyare the first person ever to hear these words. Actors understand thatnothing deflates an audience’s interest level quicker than a speakerwhose delivery sounds memorized or robotic. This goes for an audiencewatching a presentation or attending a meeting at work. You’ve got toengage your audience to influence behavior change and this book willhelp you do just that. To be clear: The goal of this book is not to teachyou how to be an actor. Acting is a craft and takes years to master.Additionally, we are not asking you to become an entertainer, ormagically transform into an extrovert when you are a naturally intro­verted person. We simply want you to be a performer in the senseof performance as it relates to interviews, meetings, and executivepresence—bringing your best self to the moment, no matter the setting,no matter the audience.

The Bullseye Principle can be read sequentially or read in a modularway. Feel free to read the first chapter to understand our three-stepprocess and the concepts of intention and objective and then jump tospecific chapters that you find most interesting, in whatever order youchoose. For those who read The Pin Drop Principle, the terms we usehere will be familiar to you and will allow you to hit the ground running.For those who have not, we have included a glossary in the back of thebook for easy reference. As you begin to consider the principlesdiscussed in this book, carefully analyze your own communication.As with any learning process, personal development begins with self-awareness and a willingness to modify behavior to improve

The Bullseye Principle

performance. Be honest with yourself as you begin experimenting withthese concepts and charting a course forward. Don’t worry aboutperfection; instead focus on progress. The road to becoming a moreeffective communicator is a journey, not a destination. Once you freeyourself from the unrealistic idea of perfection, you can begin theprocess of true self-discovery and improvement. This is probably agood time to remind you that Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the greatestorators in history, got a C in his public speaking class as a seminarystudent. Only with practice and repetition can any of us hope to movetoward mastery. Great speakers are made, not born. Let The BullseyePrinciple serve as a resource that you can review and revisit as youadvance in your career and continue to grow as a leader. By under­standing and implementing the methodology and principles discussedin this book, improvement is not only possible, it is all but guaranteed.

Grab a highlighter and let’s get started.

CHAPTERHit Your MarkUtilizing Intention to MaximizeMessage Impact

Every objective must carry in itself the germs of action.

—CONSTANTIN STANISLAVSKI

I f you are a leader in the corporate arena, your role will not onlyrequire you to influence the thoughts and feelings of stakeholdersinside and outside of your organization, but also to motivate their

actions through your vision and ideas. This is no small feat, and it willlikely happen on a daily basis, sometimes with high stakes in thebalance. Great leadership is practiced one conversation at a time, andsomeone communicating a message must understand how they wanttheir audience to react before being able to deliver it with impact.Actors are masters of verbal and nonverbal communication; experts atdriving their messages home with intent. In this chapter, we will detailour three-step process for influential communication as well as theconcepts of intention and objective (the effective communicator’ssecret weapon), to allow you to engage others by influencing emotionsand motivating action.

The Bullseye Principle

THE LEGEND OF PHIL DAVISON

As of this writing, if you enter the words “worst speech of all time” intoGoogle’s search engine it will bring up over million results. But thevery first entry on the very first page of results is a video of a man namedPhil Davison. Additionally, if you do a Google search for “worst speakerof all time” it is Phil Davison who once again comes up on the first pageof results. (We will pause here for you to go watch the video onYouTube. Trust us, it’s worth it.) The speech that Davison deliveredbrought him international infamy and was named “top political rant” ofall time by the Washington Post. The story of Phil Davison is aninteresting tale and one that offers important lessons for all of uswho are tasked with influencing others with our communication.

In , Phil Davison was an aspiring politician in Ohio, a tall andsoft-spoken man who still lived with his father in the same house wherehe had grown up. Davison’s political career began when he walked intothe Board of Elections for Stark County one day and filled out anapplication to run for the office of County Treasurer. Davison had beenworking as a local councilman at the time and decided he wanted tomake a difference in his community and help people.

Davison had first become interested in the idea of public servicewhen, as a child, a local politician had knocked on his front door,introducing himself and asking Davison’s parents for their vote. Davisonwas intrigued by this man who had come into his house—connectingwith Phil and his family on a personal level, right there at their kitchentable. Davison had listened intently to the man and decided way backthen that he would pursue a similar calling himself one day. He loved theidea of meeting people, of understanding their concerns and thenhelping them make their lives better. During the years before the speech,Davison had been involved as a volunteer with local politics, oftendonating money to the local Republican party and helping out at variousevents and fundraisers. But mounting a campaign of his own wassomething that would need to wait until further down the road. Fornow, he was happy building relationships, making connections, and

13Hit Your Mark

paying his dues, biding his time until the moment was right for him torun for office himself.

Then, in , that moment arrived.Davison had been working as a councilman when he was notified by

a local Republican leader that there was an open position. “I thought,‘This might be my one shot,’ ” said Davison. Urged on by party leaders,he decided the time for him to run for office had finally arrived. TheRepublican party of Ohio was looking for a candidate to run for theposition of Stark County Treasurer and they thought Phil would be aperfect fit. Davison learned that there were five other candidates on theballot and all six of them had been invited to speak to a group ofRepublican insiders in Canton, Ohio—the very people who woulddecide which of the six candidates would get their endorsement andsupport.

Excited by the opportunity to introduce himself to local leadership,Davison went to work on his speech. He sat down at his kitchen table ona Sunday afternoon and began writing, composing a well-crafted speechthat established his credibility, detailed the problems facing Ohio, andproposed a handful of clear, practical solutions that he planned toimplement if elected. He threw in a relevant quote from Albert Einsteinto drive the theme of his speech home and made sure the powerfulphrasing and repetition in the speech would make his points morememorable. He wrote the speech in longhand and then typed it up thefollowing day. Davison called a friend and asked him to watch while herehearsed his speech. When he had finished the practice run, Davisonwas energized. The speech suddenly “came to life,” he recalled, “itbreathed, it moved.”

The night of the speech was soon upon him and Davison feltconfident and ready. He put on his best suit and headed to Canton wherethe influential Republican Party insiders were gathering to pick theircandidate. He arrived early and did his best to mingle with the otherpeople in attendance. The party chairman approached him and theyshook hands. The chairman had placed six numbered slips of paper in ahat and invited the candidates to draw a slip to determine the order in

The Bullseye Principle

which they would speak. Davison drew the number , which meant hewould be speaking last, the grand finale of the night’s proceedings.

The other speakers took the stage and, one by one, gave theirspeeches. Finally, it was Davison’s turn. He set aside the microphone,judging that he would not need it. You see, something had happenedprior to delivering the speech that changed the circumstances forDavison and would soon change the temperature of the room. Beforetaking his place amongst the other candidates, Davison had beenapproached by one of the local party leaders who wished him luckwith his speech but informed him that party insiders had alreadydecided which of the six candidates they would be backing in theelection. “I was told, ‘The vote’s in and you’re not getting it,’ ” herecalled. Davison was shocked. For years, he had given money andvolunteered his time to help these people. He felt humiliated andbetrayed. How could this have happened?

As Davison took the stage, he looked out into the audience and tooka breath. Many of the party leaders kept their heads down, avoiding eyecontact, while others sported buttons endorsing other candidates. As heunrolled his notes, Davison was overcome by emotion and he launchedinto the speech that would make him famous. Pacing like a cagedanimal, he locked in on the audience, pointing, glaring, gesticulating:“My name is Phil Davison . . . and I will not apologize for my tonetonight!” He delivered every word of the speech he had so carefullyprepped and rehearsed. And in less than six minutes, he was done.Davison folded his notes and placed them back in his breast pocket. Hetook his seat and waited patiently as the votes were counted. A fewminutes later, the winner was declared. Davison, alone, headed to theparking lot, got into his car and drove the minutes back to his smallhometown of Minerva.

The next morning Davison got up and grabbed the local newspaperto see the coverage of the election. As he read the paper at his kitchentable, the phone rang. It was a college friend, now living in New York.The friend informed Davison that the video of him giving the speechhad gone viral and was burning up the Internet. Phil was dumbfounded.Why would anyone be interested in a speech by a losing politician in

15Hit Your Mark

a local race in Ohio? He would soon find out as the telephone began toring with one call after another: first the BBC, then Good MorningAmerica, Comedy Central, CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox. Local televisionreporters swarmed his front door requesting interviews. One reportereven told him: “Mr. Davison, I’ve been a reporter for years now and I’venever been as afraid to go to someone’s door as I was today.”

As momentum from the video continued to build, the speechpopped up in the most random places: a professor in Sweden screenedit for her students, college kids would watch it on repeat and then reciteit word for word. A beverage company approached Davison to be thespokesman for a new Red Bull-type drink they were about to launch.And it didn’t stop there—soon Hollywood came calling. Davison starredin a television commercial for Volkswagen alongside reggae legendJimmy Cliff. That commercial, which featured a clip of Davison’sfamous speech, played during the Super Bowl—the most-watchedtelevision program of the year. It became a whirlwind journey towardcelebrity for the aspiring politician from Minerva. Davison admitted thatthe sudden fame was not easy to handle. “It was embarrassing, it wasexciting, it was new to me. I was scared.”

And it was just about at this point in the Phil Davison saga where weenter the story.

When our first book, The Pin Drop Principle, was released we werefrequently asked to speak at events and conferences, and as part of ourpresentation, we would often show the Phil Davison video because it wasa perfect example of intention and objective going haywire for a speaker.The raw emotion of Davison’s delivery—the ranting and pacing andpointing and glaring—did not support the message he was attempting todeliver. This mismatch made Davison appear unhinged, like a lunaticpossessed by demons. The incongruence in what he was saying versushow he was saying it not only confused people, it made Davison look likehe was out of control.

One day, after showing the video to a group of executives, we startedto wonder what had happened to Davison after he gave that famousspeech that turned him into an Internet sensation. We decided to try andlocate Phil to see if we could help him develop his skills as a speaker and

The Bullseye Principle

improve his communication style. For us, it was a chance to put ourmethodology to the test with what was arguably our most challengingtest subject to date: the man known as “the worst speaker of all time.”

After locating Phil and explaining to him who we were and what wewere attempting to do, he agreed to come to Chicago. We explained ourthree-step process and detailed how actors and great communicatorsstart by analyzing their audience and then identifying an objective topursue. We explained how a speaker’s body is a billboard and that everyaspect of someone’s communication—their posture, gestures, vocaldynamics, and movement—contain information that an audience willuse to form their perception of them. And we explained that bycontrolling the intention cues you send out, in the manner of a greatactor, you can ultimately control how an audience will feel about you.

When the coaching session was over, Davison finally understoodwhy his speech had gone off the rails: the anger he was expressingcreated incongruence, or mixed messages, between what he was sayingand how he was saying it. We asked him if he still remembered the wordsto the speech that had made him famous and if he would be willing toredo it, adjusting his intention cues this time so that they now supportedthe words. Davison was game so we set up a camera and started filming.As he began speaking, a transformation began to take place. Whereas theoriginal speech made Davison look like a maniac, he now appearedrelaxed, confident, and professional. He was passionate and likeable, hispersonality coming through in every moment. The same content nowresonated in a way that it hadn’t before. (To access and view this videogo to www.pinper.com and click on the bullseye image in the bottomright corner of the screen.)

Since becoming famous, Davison has gone on to make appearanceson television and at various conferences across the country. He is oftenrecognized on the street or in airports. When we asked Davison how hefelt about the fame and notoriety that this famous speech had brought tohim, here is what he had to say: “The Washington Post said that ‘PhilDavison’s rant will never be usurped.’ That’s a helluva statement—itmeans you can’t beat it! Do you know what I’m saying? ‘Never beusurped.’ Never. Never. Not ‘might not be.’ Never be usurped. And I will

17Hit Your Mark

take that with me until the day I die and they put me in my grave. Thatcounts for something, doesn’t it?”

To this day, that speech remains the only public speech Phil Davisonhas ever given.

In his groundbreaking book The Presentation of Self in Every­day Life, psychologist Erving Goffman used imagery of the theater andthe idea that human beings are “social actors” to discuss communica­tion and social interaction. He used the term “performance” to refer toany activity an individual does in front of observers, whether that bechatting with a neighbor in the front yard, facilitating a training sessionat work or interviewing a candidate for a job. And, like an actor on thestage, Goffman believed that during these performances an individualprovides meaning to their audience by the manner in which they behaveat any given moment. According to Goffman, when an individual comesin contact with other people, they modify their behavior depending onthe audience and setting—much like what an actor does onstage.Goffman believed that individuals, like actors, each have a “front stage”and “back stage” persona and act differently depending on the “setting”in which their “performance” is taking place. Front stage behavior iswhat one does when they know others are watching them, such as duringa presentation at work, walking through a crowded city intersection, orrunning a meeting with clients. Back stage behavior is different, moreprivate and relaxed, such as when they are at home or alone on a hike ina forest. In both behaviors, people adjust their intentional cues—theirvoice, dress, attitude—is an attempt to control or guide the impressionthat others will develop about them. The reason for this is usually toavoid embarrassment or enhance one’s stature in the eyes of others. Forexample, a person will behave differently when meeting with the CEO ina boardroom than they would when speaking to a childhood friend overdrinks. Said Goffman, “The part one individual plays is tailored to theparts played by others present.”

When actors train in their craft, they don’t study the anatomy of theface or which muscles are used for a smile and which are used for afrown. They train themselves to access emotions through intention,knowing that when they feel a specific emotion on the inside, it will show

The Bullseye Principle

on the outside. And what others see as a result will then impact theirperception of the person. This idea transfers well to anyone in thecorporate arena who is tasked with communicating a message to others.If you are presenting something that is meant to excite people but youdon’t personally feel excited by the proposal, that will likely be read asapathy by your audience and they may mirror back disinterest in kind.Albert Mehrabian, in his landmark study on communication, estab­lished that the congruence of your communication requires that threechannels—verbal (what you say), vocal (how you say it), and visual (howyou look)—be absolutely in sync. When people take in your message,they are deciphering meaning from your delivery to determine how theyshould feel about what you are saying and how they should respond to it.A congruent message will help to establish trust with a listener bycreating alignment and clarity between what is being said and howsomeone is saying it. It will also ensure consistency with your message,which is also important since studies have shown that when all threechannels of communication are aligned, it is more likely that yourmessage will be understood. When they are not, you send mixed signalsto an audience that may confuse them or provide an opportunity foryour message to be misinterpreted. When someone’s communication isincongruent, an audience will barely listen to the message. They will beconfused and focused on untangling the mixed messages rather than onthe main topic. As communicators, we naturally feel the impulse to becongruent with all three channels of communication, and whenever ourattitude is inconsistent with our behavior, we feel discomfort and anatural inclination to resolve it. This is important to understand whenyou are attempting to influence someone else with your message. If youare communicating something positive or inspiring, an audience willneed to hear that reflected in your voice and see it in your body language.Your verbal communication channel communicates facts and informa­tion—a crucial element when influencing others. Your nonverbalcommunication communicates something different but equally impor­tant: your attitudes and emotions and how you want them to feel aboutthe information. Intention is the glue that binds your verbal and nonverbalcommunication together. With a strong intention behind your words,

19Hit Your Mark

that intention will ensure congru- The art of communicationency of message and do your is the language ofcommunication work for you. leadership.

We all communicate everyday of our lives, whether we —JAMES HUMESchoose to or not, and we allwant something as a result of the messages we are communicating. Thinkabout it. Your teenager throws a ball in the house and it shatters a vase—you deliver a message. Your employee shows up late to work for the thirdday in a row—you deliver a message. Your in-laws invite you to dinnerand ask how your job search is progressing—you deliver a message. In allof these scenarios you clearly seek something from the other party andwant them to feel a certain way and take certain actions as a result ofhearing your message. The question is, how does one do this effectively?

Daniel J. O’Keefe, a professor at Northwestern University, hasdefined persuasion as “a successful, intentional effort at influencinganother’s mental state through communication.” To influence anaudience, you have to start by understanding their needs so you cannot only meet but exceed them. And not just their needs—but also theirbeliefs, desires, concerns, and constraints. In fact, any aspect that willplay a factor in their decision-making process will provide you withuseful information to help customize your message. As comedian PattonOswalt has pointed out, “Every audience is different,” so it is importantthat you “make every audience your audience.”

Engagement—perhaps the most vital ingredient for effective com­munication—is the willing state of attentiveness an audience must be infor you to be able to influence them. If an audience has tuned you out, itdoesn’t matter how knowledgeable you are or how interesting yourinformation is, because little can be achieved if your audience isdistracted or asleep. As a communicator, when it comes to hittingthe mark with an audience, it is not enough that you understand why theinformation you are presenting is important to them, your audiencemust receive it with the same urgency. And that can’t happen withoutengagement. As Teller (born Raymond Joseph Teller), the silent half ofthe magical performance duo Penn & Teller (and a former Latin teacher)

The Bullseye Principle

points out, a speaker “has a duty to engage.” And not just engage, but“transform apathy into interest.” The same goes for someone in thecorporate environment. Whether delivering a message to clients, detail­ing a new policy to team members, or updating the CEO on a recentpurchase order, it is your job to not only engage them with yourmessage, but also create a change in their knowledge, feelings, orbehavior as a result of them hearing the information being shared.

In most cases, an audience in the corporate setting will be open tohearing your message—at least at the start. They want to learn, want tohave better clarity or want to feel inspired by what you have to say. But itis your job to connect with them on an emotional level from the momentyou enter the room until the last visual aid is displayed. If you everwonder whether your audience is engaged or not, there is an easy way tofind out: look at their faces. And not just their faces, take in theirnonverbal communication. The messages they are sending back to youcontain very important information. Warning signs that your audienceis disengaged or bored include few questions being asked, peopleavoiding eye contact, blank stares, doodling, or disengaged body lan­guage such as slouching, crossed arms, or yawning. For a speakercommunicating a message, eye contact is a vital tool for engagementand building rapport. If you are not staying attuned to the intentionalcues being provided to you by your audience, you will likely miss fullyinterpreting them.

The most effective way to ensure engagement in your meetings orpresentations is to create a pattern interrupt (or “change-up”)—some­thing you do or say that is designed to break behavior patterns or habitsthat can lull your audience into a state of complacency. Surprise youraudience with something interesting or unexpected at frequent intervalsthroughout. Shift gears by changing speakers or topics. Divide youraudience into groups and incorporate physical activity, if appropriate.Introduce a new visual aid or solicit feedback or opinions from people.Make your meetings and presentations a dialogue instead of a mono­logue. This will help you to keep the room alive. Schedule breaks to givepeople a chance to step away and return refreshed and ready to re­engage with your message.