It's Easy to pass a Test when the Answer Is right in front of you

You’re back so quickly.

Are you sure you made the video and posted it.

Like I asked you to.

I mean look here again for it.

OK I can’t completely tell if you did this or not but I’m begging you please record yourself on video and let me critique you.

It’s the way to get the most out of this.

I always get a kick out of reviews because I have more than 100 communication skills courses online and invariably one out of 100.

The person will say no worthwhile activities no good homework activities and they never ever did that they’d never ever are the ones who record this themselves on video and let me record.

So people are funny it’s like because they don’t like to do it they say it didn’t exist so I’m asking you please don’t be one of those people.

OK now where are we going.

I want to give you the ultimate test if you pass this test.

You will have supreme confidence with any communication you have to do in your life.

Personally professionally at the family level it doesn’t matter.

You heard me talk about practicing on video.

You heard me talking about redoing it until you’re comfortable with it.

Here’s the ultimate test.

Figure out who your audience is and then find someone else who is close to that.

Email them your video and then call and ask them what do they remember what messages do they remember.

So if you are pitching a new business and you’re trying to raise angel investment funds and you’re going to be giving a pitch and you’re going to be communicating to let’s say 10 angel investors and a local angel investing club and none of them know you and your uncle or your neighbor down the street is also an angel investor then put together a video not the slide deck but the actual video of you speaking and presenting and record it.

Send it to your uncle or your app.

Send it to the person down the street who is an angel investor.

Ask them to watch it.

Then ask them what messages do they remember and ask them what they conclude.

You would hope that they would say something like wow this is the greatest app in the world that is going to revolutionize the x y z business.

It’s clearly going to make a billion dollars begging you take my check.

I want it to.

I mean that’s sort of the ideal response you want if you are pitching for investment funds.

Unfortunately what you’ll often find is you send your presentation to someone and they’re trying to be helpful and they’ll say something like well you have good confidence and you’re quite articulate for young man young woman.

But I’m still confused as to how you make money.

If you’re hearing something like that it’s a big problem.

Your aunt uncle your neighbor down the street is trying to be helpful and that is helpful.

They don’t understand your business.

It means you did not communicate.

You can do this with any communications situation.

If you’re going to be meeting with your boss tomorrow to ask for a raise.

Put together a video of yourself.

You’re not going to show your boss the video but put together a video of yourself making the case as to why you deserve the raise and then send it to a colleague and another company or another organization get their feedback.

Now here’s the thing that’s part of the way but that’s not the advanced step.

The advanced step is you really have to listen.

To what your mini focus group is telling you and make changes you have to pull from them.

What they’re getting and what they’re not getting.

And you’ve got to redo it.

You may have to do it two three four times and you may have to find a new set of ears and eyes.

But it’s worth it because when you can send a video of yourself communicating a specific message that you really care about and someone can watch it once and throw back right to you without prompting without having to dig what your message is and what they think you want them to do then you know you’re communicating.

You have no doubt it’s virtually impossible to be nervous or uncomfortable or to do a bad job.

So that’s my real challenge for you.

I can’t force you to do that but I would ask you the last video you did take that.

Share it with some colleagues some friends family members associates and get feedback from them their feedback may be a lot more important and a lot more insightful than my feedback because they’re going to know you and your issues even better.

So please do that now.