by Kate Cocker | Jun 26, 2019 | Coaching, Presenting, Public Speaking
There are, of course, many elements that have to come together in order for people to do what you want. One of those elements lies in the language you choose to instruct them.
When my kids were little, I went on an “Incredible Years” parenting course, not just because there was a free creche and I got a break – honest! Mainly because my neighbour had done the course and her son was so well behaved! He did everything she asked him to do.
I HAD to know her secret.
So I went on the course. And here is what I learned:
Ask people to do what you want them to do.
- Speak in the positive
Why? Because your unconscious mind hears positive instruction.
When you see a child carrying a glass of water, and they are tottering towards a table, and it looks like they are going to spill it, what do you hear their parents say?
“Don’t spill the water!!”
Your brain doesn’t hear the “Don’t” – especially when you are a kid. And more often than not you can guarantee that that child will actively spill the water. That’s what they think they’ve been told to do.
Asking people what you want them to do (rather than what you don’t want them to do) has real results. When we learned this Mr C and I got really creative with the kids:
“Keep your feet on the floor!” when they thought climbing on things was OK and it wasn’t.
“Put your hands on your tummy” when we wanted them not to touch anything in the shops.
It worked more than “Don’t touch that” ever did. And the added bonus is that if you ask people to do what you want them to do – it’s easier to reward them for doing it. Creating a great cycle of positive reward!
2. Be clear with what you want
That’s it. If you want someone to do something for you then you have to ask them explicitly what it is you want them to do. One thought per instruction. The minute you ask for more than one thing, or you start to clutter the request, people won’t hear it.
Less is 100% more.
by Kate Cocker | Aug 22, 2018 | Coaching, On Air, Radio Presenting
Get your own daily positive mantras from me for free on Amazon Echo.
Self-Care comes in lots of different forms, but the one thing I work on all the time is monitoring the voice in my head.
Everyone has a good voice and a bad voice. The bad voice is the one that tells you you aren’t a good enough presenter, or that you don’t deserve to be in the studio, or that that mean tweet from a listener was right. This is the voice that needs to be kept in check.
So, I have devised some daily audio for you (for free) to give you some positive strategies to build your self-care. It’s called “Everyday Positivity” and you can find it on Amazon Echo.
To listen
Simply search for ‘Everyday Positivity Flash Briefing‘ on your Amazon Alexa App and then programme into your own Alexa Flash Briefings.
What’s a “Flash Briefing?”
In case you have no idea what I am on about! The Alexa Flash Briefing is a clever bit of smart speaker technology on the Amazon Echo Dot. You can create your own mini audio programme, by selecting different ‘Flashes’ to build your own daily briefing. This can comprise of news and comedy, to nuggets of marketing advice and of course, an daily injection of positivity. There’s thousands of content options to choose from.
Why am I doing this?
I always want to be sure that I am trying out the latest listening technology so I can share my experiences with you, and then in turn you can feel that you have an edge. Over the next few weeks I will share how I go about making this piece of audio, and ways that you can add it to your repertoire. We’re only seeing the beginning of what this technology can do for the radio and audio industry – it’s a very exciting time for us!
Everyday Positivity everywhere?
If you haven’t got an Amazon Echo, do not despair! I’m exploring ways to get this slice of daily positivity onto other platforms, so watch (or listen!) to this space.
Also, do keep an eye on my Instagram for some fancy audio clips from Everyday Positivity and other stuff that I’m up to, that I’m sure you’ll love – follow me here.
Spread the positivity
I’ve also created a facebook group, where you discuss the ideas I’ve raised in Everyday Positivity and share your own motivational wisdom. Join the group here.
If you do find it on your Echo and love your daily dose of positivity – please could you pop a review here for me? ReviewEverydayPositivity.com.This is the best way I can get this to even more people.
I can’t wait to hear what you think or even how you are exploring this latest technology. Drop me a line and I’d love to hear all about it.
