PIC No. 103:
• Title: Speak, Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience
• Authors: Bill McGowan and Juliana Silva
• Publisher: Harper Business (June 10, 2025, 272 pages)
• Management Bucket #19 of 20: The Printing Bucket (aka The Communications Bucket)
Welcome to Issue No. 103 of PAILS IN COMPARISON, the value-added sidekick of John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. This blog features my “PICs”—shorter reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my 20 management buckets (core competencies) filing system.
Pop Quiz: The Cliché Swap-Out Exercise!
It's the rare (but excellent!) book that I review twice. But three reviews? Stay tuned.
I hope this short "niche chapter" review (and Pop Quiz) will inspire you to order this new book. Then, read my second review over at John Pearson's Buckets Blog. But, oh...my. There is still so much meaty content, I'm thinking about a third review later this year.
In my Book Bucket, I suggest discuss “balls” in this bucket. Ball #2: “Mentor Your Team Members with Niche Books: Leverage their strengths with thoughtfully selected chapters.”
After you’ve read Speak, Memorably, I’m guessing you might select Chapter 6, “The Conformity Trap: Jargon and Cliché,” as a likely nominee for best niche chapter. (And you probably already know the person on your team that should read this poke-in-the-ribs—the know-it-all who is also your Jargon Meister!)
The section, “Cliché Swap-Out,” is brilliant. The authors list 11 commonly over-used business clichés. Here’s my idea:
POP QUIZ! After Helena, our new intern, gives us a 10-minute summary of Chapter 6, your assignment is to rewrite the following clichés with a new-and-improved “Cliché Swap-Out” phrase. You’ll learn that the author, Bill McGowan, hates clichés with a passion. (Is that a cliché?) And yes, Helena has 10 Starbucks cards for the winners. We’ll use #1 as an example:
___________________________________________________
#1. “We put consumers at the heart of everything we do.”
The Cliché Swap-Out: “Every decision we make is filtered through one primary consideration: Will this result in a better experience for the people we serve?”
___________________________________________________
#2. “Surprising and delighting consumers.”
The Cliché Swap-Out:
#3. “We’re consumer-centric.”
The Cliché Swap-Out:
#4. “We meet our consumers wherever and whenever they are.”
The Cliché Swap-Out:
#5. “Winning the hearts and minds of consumers.”
The Cliché Swap-Out:
#6. “On a go-forward basis.”
The Cliché Swap-Out:
#7. “Leveraging core assets.”
The Cliché Swap-Out:
Note: For fun, watch this "Weird Al" Yancovic 4-minute video on business buzzwords! LOL!
#8. “Future-proofing the business.”
The Cliché Swap-Out:
#9. “It’s early innings.”
The Cliché Swap-Out:
#10. “Guided by our North Star.”
The Cliché Swap-Out:
#11. “We’re on a journey.”
The Cliché Swap-Out:
Note: Chapter 6 includes helpful color commentaries on each of these clichés with suggested Cliché Swap-Outs.
EXTRA CREDIT! Confess to at least one cliché you use often—and suggest a better Cliché Swap-Out. (If you can't think of one, just ask a team member. He or she will mention four or five you use constantly!)
By the way, as you’ll read in my review at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog, I realized I’ve been doing it all wrong! Speaking. Presentations. PowerPoints. Storytelling. Humor. Metaphors. Analogies, and so much more. I have a lot of work to do before my next presentation!
How about you? Do your speaking tools enable your great ideas to “ricochet in people’s heads for hours, days, or even weeks after you’ve said them?” Read (or listen to) this very helpful book.
PAILS IN COMPARISON: Reading this book reminded me of several other must-read books in the Printing Bucket, plus other buckets/core competencies. In my 2022 book, Mastering 100-Must Read Books, I included five titles in “Part 16: Keys to Memorable Speaking and Writing.” They include:
[ ] #87. 15 Minutes Including Q&A: A Plan to Save the World From Lousy Presentations, by Joey Asher. (Read my review.)
[ ] #88. Public Speaking Laws of Success: For Everyone and Every Occasion, by Richard J. Goossen. (Read my review.)
[ ] #89. You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard: The Complete Book of Speaking…in Business and in Life, by Bert Decker. (Read my review.)
[ ] #90. Keys to Great Writing: Mastering the Elements of Composition and Revision, by Stephen Wilbers. (Read my review.)
[ ] #91. Gilead: A Novel, by Marilynne Robinson. (Read my review.)
[ ] BONUS! Don't Say Um: How to Communicate Effectively to Live a Better Life, by Michael Chad Hoeppner. (Read my review.)
[ ] Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate and Inspire, by Cliff Atkinson. (Read my review.)
To order from Amazon, click on the title for Speak, Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience, by Bill McGowan and Juliana Silva. Listen on Libro (8 hours, 20 minutes). For more reviews, visit John Pearson’s Buckets Blog and subscribe to Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews.
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