Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Writing / Speaking Research Tip

Working on a Christian book or presentation and need some background on a story or person in the Bible? http://www.ChristianAnswers.net/dictionary/home.html is a bible dictionary / encyclopedia which encompasses over 4,100 articles and definitions, including over 96,000 convenient, cross-reference hyperlinks to the Bible, definitions, meanings of words, and answers from biblical experts. So whether you are searching for clarification on your pitch points or just trying to verify whether that piece of scripture is from Hebrews or Corinthians, "ChristianAnswers" is a good resource.

Thanks to http://www.plannedtelevisionarts.com/ for the tip.

Friday, May 18, 2007

So, What Do You Speak About?

"So, what do you speak about?" Never respond to this question. Instead, focus your answer on what you accomplish for your listeners. Don’t talk about what you do, explain how your audience benefits from your message. Describe the value that you offer in tangible terms. Could that value be explained to an innocent bystander and cause them to become interested?

How do you determine your value? Start with these two questions:

1. How do you improve the lives of your listeners?

2. What tangible results do you make happen for your audience?


If you're unclear about your value, then people will be unclear about why they should listen to you. Phrases such as, "I improve marriages...I help women know God better...or I increase product sales," sound so vague that listeners feel confused. Instead, make your benefits clear, such as "I help married couples learn to work like a team...I help remove a woman's fear that God is mad with her...I help companies achieve 10% sales growth over last year."

Give vague answers about your message, and people will look at you with glazed eyes. But, give them clear benefits, and your audience will help you spread your message.

For more information, call 1-800-267-2045 or visit: www.StartaWildFire.com