This is the last in a series of several stories providing metaphors to help you get your audience invested in a new manual, guideline or procedure. Regular readers know that I believe telling stories and creating metaphors to help drive points home and convince an audience to act after a presentation is over is one way to persuade listeners.You may have a great presentation or speech, but you need someone to take action after the pitch and start using a new process or reference a large volume of info. You are not alone. Often, a presenter can only tell part of the story and excite the listeners, so the encyclopedia sized reference material is saved for later. Here is the fourth of several stories you may wish to include to help everyone realize how to use the supporting material.
Ignorant idealist used to launch a new technology portal including thousands of legal guidelines
In 1919, two industrial giants, Henry Ford and Colonel McCormick of the Chicago Tribune, met in a dramatic libel case when the paper had called Ford an “ignorant idealist.” The automaker was okay with being called an idealist, but he had a problem with the assertion he was ignorant due to his lack of schooling.
The attorneys for the paper pleaded justification, and placed Ford on the witness stand, for the purpose of proving to the jury that he was ignorant. Ford was plied with such questions as the following: “Who was Benedict Arnold?” and “How many soldiers did the British sent over to America to put down the Rebellion of 1776?” In answer to the last question, Ford replied, “I do not know the exact number of soldiers the British sent over, but I have heard that it was a considerably larger number than ever went back.”
In reply to another particularly offensive question, he leaned over, pointed his finger at the lawyer who had asked the question and said, “If I should really want to answer the foolish question you have just asked, or any of the other questions you have been asking me, let me remind you that I have a row of electric push-buttons on my desk, and by pushing the right button, I can summon to my aid men who can answer any question I desire to ask. Why should I clutter up my mind with general knowledge for the purpose of being able to answer questions, when I have men around me who can supply any knowledge I require?”
Now in 2010, this is exactly what we have for you. This team has spent years refining the rules and procedures for our department, and today all of this is now digital. You can now go to this portal, push a button and get the exact information you need.
Again – smart, successful people take advantage of resources to help them get ahead. An important theme for persuading colleagues to use a manual or follow new guidelines.
- Part 3 – Lesson from Einstein
- Part 2 – Go around
- Part 1 – Freedom within a framework
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After completing the Communicate to Win workshop, you will have the most compelling argument and the best ideas. With this complete package, you will gain the tools necessary to guarantee that you have the best ideas and that you can present them confidently so you will WIN. Read what participants say.
photo by seanhobson