An essential part of business presenting is having a clear message and making sure that the audience come away with the same message you intended to deliver.

In the pop music world where it’s fair to say most people have short attention spans, we can learn a lot from pop diva Lady Gaga. Recently Lady Gaga managed to take a stand against an issue and at the same time mention her new album numerous times (Born this Way) and still arouse the love / hate responses she is known for. One article on Lady Gaga had over three thousand comments. Not many blogs can rival that response!

So what can we learn from Lady Gaga:

1. Clearly define the issue.

Lady Gaga starts off with a succinct definition:

“The funny thing is that some people reduce freedom to a brand,” Gaga said between tears.

This is a great tagline (with pop diva emotion) that positions her against her pop rivals. By clearly defining the issue, she is now ready to lay out her position.

2. Give your opinion on the issue

Lady Gaga now states her opinion on this pressing issue:

“They think that it’s trendy now to be free. They think it’s trendy to be excited about your identity. When in truth, there is nothing trendy about ‘Born This Way.”

Did you notice the beautiful bridge to her album. Sentence starts with talking about the issue and ends with bringing the attention to her key message – which in this case is her album.

Now, having made the segue, it’s time to hammer home the message:

3. Deliver your message vividly

A powerful way to connect with an audience is to use a metaphor:

“‘Born This Way’ is a spirit, and it is this connection that we all share.”

This metaphor has now linked her message to the audience. Now it’s time to get vivid and have a dig at her pop rivals:

“It is something so much deeper than a wig or a lipstick or an outfit or a [expletive] meat dress. ‘Born This Way’ is about us, ‘Born This Way’ is about what keeps us up at night and makes us afraid.”

Injecting emotion and making her message relevant to people’s lives is another technique that business presenters can use although probably in a toned down fashion.

So while you may not know who Lady Gaga is or whether you love or hate her, make sure that you take away these important lessons:

1. Clearly define your issue

2. Give a direct opinion

3. Use vivid language to deliver your message

About the Author

Warwick John Fahy works with high-potential senior finance executives who struggle to get their point across and influence their key stakeholders. Warwick helps the executive gain respect by quickly and powerfully expressing their opinions. Clients hire Warwick for his highly practical approach. For free executive speaking tips http://www.oneminutepresenter.com/blog

To arrange presentation skills coaching visit http://www.warwickjohnfahy.com. For a media interview call +86 1391 786 7502.

During my youth, my father (a 20 year Air Force veteran) used to tell me; “You are born with just one last name, you need to work hard to protect its reputation”. That was good advice to remember. The same holds true with your professional reputation.

Building and maintaining your reputation can be one of the hardest tasks you will ever undertake. Why? Because your reputation is built every day, it is not just a static event. Furthermore, consistent execution on a day in and day out basis on any task is a challenge. Few are as important as your reputation. It is important to recognize that your reputation is what others believe about you, not what you believe about yourself.

Most everyone is aware of the high profile visibility surrounding the departures of Robert Moffat, ex-SVP of IBM, and Mark Hurd, ex-CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Each had reputations of being squeaky clean, fiercely loyal, and two of the most effective leaders in a Fortune 50 company. Both lost their jobs in disgrace. Hubris and poor judgment effectively ended their public careers.

Beware of letting a prideful act tarnish or even ruin a lifetime of building your good reputation, no matter how innocuous it may appear at the time. As a litmus test, if you are not willing to have your mother read about it on the cover of the Wall Street Journal, you probably are at risk of exercising poor judgment. People and companies have long memories. The advent of technology and social media can easily magnify the awareness of a poor decision.

A good reputation allows you to aim higher in life, personally and professionally. A good reputation attracts positive attention, and can inspire others to do well. A good reputation can never be bought; it can only be earned. A person with a good reputation does not need to worry about what others think about them, for their actions speak louder than words. Go out and do something good for yourself and others today.

About the Author

Wayne Rampey is Vice President at the InSource Group (www.insourcegroup.com), an IT Staffing and Recruiting Agency in Dallas, Tx