There are many things for us to remember about South Africa 2010.
The sound: The rhythmic reverberations of thousands of trumpeting vuvuzelas.
The goal: Andrés Iniesta´s dramatic extra-time winner for Spain in the final.
The kiss: Iker Casillas's dramatic extra-extra time finish to his interview by girlfriend Sara Carbonero.
The celebration: The crowds of people who lined the streets of Madrid for hours waiting for a chance to welcome the team home.
All good memories no doubt, but none of these can compete with the exploits of Paul, the oracular octopus from Germany. Paul the octopus now has his own Facebook page. The Madrid Zoo Aquarium is negotiating with his German owners to bring Paul to Spain (Chu Lin will be turning in his grave!). And around the world more people are able to name the German octopus than Spain's goal scorer in the final.
So how does a guy with one beak, three hearts, eight arms and nine brains steal the limelight from Spain's historic triumph? During the World Cup our TV screens and newspapers are filled with experts predicting the results of the big matches. But we are unable to remember any of their names. The only one we can remember is Paul. What's his secret?
Well, it may be because Paul the octopus went eight for eight in predicting the result of Germany's seven matches at the World Cup, along with Spain's victory over the Dutch. In case you were wondering, the probability of doing this is one in 256.
And of course it may be because Paul is different from all the other pundits. How many other fortune telling octopi do you know? Being different is often the key to getting people to notice you and listen to you. This is what Paul the octopus can teach us about communication.
Being different doesn't mean dyeing your hair green and growing eight arms; it simply means looking for opportunities to distance yourself from the rest. Most people spend too little time thinking about how they communicate, with the result that they do things the way they (and just about everyone else) have always done them. And yet, you don't need to be a creative genius to find that little something to increase your impact. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- In presentations, try not to always start by saying 'Good morning. My name is –' Everyone does this; it has zero impact. What about opening with a question, an anecdote, or a picture? If you need to introduce yourself, you can always do it after you've got the audience's attention.
- In writing, try not overuse the formulas that appear in many of the correspondence handbooks, phrases like: 'Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require any further assistance'. Give your writing a more personal feel by escaping the set phrases and aiming for something more natural.
- In teleconferences, when you introduce yourself try not to be monotonous and forgettable. Inject some energy and enthusiasm into your voice so people will enjoy listening to you. You may also want to provide a memory hook (e.g., 'I´m the new guy in the department') for people to remember you by and to show you have a personal side to your life too.
Above all, try to develop a personal communication style that makes you stand out from the pack - something that is recognisably you. It's not as difficult as you might think. After all, if a mussel-munching cephalopod can manage it, so can you!
Want to learn more? Just sign up for one of our Communication & Interpersonal Skills courses. More information at www.readmatthews.com/courses/index.php
