It’s true. Ok. To be fair, I have a severe gluten INTOLERANCE, not an allergy.
But I have developed a pretty bad allergy to cliché. Symptoms include: involuntary eye rolling, a mild but persistent headache, and a creeping sense of boredom and despair.
In the brand messaging biz, it’s a workplace hazard. And as much as I hate them, fact is, clichés serve a purpose:
They show you where you gave up. Where you’re settling.
They’re the police tape that marks the spot where someone committed the crime of not trying hard enough.
They’re the well-worn path that everyone takes because it’s easy. Comfy, but common. Clichés are the Ugg boots of messaging. (I have a pair myself, by the way, so no judgment.)
The problem isn’t that clichés exist or that we slouch around in them from time to time, but that far too many people stop right there, at the level of cliché—in their messaging on their website, their posts, their talks, (their cocktail party banter, oy). They unfold a lawn chair right on it and kick back with a daiquiri.
Please don’t.
You want fresh, compelling, exciting ideas? You want to take the world by storm? Then cliché is the X-marks-the-spot where we start DIGGING. Where we go below, deep down to the roots of what you’re REALLY trying to say, and when you unearth that—everything changes.
And guess what? Those spots are often where you’ll dig up the freshest, most unexpected parts of your ideas. That where your ideas become uniquely yours. And without that, you got nothing.
Okay, but digging deeper and getting real for a brand message or TEDx or keynote or book ain’t easy. Trust me, I’ve worked with hundreds of people to get at their most powerful messaging. Everyone balks. It’s scary.
They take two digs at it with a shovel, and then stop and worry they have nothing original to say. NOT TRUE. They just haven’t dug deep enough.
You can’t get to this key messaging for your talk without good company, the right tools, and conditions that allow for safe, creative exploration, focused thinking, and an air of playfulness.
This is the magic of Tapped to Speak LIVE, happening April 4 & 5 in Boston.
I was at a party for authors recently, and a woman said, “Aren’t TEDx talks played out?” She was worried that TEDx talks were a cliche. Wrong. Not any more than books or blogs are a cliche. It’s the ideas that matter. (Watch this short video to find out what I said to that lady. ?)
I would love, love, love to see you in Boston and be part of the extraordinary team guiding you and cheering you on as you dig into your TED-worthy talk.
⇒ HOLD YOUR SPOT at Tapped to Speak LIVE! I can’t wait to see you.
P.S. Here’s what Kate White, bestselling author and former Editor in Chief of Cosmo, had to say about last year’s event:
“Tapped to Speak LIVE was a breakthrough experience. Even as a seasoned speaker I took so much away. Plus, Terri’s just got such a fabulous style. My cheeks hurt from laughing so hard!”
(Watch what others had to say in this short video.)