Using the word ‘why’ to optimise your 60 second

‘Because Y’s a crooked letter and neither you nor I can straighten it’.

I usually heard that expression from my mother after I had asked her ‘why’ once too often.

I never really lost my love of the word ‘why’, which is probably the reason I went into journalism. And now that I have three daughters ranging from 2 years to 15 years, I’ve found that telling them why I want them to do something almost always secures their co-operation.

It’s a very powerful device to use in your 60 second. Whether your 60 second presentation is offering advice or is purely promotional, answering the question ‘why’ will create a better quality, more memorable, more persuasive 60 seconds.

Why? Because us humans are naturally curious, somewhat lazy and a bit cynical, so when somebody tries to get us to do something, we usually want to know ‘why’ (?).

The whole point of a 60 second is to get people to do something, including remember you, give you a referral or speak to others about you.

The next time you do your 60 second, answer the question ‘why’. You’re much more likely to achieve ‘buy-in’.

‘Why’ also stimulates creativity.

If you’re stuck for words, you might find that answering the question ‘why’ is a great way to get the 60 second muse going again. Perhaps you’re talking about travel insurance, or investing in stocks or about how to conduct a successful candidate interview. Begin by answering the question ‘why’, and then rest should flow from there…

When you answer the question ‘why’, you’re establishing yourself as having a reason, and as reasonable. You’re presenting motive and evidence, and that builds credibility, which in turn leads to trust and on to profit.

Colin Kennedy is a keynote speaker, copywriter and content marketing consultant. As BNI New Zealand’s marketing director he is responsible for the organisation’s communications strategy, and also serves as an assistant director for North Central region of BNI.