Wes Kao — Blog

Read your messaging in a robot voice

My obsession with messaging is based on my personal experience editing hundreds of pages of copy for myself, my direct reports, and my clients. When your brand is on the line, you're incentivized to make sure copy gets your audience to take action, achieves the outcome you want, and represents you well (so you don't invite a flurry of customer complaints).

In other words, if you're a leader or changemaker who uses words to persuade, this post is for you.

I want to tell you about what I call the robot voice method.

Influence and PersuasionWes KaoSeptember 25, 2018Influence and Persuasion, How to, Framework, Career advice

“What will I tell my boss?”: Why leaders should understand the worldview of bureaucrats

“This is policy.”

When someone cites policy on you, it’s hard to push back. It’s a strong frame because the person uttering these three little words has the power of an entire organization behind them. Who are you, a mere mortal, to challenge policy?

Never mind if the policy doesn’t make sense in your situation. Policy is policy.

What can you do? When you’re trying to do something new, you might have to deal with the most dreadful kind of person: a bureaucrat.

Influence and PersuasionWes KaoAugust 22, 2018Framework, How to, Influence and Persuasion

A million drops in a bucket is a full bucket

Sometimes it feels like anything you could contribute would just be a drop in the bucket. Is it even worth doing? So we keep searching for the blockbuster hit, the home run, the thing that's going to change thousands or millions of people's minds. That'll really make a difference, that would obviously be worth doing.

Influence and PersuasionWes KaoNovember 22, 2016Influence and Persuasion

Speak up before the train crashes

I'm not good at holding my tongue when I sense that a train wreck might happen. If you've tried speaking up before, and no one listened, it's tempting to want to teach them a lesson.

Okay fine, well the train will crash. THEN they'll see why they should have listened to me all along...

You don't get to take the moral high ground there. If you sense that something might be wrong, speak up before it's too late.

When customers take risks, you grow closer

Susie has always worn sensible lipstick. She stops in to pick up another tube, and you introduce her to a fire-engine red she never would have picked up herself.

Tom just got a smartphone and barely knows how to use it. With a few taps, your app lets him start a family chat thread his kids are eager to use. Now he's downloading emoji packs, customizing backgrounds, texting with friends abroad and in the US.

Jake is graduating from IKEA and is finally buying his first piece of forever furniture. He was intimidated to walk into your store, but you made him feel welcome, like he's the kind of person who could own an Eames chair.

Marketing, Influence and PersuasionWes KaoNovember 21, 2016Marketing, Influence and Persuasion

Can people change? My thoughts on the altMBA

Can people change? This seems like such a debated age-old question, it might not even be worth asking. But I think it's important to consider. Today is the last day of the altMBA September session, and two days ago, we opened applications for our January 2016 session (Seth's blog post here).

I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to write about in this post.

This is ironic, because we have our students publish their work 3x per week, and because I think about altMBA 24/7. So you would think I could easily find something to write about here.

Influence and PersuasionWes KaoOctober 3, 2015Influence and Persuasion

"Let's go around and introduce ourselves": How to respond to this terrible ice breaker

There's a common ice breaker at conference breakout sessions. It's the dreaded "Let's go around the room and introduce ourselves" question.

Here’s what's supposed to happen: You learn that, in addition to being a sales manager, Tim likes wind-surfing on weekends.

You do too. You find him during the break and talk. You build rapport.

Influence and PersuasionWes KaoSeptember 30, 2015Influence and Persuasion

How waiters should respond when a customer says, "What do you recommend?"

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and said, "It's our first time here. Everything on the menu looks delicious. What do you recommend?"

When a customer asks that question, it's an opportunity for the waiter to shine, to kick off the next hour together with a positive interaction. The customer is giving you a bid, and you can respond by leaning in. What ensues could lead to a lively exchange and transfer of knowledge about the juicy eats that the restaurant has to offer.

But sometimes, what happens is a frustrating impasse.

Influence and PersuasionWes KaoSeptember 23, 2015Framework, Influence and Persuasion

Shipped: Seth Godin’s Freelancer course on Udemy

Leadership and Management, Influence and PersuasionWes KaoApril 22, 2015Leadership and Management, Influence and Persuasion

"Does anyone read my posts?" and the silent majority

Influence and Persuasion, Leveling upWes KaoJanuary 22, 2015Influence and Persuasion, Levelling up, Shipping