Transform Problems Into Positive Action Statements
Turn your statements into positive statements. Always use double positives in a sentence whenever possible.
As an example, I really dislike it when someone says “Don’t hesitate to call!” Let’s look at this statement. Read the word aloud and you tell me your first feeling about that word.
“DON’T”. How does that word make you feel? How about “HESITATE”. Does that make you feel any better?
How about “Please feel free to call me at any time.” Do you walk away with a different feeling? Try these.
“Yes, we are number #3 and we can be #2 in 12 months!”
“Yes we are smaller than our competitor and we can create lucrative niche markets better than they can.”.
Do you remember the Ivory Soap story? It wasn’t 56/100 percent contaminated. It was 99 and 44/100 percent pure!
Do you remember the Avis Car Rental slogan in the 60’s?
We’re number two, we try harder.
(In P.R., we call that “Spin”.)
“Always drink upstream from the herd.”
-Will Rogers
Lon Safko
Serial Innovator, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, Innovative Thinking
Tags: innovative thinking, creative, creative thinking, Innovation, critical thinking definition, innovation definition, critical thinking skills, creative process
