Whole Lotta Words.

My cool word pix of the week include some old, but underused gems, and some more arcane choices. Happy weekend!
Mulish
Conurbation
Midden
Petulant

Imprecation

Debased
Leviathan
Middens 

Developing the Perfect Pitch.

Pitching is a part of all our professional lives, even if our title isn't sales representative. 

Whether you are selling your services, a VC, a new hire or your boss, effective pitching is a critical business skill.  It's the art of putting your ideas across.

And there are so many ways a pitch can go wrong.

Here's what NOT to do:

* Don't assume everyone knows what you do. Introduce yourself--without jargon. Make sure your mom understands your job.

* Don't be too familiar. A little small talk goes a long way.

* Don't be rigid. You may have spent days on your PowerPoint presentation, but when peppered with questions, you need to be nimble. Forgo the slide for a conversation.
* Don't pass the buck. The people in your audience assume you understand how you derived your data. Resist the urge to use the all-purpose "I'll get back to you" retort.

* Don't be afriad to show concern. Yes, you're large and in charge, but owning up to your challenges or areas of concern makes you more believable. Control the conversation before your competitors do.

The 80% Idea.

Speaking to Fast Company, Cofounder and Creative Director Masashi Kawamura of the ad agency Party, observed that a "great idea to pitch is one that's only 80% there. We love to have that 20 extra space. It's a good space."

Kawamura says the 100% idea in your head "only gets smaller from there."

That's a liberating way to think about creativity: that it doesn't have to arrive fully formed.