Whatever you do or
wherever you go, at some point in your business life you will have an opportunity
or more to speak in front of a group of people. When such occasions present
themselves, you will have no choice but to step up and inevitably be in the
spotlight. It can be the scariest event in the life of your business or your moment
to shine.
I often find that people who are comfortable speaking in
front of a group, are also comfortable with the process of selling. This is why
I propose that you invest in developing your presentation skills in 2015. Imagine
for a moment you are at an event and they announce that each person will have the
opportunity to come forward to give an organized sixty second infomercial about
their business. If you were to do a survey and evaluate your frame of mind and
some of the others in the room, you would most likely learn that on a scale of
one to ten that half the room would be in panic mode. Speaking in public is not
something most people are comfortable
doing so a significant spike in stress levels can be expected because the
organizers have just set up a uncomfortable situation. When this happens it is your
professional responsibility to maintain control of your frame of mind and
attitude in order to project a consistent level of confidence. In doing so you
are becoming the master of your own destiny.
A key mistake many people make in
this situation, is “rambling on”. One
thing that you can do to make your presentation more powerful and effective is
to take pauses. It will help to emphasize and more importantly ensure that your
message is clear and to the point.
I have often been told that it is not
that I speak slowly rather that I speak clearly. I do pause as appropriate, and
it helps to add value, curiosity and drama to the message. When speaking the most
challenging things to do are often small things such as key pauses. With
practice you can master using pauses in any circumstance and it will benefit your
sales message.
Here are some ideas: (a) make a list
of some of the best speakers / presenters that you know, and take note of their
style; then (b) practice what you have observed and learned. Your level of confidence
will soar!
One of the first things I learned, and
personally adopted, was if you must give a speech, then practice what you will
say out loud so you can hear your
voice and how it will sound. The second is that if you need to read notes then jot
them down in ”breath-size”; then
break them up so that they can be read with purposeful pauses.
I have been interviewed by radio,
television where I have spoken at events with calmness and clarity. You can
master these skills through practice and some coaching. For most of us who love
to talk, changing our habits and behaviors will require incredible
self-discipline and self-confidence. Because to know one’s
self means that you need to ask yourself some difficult questions and tolerate
some discomfort and uncertainty. They say that the future belongs to story
tellers because we think in pictures not in words. Nicolas Boothman, a friend and
colleague says we are all part of the
idea delivery system. Therefore, the more effective we are at communicating
our thoughts and ideas, the more successful we become.
What is important is to develop the
ability to share ideas by painting pictures in the minds of everyone you are
speaking or interacting with in any given situation. Charlie, a friend of mine,
approached me about one year ago; he was attending a competition in Florida to
win twenty thousand dollars. We met and it was one of the most fun-filled
couple of hours we shared. It never takes long to learn the basics, but then
you need to practice, practice and practice! They say that the motive of all
learning is repetition. Well then: repetition is practice! My friend
took all the tips and advice that he had learned from our coaching session
together, and executed his presentation with precision in 3.5 minutes. The
outcome: the judges awarded him with the twenty thousand dollar cheque! Imagine
if you could achieve a similar feat for your business; how would you feel?
Mark Twain said "The right
word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed
pause."
Friend and colleague George Torack
taught me that most people cannot tolerate the vacuum of silence. So when you
are in a negotiation, a simple well placed pause can make a significant difference
because the one who speaks less usually wins. The one who blinks tends to give
away more information and even more concessions. Take this idea for a test
drive and let me know the results.
Plato "Wise men talk because they
have something to say;
fools,because they have to say something."
fools,because they have to say something."
Once you have stated your position -
stop talking and listen. Remember that every effective public presentation should
not be about making noise rather about your selection of carefully articulated
words and pauses which are positioned between each thoughtful word.
So ignore the voices of self-doubt
and any feeling of nervousness. Focus your energy into acting at ease. Smile,
maintain posture and convey confidence. Shoulders back, head up, and make eye
contact. Through experience and practice you can master your fears and become a
picture of self confidence. Practice makes perfect, do you have the audacity and
willingness to become the master of your destiny? I trust that you do.
