Welcome
This issue of Markets View takes a
look at how people influence others. If you sometimes find it difficult
to gain buy in to your proposals it maybe because you aren’t putting it
across in quite the right way. There may be nothing wrong with the
proposal at all; it may be because different people are influenced in
different ways. The main article in this issue of Markets View sets out
the four main styles of influence.
We also continue with our A to Z of
Effective Presentations, this issue we are on to the “B”s.
If you are enjoying the “A to Z of
Presentations” but can’t wait the years that it will take before we get
to “Z” in this newsletter, an alternative is now available. My ebook “A
to Z of Effective Business Presentations” is now available.
You can download it from
www.businesspresentation.biz This book provides everything you need
to know about how to organise, structure and give an effective business
presentation. All in one easy to read ebook.
Styles of Influence
This section has been removed because of copyright issues.
A to Z of Effective Presentations
In the last issue of Markets View we
looked at the “A”s now it is the turn for the “B”s.
B is for Breathing
“B” for Breathing is probably
almost as important as “A” for Audience, because if you do not breath
the presentation will not last long!
When we are nervous, it is all to
easy to forget to breath properly. You stand up ready to present, start
your opening sentence and find that you are out of breath before you
finish it. This starves your body of oxygen and increases the state of
anxiety. There is of course a simple cure, before you start to talk,
take deep breaths using both your abdomen and chest to fill your lungs
with lovely fresh invigorating air. Much as athletes start deep
breathing before they start running to maximise the amount of oxygen in
their blood stream, you should adopt the same practice. When you first
stand up in front of your audience, smile, look around the room, take a
few deep breaths and then start your presentation. Do not rush in and do
not wait until you are out of breath before you start to breath deeply.
Taking deep breaths is also one of
the best ways of countering the fear, which is often associated with
public speaking. So if you are nervous beforehand, which is a perfectly
normal, practise breathing deeply. Place you hand on your abdomen and
feel it go in and out with each breath, counting to five when you
breathe in and again when you breathe out.
B is for Body Language
Whole books have been devoted to
body language. This is not intended to compete with such texts but
provides a few basic pointers on how to stand and the effect your
posture has on yourself and your audience.
If you slouch on to the stage,
staring at the floor, while you mumble your presentation, no matter how
fantastic the words are you will not get a good reaction.
Likewise, if you stand up proud,
talk clearly with variation in pitch tone and speed and recite nursery
rhymes to senior executives you probably will not sell any products.
When you are presenting stand proud
with your stomach in, chest out, head up and look the audience in the
eyes. This will make you feel more confident, and you will come over
more confidently as well.
A lot has been written about hand
gestures and moving around on stage when you are presenting. Rather than
worry too much about what to do with your hands, my advice is to act as
naturally as you can.
The main thing to remember is that
little things tend to irritate. So, try to avoid small repetitive
movements. If you normally use your hands to emphasize what you are
saying, then carry on and use them when presenting. However, remember
that you are on stage so you need to be more dramatic than when talking
one-to-one. Hand movements should start at the shoulder not the wrist or
elbow.
Use gestures to help create a mental
picture in the minds of your audience.
Feel free to move around the stage,
but watch out that you are not constantly walking across the beam of
your projector, if you are using one.
Another thing to avoid is tottering
or walking up and down or side to side repetitively, or swaying back and
forth on the spot. That is the type of little thing which can become
irritating to your audience. If you find yourself starting to move, move
properly, walk right across the stage. After all like it or not, it is
you that they have come to see and the more you move around, in a
purposeful way, the better it is likely to be.
Thank you for reading this far
I hope you have found this issue of
Markets View interesting and informative. Don’t forget to check out my
new website at
www.businesspresentation.biz there are free presentation tips and
tricks to download, my ebook “A to Z of Effective Business
Presentations” and an Excel workbook that will reveal your favourite
influencing styles. |
