Dear Bill: As a marketing representative, I make presentations to both co-workers and clients. Initially, I was nervous even presenting to peers, but now have a level of comfort. In one of you articles you mentioned that, when someone is stuck on a particular issue, receiving coaching may help. My situation is this. I will be making a presentation in three weeks with clients, whom I have never met. In anticipation of this event, I've had sleepless nights. I know it is difficult to receive coaching by reading articles, but wonder, if you have any suggestions to help with my comfort level.
Nervous.
Dear nervous: Somebody told me that public speaking is the 2nd most stressful thing and fear of death is #1. This does not surprise me as I have had my own experiences in my younger years. I was 21 yrs old and master of ceremonies at a wedding. Three days before the wedding I was also asked to give the toast to the bride. I wrote it, memorized it, but when I got to the podium, at the Hotel Saskatchewan in front of 250 people, I froze. I fumbled through the toast, but decided that night that, if I am going to speak in front of people again, I must be better prepared.
My thoughts, based on Harry Simmon's book and other sources:If making presentations is one of your weak points, then I strongly encourage you to read, Harry Simmon's book on, How to Talk your Way to Success. He states that, "success often depends upon your ability or inability to talk as upon your ability to do your job". He found that one thing successful people have in common is skill in using words. Another interesting comment in his book is that our happiness depends to a great extent upon our ability to express our ideas, desires, hopes, ambitions, or disappointments. Think of a young child trying to express themselves. Failure to express oneself, due to insecurities, shyness, and/or fear, can build up and over time erode our confidence.
1. Analyze your Audience: Put yourself in their shoes. Try to understand their reality and anticipate what they want to know. Once you know what they want, you have a better idea on how to "sell" your product.
2. Set your Goal: Decide what you want to happen as a result of your presentation. Goals in any communication are to inform, to persuade, to request an action and to build relationships.
3. Do your Homework: Research your topic, know it well. Anticipate questions. Make sure you have facts to answer them and be able to identify sources to obtain answers, if required. Follow-up is a must.
4. Plan Format and Delivery: HOW you give your talk can be more important than WHAT you say.
5. Make a Powerful First Impression: The clients will make decisions about you based on your appearance, your words and the sound of your voice (tone). You can't make a first impression twice.
6. Plan your Opening Statements: Practice them in front of a mirror. Get past the beginning with confidence and the rest is easier. Grab attention with a joke, an interesting fact(s), a question, a positive statement and/or a provocative question. Anything to arouse curiosity.
7. Speak with Confidence: Speaking and in your case selling is about a transfer of emotions. When you deliver, make sure the clients believe in what you're saying. Be energetic, but calm with a tone of voice that should change for emphasis.
Sounds like you're interested in learning and that is a big step towards improving oneself. Be confident and you will do well. Don't worry about perfection and to show humility is a bonus. I still get nervous myself and this self acknowledgement helps me prepare.
Quote: "If you can speak in public, you will never be out of a job".Lee Iacocca.Please send Comments to editorial@yorktonthisweek. com or cudmore@sasktel.net. in confidence.
