The Strategic Communicator » Leadership Communications

Powerful Networking

Sharí Alexander — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:08:49 +0000

Not too long ago I wrote about how to find the most important person in the room by reading specific body language cues. (By the way, thank you to all the magazines and other blogs that picked up this story!)

Recently, a colleague on LinkedIn asked how do you present yourself as the most important person the room?

Great question!

While the body language cues I discussed in the first article came primarily from how people react around you, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few things you can do to bring the “air of power” back to you.

1.) Look the part: As nice as the saying is “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”, we still do it every day. You want to be as well dressed and as well groomed as possible. Don’t worry about having to stretch your credit card limit on clothes. You can find some great looks for low prices. You want to make sure whatever you wear it is fitted, current, and classy. Good image consultants can be very helpful in this area.

2.) Feel the part: The first person you have to convince is yourself. If you feel shy, insignificant, and scared, it will translate to your facial expressions, body language, and voice. Think of ways that you can pump yourself up. Before going to any event that intimidates me, I play my favorite “go get ‘em” music in my car – loudly. Music is one of the best ways to get your mojo flowin’. You can also get a friend to give you a pep talk. Use them as your pre-game coach. However you get there, get there! The more confident you feel, the more powerful you present yourself.

3.) Be the part: Once you’ve accomplished looking powerful for a first impression and feeling powerful inside, you can then project your powerful nature to the rest of the world. Here are a few power stances you can use when networking and wanting to appear approachable. Nothing projects power like confidence. If you want to appear confident and approachable, you’ll want to be sure to:
Have a genuine smile
Open body language (uncrossed arms and legs, no hands in pockets, palm up gestures)
Strong eye contact
Nodding when listening
Slight tilt of the head
Feet pointed in same direction

While some of these suggestions on “be the part” may seem simple and obvious, you’d be amazed at how many people overlook these necessary confident signals. The main reason why people fail to project these signal is that they don’t believe it. They don’t believe they are powerful. They don’t believe they are significant. They don’t believe in their confidence. This is why step 2 is so critical to this process. You body language leaks the true thoughts your mind (both conscious and subconscious) has.

If you believe it, they will see it.

Speaking with an Edge

Sharí Alexander — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:51:00 +0000

Every speaker seeks to make a difference in the lives of their listeners. Even if only one person gets an a-ha moment, it is well worth it. As a speech coach, my clients often ask me if there is some key or technique that can help increase the a-ha moments in their speech. They mistakenly think that if they add one more step in their 5-step process the audience will get it. Or if they create a crafty acronym, that will make a difference. Or if they sing a song or add a poem, the audience will feel a stronger connection to their message. While each of these can be helpful in a speech for other reasons, they are not the key to creating a meaningful connection between an audience member and the message. In order to accomplish that, the speaker needs to dig a bit deeper.

A strong bond is formed along ragged edges

Recently I attended a seminar at the National Speakers Association. Our speaker was Francis Bologna. While his program focused on finances for small businesses, he had amazing insights on life, relationships, and people. One pearl of wisdom that stuck with me when he said, “As people, we don’t really bond together along the smooth edges. Where we truly bong is at the ragged edges.” In other words, what we typically present to the world are our smooth edges. We smile regularly. When asked how we are, we instinctively say “fine”. We keep a pleasant demeanor about us at all times. This is how we make acquaintances and fair-weather relationships. But when we show our ragged edges, that’s when we find true and meaningful relationships with others. The ragged edges are the struggles of looking for a job. The pain of being overweight. The worry for a delinquent child. The fear of not reaching our dreams.

When we share our ragged edges, we connect with others and their ragged edges. We all have pain, worry, frustration, disappointment, and fear. When we hide that part of our being, we cannot make meaningful connections with others. When we hide our own personal truth, all we are doing is polishing up our edges, smoothing them out so that we can slip by others and go unnoticed.

As speakers, our success relies on the ragged edges. We hold the privilege of the platform in order to connect with people. If you only present your smooth edges, you will slip by and forever be forgotten. However, if your goal is to make a lasting change in the lives of your audience members, you must be comfortable with shedding your pride, your ego, and your embarrassment. It is only when you reveal your humanness – your ragged edges – that your audience can then look inside themselves, acknowledge their own ragged edges and feel as though they are not alone. That is when a bond is truly formed.

Think of a puzzle. If the pieces are smooth with no bumps or gaps, when you lay the pieces next to each other, the slightest shift will adjust the pieces and they are no longer aligned. They are easily pulled apart. But if the pieces have spaces and ridges, then they snap in place and they hold on tight to one another, A much greater force is needed to break the bond between them. The same goes for you and your message.

When your speech reveals the spaces, the ridges, the gaps, and the bumps, then that piece of your message finds its way into the heart of someone who has the same ragged piece. They will forever remember that message, remember that lesson, and remember that moment. Nothing can take away that bond between your message and their heart.

The next time you give your speech, don’t be afraid to reveal the ragged edges. Know that what you are afraid of will be the very thing that makes a lasting difference in the life of someone else. If you truly desire to connect, bond, and make a positive change for someone else, share your ragged edges.

Professional Presentation Tips

Sharí Alexander — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:48 +0000

What makes a great speech great? Creating a new presentation or speech can feel like a daunting task, but we can never get frustrated and give up. Slapping together a few points and sticking them on a PowerPoint won’t be beneficial to you or your audience. So much can be gained from a great speech, and yet so many people don’t even come close to receiving the amazing results a speech can provide. Recognition, promotion, a raise, more sales, warm leads, increased inquiries, referrals, more spin-off business, and so much more.

Weak presentations are the result of poor (or misguided) preparation.

Weak presentations lead to weak results.

Here are 5 Lessons to always keep in mind when developing a speech. Great speakers never forget these:
1. Make Your Topic Specific Make the topic of your speech as specific as possible. Leadership is not a specific topic. It is too broad and expansive to be effectively covered in one speech. However, leadership techniques to use in a crisis situation is a very specific topic. The more narrow your speech topic, the easier it will be to develop the main talking points for that speech. A clear topic will help you entice and engage your audience.

Side note: It’s always best if you’re passionate about the topic. Even if you are assigned a presentation that doesn’t get you riled up, perhaps you can find an angle in the presentation that gets you pumped about delivering the message. Is there a personal perspective you can add? I bet there is!

2. Break Away Set your speech apart by making it different. Not all speeches have to be the same. Add more activity, choose unique stories, add off-the wall humor, incorporate different forms of media, wear a costume, play games, do impersonations,…something different. There’s no need to be different just for the sake of being different, but too often people miss some great creative opportunities for their presentation because they are too wrapped up and worried about how to conform to the status quo. Some people think that since presentations within their company/organization have always followed a particular pattern, that pattern is the way all presentations must be conducted. Not always the case! Speaking is fun when you can add your personality into the speech and style. When looking for ways to be different, you might stumble upon some wonderful ways to illustrate your points – you’ll never know unless you look for them.

3. You are the Message Audiences value their time, and (I’m sorry to say it) they are judgmental. We live in a world where we do “kill” the messenger. If your message falls flat, you’re right behind it. Never forget, a part of your reputation is on the line. They probably won’t say anything to your face. Instead, what is more likely to happen, the next time there is an opportunity to speak in front of clients, prospect, or colleagues, your name will be passed by. Your loss. This doesn’t mean that you should shy away from speaking opportunities, instead this should help motivate you to work more diligently on creating a great presentation and not take the opportunity for granted.

4. Connect No presentation is successful without a sincere connection with the audience. While you have the honor to speak in front of a group of people, no matter how big or how small, the moment isn’t about you. It’s about them. How are you helping them? How will you make them feel better? What will you help them understand? Connection is the backbone of any great presentation. You’ll be amazed at the numerous meaningful and reciprocal connections that are can be made after ever speech.

5. Become a Student of Speaking The beauty if public speaking, or any form of communication, is that you can never stop learning. We all can always be a little bit better. Search the web for professional speakers. Look at the videos of speakers at the National Speakers Association (nsaspeaker.org). See what the best are doing. Every time you watch someone speak, ask yourself, “What one thing can I learn about their presentation that I can incorporate in my next speech?” Just look for one thing. The more you know about what works and why, they more you can adjust and improve your speaking skills.

Communication Skills for Leaders: What You Can Learn from Coca-Cola CEO

Sharí Alexander — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:04:38 +0000

Coke CEO Muhtar Kent Understands Communication Skills for Leaders

Communication skills for leaders is an undeniable necessity for any organization. Imagine the importance of communicating effectively and clearly to 92,400 employees in over 200 countries. That’s the responsibility Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent has every day. Fortunately for Coke, Kent understands the importance of effective communication within his expansive organization.

In the October issue of Spirit, the Southwest Airlines magazine, Kent was interviewed about his version of a “power hour”. Each day Kent takes an hour to focus on 5 critical areas that keep him grounded, focused, and effective every day. #1 on Kent’s list was “Go to Rehearsal”

Kent: “I can’t delegate communicating Coke’s vision. It’s the most critical thing I do. Every day I shut my door for 15 minutes to rehearse communications, whether it’s with a journalist, an investor, or other stakeholders.”

“It’s the most critical thing I do.” Wow! As LeVar Burton would say, “You don’t have to take my word for it.” Just listen to the CEO of one of America’s top Fortune 100 companies.

Effective Business Communications and Twitter

Sharí Alexander — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:18 +0000

When Twitter first came on the scene, I must admit I thought it was ridiculous. 140 characters to say something. What in the world could you have to say that’s worth saying in 140 characters? Well, I’ve been converted to the Twitter world.

After posting through the restrictive medium, I have found communication through Twitter to be fascinating. Especially when you compare how much CAN be said in 140 characters vs. how very little is said in meetings that last over 2 hours. I believe Twitter has taught us to be more specific, succinct, and powerful in our communications.

In my business presentation training, I teach there is power in brevity.

“I have a dream.” | “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” | and more recently “Yes we can.” … All in less than 140 characters! These guys were way ahead of their time, in more ways than one!

William Henry Harrison

And just to prove the point, on a rainy day in 1841 President William Henry Harrison delivered the longest inaugural speech in American history (8,444 words) and 31 days later died of pneumonia – thus serving the shortest presidency in history.

So, not only is there power in brevity, but it can save your life!

Public Speaking Coach: Creating a Successful Relationship

Sharí Alexander — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:13 +0000

As a Public Speaking Coach who works with various public figures on their public speaking, I find the dynamic of the coaching relationship fascinating from client to client. Every client is unique in their wants, needs, challenges, and goals.

Earlier this year Harvard Business Review posted some interesting findings on why coaches are called. They found that ten years ago executive coaches were hired to fix “toxic behavior”; however, now coaches are being hired to develop skills and improve potential. This is probably why we have seen speech coaches hired more and more. Couple this finding with the fact that communication skills ranks high in necessary leadership skills and you have a growing need.

So when it comes to speech coaching, how can both the client and the coach create a successful relationship?

1) Motivation

As the survey shows, the client must be motivated to change and improve. The coaching relationship will come to a screeching halt if the client isn’t motivated and willing to make changes. In a speech coaching relationship, this means trying new approaches and tactics, doing the homework, practicing, and taking an honest look at their communication style and effectiveness. Continuous push-back does not facilitate growth and improvement.

2) Trust

There needs to be complete trust between the client and their speech coach. When you either reach a certain level of fame or rank within your organization, fewer and fewer people will give you their honest opinions, especially when it comes to speeches and how meetings were run. No one wants to feel the backlash of upsetting the “the big guy” (or gal). That’s why the client needs to trust the coach to give them honest and educated feedback.

3) Work

Hiring a good public speaking coach isn’t the same as hiring a speech writer. Speech writers will give you the words to say. A speech coach works with you on anything from developing the message of a speech, setting goals for the speech, the delivery of the speech, measuring the effectiveness of the speech, the persuasive power of the speech, and the follow up communications after the speech. Needless to say there is a bit more effort involved for the client than just reading words on a page. Plus, the return on investment is much higher because the client is developing a skill-set that will serve him/her for the rest of their career, improve their leadership abilities, create an improved corporate culture, increase positive publicity,…the list can go on and on.

That’s it. Only 3 main ingredients, but all three need to be present in order to create the best speech coaching relationship possible.

Affluent Magazine Publishes Sharí’s Article…

Sharí Alexander — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:39:37 +0000

Please visit Affluent Magazine’s Web site and read my article “Communications 101 for Managers”.

Give ‘Em What They Want!: Getting Your Audience Interested in Your Presentation

Sharí Alexander — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:54:35 +0000

As I’ve discussed in previous posts, it’s important in your presentation to have a balanced mix of what your audience wants to hear and what they need to hear. It is sometimes difficult for presenters to distinguish the difference between the two – because it’s all interesting to us!

So to help you find the “want to knows” here is a small (and growing) list of ideas. Please keep in mind, the “want to knows” are not necessarily the steps, processes, or action items. Instead, a “want to know” is the picture you paint of how their life will be if they implement your suggestions. You have to make the end-result crystal clear in their minds in order for them to even consider listening to you action plan. Read through the list and see if you have any “want to know” you’d like to add…

Tomorrow will be better than today – How will your information make their life a little better?
Make more money (ideally as easily as possible) – Please, no scammers here.
Have more time – We all wish we had more of it. Paint the picture of how your information will give them more time with their family, more time for their hobbies, more time…for anything!
To be heard – Ever wish you could be more assertive and get what you want? So does your audience!
To achieve their dreams, no matter how distant they seem.
Be more attractive to the opposite sex.
Be less stressed and find peace.
To find love
To get (earn) respect

“Want to knows” aren’t extremely complicated. We all want the same things. We all have the same basic and innate dreams. It is best if your presentation can appeal to those basic desires.

Leadership Communications: Avoid Being a Bad Leader

Sharí Alexander — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:34:22 +0000

Recently my article “Being a Bad Leader: 5 Ways to Improve Your Leadership Abilities Through Communication” was featured in Training Magazine Online. Click here to read the article!

Getting Presentation Feedback from Your Audiences?… Don’t Trust the Usual Sources (Part Two)

Sharí Alexander — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:39:56 +0000

In Part One of this series, I discussed how to gauge if your audience thought you did a good job when you spoke, or if they are simply being polite.

Another source people use to determine if the audience enjoyed the speech or not is evaluation sheets (or as Alan Weiss calls them “smile sheets”).

While I understand the urge for businesses to use a quantifiable measurement to judge the success or failure of a speech, the evaluation sheet process has become arbitrary. They ask the audience to rate the skills of the presenter on a scale of 1-5, one being the lowest and five being the highest. What does a 1 rating mean? It was the worst presentation you’ve ever seen in your life? What does a 5 rating mean? The speaker should be earning 6-figures just to come in today because they are so fabulous? And – my biggest problem with evaluation sheets – what’s the difference between a 4 and a 5?

The 1-5 scale means something different for every person in the room. Therefore, you don’t know if the audience member gave a 4 because they never give 5’s, because 5’s to them signify perfect performance. Who knows? And then there could be the jerk in the audience who marked a 1 on the sheet even though it had nothing to do with the speech, he just didn’t want to be at the stupid conference that day. Who knows?

Which is why I suggest creating an evaluation sheet with open-ended questions and a few yes/no questions. For example, you will learn much more if you ask “What are the 3 main take-aways you learned from this program?” or “How could today’s presentation been improved?” Force your audience to explain their impressions of the presentation.

You can also ask yes/no questions. For example, “Would you recommend this program to your colleagues? Why or why not?”

Think of how much more valuable feedback you’ll receive from evaluations with these types of questions as opposed to the 1-5 scale which leaves you wondering.