Category: Communication Skills Training

5 Reasons to Improve Your Presentation Skills in Business Today

by

Graham Moore

Whatever role you have in business or the corporate world today, your success will be directly related to your ability to influence others.

Therefore, one of the important attributes for successful people in business today is the ability to present well. Sure, academic qualifications along with practical, real world experience is important but one skill – and it is a skill, therefore it can be developed – is the skill of presenting to others. The nature of presenting – that is, the style of presentation and the audience – will vary, of course, but the ability to convey the message effectively is seen as a marker or what could also be called a ‘defining characteristic’ for success. I am often asked to help develop the skills of aspiring managers and leaders because they know that without this skill they will be limited not only because of the way others see them but in their ability to persuade in business-critical situations. As someone who sees people in the corporate world making presentations, I know many of those I see present could be so much more effective with just a little help. But of course, with so many people having that fear of speaking in front of others, this also holds them back. Because they have such concerns they often avoid situations where they’re required to speak – or are in such a state when they do make the presentation that they stumble through it and are just pleased when it’s over. The focus for them becomes the process – not the content – of what they’re delivering. So why should you improve your business presentation skills ? — Communicate your message more effectively Those who understanding how to present effectively, understand how to structure their presentations, what to say, how to say it, in order to make an impact with their audience. Even ‘off the cuff’ presentations are more effective if the person delivering it has an understanding of what is required in the presentation process. The audience is then far more receptive to the message which is being communicated – if the person delivering it does so with an understanding of the process of presenting and speaking. — Sell More Products Your product may be tangible; it may be your services or the services of your company. You may be presenting a proposal on behalf of your company. It may be to a group, 5, 10 or more prospective clients, but whatever you are selling, the effectiveness your presentation skills will play a critical role in achieving the ‘sale’. The most successful sales people are also successful presenters so if your role requires you to sell your company’s products or services or even to present a proposal to your client, improving your presentation skills will improve your success in making that sale. — Influence your team / the Board You may be communicating to your team, maybe it’s the weekly or fortnightly team meeting, in this situation you have to convey our message effectively to the other members of the team. They may be fellow team members – or this could be the team you’re leading. The ability to communicate effectively rests with you – and the outcome you achieve will be directly, in most cases, related to the way you present, to the content of what you’re saying ad the way you’re saying it. Are you convincing them or are you boring them? Are you communicating to their heart as well as their mind – or are you simply filling the air with the sound of your voice ? — Enhance your career prospects If your think your career is slowing, check your presentation skills. People who speak and present well get noticed. No question. If you can effectively, with conviction and impact, present your views and have no hesitation in speaking and presenting to others, you will increase dramatically your chances of being picked up for that next career move. — Become more confident The inner confidence that comes with speaking and presenting well, will come out in your interactions with others even when you’re not presenting to them.. You will appear to others to have an air of confidence in all your interactions with them. That confidence then also is evident in the presentations you’re making. You know what you are going to say, you know how to say it effectively – and you do so confidently. The audience is more than half way convinced; psychologically, they are already on ‘your side’ when they see a level of confidence from you when you present confidently. Effective leaders are also effective presenters and speakers. Executives and managers in business today need to present well to have the edge over their competitors – both the internal as well as the external competitors. Importantly, they are effective influencers of others. Graham Moore

Graham Moore is a professional speaker and trainer who presents to audiences internationally. With over 15 years experience, he also conducts presentation skills training and coaches managers and executives in presentation skills. If you’d like to learn more about how you can improve your speaking and presenting skills

go to

http://mooresuccessonline.com

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

By Ryan Scholz

The worst assumption that managers can make about their area of responsibility is that they know everything that is going on in the department. In reality, they only know what their people want them to know or think they need to know.

Managers who are approachable will find out about problems and issues before they become full blown crises. The people who work for an approachable manager will challenge the manager if they feel that he or she is going to make a big mistake. They will do their best to keep the manager out of trouble.

Here is an example that I use in my work with managers to illustrate the point. Im walking down the street not paying attention to where Im walking and am just about to step in a pile of dog poop. My employees observe me and have three choices of how they respond. One choice is to stop me before I step into it. The second is to watch me step in it and then say how sorry they were that it happened. And the third choice is to watch me step in it and then cheer. My next question is how would your employees respond?

Managers who are not approachable will have more and bigger problems than those who are approachable. If the manager is not approachable, the employees tend to cover up problems, either consciously or unconsciously.

Some of the reasons that managers may be perceived as unapproachable include:

– Always being in a hurry and not taking the time to acknowledge people. And in those situations where they do attempt to interact with subordinates they give the impression that their mind is on something else.

– Shooting the messenger. If employees are made to feel embarrassed or criticized for bringing bad news, then they will be less likely to do it in the future.

– Most of the feedback that the manager gives to employees is negative. Visits to the workplace are usually to deal with a problem and to find out who is to blame. The manager rarely gives positive, face-to-face recognition.

– The manager spends most of his or her time trying to make a good impression on those above him or her in the organization. The face they put on for higher level people is totally different from the one that their employees see on a daily basis.

– Most of the interaction with the manager happens on the managers turf. This not only includes the managers office, but also includes conference rooms as well.

Becoming approachable involves changing behavior and habits. Here are a few ideas on ways that a manager can change his or her behavior to become more approachable:

– Make interacting with employees on their turf a priority. I have been responsible for managing organizations of several hundred people. A goal that I always had was to have a face-to-face interaction with each person in my organization at least once per month. If I had a smaller organization, I would expect a more frequent interaction. For those managers with larger organizations, less frequent is probably needed. The key is to have a goal and stick to it.

– In the 1970s, Bill Hewitt and Dave Packard created a management style that was known as management by walking around (MBWA). It consisted of personal involvement with employees, exhibiting good listening skills, and recognizing people for doing the right thing. Under Hewlett and Packard, MBWA has a purpose. When I coach managers on this subject, I emphasize that their visits through the workplace need to be done with a purpose. Otherwise, it is just management by meandering around.

– When engaging employees, avoid the standard how it is going question. Instead, ask open ended questions that cannot be answered with one wordyes, no, alright , bad and so forth. Engage people in a conversation to find out what is really on their minds.

– Be sensitive to non-verbal clues that you may be sending to your people about your interest in them. Stopping a conversation to answer a cell phone call or constantly looking at your watch tells people subconsciously that you are not really interested in what they are saying.

– Greet people was if you are genuinely glad to see them.

– Find ways to give some form of positive feedback each day. Make the feedback specific and use it to reinforce the positive behaviors and outcomes that you want to see from people in your organization.

– All of us are just people, regardless of the position or title that we have. Managers who are approachable have the self confidence and self esteem to show their human side. They dont have the need to wear a mask in the work place.

Are you approachable? Are you getting ready to step in it? What would your employees do?

About the Author: Ryan Scholz works with leaders whose success is dependent on getting commitment and high performance from others. He is author of Turning Potential into Action: Eight Principles for Creating a Highly Engaged Work Place. For more information, visit his web site at

lead-strat-assoc.com

.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

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Submitted by: Ebru Ulufer

Over 90% of coaching sessions are conducted over the telephone. Some clients might prefer face-to-face coaching but being coached over the phone (or via Skype) is more efficient.

When I first started coaching, I was very clear that I wanted to work with my clients face-to-face. Then I got an e-mail from someone who lived 200 miles from me asking if I could coach her on the phone. That is when I started coaching over the telephone. I now use both telephone and Skype, this gives me the advantage of being able to help someone who lives in another country!

How does Skype coaching work?

Skype is a software programme and it can be downloaded free from http://www.Skype.com. Using Skype allows you to make free calls over the internet. It is very much like talking on the telephone.

Benefits of telephone and Skype coaching :

1. It provides a focused conversation. Without visual distractions, both coaches and their clients are able to hear the conversation in a deeper way.

2. Because you re being heard and not seen, you may feel more comfortable discussing your problems. People are usually more open to share certain things over the phone versus in person.

3. You don t spend time traveling if you choose telephone or Skype coaching. Neither you nor your coach will have to overcome the frustrations or the delays and hassles of traveling.

4. The chances that you and your ideal coach will be within reasonable travel distance are extremely low. With telephone or Skype coaching, you will be able to select from coaches located almost anywhere in the world. Restricting your search geographically will greatly reduce the odds of finding just the right fit for you. By eliminating geographic restrictions, you can be matched with a coach that best meets your needs not the closest coach but the best coach.

5. You can be more flexible in the times you receive coaching. Some clients have very busy schedules and they are only available late evenings and early mornings. If you don t have time for a session during the working day, telephone coaching or Skype coaching is ideal for you.

6. Telephone coaching is very convenient. You will be able to receive coaching in any location you wish as long as you have a phone (or a laptop and internet connection for Skype).

7. Telephone (or Skype) coaching is less costly as you will not have to pay for the travel expenses for your coach or yourself.

If you still prefer to see your coach (and your coach to see you), you can use Skype and connect via the webcam feature. Most of the new laptops have built in web cameras and microphones. If your computer doesn t have that feature, the equipment is inexpensive to buy.

I now coach most of my clients over the phone or via Skype. I can assure you that it is very effective (even more effective than face-to-face coaching). It is surprisingly powerful as distractions are minimised and it allows for deep and focused interaction.

About the Author: Ebru Ulufer is a

Career Coach

. She helps her clients discover the work they love. For more information,

visit her website

. She also owns

Free Coaching

website

CoachMeFree.com

which she has created to help people who want to receive

Free Life Coaching

.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

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