tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89379260468232389752013-03-13T05:22:53.530-07:00Presentation skills training blog, inspiration and presentation strategies for business whether you are presenting reports to management, teams & boards, presenting credentials to prospects, presenting solutions to prospects or existing clients, presenting product or service launches effective communication can help.effectivecommunication.com.auhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856269403049656222noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8937926046823238975.post-26290138285223089972013-01-21T17:02:00.000-08:002013-01-21T17:02:18.277-08:002013-01-21T17:02:18.277-08:00

Connecting with Executives doesn't happen automatically. Understanding what is important to them and learning how they think is of the upmost importance. For more than ten (10) years that EffectiveCommunication.com.au has served multinational organisations and their leadership. Here are some of the comments Executives have shared as to how you can stand out and make a difference.

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No matter how good your products and services, people will only be interested to the degree your organization and you demonstrates influence.Robert Cialdini, author of ‘Weapons of Influence’ & ‘The Psychology of Persuasion’, is a leading expert in the area of influencing. In Robert’s books, he identifies critical principles that generate desirable change. Below are the 3 key points. To be

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Being a Trusted Advisor in the eyes of your clients is the Holy Grail. Being a Trusted Advisor is what you must be when selling products and services. It takes time and perseverance to develop such a relationship, but the rewards for both parties are enormous. However, be aware there are some things that will erode the relationship. Assess what follows to insure you are doing nothing that puts

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The next time you deliver a PowerPoint presentation that matters, a product launch, investor pitch, new client meeting etc. — take a cue from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and ditch your bullet points. When Bezos unveiled the all-new Kindle Fire HD this month, his presentation slides were light on text and heavy on images. This style of delivering presentations is fresh, engaging, and ultimately far

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Wouldn't it be great if when we called a business person, we would actually get him/her on the other end of the line? The reality is that nine times out of ten, we end up talking to the person's voice mail or the administrative assistant. Decision-makers are busy and want their phone systems and administrative people to run interference for them. Getting past these "gatekeepers" can be tough.

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Is your presentation scheduled for 3 p.m or later?  If so, you're in the Grave Digger's shift. In fact, any time you speak in the afternoon, you run the risk of digging your own grave unless you are interesting and engaging.  People are tired and typically have a lot to do before they end their day. Therefore, you cannot present information the same way as you would in the morning when people are

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In our Effective Presentation Skills Workshops, we at EffectiveCommunication.com.au share the dangers of using statistics in a presentation. A main reason is that you can adapt data to make it mean whatever you want it to mean. There are times, however, when statistics can be used effectively. Those times are when we answer these two questions, “How much?” & “How many?” When you answer those

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Groucho Marks emceed a television game show in the 1950’s called ‘Who Do You Trust’.The contestant had to choose which of three people was telling the truth. On this show, contestants paid close attention to the body language of the three people as a means of determining who was telling the truth.When business people attempt to sell their ideas face-to-face, their prospect and clients also notice

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Facilitating a meeting can be frustrating!Often, nothing gets accomplished. People start talking among themselves, or they start texting on their phone. No one seems to know where the meeting is going. To get results, you can easily apply the following 3 facilitation principles.1. Have A Well Planned Agenda Focus on the topics pertinent to the listeners in front of you. Don't try to cover too

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Presenting to the boss is a double edged sword!On the one hand, it is an opportunity to show what you know, to be promoted etc. On the other hand, if the boss thinks poorly of you or dislikes what you say, you may be forever sitting on the sidelines or worse yet, sent home. This conundrum may jar every muscle in your body, leaving you unable to play at your best.So what’s a presenter to do? There

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How often have you thought to yourself, “I need to be more influential?” If you think this to yourself, often we don’t know how to address the issue. From a communication standpoint, three issues are critical to making a powerful impression on others. People need to:1. Understand Your Ideas2. Accept Your Points as Appropriate3. Trust You as Being Honest & Credible 1. Understand Your

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Do people ask you to repeat a lot? Do people tell you to slow down during conversations? Or, do people often have difficulty understanding the messages and ideas you share?If so, you might be a fast talker. It might be alright to be a fast talker at home or with friends and family, but it is definitely not okay on the job, especially if your primary communication with others is over the phone

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Just as competitive athletes visualise the outcome of their performance before the game begins, it makes a lot of sense for you to do the same thing before a presentation. Never go into a meeting with only a vague idea of what you want to accomplish. Know ahead what you want people to think or do differently after your presentation. Being unfocused wastes time and leads to disappointing results.

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How you relate to others matters when delivering face-to-face presentations.   What creates a connection with any executive, manager, peer, prospect or client? Here are 4 simple skills:  1. Eye Contact  First and foremost is strong eye contact. Sustained eye contact should begin the minute you walk in the door. With solid eye contact, you instantly appear transparent and confident. You project

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Every audience you will ever present to will immediately want to know that your message is designed just for them. Audiences do not want to think your presentation is one you have delivered many times, even if you have. One of the most effective tools to capture immediate audience interest is to use a customized recall during the opening of your presentation. A customized recall is just what

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Every athlete knows that if you want to perform well, you have to have a strong core. They also know that the time to strengthen their core is not while running a marathon or playing 18 holes of golf.  It needs to happen long before and gradually over time. The same is true for a presenter. You have to have a strong core. Your core consists of seven key skills. The critical skills you need to

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Closing your presentations with impact can open up doors of opportunity because what you say last can significantly affect how your audience feels once they walk away from where you’re presenting back to their busy lives. You can deliver a wonderful presentation but if the ending is weak, your audience will walk away feeling like the experience wasn’t very strong. So here are 4 keys you can use

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Picture yourself attending a staff meeting. How happy are you when the host of the meeting drones on about the numbers or the specifications of a product. Most of us hate lectures.  What we do like and appreciate is a great conversation. So how do you as a speaker turn something that seems like a formal presentation into a more relaxed conversation? First, it can't be one way… You need to

effectivecommunication.com.auhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856269403049656222noreply@blogger.com0http://effectivecommunication-training.blogspot.com/2012/03/great-presentations-are-conversation.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8937926046823238975.post-65395569233075783632012-03-12T17:14:00.000-07:002012-03-12T17:14:51.967-07:002012-03-12T17:14:51.967-07:00

Convincing people to act on your ideas is an art.  If you are one of the people who approach preparing presentations by opening PowerPoint on your computer, the following advice is just for you. What follows are five content tips that will help you to create high impact presentations. On the surface, they may seem too simplistic. The reality is that most people overlook these pointers and end

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We speak to be understood, yet as Robert Greenleaf once said, "Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much". When asked about information overload in the House of Congress, Representative John Brockmann responded "Most houseplants in the U.S. are killed by over-watering". Business Professionals today attend meeting after meeting where they are barraged with information. At the

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Many audiences begrudgingly attend meetings with presenters. Audiences look upon many presenters as an interruption. The last thing a busy audience wants is more information. Often the presenter can be unprepared, distracted and pre-occupied. Anything but focused on the audience and audience needs. Afterwards, the audience quickly forgets the presenter’s message as they move to another meeting.

effectivecommunication.com.auhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856269403049656222noreply@blogger.com0http://effectivecommunication-training.blogspot.com/2012/02/tell-stories-when-presenting-to-connect.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8937926046823238975.post-68498518487139684812012-02-20T20:52:00.000-08:002012-02-20T20:52:49.192-08:002012-02-20T20:52:49.192-08:00

Soft voices are the bane of many people. Soft speakers may think this is not such a big issue. However, for listeners, a voice that is not clearly heard is maddening. It causes people to interrupt or to tune out, especially if they are on a long conference call or the soft speaker is delivering a long presentation. One of our clients said, "When I cannot easily hear a presenter, I ask the

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A voice with inflection is captivating and motivating. Your voice can command attention and makes people want to hear you more. A voice without inflection is flat and monotone. An uninteresting voice bores, annoys and confuses those having to endure it. As you consider how you might ‘raise the bar’ when communicating, record your voice and review it as if you were a listener. Is it a voice

effectivecommunication.com.auhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856269403049656222noreply@blogger.com0http://effectivecommunication-training.blogspot.com/2012/02/your-voice-inflection-matters-in.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8937926046823238975.post-21922584181851960522012-01-31T22:09:00.000-08:002012-01-31T22:09:17.607-08:002012-01-31T22:09:17.607-08:00

How you relate to others matters greatly when delivering a face-to-face presentation. A key that creates immediate connection with any executive, manager or peer is strong eye contact. Sustained eye contact should begin the minute you walk in the door. With solid eye contact, you instantly appear transparent and confident. You project sincerity and demonstrate respect. Remember that being

effectivecommunication.com.auhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01856269403049656222noreply@blogger.com0http://effectivecommunication-training.blogspot.com/2012/01/ensure-you-connect-with-your-audience.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8937926046823238975.post-42373835755322740882011-12-21T14:52:00.000-08:002011-12-21T14:52:31.217-08:002011-12-21T14:52:31.217-08:00

Clients today are busy; some are overwhelmed by the myriad of tasks they now have to perform. By the time they call your help desk or customer care center, they are often frustrated and anything but pleasant. You can put a smile back on their face about your business, and here are some tips to help ensure this happens: 1.  Say you will help   Every time you say, "I can help you," or "Let me

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