EXECUTIVE PRESENCE CREATE IMPACT THROUGH YOUR IMAGE AND COMMUNICATIONS

Transcription

1 EXECUTIVE PRESENCE CREATE IMPACT THROUGH YOUR IMAGE AND COMMUNICATIONS

2 Executive Presence Create Impact through Your Image and Communications

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4 Our Capabilities Fresh ideas and strategies. Time sensitive. Results oriented. And a lot of fun to work with. How do you invest in your professional development? Professional athletes understand the power of continual coaching to improve their skills to win. You are an athlete too, in the intensely competitive game of business. Those who succeed are those who never stop pushing and challenging themselves to the next level of development. If being an effective leader, communicator and motivator is important to you, you have come to the right place. We focus on changing behavior giving YOU powerful skills and techniques to enhance and maximize your ability to connect and engage with your audience. Consider the power and scope of lasting first impressions. At the heart of all great business relationships and success is excellent communication. Whether you are preparing for a high-stakes presentation, sales call, meeting, conference call, webinar, media interview or face-to-face conversation, how you communicate determines if you influence others to take action. To make sure you get the results you want, we will work closely with you to customize a program that meets you and your organization s learning objectives. From understanding your corporate culture to speaking your language, our goal is to create not just a relationship but a long-term commitment. Our highly interactive workshops focus on professional business communication, including preparation, influence, structure, strategy, delivery, use of visual aids and handling questionand-answer sessions. We believe in providing practical skills and techniques you can apply immediately to your personal and professional life. Communicating to achieve results is a process. It is one of the most powerful tools you can use to distinguish yourself and your peers from the competition. When you need to say something important, you need access to the best tools to deliver your message. Stacey Hanke Inc. will show you how to stay competitive in the game of business, communicating to influence others to take action. What are you waiting for? Contact us today and begin changing behavior for maximum impact throughout your organization. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 1

5 Welcome! Table of Contents Objectives... 3 Summary of Behavioral Skills... 4 What Counts When Communicating?... 5 Posture... 6 Movement... 8 Gestures Facial Expressions Pause Vocal Variety and Volume Eye Connection Communication Quick Start Getting Organized Identifying Your Goals Clarifying Your Objective Designing Your Content S.P.A.R.K. Their Attention Communication Quick Start Examples Virtual Conversations that Influence Best Practices for Virtual Success Face-to-Face or Virtual? Designing Visual Support Visual Aid Selection Back up the Presentation Sample Slides Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan Commit to Your New Skills The Contract References Notes Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

6 Objectives Return on Your Investment What is in it for you? See how others see you through instructor assessment, self-assessment, peer review and video feedback. Increase your awareness of how your non-verbal language can detract from or enhance your message and the perceptions your audience creates of you when you communicate through: Presentations Sales calls Meetings Face-to-face conversations Media interviews Impromptu situations Conference calls and webinars Voic and messages Avoid the three biggest traps individuals fall into that negatively impact their professional image. Learn the three openers to avoid that will shut down your audience and prevent you from being taken seriously. Apply the key components of a listener analysis to customize a message that specifically meets your audience s needs and expectations. Communicate a clear, concise message that gets to the point using the Communication Quick Start. Handle question-and-answer sessions and objections with credibility and audience involvement. Read your audience and maintain control over the conversation. Design visual aids that guarantee support of your message and increase learner retention. Manage the interaction of visual aids to support and add impact to your message. Hold yourself accountable by immediately practicing and applying the skills and techniques to make any changes permanent. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 3

7 Summary of Behavioral Skills Communication Quick Start Virtual Conversations that Influence Designing Visual Support Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan References 4 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

8 Summary of Behavioral Skills What Counts When Communicating? Write down three adjectives that best describe the way you want to be perceived by your audience: What really counts for trust and believability? Assign a percentage value to the impact each communication element has on believability.* Face-to-Face Telephone Verbal: What you say; your message: Vocal: Inflection; variety and projection of your voice: Visual: What the audience sees; your body language: 100% 100% Face-to-Face Telephone 86% Vocal 14% verbal Perceptions are reality. You determine the perception your audience creates in their own minds by the way you communicate. The key to getting your message across is to gain trust and believability. No matter what you say, your message will have no impact on the audience unless you are believable. It will be difficult to get your audience to take action without belief and agreement. People buy people. * Actual percentage based on research by Albert Mehrabian, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, UCLA; see his book, Silent Messages. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 5

9 Summary of Behavioral Skills Posture First impressions are created by a speaker s posture. Remember your audience notes how you stand, sit and move. Standing Neutral Position Balance your stance to maintain a neutral position by: Distributing your weight evenly on both feet. Resting your weight on the ball of your foot rather than your heel. Keeping your energy up and forward toward your audience. At some point during your message delivery, you need to be quiet and still by relaxing your arms at your sides in the neutral position. When you are fidgeting, rocking back and forth or pacing, your brain cannot work effectively, preventing you from thinking on your feet. You are trying to do too much at one time; as a result, you will lose your train of thought and will not be as effective as you could be. You also need to be quiet and still for your audience, allowing them to stay connected with you and to absorb your message. Otherwise you are creating too many distractions for your audience to focus on. If we are strong, our strength will speak for itself. If we are weak, words will be of no help. John Fitzgerald Kennedy 6 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

10 Summary of Behavioral Skills Posture, continued Seated Neutral Position When seated, avoid slouching; sit up straight and place your feet flat on the floor. When you slouch it is more difficult to breathe from your diaphragm. We will be discussing the power of your voice and the impact of the diaphragm supporting your voice on the page titled Vocal Variety and Volume. To achieve a seated neutral position do the following: Position yourself with your lower back approximately one inch away from the back of the chair. Keep your body erect (but not rigid), with your shoulders relaxed and your torso open. Keep your gestures above the table to add emphasis to your words. Avoid fidgeting with your pen, notes or visual aids. Be careful not to let your pen or visual aids become part of your gestures. When possible, avoid sitting directly across from your employee, decision maker or peer. The table or desk becomes a barrier between you and the individual you want to connect with. Instead sit next to them, creating an open position to enhance the relationship. If you are facilitating a meeting with a group seated at a conference table, sit at the end of the table. This position makes it easier for you to connect with your audience and increases participation. Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. George Bernard Shaw First impressions are made within 30 seconds. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 7

11 Summary of Behavioral Skills Movement Pacing, leaning to one side or shifting and rocking your weight back and forth will distract your audience. Concentrate instead on moving with purpose. Moving with Purpose Do you ever feel like you are standing in the spotlight when you are speaking to an audience? This feeling is a result of where we prefer to stand. Our positioning tends to be front center, which prevents us from connecting and engaging with the individuals seated on the sides of the room. Movement channels nervous energy, gets you out of the center spotlight and encourages audience involvement. There is a difference between moving with purpose and moving because you are nervous. Follow this step-by-step approach to make sure your movement has purpose: Look. Before you begin to move, look in the direction you want to move. Make eye connection. Choose one person toward whom you intend to walk and connect with that person s eyes. Allow your eyes to lead you in the direction you are moving towards. Arc and park. Incorporate the arc as you are moving towards your audience. Arc your steps to avoid walking aggressively and directly towards your audience, which is intimidating. The arc allows you to keep your shoulders open to your audience and prevents you from turning your back on them. Keep shoulders parallel to audience. When you have reached your destination avoid turning your back to your audience. Stay open by keeping your shoulders parallel to your audience. This will help you stay connected and involve everyone. Imagine presenting to a large audience and having the ability to connect with everyone no matter where you are standing. These are the benefits of keeping your shoulders parallel to your audience. Stand in neutral position. Stand in the neutral position for three to four sentences to avoid pacing. When moving with purpose, project confidence and control by doing the following: Make your movement random. Use the entire front of the room. Avoid stepping backwards away from your audience. You never want to give them the perception you are running away from them or your message. 8 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

12 Summary of Behavioral Skills Movement, continued Movement with Limited Space When you have limited space for movement, be careful of rocking or shifting your weight back and forth. Your energy will begin to take over and have a negative impact on your message and the perceptions your audience creates of you. Instead, use your energy to connect and motivate your audience through your gestures, facial expressions, voice and eye connection. U-Shaped Room Setup When speaking to an audience seated at a U-shaped table, remember the following critical tips. Avoid walking into the center of the U-shape. Keep your movement positioned in front of the room to prevent turning your back on your audience and to prevent standing behind your audience while you are speaking. Avoid walking too far to the side of the individuals sitting on the right and left side of the U- shape. Your goal is to stay connected and to engage your audience, not to make it a challenge for them to stay focused on where you are positioned in the room. See the section on Interacting with Visual Aids, which describes purposeful movement. They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Carl W. Buechner Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 9

13 Summary of Behavioral Skills Gestures Enhance your relationship with your audience by showing them how you feel. Gestures Gestures add warmth and believability to your voice. Confident speakers use their gestures to add emphasis to their words. When using gestures do the following: Expand your gestures from your sides and draw pictures around your words. Let your hands emphasize and describe your message to bring natural animation to your message. Avoid fidgeting with your hands, rings, pens or other items, which is distracting for your audience and may be perceived as lack of confidence and credibility. Avoid locking your elbows at your sides or creating the same repetitive gestures. This movement with your gestures is perceived as talking with your hands or gesturing too much. What is in it for you? Gestures add emphasis and impact to your message. They help you add energy and inflection to your voice and channel your adrenaline and nervous energy. 10 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

14 Summary of Behavioral Skills Facial Expressions Your face reveals how you feel about what you are saying. It reinforces your message and strengthens the relationship you are creating with your audience. Facial Expressions Look like you mean what you say. Do you really believe your product or service is better than the competition s? Do you look as confident as you say you are? Are you excited about your work with your client or customer? The benefits of your products or services will be more believable when you communicate your passion, enthusiasm and commitment through your facial expressions. When in doubt SMILE. It communicates that you believe what you are saying. Use the following tips to become more aware of and improve your facial expressions. Begin paying attention to the type of facial expressions you use and when you use them. You may not be aware of when you frown, roll your eyes or scowl. When you are smiling while communicating a serious or negative message, you create a discrepancy between your facial expression and your message. That discrepancy could result in a negative perception. Once you have increased your awareness of facial expressions, practice the skill of incorporating them into your message, matching the appropriate expression to each situation. You would not want to frown or have a stone-cold look on your face when you are expressing your passion for your company s products. The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives. Tony Robbins Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 11

15 Summary of Behavioral Skills Pause The most powerful skill you have is the ability to pause and take a relaxing breath! Avoid Filler Words Um, what perception, like, do you create, you know, when you hear, um, a speaker using, uh, words that clutter, you know, their language? Knowledgeable, credible and confident probably do not come to mind. We refer to these words as non-words or filler words. We use them to buy ourselves time to think about what we want to say or to avoid silence. These words become distracting to our audience, and they miss what we are communicating. Instead we need to give our audience time to hear, understand and absorb our message. Common Filler Words uh OK and um actually but so basically you know like well however now right Replace non-words by taking time to pause and b-r-e-a-t-h-e. If your message is cluttered with nonwords, your audience may see you as someone who is unable to perform their job or as someone who lacks knowledge. Tip: Be aware, once you have eliminated the common non-words you tend to use from the table above, you will find another one that becomes your new filler. 12 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

16 Summary of Behavioral Skills Pause, continued Pause Pausing guarantees you will not lose your credibility and the attention of your audience. The benefits of pausing are essential to influencing your audience to take action. Pausing gives your audience a chance to hear, understand and absorb your message. Pausing also invites your audience to share the conversation with you. When you create a two-way conversation with your audience, you are able to adjust your message based on their needs and expectations. Pausing creates curiosity and heightens anticipation. Pause before and after a specific point, fact or idea you want your audience to remember. Imagine the impact you will have when you describe the benefits of your company s products or services. Pausing allows you to collect your thoughts and breathe to r-e-l-a-x. Pausing helps you gain control of your message and appear comfortable with your audience. You are able to communicate more information in less time because you are saying fewer words and giving yourself permission to think on your feet, which prevents you from rambling and wasting your audience s time. Pausing allows you to prioritize your thoughts. It helps you avoid rambling and instead think on your feet. Impromptu situations then become more comfortable, even when you have not had a chance to prepare a message. The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause. Lord Thomas Dewar Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 13

17 Summary of Behavioral Skills Vocal Variety and Volume We all have the right to speak. You need to earn the right to be heard. John Maxwell Using Your Voice Three key vocal qualities that determine how your message impacts your audience are: Projection and energy. Inflection and vocal variety. Enthusiasm and belief in your products and services. What perception does your audience create if you speak too quickly or too s l o w l y? Here are some suggestions on how to use your voice. Speak at an even pace so your audience can hear you clearly. You do not want to give your audience the impression that you cannot wait to leave or that you do not really want to be with them. Speak with conviction, so you sound like you mean what you say. Are you as honored to receive the award as you say? Do you really feel you are the best candidate for the project? Are you glad to serve your customers? When you lack inflection and enthusiasm in your voice while persuading your audience to take action, you increase the likelihood that action will not be taken. If you re not passionate about your message, why should your audience be? Breathe deeply and allow the air to supply power to your voice. A strong, clear voice conveys confidence and assertiveness. On a scale from one to ten, with one being inaudible and ten overpowering, speak at a volume level of seven to eight. Vary inflection and add volume to avoid sounding monotonous or boring. Be aware of vocal trail-off. When we re in a hurry or anxious, we try to say too many words on one breath of air. As a result, we ll run out of air and our volume trails off at the end of our sentences. Your audience will tune out because you re making it too difficult for them to actively listen. Be aware of up-talk. When you end your sentences in a question by raising the tone or pitch of your voice, you appear to question your own credibility and knowledge. 14 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

18 Summary of Behavioral Skills Vocal Variety and Volume, continued Volume The sound of your voice shapes the attitude of your audience even more than the words you speak. Vocal energy will: Hold your audience s attention. Display emotion and enthusiasm. Bring out the importance of your message. Convey confidence. To guarantee you re speaking at a volume level that commands confidence and credibility, refer to a scale from one to ten, with one being inaudible and ten overpowering. When you re speaking to a group of five or more, your volume needs to be at a seven or eight. When you re speaking over the phone or participating in a face-to-face conversation, practice speaking at a volume level of four to five. Prior to your next meeting, ask a co-worker to provide feedback on your volume level and inflection. Explain the one to ten volume scale to give them a clear explanation of where your expectations lie. If you keep doing what you ve always done, you ll keep getting what you ve always got. Jim Rohn Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 15

19 Summary of Behavioral Skills Eye Connection The relationship with your audience begins with eye connection. The Eyes Have It Eye connection is the only delivery skill that conveys trust and believability. Without this behavioral skill you increase the risk of not creating or maintaining a relationship with your audience. If they do not trust you as a partner, leader or motivator, they will never be influenced to take action based on your message. When you forget what to say, where do you tend to look? Yes, at the ceiling, floor or anywhere away from your audience. When you disconnect with your audience what words do you say: Uh um well, etc. At this very moment, you instantly communicate to your audience you do not know what to say. You begin to lose trust and credibility. Begin practicing today the following techniques to create a new and powerful skill for engaging and connecting with your audience. The eyes have it! When you connect with your audience through eye connection, they will see you as trustworthy and believable. Connect with your audience by looking them in the eye when you are speaking to them, and listening to what they say. When speaking to two or more people, complete one sentence or thought per person. Take your time and pause when you move your eyes from one person to another. Eye connection allows you to conduct a face-to-face conversation with your audience that is professional and purposeful, no matter what distractions may be taking place at the time. Only speak when you are connecting with your audience s eyes. Avoid the temptation to speak to your notes, your audience s shoulders or the top of their head, your PowerPoint slides or laptop. With eye connection you will avoid non-words and gain control by allowing yourself to think on your feet. When you are focused in your eyes you will be focused in your thoughts. 16 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

20 Summary of Behavioral Skills Eye Connection, continued Speaking to a Large Group When speaking to a group of thirty or more, you may not be able to see the eyes of everyone because of the room setup or lighting. How can you connect with every individual? Select an area to focus on where individuals are sitting. Stay connected with them for a complete sentence or thought. The individuals who are sitting within that area will feel as though you are connecting with them personally. Think about a concert you may have attended where you were not seated in the front row. Did you ever feel the musicians were playing or singing directly to you? Face-to-Face Communication When having a face-to-face conversation, you will tend to connect with your audience longer than in a group session. To avoid a discomforting stare, give your eyes and your audience s eyes a break by looking away periodically. You may want to refer to your notes, visual aids, sales aids, etc. Make sure you pause when you look away from your audience. I You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere. Lee Iacocca Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 17

21 Summary of Behavioral Skills Communication Quick Start Virtual Conversations that Influence Designing Visual Support Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan References 18 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

22 Communication Quick Start Getting Organized The Communication Quick Start is a proven step-by-step organizational tool designed to help you communicate a clear and concise message. The goal of your message is to influence, motivate and get action. To make this happen, your message must be well organized. Communication Quick Start Overview Communicating a clear and concise message requires preparation. The Communication Quick Start is designed to help you prepare and deliver your message. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 19

23 Communication Quick Start Getting Organized, continued Communication Quick Start Overview, continued The Communication Quick Start process involves the following steps, which are detailed on the subsequent pages: 1 Identifying Your Goals 2 Clarifying Your Objectives Listener Analysis Opinion Action Steps Benefits 3 Designing Your Content 4 S.P.A.R.K. Your Audience s Attention With the Communication Quick Start process, you can accomplish the following: Organize and prioritize your thoughts and create a message that is clear, concise and to the point. Design a message specific to your audience s needs and expectations. Quickly and successfully think on your feet. Make it easier for your audience to understand, follow and remember your message. Post-it Notes To use the Communication Quick Start effectively, we recommend you use Post-it notes. The notes will allow you to establish the flow of your talk, organize your thoughts, allow for creativity and enable you to clarify your message. In addition, Post-it notes save you time as they allow you to quickly edit the content and transitions. Trigger Words Trigger words are key in effectively using Post-it notes to design and deliver your talk. Their purpose is to minimize the number of words you use and to prevent you from writing word-for-word what you are planning to communicate. Trigger words will trigger your thoughts if you need to use your notes while delivering your message. Write two to three trigger words on one Post-it note. Your audience does not want to be read to, nor do you want your message to seem memorized or scripted. 20 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

24 Communication Quick Start Getting Organized, continued Trigger Words, continued Trigger words will allow you to convey a message that is conversational and welcoming. It is natural to lose your train of thought during a presentation, sales call, meeting, conference call, webinar or face-to-face conversation. Trigger words will jog your memory and get you back on track quickly. When you pause and take a moment to refer to your notes, you will not lose the energy and natural conversation of your talk. It will prevent you from rambling and help you think on your feet. Experiment with Post-it notes and trigger words as you walk through the Communication Quick Start planning process. Influence the conversation you ll influence the relationship. Influence the relationship you ll influence the outcome you re after. John Maxwell Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 21

25 Communication Quick Start Identifying Your Goals Effective communication begins with being clear about the results you want to achieve. Use Questions to Identify Your Objectives Before you dive into using the Communication Quick Start, uncover your goals and objectives by asking and answering the following questions. Questions Write Your Answers Here 1 What is my goal? Persuade? Inform? Ask my audience to take action? Inspire? Entertain? 2 What specific action do I want my audience to take? 3 What specific behaviors do I want my audience to change or adopt? 22 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

26 Communication Quick Start Identifying Your Goals, continued Questions Write Your Answers Here 4 What is the best way to reach my goal? Is it a Presentation format Team meeting Face-to-face conversation Sales call Media interview Training session Conference call Webinar or voic message 5 What format will work best for the message I want to convey? Identify visual aids that will most effectively support and enhance your message. Determine where each visual aid will have the greatest impact within your message. Identify which communication format will accomplish your objective. For example, one or two presenters, seated or standing, video conference, conference call, online training, etc. 6 What do I personally want to gain from my message and delivery? Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 23

27 Communication Quick Start Clarifying Your Objective Clarifying your objective involves getting clear about who your audience is, what your opinions are, what action steps you want your audience to take, and the benefits of what you are telling them. This information will then inspire how you can open and close your message for maximum impact. Clarifying Your Objective An introduction prepares your audience to hear your message favorably. Among the challenges voiced by previous participants: I never know how to start or end my presentation. I tend to ramble and never really get to the point. I say too much too soon. The Communication Quick Start will immediately resolve these challenges and minimize the amount of time it takes you to create any message. Avoid beginning your message with the statement, What I would like to talk about today is or Today we are going to talk about... In fact, 99 percent of the time your audience already knows why they have been asked to meet with you. Instead of starting with this filler statement, most effective speakers can get their point across in thirty seconds or less. You can, too, once you have clarified your objective. To clarify your objective, first get clear about the following. What does your audience know about your topic? What does your audience need to know about your topic? What do you want your audience to do? What is their opinion about your topic? Who is your audience? What are the benefits of your message? 24 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

28 Communication Quick Start Clarifying Your Objective, continued Listener Analysis When you walk into the room to deliver your talk, the message is no longer about you. It is about your audience. Once you begin delivering your message, you need your audience more than they need you. Without them, it is just a rehearsal. Most speakers begin composing their message by looking at a blank PowerPoint screen. Before you open your laptop, you need to take a close look at your audience. Although this might seem obvious, most of us tend to bypass this step. Your audience is the most important aspect of your talk. If you do not know what is important to them, what they need, and what their experience level and opinion are likely to be, you narrow your chance of getting them to take action. Use the questions on the subsequent pages when conducting your listener analysis before developing your message. This includes presentations, sales calls, and voic messages, meeting agendas, conference calls, webinars or preparing for a face-to-face conversation with a coworker, boss or client. K.N.O.W. Your Listeners Use the acronym K.N.O.W. when identifying your audience. K N O W Knowledge What is the audience s knowledge level of your topic? Where did they receive this knowledge? Need What are your audience s needs? What information do they need to know based on your objective and the time frame? Opinion What is the audience s opinion about your topic? Who Who are they: managers, employees, customers, etc.? Write your thoughts on Post-it notes and place them on your Communication Quick Start in the box shown to the right. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 25

29 Communication Quick Start Clarifying Your Objective, continued More Questions to Identify Who Are Your Listeners Additional questions to ask yourself when designing a message that meets the needs and expectations of your audience. How many individuals will be attending? What do they know about the topic being discussed? What do I want them to know about the topic? What are their expectations? How do I want them to feel about the topic? How will the action I want them to take benefit them? What behavior do I want them to change as a result of my message? What preconceived ideas do they have about the topic? What negative point of view might they have toward my subject? What is their past experience with this topic? What is important to my audience? What impact will their decisions have on the decision-makers? Why is this presentation, meeting, face-to-face conversation, etc. occurring now? What are my audience s goals? Will my message have more information than my audience needs or wants to hear? If so, how do I plan on prioritizing the key points and concepts? How can I show that I know something about their work experience to help my audience identify with me? Why should my audience be interested in this particular topic? Can I list at least three challenging questions my audience may ask? Is it mandatory for everyone to attend the talk? What provisions have I made for handling interaction? Handouts Visual aids Debriefings Phone contacts Follow-up meetings Post-talk discussions or questionnaires 26 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

30 Communication Quick Start Clarifying Your Objective, continued Opinion If your audience thinks you do not believe in your topic, why should they? To influence your audience, share with them how you feel about your topic or your point of view. If you do not state your opinion, your audience will be confused about how you feel and what you want them to do. Stating your opinion adds trust and believability to your message. Examples of opinion statements include: Communication skills are essential to getting your message across. Our current position with the ABC project will either make or break our budget. The launch of our new product is critical to the firm s success. You will state your opinion in the opening and closing of your message. Stating your opinion will increase learner retention and the likelihood your audience takes action. To document your opinions: Write your opinion on a Post-it note and place it in your opening on the Communication Quick Start. Write your opinion again on a second Post-it note and place it in the closing. Keep in mind that we remember the first and last thing that is stated. Action Steps: General and Specific When you communicate directly to your audience what you want them to do, you increase the likelihood that you will get the results you seek. Remember this is the reason you are communicating the information in the first place. If you are struggling to identify what action you want your audience to take, you may need to sit back and ask yourself, Is there a better use of my time and theirs to convey the information? General Action Step A general action step states what you want your audience to do while they are physically present during your message. This action step will be part of your opening. For example: Stay open to the skills and techniques we will be discussing. Consider applying these new behaviors. Explore the opportunities. Write your general action step on a Post-it note and place it in your opening on the Communication Quick Start. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 27

31 Communication Quick Start Clarifying Your Objective, continued Specific Action Step Identify a specific action that is measurable and quantifiable. A specific action step puts commitment into the lap of the audience. To generate action by your audience, they need to walk away with a clear understanding of what you are asking them to do. You will state this action step in the closing of your talk. For example: Set a goal by the end of the day on Friday identifying how you will practice and get feedback on the skills and techniques we have discussed. Write your specific action step on a Post-it note and place it in your closing on the Communication Quick Start. Benefits When you ask your audience to take action, they want to know What is in it for me? If you are able to show your audience the benefits of taking action, you increase the chances that they will comply. Identify two or three benefits your audience will receive as a result of performing the action you recommend. For example: When you set a goal by Friday for how you will practice these new behaviors, you will increase your trust with your audience, enhance your credibility and boost your confidence. You want to remind your audience that your information is of value to them. The benefits may seem obvious to you, but your audience needs to hear and understand them. Benefits are the most persuasive elements of your talk. After you have identified two to three benefits for your audience, you will notice there is a space in your opening and closing for benefits. Based on your listener analysis, decide how you want to lay out the benefits. Repeat the two to three benefits in the opening and closing of your message. State one or two benefits in your opening and three benefits in the closing of your message. A bad beginning makes a bad ending. Euripides 28 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

32 Communication Quick Start Clarifying Your Objective, continued Putting It Together We remember the first and last things we hear. Therefore, be sure your message includes a powerful beginning and a dynamic ending that includes your opinion, the action steps and benefits for your audience. Using Post-it notes, follow the Communication Quick Start to do the following: Place your opinion, general and specific action steps in the appropriate boxes in your opening and closing. Place the benefits in the appropriate boxes in your opening and closing. You are now ready to begin designing your content. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 29

33 Communication Quick Start Designing Your Content To make sure your audience remembers and retains the information you are communicating, create your content following The Rule of Three. Key Points The Rule of Three states that the human mind remembers in groups of three. This would explain why we remember our phone number(s) and Social Security number. When you offer more than three key points, your audience is busy trying to remember each key point; they walk away with none of them. Keeping your key points to three or fewer will also help you remember what you came prepared to communicate. After you have designed your opening and closing, do the following: Identify the three key points that will support your objective and get your audience to take action. Your key points serve as a road map that provides direction. They establish the framework for what you want your audience to do as a result of your talk. Write your three key points on three separate Post-it notes. Identify the key point you want to discuss first, and place this Post-it note at Key Point A on your Communication Quick Start. Continue this process for Key Points B and C. 30 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

34 Communication Quick Start Designing Your Content, continued Sub-Points Once your key points are positioned in order of their importance, you are ready to identify your subpoints. Sub-points need to support your key points and give your audience direction and understanding. Do the following: Write your sub-points on separate Post-it notes. Try not to get carried away with the number of sub-points you develop. Keep in mind The Rule of Three and trigger words. Place your sub-points into the correct boxes on your Communication Quick Start. For example, place the first sub-point that supports Key Point A in sub-point box A1. Continue this process for the remaining sub-points you have identified. Congratulations! Once you have identified the sub-points that will give your audience enough information for taking the desired action, you have completed the body of your talk. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 31

35 Communication Quick Start S.P.A.R.K. Their Attention S.P.A.R.K. your audience s attention and bring your message alive. It is your opportunity to add your own creativity and personality. S.P.A.R.K. Their Attention S.P.A.R.K. is the most effective way to: Help you relax and get comfortable with your audience. Grab your audience s attention. Gain audience involvement. Remember what you are going to say. Increase learner retention. Emphasize a key point or idea. The elements of S.P.A.R.K. are: Stories Pictorials Analogies References, Quotes, and Questions Keep them laughing S.P.A.R.K. may be used anywhere within your message. When you have a key point, idea, fact or statistic you want your audience to remember, tie a S.P.A.R.K. around this idea. Your audience will remember more of the information longer. S.P.A.R.K. is also effective at the beginning and end of your message. That is because people tend to remember the first and last things they have heard. 32 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

36 Communication Quick Start S.P.A.R.K. Their Attention, continued Stories Everyone likes and remembers a good story. A story is a way to tap into your audience s emotions and experiences. Stories allow you to connect with your audience. Be careful not to get lost in the details, making your story too long and losing your audience s attention. Instead, keep your story brief and to the point, ideally two minutes or less. When you tap into your own experiences you will discover a library of stories you can use at any time. Personal and professional experiences Lessons learned Successes and challenges Humorous events or situations Parables The story itself does not need to relate to your message; however, the point of the story does need to support your message. For example: Let s say you are a manager and frequently you are called upon to deliver a presentation to motivate and lead your team. An effective parable may be one like the tortoise and the hare from Aesop s Fables. After you have told your story, explain to your team the point behind your story. After telling your story, you will bridge the point of your story to the main idea(s) you want to convey. In the example of the tortoise and the hare, you would explain to your team there is a price to pay if they want to succeed. That price is determination, a win-win attitude and perseverance. Your team would not only relate to this story but also remember your points when their determination or attitude begins to take a detour from reaching success. Stories are the currency of human relationships. Robert McKee Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 33

37 Communication Quick Start S.P.A.R.K. Their Attention, continued Pictures We have heard it before, A picture is worth a thousand words. Words and numbers alone are not memorable, nor does your audience want you to read to them. You can easily take a complex idea and illustrate it with a simple visual to avoid confusing or frustrating your audience. Think about the hundreds of billboards you have passed in your life. I would wager that some stand out in your memory. Do we remember a billboard for its tiny font and lots of words crammed into a small space? I hope you answered, No. I remember it for the picture, color and bold words. Your audience s memory works the same way pictures, color and bold words. Less is more! Several years ago, a participant in my class was speaking on marketing strategies. She began her presentation in silence as she showed the class a photograph of a dense crowd of people walking down a street in Tokyo. After giving her audience a chance to study the photo, she said, Imagine the marketing potential here. Although I do not remember the remainder of her presentation, I do remember the photograph and the points it made. Remember, whenever you use pictures or any visual support, ask yourself: Do my visual aids enhance audience understanding and encourage retention by illustrating my main ideas? Do my visual aids communicate my main ideas simply? Do my visual aids support my message or am I using my visual aids in place of my notes? If you want to persuade others, exceed expectations yourself. Tony Jeary, Power of Persuasion 34 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

38 Communication Quick Start S.P.A.R.K. Their Attention, continued Analogy An analogy is a comparison of two similar items or ideas. It is easier to explain a complex idea or concept if you can compare it to something your audience can understand. An analogy takes a familiar concept and relates it to one that is unknown, in order to increase an audience s understanding. Use only one analogy per concept, and make sure you explain clearly the relationship between the two items or concepts you are comparing. Practice explaining your analogy to a friend, a co-worker or a family member. If the explanation seems to be a struggle, do not use the analogy. For example: Learning new communication skills and behaviors is like playing golf for the first time. At the start, it feels awkward and uncomfortable, but the more you practice, the more comfortable and confident you become, and the better your game. References & Quotes A reference is an independent source you cite to support your main points or ideas. It might be a newspaper article, a journal, a TV documentary, a book, a speech or other source. References and quotes add credibility to what you are saying. Among the places you can find references: Website articles and blogs. Educational and other professional journals. Newspapers, newsletters, and well-known authoritative publications. Magazines that specialize in your topic of interest. When using a reference, make sure you acknowledge the source. For example, According to the Harvard Management Communication Letter, the most frequently missed opportunity in business presentations today is the presenter telling the audience how they feel about the topic. A quote restates what someone else once said. It may be from an expert in your field, a renowned leader in history or a well-known coach. For example, think about how powerful it would be to quote Martin Luther King s I Have a Dream speech. You are sure to leave a lasting impression. When you are quoting what someone else said, always use that person s exact words or explain to your audience when you paraphrase. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 35

39 Communication Quick Start S.P.A.R.K. Their Attention, continued Questions Another option is to start your message with a question. A question is useful to quickly identify the needs of your audience. For example, if you were delivering a message about marketing strategies, you might ask, What is your greatest challenge to identifying your target market? The key is to identify a question that is most likely to elicit the emotion you want to evoke or that begins the general message you want to convey. Keep Them Laughing Laughter is the best medicine for all of us and creates an instant connection with your audience. Use your natural humor. Tell a funny story, recount an amusing situation or offer an example taken from your personal or professional life, your family, friends or peers. Exaggerate everyday funnies or embellish your own experiences. This allows you to establish quickly a relationship with your audience. It is usually best to avoid telling jokes. You never know who you might offend. Take a look at your Communication Quick Start message identifying the key points and ideas your audience must understand and take away with them so they take action. Experiment with S.P.A.R.K., identifying where and how you can implement it to add impact and improve learner retention. Adding S.P.A.R.K. to your message is what brings your message alive. It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question. Decouvertes 36 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

40 Communication Quick Start Example 1 This is an example of what a completed Communication Quick Start might look like on the topic of Coaching Opportunities. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 37

41 Communication Quick Start Example 1, continued 38 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

42 Communication Quick Start Example 1, continued Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 39

43 Communication Quick Start Example 2 This is an example of what a completed Communication Quick Start might look like for a Sales Training Initiative. 40 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

44 Communication Quick Start Example 2, continued Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 41

45 Communication Quick Start Example 2, continued 42 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

46 Communication Quick Start Example 2a This example addresses the topic of increased productivity that was brought up in example 2. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 43

47 Communication Quick Start Example 2a, continued 44 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

48 Communication Quick Start Example 2b This example addresses the topic of increased profits that was brought up in example 2. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 45

49 Communication Quick Start Example 2b, continued 46 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

50 Communication Quick Start Example 2c This example addresses the topic of time that was brought up in example 2.. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 47

51 Communication Quick Start Example 2c, continued 48 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

52 Summary of Behavioral Skills Communication Quick Start Virtual Conversations that Influence Designing Visual Support Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan References Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 49

53 Virtual Conversations that Influence Best Practices for Virtual Success More and more work is being done in virtual environments, such as conference calls and webinars, requiring a different approach than face-to-face communication. Leading Telephone Conferences Are you guilty of muting your phone during a conference call as you catch up on or other tasks? During the first five minutes of a conference call the majority of your audience will be distracted by other tasks if you don't get them engaged. Companies have been turning to conference calls to save time and money. When conference calls are not properly managed by the leader, they lack direction and often require more time than was scheduled. When we find our conference calls going over the scheduled time frame or multiple calls scheduled on the same topic, time and money are not saved. Follow these best practices to make your conference calls engaging, interactive and effective: Find a quiet conference room to avoid background noise and interruptions. Encourage your participants to do the same. If participants cannot avoid background noise, instruct them on how to mute their phone lines. Instruct participants not to place their line on hold during the call to avoid broadcasting their hold music into the call. Use a high-quality headset for comfort and to be able to stand and move around during the call, without undercutting the quality of your voice or your message. Stand when you deliver a conference call. You have more energy when you stand, which will be heard through your voice. This adds excitement and variety to your voice. Speak more slowly than if you were in person and articulate your words clearly. Your audience does not have the visual cues they would otherwise have if they could see you. Prior to the call, ask a participant you feel comfortable with to ask specific questions during the call. This will encourage interaction by others. Start and end on time. When you go beyond the scheduled time frame, you communicate to participants that their time is not valuable. Always have an agenda and distribute the agenda at least 24 hours prior to the call. Even if participants glance at the agenda before the call, it mentally prepares them for what is to come. 50 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

54 Virtual Conversations that Influence Best Practices for Virtual Success, continued Leading Telephone Conferences, continued Prior to distributing the agenda, ask everyone to notify you of a topic they want to discuss. Include their topics on the agenda, and allocate the time accordingly. If multiple or ongoing calls with the same group are needed, rotate the role of the facilitator and note taker. This allows everyone an opportunity to take ownership of the calls and holds individuals accountable. At the beginning of the call, explain the purpose of the call and your expectations, your role, the participants roles and what needs to be accomplished. Explain to participants: "To make this call efficient and to respect your time, we'll need your participation. I want to make sure everyone is clear on their individual action steps moving forward. Therefore, I'll be asking questions throughout the call for everyone to answer." Make sure you communicate to your audience that you realize it's difficult to stay alert on a conference call. In order to reach results and to make sure you're on track as the facilitator, everyone needs to participate. State at the beginning of the call your process for asking questions. Follow the agenda and keep the conversation on topic. If the conversation goes off topic, ask the group if they want to make note of the topic for future conversations or if they want to discuss the topic now. Note: If they choose to discuss the topic at that moment, this will affect your scheduled time. To respect everyone's time, you need to decide which topic on the agenda you will not have time for during this call. Always ask the group if they're OK with you selecting which topic to discuss at a later date. Use a timer or clock to track time. When a discussion on a specific topic is going in a direction without purpose, facilitate the group to get the topic back on focus. Lead the group by encouraging them to identify action steps on this topic. Once action steps are identified, you can move onto the next topic. The more specific the action step the more likely action will take place. For example: "By the end of the week each of you will identify three strategies within your department for servicing your customers to save them time." Engage your audience. Avoid talking at them for more than 10 minutes at a time by mixing in questions and creating opportunities for group discussion. New telephone-conferencing technologies are emerging, some of which allow leaders to create breakout groups, conduct polls and un-mute individual participants. These new technologies promote interaction, engagement and efficiency on conference calls. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 51

55 Virtual Conversations that Influence Best Practices for Virtual Success, continued Managing Visual Aids During Telephone Conferences Have you ever attended or led a conference call in which there was a handout? As the leader, how do you ensure your audience is on the same page in the handout as you are? The key is to create balance between you, your audience and the handout. Follow these tips for your audience to get the most out of your message and the handout: Verify that all participants have a copy of the handout. If some don t (and if referring to the handout is important during the call), you will have to make a decision about how to handle the call going forward. Options include: Proceed with the call, and be extra careful when referring to the content of the handout. Re-schedule the call for everyone OR for only those who did not have the handout. Pre-arrange a way to get the handout to the participants who don t have a copy (e.g., be prepared to forward your original containing the handout to those who need a copy of the handout). Continue to set your standards for the success of the call by saying, You may be tempted to page through the handout rather than follow along as I explain the take-away from each page. To give you a clear understanding of how we came up with these results I recommend you follow along as I move through the handout. This will not guarantee everyone stays with you 100%; there is no surefire way to control their actions. Your goal is to facilitate and manage the information your audience walks away with. Therefore, you need to do whatever you can to keep the majority of your audience with you. Give your audience an opportunity at the beginning of the call to glance through the handout. This will satisfy their initial curiosity and it will increase the likelihood they will follow your lead as you guide them through the handout. Frequently check in with your audience. Remind them what page you are on, ask them if they are still with you, and ask if they need additional information based on the handouts take-away. Provide an introduction prior to displaying a new page, concept or idea. This helps the audience make the transition from one idea to the next, and it reminds them where you are within your handout. Take your time. PAUSE immediately after moving onto a new page, concept or idea. Pausing will give you time to think and it will give your audience time to transition to the next idea. 52 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

56 Virtual Conversations that Influence Best Practices for Virtual Success, continued Managing Visual Aids During Telephone Conferences, continued Rather than reading from the handout, give your audience a moment to read what s on the page. Then, you can explain the take-away from each page or ask them to describe the take-away. If there are individuals joining you in the conference room during the call, avoid getting trapped in your handouts. Talk to your audience in the room rather than the handout. Ask your audience to close their handouts when you are ready to end the call OR direct them to a page in the handout that gives them a place to capture their action steps. When you can capture everyone s attention on you and your closing action steps, they will not miss a beat and are more likely to take action. Ask for feedback if you want to improve. Top 3 Telephone Conference Challenges 1. How to encourage interaction. If you want your call to be interactive, ask an open-ended question. Tip: After asking a question, count to 7; if no one responds, encourage participation by saying, I m still curious to know your thoughts. If there is still no response, ask a different, open-ended question, such as What has been your experience with? This is a good way to help your audience elicit the unknown or the unspoken. 2. How to create an engaging experience. In addition to asking questions, try doing the following: When preparing for your call, use K.N.O.W. to make sure your message is right for your audience, and use your Communication Quick Start to keep you focused during the call. Prior to the call, contact a couple of your audience members. Ask them if they would be willing to answer a question during the call. This is a way of including others in the call and it creates vocal contrast so that you are not the only one talking the whole time. 3. How to manage people who are difficult to understand. Sometimes it is difficult to hear or understand people because of problems with the technology or because of accents or regional dialects. Use diplomacy when handling these situations. Example: Instead of asking, What? try this: I am so sorry. I really want to hear what you have to say, and I m having a little trouble hearing you. If you would be willing to try again and a little more slowly I will have a better chance. Will that be okay? Then the other person can decide if he/she wants to repeat her/himself. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 53

57 Virtual Conversations that Influence Best Practices for Virtual Success, continued Leading Webinars Webinars combine the features of a conference call with the ability to broadcast your computer screen to your participants computer screens. With a webinar you can share your PowerPoint slides in real time, demonstrate the use of computer software, visit websites and do real-time document creation and editing. A successful webinar requires all participants to be sitting in front of a computer that has sufficient Internet bandwidth to support the real-time effect of the webinar and, in some cases, the proper software to access the webinar technology. Ensure that you know how to run the webinar software and are able to use the features you desire. Do at least one trial run of your presentation before the webinar. Ensure that participants download the webinar software and test their computers in advance so they will be able to access the webinar when they join your presentation. For those who are less comfortable with technology or have technical problems, give them a contact person who can help them figure out how to use the webinar software. Establish a contact person whom participants can call if they experience trouble when joining your webinar. This way, they won t try calling you, only to reach your voic and be unable to join. Find a quiet conference room to avoid background interruptions. Encourage your participants to do the same. If background noise is unavoidable, have individuals mute their phone lines. Have a back-up plan in case your webinar technology does not operate. For example, if you were planning on showing a PowerPoint presentation, be prepared to your participants a copy of your PowerPoint file so they can view it on their computers or print out a copy. Use a high-quality headset for comfort and to be able to stand and move around, without undercutting the quality of your voice or your message. Start and end on time. When you go beyond the scheduled time frame, you communicate to participants that their time is not valuable. State at the beginning of the call your process for asking questions. Encourage participants to sign on to the webinar at least 5 minutes early to ensure that they have a good Internet connection, are able to access the webinar screen and are ready to participate on time. Alternatively, always plan on having a 5-10 minute delay at the beginning of the webinar to account for technical issues. Confirm that participants can see your screen or slide when you start. It also helps to have a spotter (designated person) who can alert you to problems such as audio or desktop resolution issues. As with any live presentation, do not read your PowerPoint slides to your audience. Instead, give them time to glance through the slide and either summarize your point or ask them to describe the take-away. 54 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

58 Virtual Conversations that Influence Best Practices for Virtual Success, continued Leading Webinars, continued Communicate to your audience if the presentation will be available for downloading. Don t assume everyone can stay for the duration. Speak more slowly than you would if you were leading a face-to-face meeting and constantly check in with your participants to make sure they can see on their screens what you are showing on your screen. You may have to pause so that everyone s screen can catch up to yours. If you plan on using polls, prepare your questions beforehand. Whatever shows up on your screen may be displayed on everyone s screen. To prevent unnecessary distractions, turn off instant messaging or auto notifications on your presentation computer so your participants cannot see these notifications. Do not use a computer that prominently displays icons showing you have not installed your latest software patches or anti-virus updates. Make sure your desktop does not contain anything that might be offensive to your audience. Ask for feedback on your presentation if you want to improve. Send a follow-up describing where your presentation has been posted and where the audience can get a copy. This is also a good time to answer any questions you didn t have time to answer during the allotted time. Top 2 Webinar Challenges Apply all of the best practices from the telephone conferences section, plus: 1. Prepare your audience to use the technology. Not everyone is comfortable using web technology. Encourage your audience to join the web conference 5-15 minutes before the start time to give them time to sign in and to handle technical problems. If possible, give them the contact phone number for a support person who can assist them in case they experience any difficulties. 2. Prepare yourself with plenty of practice. Web technology requires a different skill set than other communication modes. Practicing how to work with the web-conference interface is critical for success. Set up a mock meeting with a trusted friend or colleague, and practice using the features that you intend to use. Once you get the hang of your web conference s features, you will feel confident when using it. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 55

59 Virtual Conversations that Influence Best Practices for Virtual Success, continued Leading Video Conferences With a video conference, you communicate with a remote audience through a live-feed video system while they watch you and listen to you on a computer screen, television or projection screen. Top 3 Challenges for Video Conferences 1. Always use face-to-face communication skills. The best approach when using a video conference is to treat it like face-to-face communication in terms of how animated you are and how you move around. 2. When your audience is mixed (virtual and face-to-face), spend the majority of your time speaking to your face-to-face audience and your decision makers. Although you will be focusing primarily on your face-to-face audience, be sure to include your virtual audience too. 3. When your entire audience is virtual, speak directly into the camera. This helps your audience to feel more connected to you and your message. I can t imagine a person becoming a success who doesn t give this game of life everything he s got. Walter Cronkite 56 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

60 Virtual Conversations that Influence Face-to-Face or Virtual? Worksheet 1: Use this worksheet to help you decide the best way to influence your audience. For each criterion in column 1, select the most fitting response from column 2 or 3. The column with the higher number of checkmarks indicates the more influential communication approach. Criteria Location of audience Audience s preference My preference Communication frequency My message My delivery style Count the number of checkmarks in each column. The column with the higher number indicates the more influential approach to use. Face-to-Face Communication The audience is local OR is in a single location OR can easily meet in one location (AND I am able to meet them at that location) The audience prefers faceto-face communication I prefer face-to-face communication The communication will occur one time only or infrequently My message requires a faceto-face setting My delivery style requires a face-to-face setting Total checks from this column Virtual Communication The audience is remote OR is geographically dispersed, making it difficult/impossible to meet in one location The audience is comfortable with virtual communication I am comfortable with virtual communication The communication will occur multiple times or frequently My message does NOT require a face-to-face setting My delivery style does NOT require a face-to-face setting Total checks from this column If you decide to use face-to-face communication, then follow the best practices described throughout this manual. If you decide to use virtual communication, then use the best practices described earlier in this section of the manual and the worksheet on the next page to determine the appropriate technology Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 57

61 Virtual Conversations that Influence Face-to-Face or Virtual? continued Worksheet 2: Use this worksheet to help you decide which virtual technology to use. 1. Telephone Conference: You communicate with a remote audience by telephone only. You will need: Telephone (land line is recommended) Recommended: Telephone headset Telephone conferencing service Optional: Computer + high-speed Internet (for conferencing services that offer a webbased dashboard) Your audience will need: Telephone (land line is recommended) Recommended: Telephone headset Do you AND your audience have all of the required technology/equipment? Yes No If you said Yes, choose this approach if your communication is primarily verbal and does not require dynamic visuals. If some visuals are needed, you can provide handouts. 2. Web-conference: You communicate with a remote audience through the telephone (or your computer s sound system) and broadcast whatever is on your computer screen and/or webcam. You will need: ONE of the following audio connections: Telephone VoIP through computer s sound system Computer High-speed Internet Recommended: Telephone headset Optional: Webcam Web-conferencing service Your audience will need: ONE of the following audio connections: Telephone VoIP through computer s sound system Computer High-speed Internet Recommended: Telephone headset Optional: Webcam Do you AND your audience have all of the required technology/equipment? Yes No If you said Yes, choose this approach if you will be sharing dynamic visuals or will visually demonstrate something on your computer. 3. Video Conference: You communicate with a remote audience through a live-feed video system while they watch you and listen to you on a computer screen, television or projection screen. You will need: Video equipment Video camera OR Webcam Computer + software + high-speed Internet Your audience will need: Computer + high-speed Internet OR ability to stream the video feed onto a television or projection screen Do you AND your audience have all of the required technology/equipment? Yes No If you said Yes, choose this approach if you need your audience to see you physically. 58 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

62 Summary of Behavioral Skills Communication Quick Start Virtual Conversations that Influence Designing Visual Support Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan References Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 59

63 Designing Visual Support Visual Aid Selection Visuals bring depth to your message. Selection Guidelines To assist you in deciding which visual aid will best support your message, consider: Purpose of the visual aid. Your level of experience with each visual aid medium. Size of the room. Time frame. Take-away key points, concepts and ideas. The media used for visual aids commonly include: PowerPoint Keynote Flipchart Sales aids Handouts Whiteboard Props Each medium has its advantages and disadvantages. Details are listed on the following pages. Steve Jobs does not deliver a presentation. He offers an experience. Carmine Gallo 60 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

64 Designing Visual Support Visual Aid Selection, continued Purpose Advantages Disadvantages PowerPoint & Keynote Flipchart Whiteboard To increase learner retention. To add impact and emphasis to your message. To provide you and your audience with transitions. To provide colors, graphs and pictures. PowerPoint is prepared in advance so that you do not need to worry about spelling or drawing a visual on the fly. (This only applies if you ve completed a spell check prior to your presentation.) PowerPoint can be easily saved with the option of quick edits for future use. We heavily rely on PowerPoint as our notes and we read to them. We put too much information on a PowerPoint slide written in a small font that s difficult to read. The animation and build options are a distraction for the audience. Technology may not cooperate. To create audience interaction. To document the audience s concerns or questions that you may need to respond to after your presentation. To document points of discussion to guarantee these topics are covered during your presentation. To post agenda items or ground rules generally for small groups. To create a visual on the fly, adding support to an audience s comment or to your key point. Flipcharts are easy to use and can take little time to prepare. You can post flipcharts throughout the room and easily refer back to them. Since flipcharts do not rely on technology, they will never break down. You can easily add points, facts or ideas. There is no spell check or grammar editing. It is not portable friendly. If you do not write legibly or large enough, the audience cannot read the information. Brainstorming ideas. To document questions, agendas or topics of discussion. Whiteboards are easy to use and can take little time to prepare. You can quickly erase information. You do not need to carry this equipment with you. Information cannot be saved easily. Writing legibly can be challenging, making it difficult for the audience to read your writing. There is no spell check or grammar editing. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 61

65 Designing Visual Support Visual Aid Selection, continued Props Handouts Sales Aids Purpose Advantages Disadvantages To teach the audience how to use a particular product. To increase learner retention through a powerful visual (i.e., picture or product). Provides an immediate application of learning when the audience can use, touch, feel or see a product, concept or idea. The audience is focused on handling the prop, therefore misses your message. May cause distractions if the prop is noisy or difficult to maneuver. To create take-aways and future references. To encourage audience interaction. To include individual and group exercises within your presentation. To illustrate detailed charts, graphs and diagrams. The audience has a resource to take with them and refer back to. The audience has the option to use your handouts for note taking. To provide clarification when explaining a step-by-step process. Temptation to read from our handouts and get tied to them. Participants read ahead. Risk increases for losing audience attention. To educate the audience how your company s product or service provides value to them. To increase learner retention through a powerful visual (i.e., graph, statistic or picture). The audience has a resource to take with them and refer back to. To provide clarification when explaining a stepby-step process. The audience is focused on reading the sales aid, therefore misses your message. May cause distractions if you are clumsy with the sales aid or if you read from the sales aid. 62 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

66 Designing Visual Support Back up the Presentation Design visual aids that complement and support your message, rather than distract from it. Visual aids are not the presentation. You are! Guidelines for Creating Visual Support How many times have you witnessed a visual that is packed with words, data and facts? As you get lost in the visual, the speaker s message also gets lost. You leave with a lot of confusion and misinterpretations, and wonder why the speaker wasted your time when it would have been easier if they had sent their visual aids to you by . According to a study by the University of Minnesota, visual aids increase your chance of persuading your audience to accept your position by 43 percent. In addition, studies by Harvard and Columbia show that visual aids improve retention by up to 38 percent. This is why it is critical that your visual aids do not become a victim of a speaker s most common mistake losing sight of their message objective and becoming enamored with the software. Your visual aid is not the message. You are the message. For example, avoid putting every word you plan to say on a PowerPoint slide. Instead, build your story into your visual aids. Follow the tips below for getting the most out of your visual aids. Less is more! Create visual aids with more pictures and fewer words. Remember, a picture is worth how many words? Your visual aids are not designed to serve as your notes. Their purpose is to enhance your message through pictures and illustrations. Before you open your laptop or pull out the flipchart paper, ask yourself, Why am I using this visual aid? Identify which visual aid format best supports your message based on the following criteria: Audience expectations and needs. Audience experience and knowledge level. Program objectives. Time frame. Number of participants. Room size. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 63

67 Designing Visual Support Back up the Presentation, continued Visual Aid Guidelines, continued Review your listener analysis that you have created with the Communication Quick Start. This is another reason why it is critical that you take the time to research your audience. Design visual aids around key points or ideas you want your audience to remember. When possible, allow the visual to tell a story. Follow the Three B s: BIG, BOLD and BRILLIANT. Big for everyone in your audience to see, no matter what size the room may be. Bold words to increase visibility. Brilliant with generous use of color. Create just enough color to excite the eye, between two and four colors for text. Use simple typefaces that are easy to read. Tahoma, Arial and Helvetica are always a safe choice. Use bullet points to highlight key points and ideas. Limit your bullet points to four per visual, with four words per bullet. When sharing data, facts and statistics, illustrate the take-away points in a pie chart, a bar graph or a line graph. Use builds when you need to discuss a complicated chart with a lot of information. As you build each segment of the chart, take time to provide an explanation for each segment. As a result, you will not struggle trying to explain the entire chart at one time. This method will also make it easier for your audience to follow and understand. Save details for handouts. Your audience will appreciate a conversational approach with interaction accompanied by take-aways they may use as a resource. When illustrating your point with graphs, use only one graph per visual. Avoid trapping your message in information overload. Stay away from software overkill. If you are clicking the mouse every few seconds, you are working too hard. Avoid using all capital letters, which are difficult to read. You do not want to SHOUT at your audience. Always, always have a back-up! You want to be prepared if technology does not cooperate on the day of your BIG presentation, meeting, sales call, face-to-face conversation, etc. The above visual design techniques are recommended for all media (i.e., PowerPoint, sales aids, flipcharts, props, handouts, meeting agendas, whiteboards, etc.). 64 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

68 Designing Visual Support Sample Slides Sample 1: The Music School The original slide was used during a marketing presentation to attract prospective students to enroll in a music school. The audience will be distracted by reading the slide (if they can actually see the text) while the speaker is talking. The revised slide visually captures the school s values and describes them simply and effectively with just four photos and minimal words. The revised slide will capture the hearts and minds of the audience, and give the speaker freedom in deciding what to say to the audience. Original Slide What s Wrong? Too much text Too many pictures Too much is going on Font is too small Pictures are difficult to see, and they distract from the text No emotional impact Revised Slide What s Right? Visually appealing Simplicity Strong, emotional impact Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 65

69 Designing Visual Support Sample Slides, continued Sample 2: The Music School The original slide was used during a marketing presentation to attract prospective students to a music school. The slide is boring and wordy, and it doesn t capture the essence of the rich learning experience the school offers its students. The audience will be distracted by reading the slide (if they can actually see the text) while the speaker is talking. The revised slide visually captures the concept of keys to success as it plays off of the keyboard image. The simplicity of the slide will keep the audience s attention on the speaker, as he/she talks about the keys to success. Original Slide What s Wrong? Too much text Font is too small Visually unappealing No emotional impact Revised Slide What s Right? Visually appealing Simplicity Strong, emotional impact 66 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

70 Designing Visual Support Sample Slides, continued Sample 3: The Hostile Media The original slide was taken from a public presentation on how corporations can mitigate negative reports by the media. The biggest problem with the slide is that it is full of bullet points and the storyline is difficult to understand. It leaves the speaker having to read the slide. The revised slide captures the essence of the storyline with four short bullet points and a photo that captures the emotion of hostility. This slide will free up the speaker to tell stories that support the bullet points, which will be far more interesting than reading the original slide. Original Slide What s Wrong? Too many bullet points Too much text Visually unappealing Font is too small Does not have the desired emotional impact Revised Slide What s Right? More visually appealing Photo sets the tone Captures the essence of the message Has a much stronger impact with fewer words Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 67

71 Designing Visual Support Sample Slides, continued Sample 4: Keys to Success The original slide was used with a corporate audience during a new employee orientation program. All that text is hard to read, and it practically encourages the speaker to read it aloud, which is not a good presentation style. Revised slide 1 features three key words and a relevant photo. Revised slide 2 is even simpler with just the topic and the photo. Original Slide What s Wrong? Too much text big blocks are inappropriate Visually unappealing Encourages speaker to read directly from the slide (boring!) Revised Slide 1 What s Right? Photo adds visual interest The three words capture the message s essence Revised Slide 2 What s Right? Photo adds visual interest Speaker has the flexibility to describe the keys to success in any way that s needed for the audience 68 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

72 Designing Visual Support Sample Slides, continued Sample 5: Employee Recognition The original slide was taken from a presentation to a group of managers in a corporate setting on employee recognition. The series of four revised slides capture the essence of the four steps to take when recognizing an employee. By breaking a single slide into four separate slides, the speaker can keep the audience s attention on each of the topics Original Slide What s Wrong? A failed attempt to avoid bullet points The color is visually unappealing; the text and background color do not have enough contrast Too many words Revised Slides What s Right? Multiple slides help the audience keep their focus on one concept at a time Photos add visual interest and simplify the message Photos visually express the details Photos help make the concepts more memorable Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 69

73 Designing Visual Support Sample Slides, continued Sample 6: Scientific Study on Pain Relievers The original slide was used in a scientific presentation to researchers and treatment clinicians on the use of pain relievers. The slide is appropriate for this audience, but it would not be appropriate for a non-research-oriented audience. The Revised slides show two versions of a simpler approach to visually capturing the most important information. Original Slide What s Wrong? Confusing and hard to read unless the audience is experienced with these types of charts Too much data all at once Revised Slide 1 What s Right? Visually simple layout Only one set of data Strong contrast between background color and the data Revised Slide 2 What s Right? Background image visually conveys the topic 70 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

74 Designing Visual Support Sample Slides, continued Sample 7: Hybrid Car Sales The original slide was used in a presentation to car manufacturers about the increase in hybrid car sales between 2004 and The revised slides show two different approaches to simplifying the data. Original Slide What s Wrong? The slide is visually confusing The chart is too small Too much data at once The graphics are poorly placed and unnecessary Revised Slide 1 What s Right? Good contrast between the background color and the two data lines Includes only the most important data, using a simple line chart Revised Slide 2 What s Right? Unique use of a simple graphic to represent the basic data from the original slide Audience can quickly and easily grasp the message Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 71

75 Summary of Behavioral Skills Communication Quick Start Virtual Conversations that Influence Designing Visual Support Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan References 72 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

76 Interacting with Visual Aids Using Support Materials Create balance between you and the visual aid. Guidelines for Using Support Materials We have fallen into the trap of reading to our PowerPoint slides, flipchart, sales aids, marketing pieces, handouts and notes. As a result we disconnect with our audience, we lose their attention, the value of our message is minimized and we increase the risk that action is not taken. When you follow the steps to designing visual aids found on the previous pages, it will be easier to interact with your visual aids. If a peer is responsible for designing your visual aids, it is still your responsibility to interact with your visual aids to support your message and to not treat them as your notes. Follow the tips below for getting the most out of your visual aids. Set- Up Provide an introduction prior to displaying a visual aid. This will engage your audiences attention and heighten their anticipation. It also provides context to what is coming. For a busy or complex slide, direct your listeners on where to look and what to focus on before they see the visual. Pause When your listener sees a visual for the first time, they need time to acclimate to what they are seeing. Pause and give them time to become familiar with the visual before you begin speaking. It gives you time to think and your listener time to absorb the visual. You may look at the visual (in silence) to help direct them. If you begin speaking as soon as you show a visual, you will be competing with your own material. Your listeners will be busy trying to understand the slide and will not be paying attention to the speaker if they are not given that time. Connect Once your listener has had time to look at the visual, connect with a set of eyes before you begin speaking. Continue to engage your listeners by looking at one person for a full sentence pause and connect with another listener. When you need to look at the visual, simply pause to gather the information that you are looking at. Do not begin speaking until you connect with a set of eyes. Take Away Every visual that you show your listener should have a clear take away. What is it that you want your listener to remember? After you have discussed the visual, provide a clear take away. That will help your listener stay focused and easily recall the information. A good practice when preparing for a conversation with visual aids is to review the visuals and be very clear on what the bottom line is for that particular visual. If you do that work ahead of your conversation, when you are in the moment and need to either go through the visuals quickly or help focus your listeners, provide the key take away. Blank out the visual aid if it no longer supports your message. These skills apply to all visual aids, e.g., PowerPoint slides, ipads, flipcharts, sales aids, marketing pieces, props, handouts, notes, etc. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 73

77 Interacting with Visual Aids Using Support Materials, continued Interacting with Visual Aids When There is Limited Space Senior-level executives and managers often find themselves presenting their ideas with PowerPoint in a boardroom with limited space. As a result they will stand close to their laptop with limited movement and audience interaction. PowerPoint becomes their security blanket. The strategies listed on the previous page apply when using visual aids with space. The difference is the movement is modified. You may only have enough room to take a few steps to your right and left. Be careful to avoid rocking back and forth. Use your energy in your voice, gestures and facial expressions instead of your movement. Vary your movement by taking a few steps to the other side of the boardroom table away from your laptop. Practice Take the time before your next presentation, sales call, meeting or face-to-face conversation to practice interacting with your visual aids. Practice delivering your message with your visual aids to a family member, a friend or a co-worker. Ask them to interactively coach you when you begin speaking to your visual aids. Specifically tell them to provide you feedback when you begin to get tied to your visual aids or when you limit your movement by making a path back and forth from your laptop to your PowerPoint slides. Stand in front of a mirror with your visual aids. As you are interacting with these support materials, only speak when you see yourself in the mirror. This will give you immediate feedback and increase your awareness of when you tend to speak: while you are looking at the visual aid or when you reconnect with the audience s eyes. 74 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

78 Interacting with Visual Aids Using Support Materials, continued PowerPoint and Keynote Quick Tips Take control of your PowerPoint and Keynote presentations by using the available shortcut keys. In PowerPoint, when in the Slide Show mode (View > Slide Show), press the F1 key (PC users) or the Shift key plus? key (Mac users) to access the shortcut menu: PC: Mac: + Here are a few of the most helpful functions available when giving a presentation: Blackout the screen (and to resume the presentation). Whiteout the screen (and to resume the presentation). Number + Display a specific slide number. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 75

79 Summary of Behavioral Skills Communication Quick Start Virtual Conversations that Influence Designing Visual Support Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan References 76 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

80 Confidence with Q and A Grace under Pressure How you handle questions and answers can either make or break the credibility you have worked so hard to establish, and the positive impact of your message. The Value of Questions You have just delivered an outstanding presentation, sales call or meeting facilitation and now dread the inevitable: questions and answers. For many, the most frightening part of any conversation is the unscripted part. Suddenly your mind goes blank and the nightmare begins. What if someone asks you a question you cannot answer? What if an audience turns hostile? What if someone monopolizes your thinking and wipes your mind clear of all the knowledge stored in your brain? What if you look stupid? How you handle questions and answers can either make or break the credibility you have worked so hard to establish, and the positive impact of your message. Your content and behavior each play a critical role in how you handle questions and answers. The value behind questions is endless. Questions: Create participation and enhance relationships. Add value to your message. Prevent and clarify miscommunication. Increase your knowledge based on the information you receive through others. Make a message personable! 3 C s Questions come in three categories: positive, neutral and negative. The same question can come across in any of those ways depending on the tone of your voice. Your goal is to take the question to at least a neutral one. How you get there is through the 3 C s: Communication Courtesy Control Communication. The Communication Quick Start is a great place to start for an organized opening and to provide closure for the questioner. The words you use also have an impact on whether or not you can make a question neutral or positive. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 77

81 Confidence with Q and A Grace under Pressure, continued 3 C s, continued Courtesy and Control. Being successful with courtesy and control will be determined by your behavior, which is described throughout the Do s and Don ts list below. Do s To help you strengthen your credibility by providing answers that are brief and clear and that overcome any hostility or negativity behind a question, follow these simple Do s. Communicate to your audience that you are open and willing to take their questions. Avoid fidgeting and stand in the neutral position. Avoid taking steps or leaning backwards, away from your audience. Connect with the questioner s eyes to show them you are listening. Be careful not to interrupt the questioner. You run the risk of making the questioner hostile or providing an inadequate answer. Pause before responding to give yourself time to think on your feet and to avoid beginning your response with a non-word. Non-words that are frequently used during questions and answers are well, basically, actually or to be honest. Beginning your response with these words questions your credibility and the validity of your answer. Avoid the words but and however when answering a question. These words communicate, You are wrong and I am right. The response from your questioner is to fight back or dispute your position. Nothing productive can result from but and however when used in this context. When presenting to two or more people, begin by directing your first two sentences to the questioner. Then continue presenting your answer to everyone. This will keep your audience involved. Provide closure to your questioner if they are not hostile or challenging your message. This is accomplished by ending your response with the questioner and asking them, Does that answer your question? Another option is to end your response by connecting with the questioner and nodding your head for closure. Keep your answers brief. Answer only what has been asked. If you elaborate on your answer, you run the risk of getting off track, not answering the question and losing the attention of your audience. Ask for clarification in the following situations: When the question is unclear. When the questioner asks several questions and you need to prioritize their questions to determine which question you will answer first. When the questioner makes a statement and you are unclear if they are looking for your response or voicing their opinion. 78 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

82 Confidence with Q and A Grace under Pressure, continued Don ts To help you strengthen your credibility; avoid these simple Don ts. Raise your voice, speak with an aggressive tone or invade the questioner s space as you are answering the question. Instead, maintain your composure, remain calm and answer the question with poise and dignity. Say good question. Some speakers use this as filler to buy themselves time to devise an answer. You will run the risk of offending your audience who do not resonate with the phrase good question. The next time you find yourself tempted to say good question, ask yourself; Why am I using this phrase? Instead pause to give yourself more time to think. You will be happier with the results. Repeat the audience s questions unnecessarily. Speakers often repeat a question to give themselves time to think of an answer. Repeating a question can be helpful if you are concerned that other listeners did not hear the question. Another reason to ask the questioner to repeat the question might be to clarify any miscommunication. Prepare to Succeed When you prepare for your presentation, meeting, sales call, conference call, webinar or face-toface conversation, do the following: Ask a peer who has more experience within your industry or in delivering your message to provide you with three challenging questions they have heard in the past. Follow up by asking for their recommendations on how you should respond to these three questions. Review your listener analysis from the Communication Quick Start and create a list of questions you anticipate your audience may ask. Within five minutes after your presentation, meeting, sales call, conference call, webinar or face-to-face conversation, make a list of the questions that were challenging. Share this list with a peer, along with your response to the questions, to receive their feedback and recommendations for the next time you are trapped with similar questions. Discipline is doing what you really don't want to do so you can do what you really want to do. John Maxwell Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 79

83 Confidence with Q and A Grace under Pressure, continued The ARC Method: Managing Challenging Questions The ARC method stands for acknowledge, respond and connect to benefits. It is used to reduce hostility, manage a challenging question and gain understanding with your audience. A challenging question is defined as a question that may require you to provide additional evidence, facts or data to support your answer in order to meet the questioner s needs. A hostile listener is defined as a questioner who disagrees with your recommendation(s) or point of view. They may have a hostile tone to their voice and/or demonstrate aggressiveness in their body language or choice of words. When you use the ARC method, you acknowledge what the questioner has asked, you respond to the question, and then clarify the value of your answer by connecting to the benefits. Acknowledge: Acknowledgement takes seconds to carry out and will positively impact how the questioner responds to your answer. Acknowledgement lets your questioner know that you are open to their concerns and are willing to listen to what they have to say. Often we put up our walls of defense and negate the value of the questioner and their question. For example, let s say the question is, How can we possibly afford the time and money it will take to train our management staff on this new concept? Your answer might be: I appreciate your concern with cost, especially since the company has been cutting costs for the past quarter. Respond: Keep your response brief, clear and specific to the question asked. Provide evidence with facts or examples to support your response. Connect to Benefits: After acknowledging and responding, connect or bridge your response to the benefits for your audience. Where do you find the benefits? From your opening statement, key points or sub points in your Communication Quick Start. Your goal is to continue reminding your audience the value of your answer and the benefits for them. An example of the three steps to the ARC method, using the example from above, may be stated as: I appreciate your concern with cost, especially since the company has been cutting costs for the past quarter. First, we will save you time and money by training your management staff for you. We have worked with a variety of industries similar to yours with proven immediate results. As a result your management staff will learn practical methods to increase productivity and build relationships. Past clients have earned a return on their investment in as little as two months following the training date. 80 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

84 Summary of Behavioral Skills Communication Quick Start Virtual Conversations that Influence Designing Visual Support Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan References Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 81

85 Receiving Constructive Feedback Feedback that Gets Results Feedback is someone else s description of your behavior, the impact your behavior has on them and the consequences of your behavior. You may not always agree with the feedback you get. You are in control of what you do with it and whether you decide to change your behavior as a result. Maximize the Feedback The following statements are NOT examples of constructive feedback. Good job. You looked confident. You sounded knowledgeable. Try to maximize the clarity of the feedback you receive. Feedback clarity will help you see clearly the connection between what you do and the results you achieve. Feedback provides clarity when it is: Specific so you can relate it to identifiable behaviors or actions. Accurate so it leads to helpful insights, not confusion. Informative so it gives you insight into how to do things not just differently but better. Controllable so it relates to behavior and actions you can change. Check for clarity to make sure you understand the feedback you are getting. Ask for specific examples of when you exhibited the behavior under discussion. You want to ensure you are hearing the feedback the participant intended you to hear. Ask questions to verify your understanding of the feedback you are receiving. At times, feedback might be miscommunicated because we do not express our ideas in the same way. It is easy to jump to conclusions and damage the trust between you and your audience. To prevent misunderstanding, take time to summarize what you hear. The purpose of feedback is to strengthen relationships, not to break them down. It is up to you to accept or reject feedback. The second you stop asking for feedback focused around your development you will stop growing as a professional, leader and expert within your industry and you increase the risk of slipping back into your old habits. 82 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

86 Receiving Constructive Feedback Feedback that Gets Results, continued Be Proactive Identify a situation where you want to receive feedback. A presentation, sales call, facilitating a meeting, coaching an employee or participating in a conference call are all examples of opportunities to receive constructive feedback. For most of us, receiving feedback sounds something like this: After you have delivered a presentation, sales call or facilitated a meeting you ask your peer, How did I do? Hoping to receive feedback you can use to develop and advance in your career you simply hear your peer respond, Good, Fine or Nice job. This is not feedback because you cannot take any practical improvement steps from these words. Begin today with a proactive approach that provides you with feedback you can act on. Identify a Feedback Coach Choose a manager, co-worker, friend or family member from whom you feel comfortable receiving feedback to be your personal coach. It is always easier to ask such a person to help you identify your communication strengths and weaknesses. Prior to a presentation, meeting, conference call or face-to-face conversation, ask your coach to watch for specific verbal and non-verbal strengths you are trying to develop. For example, I m trying to eliminate uh s and um s in my language. Would you please let me know after my talk just what you heard? To identify a coach, consider the following: Who do you feel comfortable giving you feedback? How will you ask for this feedback? What specific behavior do you want feedback on? What is your motivation for asking for feedback? How will you ask for clarification to improve your understanding of the feedback? Write down specific questions to ask about the situation on which you are getting feedback. List the questions you will ask to help your coach provide specific feedback. Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 83

87 Receiving Constructive Feedback Feedback that Gets Results, continued Ask Your Audience Following an event, be sure to solicit precise feedback with a description of a specific behavior. For example, ask, What behavior did I display that conveyed confidence, credibility or knowledge? Personal Assessment After receiving feedback, take time to assess what you experienced. This will help you improve future coaching sessions. Ask yourself: What went well? What specifically would I change or improve? What was most challenging? Was the feedback I received helpful and applicable immediately to my personal and professional development? What was my response to the feedback? What did I learn about myself while getting the feedback? (e.g., comfort level, openness, attitude, etc.) How will I change or modify my behavior? What will determine whether I accept and apply the feedback I received? Immediately following a message you have delivered, take five minutes to give yourself feedback. On a piece of paper create two vertical columns. Title the first column What worked? and the second column What did not work? Identify three to four areas of improvement versus listing ten. Then list the action steps you can take that will guarantee improvement and the action steps you can take today. Your action steps need to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely if you want to accomplish them. As you develop your communication skills you will see greater improvement taking small steps versus getting frustrated trying to change everything at one time. This method will give you the opportunity to continuously grow as a leader and professional within your field. See the next page for an example. 84 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

88 Receiving Constructive Feedback Feedback that Gets Results, continued Five Minute Feedback Assessment What Worked? worked? 1. What Didn t Work? What did not What work? do I Want to Change? Action Steps What action will I take to guarantee I continue to improve? What action will I take on my areas of improvement beginning today? If you fail to prepare, be prepared to fail. John Wooden, UCLA Basketball Coach Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 85

89 Summary of Behavioral Skills Communication Quick Start Virtual Conversations that Influence Designing Visual Support Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan References 86 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

90 Essential Business Tips Timely, Immediate and Practical Skills Practice your skills at every opportunity. Practice makes permanent so be careful what you practice. Tips to help you be successful with the following skills are described in these sections: Posture Eye Connection Pausing Vocal Projection Tone Facial Expressions Gestures Posture Use posture to establish credibility and confidence without speaking a word. Practice the neutral position whenever you are standing: talking to co-workers in the hallway at work; at the airport or in line at the grocery store. Keep your weight balanced, feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent and your arms relaxed at your sides. Twice a day for a week, notice your posture as you are standing or sitting. If you tend to fidget while you are seated, you will continue this behavior while you are standing. Move to the neutral position, as you become aware of your old habits. Ask a family member, a friend or a co-worker to let you know when you are slouching or leaning. Communication works for those who work at it. John Powell Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 87

91 Essential Business Tips Timely, Immediate and Practical Skills, continued Eye Connection You will need feedback to help you develop this skill. Practice connecting with the eyes of a family member, a friend or a co-worker to convey one complete sentence or thought at a time. Practice during meetings, dinner or group conversations. Practice talking only when you see your audience s eyes and pausing when you look away. When you are in a meeting, make sure you pause when you refer to your notes and give your ideas only to the eyes of your audience. Be aware of making eye connection when you are in the following situations: Visiting with family or friends. In meetings. In face-to-face conversations. Ask your audience to immediately give you feedback when your eyes dart or when you look away from them while you are speaking. Practice pausing when you are referring to a menu in a restaurant while the wait staff is taking your order. When you are speaking on the telephone, focus your eyes on objects within the room, using the object to complete a sentence or thought. When you practice slowing down the movement of your eyes and staying focused for a complete sentence or thought, the more immediate your new habit will be. Pausing Silence is golden! Ask your friends, family members and co-workers to let you know when you use non-words. Their feedback can increase your awareness of the non-words immediately and help you create a new habit of being filler-word FREE. To remind yourself to avoid non-words and insert pauses, write PAUSE! on a Post-It note and display it prominently. (e.g., on your phone, your computer, a mirror, etc.) When you are using voic , replay your message before you press send so you can listen for pauses and non-words. Re-record your messages until you are satisfied with what you hear. Ask the person you are calling to let you know when you use non-words during your conversation. Practice using pauses when you are passing out handouts in meetings, referring to your notes during a face-to-face conversation or waiting for a response to your question. Incorporate the pause when you are interacting with your visual aids. Avoid talking to the visual; talk instead to your audience s eyes. 88 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

92 Essential Business Tips Timely, Immediate and Practical Skills, continued Vocal Projection Record yourself to experience what your audience hears when you speak. When you play back the tape, listen to what you hear versus how you feel. Every day for a week, read aloud a story from a book, journal, magazine or an article on a website. Focus on producing a strong volume level, between seven and eight, without strain. Record your voice for feedback. Remember what you feel may be significantly different than what your audience hears. This is another reason why recording your voice is beneficial to you. Remember that your voice may sound louder to you when you speak, but softer to your audience. Ask for feedback on the volume level you project in meetings, face-to-face conversations and over the phone. Explain the volume scale of one to ten to your audience, who will be providing you with feedback before you communicate your message. You will receive more accurate feedback. Tone When you are talking on the phone, pay attention to how your voice sounds. Add emphasis to words for excitement and impact. Stand or sit in the neutral position and try gesturing as you talk to add variety to your voice. Experimenting with your facial expressions will also positively impact your tone. Record your voice while you are talking on the phone or reading aloud for feedback. Ask a co-worker, a friend or a family member to point out to you when you come across monotone or when you sound boring. Skill in the art of communication is crucial to a leader s success. He can accomplish nothing unless he can communicate effectively. Norman Allen Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 89

93 Essential Business Tips Timely, Immediate and Practical Skills, continued Facial expressions Try to smile when you speak to add expression to your face. Ask a friend, a family member or a coworker for feedback when you are involved in a face-to-face conversation. The feedback will increase your awareness of the various facial expressions you use during different communication situations. Use a mirror at your workstation to monitor your facial expressions while you are talking on the phone or speaking face-to-face with clients. Experiment and notice how these facial expressions affect the tone and volume of your voice. Gestures Throughout the day, notice how you and others use gestures. Emphasize your words by consciously expanding your gestures above your waist, bringing them up from your sides. Adding variety and balance to your gestures will allow you to focus, think on your feet and increase learner retention. Be aware of the differences between gestures used in a business setting versus a personal setting. When you are not gesturing, relax your arms at your sides to avoid clasping your hands and fidgeting. The human brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working as soon as you are born and doesn t stop until you get up to deliver a speech. George Jessel 90 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

94 Summary of Behavioral Skills Communication Quick Start Virtual Conversations that Influence Designing Visual Support Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan References Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 91

95 Personal Action Plan Commit to Your New Skills If you do not make a commitment today on how you are going to apply the skills and techniques you have learned, your new behaviors will be lost within a one-week time frame. Delivering a winning presentation, meeting, sales call, conference call, webinar or face-to-face conversation does not happen overnight. It takes time and practice to create new skills and behaviors. Make a commitment today to take your communication skills to the next step. The Contract You have participated in the workshop and reviewed this manual. Now what? The challenge now begins. Any time you have learned a new skill or changed a behavior I would bet you would agree that it has taken persistence, hard work and diligence. Enhancing and maximizing your communication skills requires the same level of commitment. If you are a golfer, tennis player, musician or in training for an athletic event, you understand the demand of practicing your new skills until they become habit and improving your level of perfection. In fact, you may still be working towards that level of perfection because it is a process. The following page represents a contract with yourself. It is critical to transfer the knowledge you have gained from this workshop into specific ideas you can incorporate into your communication, whether this includes presentations, meetings you facilitate, interviews or the voic s and s you send. Review this manual to help you create a specific action plan that works for YOU. On the following page, design an action plan that you can commit to by taking the time and energy to transfer these new skills into a new habit that will deliver results! Maybe I m successful because I ve failed more than anyone else. Warren Buffet 92 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.

96 Personal Action Plan The Contract 1 Choose one skill you want to develop and are committed to practice during the next 17 to 21 days. Implementation Date: 2 Determine how you will practice this skill. Implementation Date: 3 Determine how you will get feedback to increase your awareness. Implementation Date: First impressions are everything. Only you can determine how you want to be perceived by your audience. What impression do you want to create? Signature: Date: Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc. 93

97 Summary of Behavioral Skills Communication Quick Start Virtual Conversations that Influence Designing Visual Support Interacting with Visual Aids Confidence with Q and A Receiving Constructive Feedback Essential Business Tips Personal Action Plan References 94 Executive Presence 2014 Stacey Hanke Inc.