Because, perhaps that is not the way to build relationships and persuade people to run with your ideas?

We at Present & Personal have a dream as well. Our dream is ‘freedom of speech for leaders in business’.
When we talk about freedom of speech, it’s not some cliched, “It’s my right to offend others.”

Freedom of speech in business means presentations that your audiences want to listen to, plus conferences and meetings which inspire purposeful action.

Freedom of speech for business, means creating thought & action leaders throughout your teams, to pull and inspire your people to motivated performance. It may also mean dispensing with long, bullet pointed slide style presentations, which could be handled with a technical manual.

Freedom of speech isn’t just a phrase for us, it’s a way of life and a respectful yet high impact way of doing business.

Our dream’s cornerstones are: respectful listening & action provoking presentation performance capability, for you!

Contact us and we’ll send a consultant, to assess you or your team’s current presentational performance.

Oh, and we’d love to hear your dream for your business while we visit with you!

Present & Personal Ltd. is a presentation training company delivering real value in terms of training budget invested. We work with cutting edge oil & gas service businesses who want their leaders and technical staff – may be nervous non presenters – in client facing roles to confidently sell more. What’s different about Present & Personal is that we deliver message development, presentation performance AND skill reinforcing ongoing coaching as part of our package. This powerful combination maximises return, in terms of new business won and historic business retained.

OK, what do you mean by ‘Bullet-Proof’ Thor?

By ‘Bullet-Proof’, I mean that you can confidently present and move people to action – new business & inspired colleagues being your result.

I am happy to report that bullet-proof presenting is pretty simple… however, beware,
I said simple, it’s not always easy!

*STEP ONE – Listening & research.

Why do this?

Because the deepest hunger of every human being is to be understood & understanding comes first through listening.

Research the person or people that you are going to speak to by spending time digging up everything you can find on the person or people you will be presenting or pitching for.

*One to one conversation counts. If possible speak to members of your potential audience in person to find out what their major challenges are. This way you will be able to work out just how you are going to be able to help or advise them.

Treat conversations as a continuation of your bullet-proof presenter strategy. Listen, talk, listen again – this isn’t just about being a good presenter, or crafting a ‘pitch’. On it’s own, a pitch can come across as fake & therefor ineffective in getting you the business or action that you require.

“I don’t have time for this, I’m a busy man Thor?”

Wrong answer! Understanding our audiences challenges & problems, and how we may be able to help, are crucial in our quest to move them to action. I call it ‘WIFM’ – or ‘what’s in it for me?’ – that means them, your audience. What’s in it for them to listen to you? Why shouldn’t they just take a phone call instead?

*STEP TWO – Presenting.

Keep your presentation as short as possible, 15 minutes is about it for most people’s attention span, unless you are a truly masterful presenter!

*Nobody ever asks a speaker for an encore! You must ‘present’ with energy and a unique structure to your presentation. Long introductions and what’s so great about you and your company won’t cut it. Focus on the listener’s needs and interests. Remember, WIFM – ‘Whats In it For Me’ as your listener?

Give them one or two main attention grabbing ‘hits’ or spike points, illustrated with stories and personal anecdotes where possible.

*STEP THREE – Listen Again.

Afterwards when you get a chance to meet with people who heard you present, or in a one to one meeting, always concentrate on listening first… this may sound like basic advice, but this wins business & builds relationships, and it’s simplicity is deceptive.

The rapport & goodwill which respectful listening builds is incredible, people invest & do business with ‘people’ (That’s you!) not just your business ‘brand’.

To sum up:
*First, listen & research to discover your audience’s needs – ‘What’s In It For Me’.
*Second, deliver your short, high impact presentation focussing on meeting those needs.
*Finally, listen, with humility for feedback.

And remember, you and I know the world revolves around ‘us’ & our business, but nobody else is going to be persuaded until we show them the ‘What’s In It For Me’!

Present & Personal Ltd. is a presentation training company delivering real value in terms of training budget invested. We work with cutting edge oil & gas service businesses who want their leaders and technical staff – who may be nervous non presenters – in client facing roles to confidently sell more. What’s different about Present & Personal is that we deliver message development, presentation performance AND skill reinforcing ongoing coaching as part of our package. This powerful combination maximises return, in terms of new business won and historic business retained.

I welcome your questions & comments, so get in touch here or connect with me at Linkedin

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/thorholt