Communication Strategies

Cool Tool for Public Speakers

January 13, 2013 by Guest

by Nancy Ancowitz

Nancy Ancowitz is a business communication coach and author of Self-Promotion for Introverts®, a Publishers Weekly “best book” selection. A former Wall Street marketing vice president, Ancowitz teaches Presentation Skills for Introverts™ and communication skills at New York University. Her work has appeared in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal online.

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I have a cool tool to help you improve your presentation skills. First, what do you do with your hands when you give a presentation? Do you look like an orchestra conductor, a flight attendant giving safety instructions, or more like a mummy?

How about your voice? Does it go up an octave out of nervousness, flatten into a monotone, or do you blast through your entire talk in a single breath because you can’t wait to get it over with?

Instead, I hope that you’re comfortable with public speaking. And that your gestures, voice, and facial expressions are natural and in sync with your message. If not, you can get much more at ease as a speaker by taking classes, hiring a coach, participating in Toastmasters International meetings, and, of course, by getting practice speaking in front of people. Start with small, more accessible speaking gigs at organizations where your knowledge, information, and insights can make a difference (and remember: make your talks all about them).

If you’re an introvert, you may shy away from the spotlight. Many of my clients and students at New York University(where I teach Presentation Skills for Introverts™) say they would prefer to work behind the scenes or as the second in command and draw less attention to themselves. However, those who want to get ahead dedicate themselves to improving their presentation skills to achieve their success.

One of the tools my clients and students find most helpful is a self-evaluation sheet I share that contains 30 key criteria to help them isolate the aspects of public speaking they already do well and those they want to improve.

The beauty of breaking down your presentation skills into individual criteria is that once you isolate what you want to work on, you can focus your energy on improving those criteria. It’s often easier just to focus on improving the rate of your speech if you speak too fast and reducing your fidgeting rather than trying to improve everything at once.

Of course, evaluating yourself can be challenging. You may not know how you come across. Regardless, I find that most of my students evaluate their public speaking skills accurately. However, there’s nothing like getting videotaped to see for yourself whether you’re standing up straight, smiling, and speaking in a strong, clear voice.

So are you ready for the cool tool? Print out this story and rate yourself on each of the presentation skills criteria below on a scale of 0 to 5. (Many of these criteria also apply to speaking at meetings and even to interpersonal conversations in case you’d like to rate yourself in those settings too.) Not all of the criteria will apply to every presentation you give—if that’s the case, just write down a zero for no opinion/not applicable. And I’m sure you can list additional criteria that are important to you that I haven’t included. Write those in next to item 20 next to Other.

PRESENTATION SKILLS SELF-EVALUATION TOOL

Rating scale:
(0) No opinion/not applicable
(1) Poor
(2) Fair
(3) Good
(4) Very good
(5) Excellent

Preparing for your presentation:

Audience analysis
Content (e.g., clear message; focused on audience’s interests; timely)
Beginning
Ending
Compelling facts, figures, and/or quotations
Preparing anecdotes
Presentation materials (e.g., whiteboard, PowerPoint, video, handouts, props)
Speaker’s notes (If you use them, how effective are they?)
Rehearsals
Getting sufficient rest beforehand

Delivering your presentation:

Appearance (clothing, accessories, grooming)
Posture
Facial expressions
Eye contact (cultural appropriateness notwithstanding)
Hand gestures (i.e., natural movements; no fidgeting)
Other movements (e.g., getting onstage, walking around during presentation)
Vocal variety (e.g., tone, volume, pace)
Natural vocal pitch (i.e., not higher or lower than your normal speaking voice)
Speaking clearly
Speaking concisely (no rambling)
Minimal verbal filler (e.g., um, er, you know)
Engaging audience
Giving a clear outline of what’s ahead (when applicable)
Telling anecdotes
Using visual aids (i.e., not turning your back to your audience; advancing your slides)
Summarizing key points (when applicable)
Managing Q&A
Handling challenging situations (e.g., technical difficulties, longwinded question askers)
Time management (i.e., sticking to allotted time slot; not rushing)
Other: _____________________________

How did you rate? First take stock of your 4’s and 5’s. What are you already good at as a presenter? Next, pick a few of the criteria with the lowest scores. Make a game plan for improving them. You can do that by focusing on those criteria while you’re rehearsing. The usual means of support—a class and/or a coach—can help as well. Of course, in many settings, you can obtain feedback from your audience.

If you’d like to learn more about public speaking specifically for introverts, you can read more in my book, Self-Promotion for Introverts®. Also check out my blog posts, “Presentation Skills for Introverts: Tiger and the Full Tilt Boogie” and “Public Speaking for Introverts: Zonesing for the Zone.” Here’s to your improved platform skills!

Why Nobody Likes You

June 26, 2012 by Guest

By Jeannette Paladino

http://writespeaksell.com originally appeared in WSS

It’s frustrating when you work so hard to write interesting blogs and updates to your social media sites and no one responds by “liking” your Facebook page or retweeting your posts.

Why don’t people like you?

The content that you thought should get a bunch of comments and “likes” land with a thud.

Possibly you expected the search engines to send you a bunch of traffic because you optimized the post with all the right key words and it’s a subject that’s been in the news.

So maybe you should ask yourself this question.

Do You Like Other People?

Be honest and ask yourself: “Have I thanked the people who have commented on my posts?” Only you know the answer to that question. How often do you “like” other people’s posts and retweet their content?

In other words, have you built relationships with other bloggers and influencers in your niche? Do you thank people who comment on your posts and respond to each one?

Surprisingly, many bloggers don’t respond to comments. Nor do they think to reciprocate by visiting someone who comments on their blog and leaving a comment on one of their posts.

Eventually, people who subscribe to your blog or visitors who have left comments that went unanswered will soon drop off your radar screen. They won’t “like” you or spread your content. If they’ve bought from you once, they are not likely to buy from you again.

Building Relationships

Danny Iny co-founder of Firepole Marketing, in his new Naked Marketing Manifesto, says, “… marketing is about creating long-term relationships that satisfy both parties over and over again.” He’s right, of course.

Every relationship begins with the first transaction. Let me give you two personal examples.

I recently received an email from a blogger who proposed a guest post for my site. He didn’t say what he would be writing about so I asked him to drop me another note with his ideas.

Instead, a few days later I received a poorly written complete blog post. He ended his cover note with these words, “Expect a response from you.” Huh! Is this how to start a relationship? I think you can guess how I answered.

Loving My Business Cards

Here is an example of how the company that printed my new business cards provided me with exemplary service. My designer recommended that I use printingforless.com. He had used them before and they do excellent work at reasonable prices. printingforless.com customer service rep

The company is located in Montana and I had a couple of questions about uploading my file so I gave them a call. The phone rep couldn’t have been nicer. She took me through the process and assured me they had received my order.

The next day I received a phone call from the printing department to tell me that the colors I was seeing on my computer screen would not exactly match the cards. They are two different media.

Instead, my cards would print slightly darker and if that wasn’t acceptable I could ask my designer to lighten the color palette. I actually liked the idea of slightly darker cards and told him to go ahead.

Within a couple of days I received my business cards and couldn’t have been happier. The next day, I received a phone call from the company’s customer service rep. How did I like my cards? Was everything OK? That was impressive.

Then, the following week, I received a coffee mug in the mail with a thanks for my business. As you might expect, I’ve recommended the company to a number of colleagues.

Lessons Learned

My experience with the printing company was a tangible demonstration of the power of customer service and a “thank you.” We can all learn from it and apply it to our own businesses. Let’s examine why I had such a good experience:

You can find what you need. The landing page of their website lists every conceivable printing job you might want to order, alphabetically, on the bottom of the page.
You can call them. The phone number with an image of a friendly telephone rep is prominently displayed above the fold. The number is repeated in their rotating header. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is on many websites to find a number to call when you want to order something or have a complaint? Too many companies send you to their customer forum, which is like visiting a black hole.
They discuss your needs. Printingforless.com didn’t simply print my cards, ship them, and then tell me it was my problem the cards printed darker. They called me to discuss what I really wanted.
They follow up. Within a day of receiving my order, I received a call to be sure I was satisfied and to ask if I had any other printing needs. Good customer service combined with a gentle sales call.
They say “thank you.” The customer service rep thanked me on the phone but then I received a tangible thank-you when the coffee mug arrived. All this for an order totaling under $100.

The key to being liked is to give more than is expected of you. Another way of saying it is that you have to give to get. This leads to mutually beneficial relationships.

Steps you can take:

Comment on other bloggers’ posts. Spread the content of your customers, prospects and influencers in your niche. Let them know you have, in case they’re too busy to notice.
Invite guest posts. Ask your clients to write a post for your blog that will showcase them and their company.
Make introductions. Connect your clients and friends to people they want to meet and don’t already know. Don’t expect anything in return, although it’s likely they will try to reciprocate.
Provide extra service. When you’re finished with a client project, give them some extras. Send them tips from time to time to improve their business and don’t charge for it. It will make you feel good and you never know when they might have another project for you.

The overarching point of this post is that you need to “like” people first. That is, you need to “pay it forward” by giving more than is expected of you – on social media, for friends, and serving clients.

Brand Yourself: Your Billboard

January 25, 2012 by Guest

Brand Yourself: Your Billboard

By Nancy Ancowitz, Business Communication Coach and Author of Self-Promotion for Introverts®

Imagine driving along the NJ-495 roadway, which dramatically scoops around and dips down the cliffs of Weehawken, New Jersey, into a huge industrial no-man’s land before you enter the Lincoln Tunnel to the legendary city of Broadway, big business, and billionaire dreams. As you navigate your way through this sea of gray, peppered with smokestacks and billboards, your eyes jump from ads for SmartWater to iPhones to one about you.

Now imagine what your billboard would say, how it would look, and what image it would convey. How do you want to be seen by the outside world? Which of your magniﬁcent qualities could you display? How can you summarize your offerings in a snapshot that will grab drivers going 60 miles per hour and hold the attention of commuters stuck in trafﬁc as well?

There’s no room for lots of words or complicated images. And there’s no room for anything that’s less than sparkling about you. While, of course, I’m not suggesting that you actually buy a billboard ad (although it might be a novel approach), this mental excursion will remind you to make your message quick and clear—whether you’re applying for a job or building your business—or else you’ll pay more than the toll!

If you’re an introvert, the thought of your personal brand plastered on a billboard might seem overwhelming. However, it can also be liberating to take the time to think of a message that would matter to the people you want to target—rather than dreaming it up on the spot at a social event or important meeting. Focus on spreading the word to those who can benefit from whatever you’ve got instead of foisting your offerings on those who aren’t interested.

My client Madeline Abel-Kerns, who is an opera singer, actress, and voice teacher, shares what her billboard would look like: “White, puffy clouds with a beautiful sky—the type of clouds you would want to sit and watch drift by, changing shapes. In black letters there would be two words: ‘Be moved.’ And my name and the date of my next performance.”

Now it’s your turn. If you’re inspired to do so, take out a blank sheet of paper and write down a concise headline for your billboard and draft an image (or find one from a magazine). Also write any other brief message you’d like to add, possibly to get members of your target audience who are driving by to take a desired action. Here is a recap of the information you’ll need to capture:

What Does Your Billboard Say?

Headline:

Image:

Brief message and/or action:

Once you’ve mocked up your billboard, consider how you can apply the concept you’ve created consistently across your self-promotional activities—whether you’re writing a cover letter for a job, designing a Web site for your business, or presenting yourself at a sales meeting.

I’ve adapted this billboard exercise from my book, Self-Promotion for Introverts®: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead. The book also includes many other exercises and offers gentle guidance to help you get the recognition you seek to get where you want to go in your career.

REFERENCE:
Adapted from Nancy Ancowitz, Self-Promotion for Introverts®, McGraw-Hill, 2009, pp. 37, 51-52.

The Laws of Likability

August 11, 2011 by Guest

Let Your True Self Shine!—Creating relationships based on authenticity

By Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of The 11 Laws of Likability

People of all ages want to be liked, whether you are 12 or 72. Likewise, people of all ages want to be happy. When you build the relationships you want, based on simply being yourself and liking them, you will enjoy your connections and be happier in your interactions. The foundation of likability is authenticity which is the subject of the first chapter of The11Laws of Likability.

We need authenticity in our lives, our relationships and in our jobs. Just as we often don’t work to our fullest potential when a job isn’t the right fit, our relationships don’t develop when we don’t feel a real connection.

Ensuring authenticity in all aspects of your relationships helps to forge stronger, more substantial relationships then those that are based on falsity. Think of it this way: If you are not yourself from the very start of a relationship, you will constantly tiptoe around and try to act as you “should.” After a while, putting on a mask becomes very uncomfortable and exhausting. If you begin a relationship by showing your true self, you are able to relax and enjoy the friendship.

Ensure authenticity in your relationships:

1. Be true to yourself. It is important not to force yourself into situations that you don’t want to be in. If you are exhausted and cranky at a meeting with a friend, your crankiness automatically sets a negative tone. Sometimes when you are not feeling like your best self it is okay to opt out and reschedule.

Don’t let yourself completely off the hook, however. It is important to stretch yourself and gain comfort with things that may not come naturally. You may not like going to networking events for your company but you certainly can’t avoid all of them. Ease yourself into uncomfortable situations. You’ll find that you become better and better at handling them.

2. Make the connections you want to make. Networking is so much easier when the connections are genuine and when both people enjoy the relationship. Ignore your instinct to befriend who you “should” network with. Developing friendships with people that you enjoy allows for friendships that will sustain you in life and business.
On the other hand, don’t rule out people that you don’t have an immediate connection with. Let the relationship develop gradually. Sometimes you find yourself in a close friendship with someone that you seemed to have nothing in common with at first. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither are friendships.

3. Don’t force it. There is no one correct way to be. Although you may feel like you “should” act a certain way, any actions out of the ordinary for your personality will come across as forced. You will feel uncomfortable and so will the people around you. If you are usually serious and reserved, don’t try to make everyone laugh. If you are usually a jokester, don’t try to stay quiet. Simply be yourself. The real you is the best you.

If you are interested in learning more about how to make business connections that stick, check out my book The 11 Laws of Likability and visit my Facebook page.

Four Easy Networking Tips for 2011

January 13, 2011 by Shoya

Re-connect. Choose 5-10 people you lost touch with in 2010 and re-connect with them. Suggest and schedule either a telephone or in-person catch-up session. Say something like, “I’d like to hear what you’ve been up to.” This is easy, enjoyable and puts you back on their radar screen.

Plan forward. Imagine 3 projects you’d like to accomplish by July 2011. Outline them and determine in your network might be able to help? What specific kind of help will you ask for?

Express appreciation. Choose 5 people who made an impact on your life and business in 2010. Say, “I want to thank you for . . . ” Be specific, enthusiastic and grateful.

Help others. Someone in your circle would benefit from your knowledge. Offer to share without expecting anything in return.

Ways to Present a Positive Impression During Holiday Events

December 27, 2010 by Guest

By Diane DiResta. Website: http://www.diresta.com

1. Own the room. Stand tall and walk in with confidence.
2. Be the first to reach out. Extend your hand and give a firm handshake.
3. Look directly into someone’s eyes. Do not scan the room while talking to one person.
4. Ask questions about them instead of talking about yourself.
5. Mirror the other person. Match their speaking rate, volume level, and words. If they speak fast, quicken your pace. If they are soft-spoken, lower your volume. People like people who are most like them.
6. Speak clearly and pause. Sloppy or hurried speech is perceived as negative. Eliminate slang.
7. Be fully present. Focus on the person and listen non-verbally with body language and with words.
8. Find common ground quickly. This will build instant rapport.
9. Give compliments.
10. Paraphrase. It’s a form of acknowledging people. This skill makes you very attractive. It communicates you’re listening.
11. Have something interesting to say. Comment on the other person’s interests.
12. Be a giver. Offer a tip or an introduction to others. Give without expecting anything in return.
13. Smile. You’ll appear more approachable and confident.