Friday, October 3, 2014
HOW TO WOW DURING YOUR ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS
One-on-one meetings can often be intense. Obviously, it is important to showcase your best self as a person who is confident and committed to his or her ideas.
Your body language says it all. To deliver your message and wow, consider the following suggestions:
Lean In
When you are sitting across the table, remember your posture. It can easily look too relaxed. If you have something important to share, be sure to lean in. When required put your feet under the table and your hands on the table. This will force your body forward. This will trigger the perception that what you are about to say is definitely significant. Also, this posture demonstrates that you are paying close attention to the conversation.
Sustain Eye Contact
People assess honesty and credibility through eye contact.
Normally, eye contact in a one-on-one meeting is not a problem. However, it can be compromised by note taking and reading from slides.
Through sustained eye contact, you can also read the other person's reaction to your ideas. A word of caution- eye contact can be intimidating if it is too long. When you finish a couple of sentences, look aside for a moment. Then resume eye contact.
Use Meaningful Gestures
Gestures help your listener to see your passion, your commitment to your position or recommendation.
Do not overlook using your hands since they create a picture for your listener. When sitting, gestures will be smaller. They will typically come from the elbow versus the shoulders.
Some gestures, such as pointing or the back of your hand should be avoided. Your listener will notice if you play with your ring, your hair or your glasses. Make sure to gesture with an open hand and definitely not with a fist.
Be Expressive
Your face should match your words. Avoid being too intense. Smile freely. It will put your listener at ease and demonstrate your confidence. Also, don't forget that when you smile, your listener will typically smile back. It will relax both of you.
Sound Friendly. Be Enthusiastic
When we are nervous or unprepared, we have a lot of "filler" words or "ums and ahs." We also speak quickly, and this often results in a voice being monotone.
Make sure your sentences come to a definite end. Be careful of over-connecting with "and," "but" or "so." If you smile, your voice will sound warmer and you will be perceived as friendlier.
Pause Between Your Points
Allow your listener time to digest your ideas to pose a question. Remember, the more you pause, the more the other person gets and the more you can think about what you want to say next.
One-on-ones are an opportunity for you to shine. If you do a good job, you wow. You impress. If you do a poor or mediocre job, you leave your listener wondering if you are the right person!
Body language will be noticed. Make sure you look, sound and act confident and convicted.
.
All the best with your meetings!
Posted in
Presentation skills training,
Presentation Training,
presentations Conference presentations Facilitating meetings Presentation skills training Public speaking Sales presentations
by effectivecommunication.com.au
SALES - IMPROVE YOUR SALES RESULTS BY DEVELOPING QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS
This applies whether it is Business to Business or Business to Consumer
Developing effective relationships with people can go a long way to achieving better sales results both short and long term!
Below are 11 simple tips you can apply right now to help you build better relationships with your prospects and clients.
As you read the list, you’ll see not only does it apply in sales situations, but also in every situation you encounter (professional or personal).
This list was shared with a sales audience recently and a person immediately stated how they realised the list would work with their spouse too.
1. Show respect of the other person when they’re talking.
2. Follow-through on what you say you will do.
3. Compliment the ideas and recommendations shared by
the other person.
4. Share with the other person information about yourself - Be transparent
5. Help the other person achieve their goals and objectives.
6. Be open and honest.
7. Start each conversation by referencing something from
a previous meeting or relevant situation
8. Allow the other person to hold you accountable.
9. Accept responsibility.
10. Never share with another person something shared in confidence with you.
11. Your body language must match what you’re saying.
Typically when people review the above list, they notice one or two tips they do well and one or two they should work on. What about you?
Use the list as a reminder of what it takes to develop quality business relationships.
In so doing, you’ll quickly realize the people you do have quality relationships with have most likely demonstrated the same 11 characteristics to you also.
All the best with your sales!
Posted in
presentations Facilitating meetings Presentation skills training Public speaking Sales presentations,
Sales presentations,
Sales Training
by effectivecommunication.com.au
LEADERSHIP - US NAVY SEAL PRINCIPLES TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS
Last week the University of Texas at Austin invited a US Special Forces 36 year Navy Seal named William McRaven to give a commencement address.
Whilst Admiral McRaven's presentation was aimed at equipping and empowering the next generation of leaders, the ten (10) principles he shared can easily be used by you & your team in business.
To view this impressive and beneficial online video presentation, you are welcome to click on this link.
All the best with your leadership!
Posted in
Leadership,
Leadership coaching,
presentations Conference presentations Facilitating meetings Presentation skills training Public speaking Sales presentations
by effectivecommunication.com.au
BE HEARD WHEN PRESENTING
Typically audiences politely listen when someone is presenting, yet it is not always the case that audiences hear!
We all know that a presenter needs to be heard, whether whilst giving an update on a project, advising a client on an investment opportunity or explaining the functionality of a new product etc. Yet so often, business professionals are not heard. They do not connect with their listeners. They bury their points by over-talking an issue or by going into too much detail.
If you really want your audiences to get your message(s) follow these simple tips:
Speak Louder
Louder voices are taking more seriously.
A louder voice automatically signals "This is important. Please listen." On the other hand, when a presenter has a soft voice, listeners may assume the person is insecure, nervous and lacks confidence in his or her beliefs.
Additionally, if listeners strain to hear you, they will eventually tune out or look at their phones. They may also try to take advantage of someone who has a soft voice.
Speak Slowly
If something is important, it can't be misunderstood.
Speaking slowly insures that people will have time to process the message and stay with you.
If you speak quickly, people can't sort and understand your ideas fast enough; they can't ask their questions. Inevitably, they will miss some points, especially if this is new information.
Additionally, when you speak quickly, there is a chance accents will not be understood or articulation will be sloppy. The lips, teeth and tongue can't get into the right position to say the words clearly.
Intensify Eye Contact
People judge honesty or credibility by the strength of your eye contact.
Look at your listeners, one at a time, with sustained eye contact. Show them you have nothing to hide and that you want and expect them to take your ideas seriously. A fleeting glance will not establish the connection you need to win them over.
Move Closer
If you have the opportunity to move towards your listeners, do it.
Do not stay behind a podium or tethered to your laptop. When you move towards your listeners to deliver key points, they see that you are trying to connect with them. They become more attentive.
Allow For Space
Do not over-talk or go into too many details
Decisions are made easier when your ideas are simply expressed. Short, pithy sentences with strong adjectives or adverbs are just the thing to gain and hold people's attention. They make your points stand out.
Show Value
To be won over, listeners have to see value
What's in it for them?
If you can answer that question with clear benefits, it is likely your message will be heard. Anytime you can support your message with numbers or statistics, rather than generalisations, people take notice.
Being heard is not automatic. It takes paying attention to what you say and how you say it. Utilising these tips will help you to be taken more seriously and eliminate the risk of people wondering what they should do.
We all know that a presenter needs to be heard, whether whilst giving an update on a project, advising a client on an investment opportunity or explaining the functionality of a new product etc. Yet so often, business professionals are not heard. They do not connect with their listeners. They bury their points by over-talking an issue or by going into too much detail.
If you really want your audiences to get your message(s) follow these simple tips:
Speak Louder
Louder voices are taking more seriously.
A louder voice automatically signals "This is important. Please listen." On the other hand, when a presenter has a soft voice, listeners may assume the person is insecure, nervous and lacks confidence in his or her beliefs.
Additionally, if listeners strain to hear you, they will eventually tune out or look at their phones. They may also try to take advantage of someone who has a soft voice.
Speak Slowly
If something is important, it can't be misunderstood.
Speaking slowly insures that people will have time to process the message and stay with you.
If you speak quickly, people can't sort and understand your ideas fast enough; they can't ask their questions. Inevitably, they will miss some points, especially if this is new information.
Additionally, when you speak quickly, there is a chance accents will not be understood or articulation will be sloppy. The lips, teeth and tongue can't get into the right position to say the words clearly.
Intensify Eye Contact
People judge honesty or credibility by the strength of your eye contact.
Look at your listeners, one at a time, with sustained eye contact. Show them you have nothing to hide and that you want and expect them to take your ideas seriously. A fleeting glance will not establish the connection you need to win them over.
Move Closer
If you have the opportunity to move towards your listeners, do it.
Do not stay behind a podium or tethered to your laptop. When you move towards your listeners to deliver key points, they see that you are trying to connect with them. They become more attentive.
Allow For Space
Do not over-talk or go into too many details
Decisions are made easier when your ideas are simply expressed. Short, pithy sentences with strong adjectives or adverbs are just the thing to gain and hold people's attention. They make your points stand out.
Show Value
To be won over, listeners have to see value
What's in it for them?
If you can answer that question with clear benefits, it is likely your message will be heard. Anytime you can support your message with numbers or statistics, rather than generalisations, people take notice.
Being heard is not automatic. It takes paying attention to what you say and how you say it. Utilising these tips will help you to be taken more seriously and eliminate the risk of people wondering what they should do.
All the best with your presentations!
Posted in
Business presentations,
Business presentations Presentation skills training Sales presentations
by effectivecommunication.com.au
Monday, May 5, 2014
LEADERSHIP - 5 QUESTIONS YOU MUST ASK ABOUT YOUR GOALS
Why do many leaders set goals too low???
The easy answer is because there’s no sense in setting goals that are impossible to achieve.
If that’s the case, then why don’t leaders set tomorrow’s goals as merely waking up and getting out of bed?
What are your goals and are they truly going to stretching you?
If a person sets goals which they know can easily be achieved, then that person might need to change the word “goal” to “milestone.”
Goals are designed to stretch you.
Goals are designed to get you to achieve results you did not think were possible.
Look at your goals. Are they more like milestones or are they truly goals that are going to stretch you in ways you did not think possible?
The reason for addressing this topic today is because amongst the thousands of business people we serve at EffectiveCommunication.com.au (EC), we meet many people who having worked with them we ask, “Are their goals really going to push and stretch them?”
Now, we know that setting outlandish goals just for the sake of setting them is a waste of time. We are also aware that goals seen as unachievable can demotivate more than motivate.
What we are talking about are goals with a mindset that truly redefine who you are and what you want to be in your life and career.
What is your BIG goal + additional goals you need to look at and possibly reset?
Here are the 5 questions you need to ask yourself to help set goals that will push and stretch you to where you need to be and that you are truly capable of::
1. What are the outcomes that will occur from achieving my goals?
2. Who are the people I need to leverage to help me achieve my goals?
3. What are the habits / activities I either need to stop doing, do more of, or start doing to help me achieve my goals?
4. What do I need to change about my mindset?
5. Who can help hold me accountable and provide support, motivation, and coaching along the way?
Think about your goals and ask yourself the 5 questions above to quickly determine if you need to redefine.
All the best with your leadership!
The easy answer is because there’s no sense in setting goals that are impossible to achieve.
If that’s the case, then why don’t leaders set tomorrow’s goals as merely waking up and getting out of bed?
What are your goals and are they truly going to stretching you?
If a person sets goals which they know can easily be achieved, then that person might need to change the word “goal” to “milestone.”
Goals are designed to stretch you.
Goals are designed to get you to achieve results you did not think were possible.
Look at your goals. Are they more like milestones or are they truly goals that are going to stretch you in ways you did not think possible?
The reason for addressing this topic today is because amongst the thousands of business people we serve at EffectiveCommunication.com.au (EC), we meet many people who having worked with them we ask, “Are their goals really going to push and stretch them?”
Now, we know that setting outlandish goals just for the sake of setting them is a waste of time. We are also aware that goals seen as unachievable can demotivate more than motivate.
What we are talking about are goals with a mindset that truly redefine who you are and what you want to be in your life and career.
What is your BIG goal + additional goals you need to look at and possibly reset?
Here are the 5 questions you need to ask yourself to help set goals that will push and stretch you to where you need to be and that you are truly capable of::
1. What are the outcomes that will occur from achieving my goals?
2. Who are the people I need to leverage to help me achieve my goals?
3. What are the habits / activities I either need to stop doing, do more of, or start doing to help me achieve my goals?
4. What do I need to change about my mindset?
5. Who can help hold me accountable and provide support, motivation, and coaching along the way?
Think about your goals and ask yourself the 5 questions above to quickly determine if you need to redefine.
All the best with your leadership!
Posted in
Business presentations Conference presentations Facilitating meetings Presentation skills training Public speaking Sales presentations,
Presentation Training
by effectivecommunication.com.au
SIX SIMPLE DISCIPLINES TO SELL MORE IN LESS TIME
Having trained thousands of sales people during the past twelve years across Asia Pacific & the Americas, it is clear to us at EffectiveCommunication.com.au (EC) that it is typically simple disciplines that when applied can improve client relationships and ultimately sales results from strength to strength. And the best part is, anyone can do them.
Here are just six (6) disciplines to support your future sales efforts:
1. Never end today until tomorrow is planned
Don’t allow yourself to start the day still trying to figure out who you need to call and what you need to do.
If you do wait until the morning, you’ll waste valuable time that could have been spent selling.
The key is before the current day ends, always plan the next day specifically with who you’re going to call and what you are going to do.
2. Don’t sell to non-motivated buyers
This sounds basic, but far too much time is spent (wasted) dealing with prospects who have little intention to buy. With each call you make to a prospect, you must find a reason to connect with the person again. If not, move them to your marketing list.
3. “5 After 5” - Optimizing Mondays & Fridays
Just because it’s Friday afternoon, don’t think there aren’t sales to be made. Same can be said for Mondays.
Regardless of what you might think, there are always opportunities to be selling, and that is why top performers love to do “5 after 5.”
This means making 5 more sales calls after 5pm.
You never know who might need your call, company, products and services at that time!
4. Ensure purpose with every call
There is no such thing as a “fact-finding” call or an “introductory” call.
Every call deserves purpose.
Great salespeople never miss the opportunity to express their purpose with every prospect / client contact, if for no other reason than to gain agreement about a reason to move forward.
5. Listen more & talk less
Selling faster does not mean talking faster. In fact, it usually means just the opposite. It means talking less to allow the prospect / client to talk more.
There’s no way we will ever know what the prospect / client is looking for unless they’re given the opportunity to talk.
The key is to make sure when you are talking you’re not preaching, but rather asking great questions.
6. Believing in yourself & what you sell
How can we ever expect a prospect / client to believe what we’re saying if we don’t believe in ourselves?
What this means with regard to selling faster is simple: It means great salespeople don’t experience slumps and periods of low productivity; rather, they’re always focused on making it happen. They believe in themselves and their products and services including the investment value.
These six (6) disciplines to ‘Sell More in Less Time’ are not rocket science, which is why anyone can apply them.
Now ask yourself, “What’s holding me back from speeding up my sales?”
All the best with your future sales!
Here are just six (6) disciplines to support your future sales efforts:
1. Never end today until tomorrow is planned
Don’t allow yourself to start the day still trying to figure out who you need to call and what you need to do.
If you do wait until the morning, you’ll waste valuable time that could have been spent selling.
The key is before the current day ends, always plan the next day specifically with who you’re going to call and what you are going to do.
2. Don’t sell to non-motivated buyers
This sounds basic, but far too much time is spent (wasted) dealing with prospects who have little intention to buy. With each call you make to a prospect, you must find a reason to connect with the person again. If not, move them to your marketing list.
3. “5 After 5” - Optimizing Mondays & Fridays
Just because it’s Friday afternoon, don’t think there aren’t sales to be made. Same can be said for Mondays.
Regardless of what you might think, there are always opportunities to be selling, and that is why top performers love to do “5 after 5.”
This means making 5 more sales calls after 5pm.
You never know who might need your call, company, products and services at that time!
4. Ensure purpose with every call
There is no such thing as a “fact-finding” call or an “introductory” call.
Every call deserves purpose.
Great salespeople never miss the opportunity to express their purpose with every prospect / client contact, if for no other reason than to gain agreement about a reason to move forward.
5. Listen more & talk less
Selling faster does not mean talking faster. In fact, it usually means just the opposite. It means talking less to allow the prospect / client to talk more.
There’s no way we will ever know what the prospect / client is looking for unless they’re given the opportunity to talk.
The key is to make sure when you are talking you’re not preaching, but rather asking great questions.
6. Believing in yourself & what you sell
How can we ever expect a prospect / client to believe what we’re saying if we don’t believe in ourselves?
What this means with regard to selling faster is simple: It means great salespeople don’t experience slumps and periods of low productivity; rather, they’re always focused on making it happen. They believe in themselves and their products and services including the investment value.
These six (6) disciplines to ‘Sell More in Less Time’ are not rocket science, which is why anyone can apply them.
Now ask yourself, “What’s holding me back from speeding up my sales?”
All the best with your future sales!
Posted in
Business presentations Conference presentations Facilitating meetings Presentation skills training Public speaking Sales presentations
by effectivecommunication.com.au
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
3 Principles To Construct & Deliver Successful Sales Presentations
Amidst all the changes happening at present across international economies there are
a number of companies that are still maintaining growth.
Let’s look at 3 presentation principles that growing companies apply to shift buying criteria away from price during economic challenges.
1. Position Your Business As An Expert
Here's the thing...
In today's business environment, you need to position your business as an expert with your prospective client before you show up for any meeting or presentation.
The best way to do this is to educate your buyer on how to become an expert consumer of your product.
Clients don't necessarily know what to look for when purchasing. They don't know what to do when comparing competitive options.
And guess what?
The presenter that provides this type of buying information helps audiences to breathe a sigh of relief. This will immediately position your business HEAD and SHOULDERS above the majority of other providers competing with your business.
By delivering an education based presentation at the right time during a clients buying process will most definitely work in your favour.
Your presentation should be constructed in order to stimulate and impress audience ears, eyes, intellect and emotion.
Ensure your presentations offer indisputable proof your business is an absolute EXPERT in what it delivers.
During the past thirteen (13) years EffectiveCommunication.com.au (EC) has served numerous clients to construct and deliver expert presentations for a wide range of audiences. The results in many cases have been very successful. To view some success case studies, you’re welcome to visit the ‘Return on Investment’ page of our website.
Many times over the years companies have decide to work with EC and have become long term clients simply because they say we present as business communication experts based on the E-newsletters we send plus, quality of our website.
Present your business as an expert – EC has seen this principle result successfully many times for many clients, which is why we recommend your business does the same.
2. Solve A Problem… Don’t Just Present Another Product
This reads as obvious, yet continually EC works with companies and people who leave large amounts of unbanked profit on the table because they simply do not uncover the true scope of the opportunity before presenting products and services.
And what we know is this...
Presenting your business as a problem solver will alone INSTANTLY create a shift in how professional your business is perceived by your clients.
To put this bluntly, your business rises from being perceived as "just another rep selling something" to "an equal business, genuinely looking to help a client solve a problem in ways that benefits both parties".
You can not gain a much better presentation outcome than this!
3. Be More Thorough in Your Fact Finding with Companies Prior to Presenting Recommendations
This principle goes hand in glove with the previous principle.
Unless you have a pre-determined set of great questions that aim at the core of how you might help a prospective client, you will not get all the facts required to successfully serve them during your presentation.
a number of companies that are still maintaining growth.
Let’s look at 3 presentation principles that growing companies apply to shift buying criteria away from price during economic challenges.
1. Position Your Business As An Expert
Here's the thing...
In today's business environment, you need to position your business as an expert with your prospective client before you show up for any meeting or presentation.
The best way to do this is to educate your buyer on how to become an expert consumer of your product.
Clients don't necessarily know what to look for when purchasing. They don't know what to do when comparing competitive options.
And guess what?
The presenter that provides this type of buying information helps audiences to breathe a sigh of relief. This will immediately position your business HEAD and SHOULDERS above the majority of other providers competing with your business.
By delivering an education based presentation at the right time during a clients buying process will most definitely work in your favour.
Your presentation should be constructed in order to stimulate and impress audience ears, eyes, intellect and emotion.
Ensure your presentations offer indisputable proof your business is an absolute EXPERT in what it delivers.
During the past thirteen (13) years EffectiveCommunication.com.au (EC) has served numerous clients to construct and deliver expert presentations for a wide range of audiences. The results in many cases have been very successful. To view some success case studies, you’re welcome to visit the ‘Return on Investment’ page of our website.
Many times over the years companies have decide to work with EC and have become long term clients simply because they say we present as business communication experts based on the E-newsletters we send plus, quality of our website.
Present your business as an expert – EC has seen this principle result successfully many times for many clients, which is why we recommend your business does the same.
2. Solve A Problem… Don’t Just Present Another Product
This reads as obvious, yet continually EC works with companies and people who leave large amounts of unbanked profit on the table because they simply do not uncover the true scope of the opportunity before presenting products and services.
And what we know is this...
Presenting your business as a problem solver will alone INSTANTLY create a shift in how professional your business is perceived by your clients.
To put this bluntly, your business rises from being perceived as "just another rep selling something" to "an equal business, genuinely looking to help a client solve a problem in ways that benefits both parties".
You can not gain a much better presentation outcome than this!
3. Be More Thorough in Your Fact Finding with Companies Prior to Presenting Recommendations
This principle goes hand in glove with the previous principle.
Unless you have a pre-determined set of great questions that aim at the core of how you might help a prospective client, you will not get all the facts required to successfully serve them during your presentation.
All the best with your sales presentations!
Posted in
Business presentations Conference presentations Facilitating meetings Presentation skills training Public speaking Sales presentations
by effectivecommunication.com.au
