SPEAKING POWERFULLY
Last week I attended two meetings in which the participants had to introduce themselves and to share information about their businesses. After the introductions, there was a 20 minute break during which the attendees had a chance to meet and greet.
An interesting observation was that several people want to meet and greet the same person while there were a few people who no one approached. After some reflection I came up with the following conclusion: All the stories that were shared were good, but the big difference was in the way they presented themselves and their businesses.
My recommendations are as follows:
Be confident: A lack of self-confidence when you speak gives the impression that your content may be questionable. Sound confident and your audience will side with you.
Speak so everyone in the room can hear you: There were several people that I could not hear during their sharing. Project your voice in order to grab everyone’s attention.
Nerves can cause you to stumble: I understand that speaking before others is one of the bigger fears that face us in business. Take a few slow, deep breathes before you begin.
Speaking too fast: The pace of your presentation has to be such that it is easily understood. Excitement can cause someone to start speaking too fast and the audience is lost.
Enunciation: My wife always has to remind me to think before I talk and to make sure that I use words that are related to my topic. People have to understand what you are saying and the message that your words are trying to convey.
One more very important suggestion: since you know that you will have to share your story in a variety of different situations, practice your presentation before you arrive. In most cases, people will ask you what you to. Is your story ready? In case of meetings where you know you will be asked to stand before a group and share your name and a short business story, do you have that speech memorized and practiced?
Your personal story that includes you and your business and also your WHY is one of the most important tools in your marketing bag. Make sure that you are ready to deliver all your stories in such a way that your audience will want to know more. The old saying, “Practice Makes Perfect”, is certainly in play here.
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Tips & Advice by Nick Petra, CFP – Founder of Strategic Duck and BizQuack
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