A conversation, a sales meeting, a board meeting, an interview, a courtroom case... all are special situations which require you to communicate clearly, drive
action and create result you want. You can learn skills to engineer outcome, make most of your opportunities, gain respect, and advance your career. Here are eleven tips to practice that will help you feel powerful and authentic, and will help you be perceived as a person of authority and trust:
1.Create a shared point of view. It is very important when addressing an individual or a group of people that you establish an immediate connection between you and them by leading with your shared point of view. Why are you all in same room together? What unites you? Speak to this by using “I-YOU-WE” words and phrases as much as you can.
2.Don’t speak until you have taken one full deep breath. During that time, look out at your audience and find a face to connect with for four seconds. Then broaden your gaze to include everyone, take a second breath and begin.
3.Create a powerful opening. The first 30 seconds are most important to success of your talk. Use a quote, such as: “When you are going through hell, keep going” (Winston Churchill); “They were best of times, they were worst of times. They were times that tried men’s souls” (Charles Dickens). Use words of a song. Ask a question. State a startling fact. Your job at top of speech or conversation is to get their attention.
4.Before you give your speech, get an amusing anecdote from your audience. “Folks, I looked at bowling scores from your event last night. Where’s Bob Carruthers, is he here? Bob, do you really work here or did they bring you in as a ringer? I’m scared of you!” When you incorporate this into your speech it is another “I –YOU- WE” moment and creates trust that you care enough about them to know what is going on that day.
