FEBRUARY 2016
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IN THIS ISSUE Speaker Cecilia Macaulay shares her tips for presenting in business Stop blushing! Communicating with DiSC types How to present a group offer No Q&A at the end! What NOT to do! Persuasion Tips Flip chart Tips Rehearse only if you want to SUCCEED Why are longserving staff often labelled ‘difficult’? Speakers Club
PLUS:
Decide then get on with leading! www.michellebowden.com.au
What makes some TED talks better than others? FREE book giveaway Success Stories Conference Speaking Tips
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DIARY DATES PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS MASTERCLASS (2-day Public Program) SYDNEY 2016 February 2-3 FULL February 23-24 March 22-23 MELBOURNE 2016 March 29-30 MAY 2016 May 3-4 To register: https://michellebowden.com.au/program-bookings
WHO IS MICHELLE BOWDEN? WHO IS MICHELLE BOWDEN? Michelle is an expert on persuasive presentation skills in business. She Michelle is an expert in persuasive has run her 2-day Persuasive presentation skills in business. She Presentation Skills Masterclass over has run her 2-day Persuasive 700 times with more than 7000 Presentation Skills Masterclass over people and she’s been nominated 720 times with more than 7200 for Educator of the Year for 8 people and she’s been nominated qqyears running. for Educator of the Year for 7 years running. Michelle is one of only 35 Australian female CSPs (Certified Michelle is one of only 35 Australian Speaking Professional). CSP is the females who is a Certified Speaking highest designation for speakers in Pro f e s s i o n a l - t h e h i g h e s t the world. For a list of Michelle’s designation for speakers in the clients please go to: world. For a list of Michelle’s clients p www.michellebowden.com.au lease go to: www.michellebowden.com.au
Michelle’s Update
Welcome to the February issue of How to Present - this issue is packed with articles that will assist you to present your ideas with greater confidence and influence at work. Happy New Year! I hope it’s already a great year for you. Welcome this month to Media Money, Calabria Family Wines, New Image Personal Conditioning, and welcome back Department of Defence, Novartis, NAB, Teradata, Westpac, and Janssen. You’ll see some terrific photos in the back of this edition! My world famous Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass is will run twice a month in 2016 in North Sydney and ….
BREAKING NEWS…..I’m taking my world-class MASTERCLASS to Melbourne and Brisbane in March and May as a one-off tour for all my fans! If you are thinking of coming along interstate please register today to be sure you can attend the date you prefer. Visit my website. Cecilia MacCauley is our stunning cover this month! Cecilia is a terrific speaker and you’ll enjoy reading her tips for presenting in business. PLUS in this edition I will help you to STOP Blushing, and I’ll explain
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why you shouldn’t finish your presentations with a Q&A. I’ll share some of my thoughts on What makes some TED talks better than others and why you should Rehearse only if you want to Succeed. Plus we have our usual Conference Tips, Persuasion Tips and What NOT to do and Speakers Club is on again on 24 Feb, 2016! Ken Warren explains why Long Serving Employees are often labelled ‘difficult’. Greg Mowbray tells us to Make a DECISION and get on with what leaders do! Plus read some inspiring Success Stories. Please grab yourself a ’cuppa’, put your feet up and have a read! And most importantly, put the invaluable advice into immediate action so you see some fast results. Happy Presenting!
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Michelle Bowden’s Proven Presentation System The ultimate guide to presenting your ideas and influencing people using techniques that actually work Do you get nervous when presenting at work? Do you want to showcase your knowledge, influence people and accelerate your career? Would you like to learn the secrets of successful speaking, communicating and presenting? How to Present reveals how you can be a confident, clear and influential presenter every time. Presentation skills expert Michelle Bowden shares her internationally proven 13-step system to exceptional presenting, starting with analysis (plan what you would like to achieve), then design (put your presentation together) and delivery (communicate your message for results). Whether you’re presenting or speaking to one person or thousands, this is the essential guide to becoming an outstanding presenter.
How to Present will help you: • Maximise your impact in meetings, conferences and conversations • Manage your nerves so you feel calm and confident • Engage your audience and master the art of persuasion • Deliver your message clearly and with authority • Command attention and achieve your goals!
There is no other book on the market like this that will take you step-by-step through the process of successful presenting. — Steve Weston, Managing Director of Retail Lending, UK Retail and Business Banking division, Barclays
it now! Purchase your copyBuy here
RRP AUD $27.95, NZD $31.99 | Available in print and ebook formats
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SUCCESS STORIES! JACKIE GILES CHANGE PROGRAM DIRECTOR GEORGE WESTON FOODS George Weston Foods is the producer of several iconic brands like Tip Top, Golden Pikelets and Don. Jackie is a member of the AICD and is actively involved in directorship as Chair for NSW HeartKids. Jackie managed an exciting 22 year career in the telecommunications industry working in the UK and Australia, principally within Cable & Wireless, Optus and Vodafone, with time as a telecoms risk and management consultant in Ernst & Young. Jackie has held a wide range of line management roles covering shared services, business program change management, risk management, treasury management, customer experience, customer operations and financial management. She is married & the proud mum of two boys. What kind of presenting do you do at work? I seem to spend lots of my time presenting and influencing at work. Sometimes I present to a large team of up to 100 people or a group of 6-10 executives or a team of 2-20 people. So its very varied and requires a different approach for each type of audience.
What prompted you to attend Michelle's Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass? In my last role at Vodafone, I wanted to help my whole team to develop their influencing and presentational
skills. I wanted a reminder of what I was able to do well when presenting and what I need to improve upon. I was willing to share my experience and development needs with my team, so it became a fabulous opportunity for a team building event as well as a fantastic learning experience. The whole team thoroughly enjoyed the two days, even the most reticent and shy members relaxed and got stuck in.
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Michelle’s style is energetic, infectiously positive and great fun. She makes everyone feel as though they can take their presentation skills to a new level. By the end of the two days, they have surprised themselves and gained a new confidence in presenting. It was one of the best team building and learning events that I have done. How did Michelle's program change your attitude to presenting in business? In almost all of my presentations, I have to present numbers and scenarios around numbers – it therefore is easy to sound bland and boring! Its also easy to lose people’s attention quickly. Michelle’s program made me think differently about this aspect in presentations. So now I find a way of introducing an interesting fact or quick story related to the number. Its also important to be clear about the overall message behind the numbers, At the same time I make eye contact with several people in the room and pause a second to emphasise what I am saying is important to them at that moment. I have used this to great effect at different levels across the organisation. FEBRUARY 2016
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SUCCESS STORIES! (CONT.) Michelle reminded me that the presentation. Pacing is sound way of underpinning making eye contact at critical where you reflect to your these values and growing points is key to getting your audience what they already personally. message across and getting know to get them nodding someone to hold and recall and smiling. This technique What were your top three take that message. builds strong rapport and away's from Michelle's engages the audience. In program? What positive outcomes have many ways its so obvious yet you achieved from improving funnily enough I had not really Firstly, speak from the heart your presentation skills? consciously considered this or – use voice tone , the styled my presentations so pause and eye contact to I try to use my presentation they effectively ‘hooked’ the achieve a natural way of skills in face to face meetings, audience so early. doing this. it helps me get to know Secondly, people quickly use a quick and find out story to make about their t h i n g s “Michelle reminded me that making motivations. interesting and memorable – eye contact at critical points is key to Understanding this works for my audience me when getting your message across and makes me a presenting lots getting someone to hold and recall that b e t t e r of numbers or presenter and facts and as I message.” influencer and improve my gives me knowledge of confidence to people across ad lib more the company. effectively with questions or say I don’t know And thirdly, throw a For really important and turn it towards a question back to a person presentations to executives, I colleague that will know the in the room when you am more relaxed and this answer more accurately than I know they will give a better means they see me, hear me do. answer than you – makes and engage with me relatively them feel good, makes me quickly. How have improved more credible and makes presentation skills have the rest of the audience T h i s m e a n s I a m m o r e impacted on your job and feel involved. impactful for them and they your career? remember what I said to I am conscious of the impact Overall, I feel that I am much them! of the pause and I now use it more effective at meeting the much more effectively. presentation demands of my Integrity, trust and role. accountability are important I love the opportunity to use personal and business values – “pacing and leading” to grab great presentations are a people’s attention earlier in
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COMMUNICATING WITH EACH DISC TYPE BY PAULETTE KOLARZ As a leader or manager, you can be more effective when you understand the tendencies and needs of your team members. Here's what to watch out for when dealing with each personality type:
D-type personality
I-type personality
C-type personality
S-type personality
✓ High D’s are extroverted and task focused. ✓ To be aware of: they can be frustrated when people don’t have the same standard as them and can be perceived as direct or arrogant. ✓ DO: be direct, to the point, clear and specific. Have a strong handshake, confident tone of voice, provide information in concise dot points.
✓ High C’s are introverted and task focused. ✓ To be aware of: they have low trust level of others (first you prove, then they trust), can be inflexible, can see friendly banter as a waste of time, process orientated and can be overly sensitive to criticism. ✓ DO: Provide details/all information, maintain good eye contact and use restricted body language. ✓ Understanding what you and your team are can be extremely valuable in knowing how to communicate, influence outcomes and build tailored
✓High I’s are extroverted and people focused. ✓To be aware of: they can misjudge the abilities of others (as they like to see the best in people), may over promise and can trust too quickly. ✓DO: be friendly, use enthusiastic voice, have a high energy around them.
✓High S’s are introverted and people focused. ✓To be aware of: enthusiasm levels can see low sometimes, are slower at making decisions and may not project sense of urgency. They have low confidence and don’t like taking risks. DO: check in on how they are going, be patient, warm, lower tone of voice and tell them the why.
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SpeakersClub! Where smart business people pracrtice their public speaking. Are you an emerging speaker who needs to practice your keynote presentation? Are you a business person with a passion for presenting but you know you could be better?
Michelle Bowden Enterprises presents Speakers Club. Speakers Club helps existing and emerging speakers learn and grow through peer-topeer learning, world-class mentoring and networking with experts.
Do you have an important up-coming presentation and really need some relevant, personalised feedback?
Speakers Club is a funky, contemporary and enjoyable way to practice your public speaking or business presentation skills. We believe that anyone can be an engaging, confident and persuasive business presenter – it’s just a matter of knowing what to do and doing it. The question is: where can you find a safe and interesting place with cool people to practice?
Would you value the opportunity to practice your presentation in front of a warm, educated, supportive audience in a ‘just-in-time’ kind of way?
Speakers Club is the answer!
Are you driven to dramatically improve your business presenting?
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What is Speakers Club?
Get Started to join here!
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PERSUASION TIP #13 BY MICHELLE BOWDEN Listen and listen and listen!
A n d T h i r d l y, persuasive people listen for moments of agreement so they can advance their perspective.
Persuasive p e o p l e understand that just forcing your own perspective will get you nowhere - and quickly! Persuasive people understand that you can't persuade effectively if you don't know the other side of the argument. Persuasive people are actively listening when they are aiming to persuade their stakeholder.
and they listen for a variety of reasons. Firstly, persuasive people listen to work out how receptive the stakeholder is to their point of view. Secondly, persuasive people listen for your objections, which they know they'll have to resolve.
How can they do this? Well they have prepared in advance, so they already know what their bottom line is, how they will pitch their idea to you and what they’ll say when you object. Happy Persuading! www.michellebowden.com.au
WHAT NOT TO DO #11 BY MICHELLE BOWDEN Welcome to What NOT to do! This segment is dedicated to remind you of all the funny little habits that you should get rid of immediately. DON’T think you can wing it!
was a famously inspiring speaker. His speeches looked so effortless, yet if you’ve ever read anytihng about him you’ll know he prepred for days. We should do the same.
notes to brainstorm out your ideas. Then if you have time to craft some advancd linguistic patterns into your message that’s awesome too.
Sorry, I know it’s probably bad news for you. Excellent presentaters prepare properly. They don’t ever try to just ‘wing it’. Steve Jobs
Carefull preparation is essential for a persuasive presentation. I recommend you use some sort of analysis process first, the use post-it
Perhaps read my book How to Present (link) to learn exactly how to do this. Happy Presenting!
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WHAT MAKES SOME TED TALKS BETTER THAN OTHERS? BY MICHELLE BOWDEN
In some research undertaken by Vanessa Van Edwards into what it is about TED talks that makes certain talks out-rank others, she found that smiling caused poeple to rank talks higher than others. You might be tempted to think that a s t e r n , unsmiling face is necessary to encourage your audience t o fi n d y o u credible. In fact the researchers found that the longer a speaker smiled, the higher their intelligence ratings were, even when it was a serious topic that they were speaking about.
Speakers who smiled at least for 14 seconds were rated as higher in intelligence than those who smiled for less. Even the most serious speakers found something to smile about. It’s important to note that the top speakers d i d n o t ‘c r a f t ’ t h e smiling into their presentation. They were doing it authentically. In most cases they had made a joke and were smiling and laughing along with the audience at t h e i r o w n j o ke . N o matter how serious your topic, humor is essential for both your perceived charisma and intelligence. When it comes to speaking, you have to find the funny.
TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training: FROM ANNA DOBKIN, CONCILLIATOR, ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BOARD NSW
“Michelle, thank you so very much for your amazing feedback on my presentation, and the incredible Masterclass! I have never ever done an okay presentation before and this time I blew the roof off! Amazing feedback all round and requests for more. I'm eternally grateful not just for the skills, which are essential, but also for the new paradigm in life in which I don't have to fear and/or suck at presenting!” For more information on Michelle’s coaching or training please go to www.michellebowden.com.au
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WHY ARE LONG-SERVING STAFF OFTEN LABELLED ‘DIFFICULT’? BY KEN WARREN
"Seek the best in everyone that you meet. Seek the worst when dealing with yourself." - Sasha Azevedo, American Actor, Athlete, & Author When I hear managers talking about strong personalities at their work who consistently resist change, who have a strong negative influence over others, why are they often
speaking about long-serving staff? Yes, we know that difficult people come in all shapes, sizes and lengths of service. But why is it that long-serving staff are often identified by others as ‘difficult’. It is an interesting phenomenon and I think there are a few reasons for this:
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Confidence and security in their position: That’s the great thing about experience. The more experience a person has, the more confident they feel to speak up. When a person has worked in a particular sector for some years, they have perhaps seen it all before and may have strong opinions about what will or won’t work. Unfortunately, if they resist
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WHY ARE LONG-SERVING STAFF OFTEN LABELLED ‘DIFFICULT’? (CONT.) every initiative, they can easily develop a negative reputation over time. And, if they have a future planned beyond the current workplace, they might feel like they don’t have much to lose.
part is to pick their fi g h t s c a r e f u l l y , moderate their delivery, when this is needed, and provide solutions that also take into consideration their workplace’s position.
stressors at work that are in our control.
Goodness knows, if there is one stressor I hear more complaints about than anything else, it is managers – those who are unsupportive, who Unhappiness at home overuse a top-down or work: Yes, we all decision-making A strong passion for go through personal style, who fail to show their work: Passion challenges at sufficient recognition for one’s work is a of efforts. Often, wonderful changes in a thing. But it “We can value a colleague’s particular also has a dark side – speaking passion and acknowledge this is m a n a g e r ’ s leadership style forcefully about a positive way. Their part is to can result in a particular pick their fights carefully, changes in the issue. There is moderate their delivery, when behaviour of nothing wrong team members. with speaking this is needed, and provide f o rc e f u l l y, a t solutions that also take into No-one has times. However, consideration their workplace’s held them this can be position.” accountable: easily misread One of the a s i nteresting disrespectful, different times. And things I notice about particularly if it is while most people the great majority of combined with a don’t let these Australians is a high strong personality, challenges affect level of reluctance to some emotion, and a their performance at speak directly with direct communication work, some do. While their manager or style. we can’t do much colleagues about about people’s stress concerns they have We, of course, can at home, we can at with them. value a colleague’s least appreciate the passion and underlying factors In defense of people acknowledge this is a and address those who avoid such positive way. Their www.michellebowden.com.au
CONFERENCE SPEAKING TIP #13
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Meet and Greet Do your best to chat with people before your presentation. Talking with audiences makes you seem more likeable and approachable. Ask event attendees questions and take in their responses. They may even give you some inspiration to weave into your presentation. www.michellebowden.com.au
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HOW LONG IS YOUR SPEECH? Did you know about this cool tool? It’s for estimating how long a speech you have written will take to deliver. http:// www.speechinminutes. com MARCH 2016
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WHY ARE LONG-SERVING STAFF OFTEN LABELLED ‘DIFFICULT’? (CONT.) conversations, it is often harder to speak to a colleague who is more senior to you. Many people may have tried before and received a hostile response. Or the colleague has a long history of behaving poorly. So, it is easy to think they lack a capacity for change. While there is a time to ignore or simply get over frustrations w i t h c o l l e a g u e s , p ro b l e m behaviour, particularly by senior
staff, when it is tolerated for too long, sets a very low standard for others to follow. It becomes the benchmark for behaviour that is considered acceptable. If ongoing negativity, disrespectful communication, and consistent resistance to change are modeled over time, morale plummets and performance suffers.
Ken Warren BA, M Soc Sc, CSP is a Relationships Specialist who helps teams to perform at their very best. Through his enjoyable and interactive programs Ken will help your people to: • Build even stronger, more positive and productive teams • Handle difficult conversations in a more confident and positive way • Enhance their resilience and wellbeing at work Check out all of his free resources here: www.positivepeoplesolutions.com.au
How do I present an 'offer' to more than one person (a couple or committee)? •
Complete a full 'fact find' by asking appropriate questions in general - as you get answers from one or more people, prompt others to contribute before moving on. This way you don't fall into the trap of assuming one answer to a question is appropriate for everyone.
•
Listen to what the clients are really telling you about their specific situations, their wants, needs, concerns and the value that they're seeking
•
Once you've completed the fact find, relay back to the clients a summarized list of what you've heard that seem to be most important to the client - check their agreement and ask again, "Is there anything that I haven't picked up on that you'd like me to help you with today?" and then help them to prioritize their needs by asking, which of those that you've relayed back to them are most important.
•
Start with the most important and explain how what you offer (product or service) will achieve that need, want, concern or situation that the client is faced with. Seek their opinion and feedback before moving onto the next highest priority need that they have outlined to you.
•
Avoid talking about all of the features and benefits - that's capability selling, and there's a danger that you will 'over sell'. Avoid talking about the features and benefits that appeal most to you - that's you focused, not client focused
•
Before finishing your pitch, ask something like "Is there anything else that I haven't addressed that we need to spend time on, before we move forward?” www.davidpenglase.com www.michellebowden.com.au
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REHEARSE ONLY IF YOU WANT TO SUCCEED! It’s literally frightening what people can say when they speak without first rehearsing. Take a look at some of my favourite ‘Bushisms’ from former American President George Bush:
Executives I work with rehearses as she walks between meetings in the city. She’s admitted that people stare at her but she doesn’t care if it helps her nail that 120 million dollar pitch!
“I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office.”
4. Do it in different places. Rehearse your presentation in as many places as possible so that you’ve done it in so many different places that by the time you get to the meeting room or conference venue it’s just another location.
“We’re concerned about Aids inside our White House – make no mistake about it.” So many people say they are not as good at public speaking as they should be. When I quiz them I often find that they throw together their presentation at the last minute and rarely rehearse. Exceptional presenters rehearse. And they rehearse and rehearse and rehearse. “But,” said a participant in one of my programs last month, “Some great presenters don’t rehearse, they present off the cuff.” Really? Are you sure? Even most comedians I know put an extraordinary amount of effort into their comedy and they rehearse the same skit or line over and over so that their voice, body language, and facial expressions are congruent and are funny as possible. They rehearse so that they achieve their objective. Presenters should do the same.
Here are some tips so that you rehearse as productively as possible.
1. Get up and do it! Stand up and deliver the presentation out loud as if it’s the real thing.
2. Don’t rote learn it. Use different words every time you rehearse. Don’t try to memorise every single word – just be sure to get the ‘gist’ of it.
3. Beginnings and endings. Spend more time on the opening and close as this is where you’ll embed your key messages for an audience. The opening is also where you feel most nervous so if you’ve rehearsed this part a lot you’ll get off to a nice strong start. You know your content (the body of the presentation) and the body or middle is also where you have slides typically to help you, so the opening and close is where you should focus your rehearsal. One of the www.michellebowden.com.au
5. Do it in front of people. Many of my clients collect a group of key stakeholders from different teams to be their audience. For example, someone from each of the following: sales, customer service, marketing, HR accounts, technical. Each person will give feedback from their area of expertise which provide helpful solutions for improvement.
6. Rehearse the questions. Brainstorm all the questions you think you’ll have to answer and be sure to plan and rehearse the answer in advance.
7. Do it to time. The cardinal sin of public speakers is going over time. It’s self indulgent and makes life hard for the next presenter. As a general rule you should almost double the time it takes to practice. That means if your presentation takes 10 minutes to rehearse it will generally end up going for about 20 minutes with questions and the usual interaction that occurs in a presentation (unless you are experienced at rehearsing ‘real time’). So rehearse your presentation with this tip in mind and don’t go over your allotted time frame.
8. Do it on tape. It’s a great idea to record yourself a couple of times. You’ll see the things you should keep doing and the things you should change or stop. And by the way, consider taping the actual presentation if it’s possible so you can congratulate yourself on your achievements!
Rehearsing is critical! Exceptional presenters rehearse. Good luck rehearsing your next presentation. www.michellebowden.com.au
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CAN YOU DO THESE TONGUE TWISTERS? Tongue Twisters
”A Proper cup of coffee in a proper copper coffee cup!”
“I need unique New York, but does unique new york need me?” “Lift the ladder later, lisped Lester, Lester lisped, lift the ladder later.” Try these tongue twister warm ups before a sales meeting, internal presentation or any other important event where you need to sound credible and authoritative. Warm ups help to create the rich resonant voice within you. If you don't warm up, you may harm yourself or at least not perform at your best. If you do warm up, you'll come across as credible and persuasive and be more likely
to get what you want. The effects of the warm-up last about an hour. So get cracking and do the exercises in the bathroom, the car, or take my tip - I often find a private room, somewhere far from the conference room at the hotel where I'm presenting a keynote speech and I do all these exercises. I urge you to do the same. How exciting! I wish you every success with your presentations. For a live audio resource that takes you through some fo these exercises grab your very own copy of Confident Speaking Vocals (Ian make a link)
STOP BLUSHING! BY MICHELLE BOWDEN Are you someone who blushes even at the thought of blushing? Wikipedia says the following about blushing: “Some people are overly sensitive to emotional stress. Given a stimulus such as embarrassment, the person's sympathetic nervous system will cause blood vessels to open wide, flooding the skin with blood and resulting in reddening of the face. In some people, the ears, neck and upper chest may also blush. As well as causing redness, blushing can sometimes make the
affected area feel hot.” Can you relate to that?” I work with people who are so worried about blushing that they blush! If this is you or a friend you know, here are some tips for you to use or pass on:
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Exercise prior to the presentation. Try some meditation or listen to a calming CD like Paul McKenna’s “I can control your stress”. We a r a c o l o u r t h a t doesn’t emphasise your reddening face. How to Present Magazine
Stop caring about the blushing – the more you fuss, the worse it’s going to get! Switch your focus from yourself and your embarrassment to your audience and their needs – look them in the whites of their eyes and remember you are here for them not you! Repeat over and over again: “It’s not about me, it’s all about the audience!” www.michellebowden.com.au
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MAKE A DECISION AND GET ON WITH IT. THAT WHAT LEADERS DO BY GREG MOWBRAY Have you heard of the ‘ M i r r o r Manager’? This is the person who, when faced with a request to make a decision, says “I’ll look into it for you”, and typically d o e s n ’ t make a decision. B e i n g decisive is what leaders do. It's what others look for in us.
responsibility of being involved in the process.
The word ‘decide’ comes from the Latin, decisio, meaning to cut off. So when you make a decision, you are cutting off other options. It means that we can get on with things. Here are some ways that you can become more decisive and therefore a better leader. ✓ Don’t be afraid to be wrong. If you find out you are wrong, then make the right decision and move on. ✓ Take more risks. If you are not prepared to take risks then you will definitely miss opportunities. ✓ Be inclusive. Get your key people together, discuss the options and make a call. People will respond to opportunity and the
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✓ Empower others to make decisions. Encourage them to consider the alternatives, the pros and cons of each one and come to you with a recommendation. ✓ Ask yourself what is the worst thing that could happen. Then ask yourself how likely is that outcome. Chances are the worst that could happen is very unlikely. ✓ Being bold and demonstrating courage will inspire others. In the case where it might have been the wrong call, you simply own up, be accountable for your actions and go again. This behaviour will draw people and their commitment towards you. It’s what leaders do.
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CONFIDENT SPEAKING VOCALS–AUDIO
A confident, persuasive speaking voice lies within you! Many of us know someone who has a strong, rich, resonant voice. Maybe it’s an actor like Sean Connery or Cate Blanchett. At some point you may have found yourself wishing that you could enhance your vocal quality and projection so you were more compelling, influential and persuasive when speaking in meetings, persuading your manager, or selling to your clients. Well you know it’s possible, and it’s easy! Creating a rich, resonant influential voice is all about warming up your voice, and this CD will take you through the warm-ups that actually work one by one. Enjoy!
HOW TO PRESENT–TIPS FROM THE MASTERS–AUDIO SERIES
Fast-track your presentation and speaking skills success by discovering the presentation secrets of 14 of Australia’s top conference keynote presenters. What would be possible for your career and income if you absorbed the wisdom of Australia’s top speaking professionals and could learn from their tips and their mistakes? Well, now you can in this series of insightful interviews by Australia’s #1 Presentation Skills Expert–Michelle Bowden. Learn critical presentation tips from the amazing: Amanda Gore, Lisa McInnes-Smith, Glenn Capelli, Alan Parker, Siimon Reynolds, Rodney Marks, Sam Cawthorn, Marty Wilson, Terry Hawkins, Dale Beaumont, Catherine DeVrye, David Penglase, Avril Henry and Bruce Sullivan.
EXCEPTIONAL PRESENTATION DESIGN–DVD
You can design an exceptional presentation in a minimum amount of time! Imagine how helpful it would be if you could have your very own coach taking you through the design process for an exceptional presentation. That’s exactly what this DVD is for! If you have a presentation to write, simply play this DVD and Michelle Bowden will coach you through the design of an exceptional presentation from beginning to end. It couldn’t be simpler! An ideal accompaniment to Michelle’s book How to Present, you’ll be reminded how to identify the purpose of your presentation, analyse your audience and design a powerful message that influences your audience to change their thinking and/or behaviour using techniques that actually work!
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TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER You find it thrilling, but if their minds can't span the unfamiliar gap, they are left splashing in confusion. Get familiar with personality typing. My shorthand version is picking up the clues to see if the participants tend to be 'Bricks', or 'Snowflakes'. Are they the loyal workers, groupminded and unfazed about carrying burdens, or nimble movers who leave things open, and can't resist connecting up new ideas? Make both feel known and valued. Be like music. Use the power of a rhythmic pattern, then a surprising, yet hinted at, change of tone. Bring them though joyful moments, some wistful moments, and send them away on the note you choose: inspired, determined, relieved.
CECILIA MACAULEY PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER/ PERMACULTURE SPECIALIST Permaculture design is for much more than gardens. Cecilia shares design tricks that help us get more out of our ‘inner’ life - inside our homes, our relationships, and our thinking. www.ceciliamacaulay.com.au Here are Cecilia’s tips for us when speaking in business: Reality-test as you go. When stuck in the 'Editing' stage of presentation design, I called up a yoga school and presented to their t e a c h e r s . As well as high-quality encouragement, it became clear which bits could go, what had to stay, and any pain and uncertainty disappeared.
Question time comes BEFORE the real conclusion, never after. Don't let the rousing note you end on be eroded or diluted. Video the audience. Why did this sentence get them glassy-eyed with boredom, and what did you say that had them sitting on the edge of their seats? Do more of what works, less of what doesn't. Never force unsolicited information on the audience. Raise a question in their minds, turn it into a detective story thats got them crazily interested, then deliver that solution they have been hanging out to hear.
Take them with you to another time and place. The topic may be corporate efficiency, but the perfect metaphor may come from childhood stories at Aunt Nellies, where you did the laundry in the wood-fired copper and creaky wringer, sheets whitened with blue-bags, the air thick with blowflies and adventure. Shepard them firmly though new ideas, don't jump from one lily-pad of an idea to another. www.michellebowden.com.au
How to Present Magazine
MARCH 2016
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DON’T PUT THE Q&A AT THE END OF YOUR PRSENTATION EVER AGAIN! BY MICHELLE BOWDEN Most of us are pleased to answer questions in our meetings. What we don’t want is for people to interrupt us at the wrong moment and cause us to lose our train of thought, or ruin the flow for the audience.
I enjoy having questions whenever the audience wants to ask them. I know that when
I’m in an audience if I have to wait until the end to ask the questions I’m likely to forget my question altogether and never ask it. Shame!
If you’re comfortable having people interact with you throughout your meeting, then do it.
If, on the other hand, you would prefer to control when questions occur so you can maintain your momentum I suggest you place them in the middle of your closing section in your presentation.
The reason for placing your Q&A in the middle of your close (and not at the very end) is that sometimes audiences can take you off track with their questions. Whether you actually choose to answer these side issue questions or not, your audience’s attention will divert from your main message to the issues raised www.michellebowden.com.au
by the person asking the question. They’ll stop thinking about your important key message and focus on what the question asker has said – taking them off track.
When you are the presenter, you don’t want your questioners to finish your presentation for you. What you want, is for your audience to be
really clear about what you want them to do and the positive and negative consequences of this action. You want to end with the final word. If you end with the final word, you’ll be more likely to have embedded your point and your audience will leave thinking about what you’ve said.
I suggest you open for questions and allow them to go wherever the audience wants. Then once the Q&A is finished you must have the final word. I suggest you repeat the negative and positive consequences. In other words, tell the audience what will happen if they don’t do as you suggest, what will happen when they do, and then close with a short, sizzly closing statement – the final word. For more information you might like to read: How to Present (Wiley). Happy Presenting! www.michellebowden.com.au
How to Present Magazine
MARCH 2016
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FREE BOOK GIVE AWAY BY SUZANNE MERCIER Leadership has long been recognised as critical to business success. However, in spite of the significant investment organisations are making in identifying and developing emerging leaders, up to 75% of leaders are rated as incompetent. These leaders lack personal and interpersonal capabilities. To claim your very own copy of Liberate Leadership be the first to email michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words Liberate Leadership in the subject line. BY TOM POTTER "Life's about doing things, not having things…" The story of Eagle Boys is about lessons - great, bad and just plain awful - and Tom Potter has learnt them all on his extraordinary journey to success. Join the Eagle Boys Founder on the wild ride that has brought him from his rural beginnings, through his upward spiral to success, to his eventual flight from the nest…. To claim your own copy of The Eagle Boys Pizza Story be the first to email michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words Eagle Boys in the subject line.
The practical guide to learning the essentials of starting your own business in just one week. Thinking about starting a business? Then Learn Small Business Startup in 7 Days is the book for you. Guiding you through the key aspects of getting a new business up and running, from a self assessment about whether you are really prepared, through to finance, marketing, and legal issues, highly sought-after small business commentator Heather Smith covers it all. To claim your very own copy of Learn Small B u s i n e s s S t a r t u p i n 7 D a y s b e t h e fi r s t t o e m a i l michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words Learn Small Business Startup in 7 Days in the subject line. BY SAM HENDERSON Managing your money and creating wealth has never been so easy with this simple, effective financial planning guide. In The One Page Financial Plan, CEO and financial advisor Sam Henderson gives you a straightforward process for tailoring a financial plan that meets all your goals and needs. In fact, everything you need to comprehensively manage your money and create wealth can fit on one page. To claim your very own copy of The One Page Financial Plan be the first to email michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words The One Page Financial Plan in the subject line. www.michellebowden.com.au
How to Present Magazine
MARCH 2016
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TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training: FROM MARISA LARIA, BRAND MANAGER REVLON COSMETICS “I wanted to let you know that I presented the new product yesterday and it was the best presentation I have ever delivered! I was not nervous at all and extremely confident! The audience was engaged and attentive the entire 5 minutes despite the gorgeous scenery J See attached for the photos. Thanks for doing an incredible job training us, I will use these skills for every presentation I will deliver moving forward.”
Flip chart tip It’s OK to turn your back to the audience when writing on your flipcharts. Promise! The alternative is to stay facing the audience and find yourself doing a wierd twist to write - which looks very strange, plus your writing will probably be difficult to read. Just turn your back and write as neatly as you can. Then turn back and reengage your audience.
YOU
IS IT TIME IMPROVED YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS? PLEASE JOIN ME! Dramatically improve the way you present and influence. Attend one of my Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclasses in 2014 and change your life!
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Plenty of time for you to get personal one-on-one time with Michelle’s during the program. A d d r e s s y o u r s p e c i fi c , personal needs.
How to Present Magazine
Learning with lots of laughter. Techniques are embedded so you remember them decades later. SYDNEY: February 2-3 FULL February 23-24 March 22-23 MELBOURNE: March 29-30 BRISBANE: May 3-4 To chat about your specific needs or receive more information please email Michelle: michelle@michellebowden.com.au
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How to Present Magazine
MARCH 2016
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