How to present october 2014

OCTOBER 2014

www.michellebowden.com.au

IN THIS ISSUE Educational Speaker Michelle Bowden shares her tips for presenting in business Managing DISRUPTIVE behaviour in your Meetings!

Encouraging Progress with WORKPLACE CHANGE 10 questions to review your sales calls ‘I am’ vs ‘I feel’ Develop TRUST

What get’s measured get’s managed PLUS: FREE book giveaway Success Stories www.michellebowden.com.au

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DIARY DATE PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS MASTERCLASS (2-day Public Program) SYDNEY 2014 October 14-15 November 12-13 December 9-10 February 24-25 March 24-25 April 28-29 May 19-20

To register or chat about your specific needs please email: michelle@michellebowden.com.au

WHO IS MICHELLE BOWDEN? Michelle is an expert in persuasive presentation skills in business. She has run her 2-day Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass over 660 times with more than 6600 people and she’s been nominated for Educator of the Year for 6 years running.

Michelle is one of only 35 Australian females who is a Certified Speaking Professional the highest designation for speakers in the world. For a list of Michelle’s clients please go to: www.michellebowden.com.au

www.michellebowden.com.au

Michelle’s Update Welcome to the October issue of How to Present. This issue is packed with articles to assist you to present with greater influence and confidence at work.

My Conference and Training Diary is Filling Fast for 2015!

If you’re thinking of booking me to speak at your company ‘kick off’ conference in January/February please be in touch asap. Same applies if you’re thinking of getting me to facilitate my awardnominated Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass for your teams. Training places for 2015 are filling fast. Please contact me: michelle@michellebowden.com.au This month for a change I put myself on my own cover and I’m sharing some tips on persuasion strengths and weaknesses. If you haven’t already done so, please jump online and test your persuasive strengths and weaknesses at work. Knowledge is power right?!

Here’s the link: https://www.forepsyte.com/studies/pers PLUS in this edition I’ve shared some of my tips to Develop Trust, and tips for Managing Disruptive Behaviour in Meetings. Ken Warren help us to Encourage Progress with Workplace Change.

David Penglase gives us his 10 Questions for Reviewing Your Sales Calls while Greg Mowbray reminds us that What Gets Measured Gets Managed. Jon Pratlett helps us re-frame our emotions with his article I am versus I feel. Plus read some inspiring presentation Success Stories and be sure to try and win in our massive book giveaway this month. And..... check out our photos section at the back too!

So grab yourself a ’cuppa’, put your feet up and have a read! And most importantly, make sure you put the invaluable advice into immediate action so you see some fast results. Happy Presenting!

How to Present Magazine

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Michelle Bowden’s Proven Presentation System using techniques that actually work Do you get nervous when presenting at work?

Do you want to showcase your knowledge, Would you like to learn the secrets of successful speaking, communicating and presenting?

How to Present 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 Whether you’re presenting or speaking to one person or thousands, this is the essential guide to becoming an

How to Present will help you:

There is no other book on the market like this that will take you step-by-step through the process of successful presenting. the art of persuasion

— Steve Weston, Managing Director of Retail Lending, UK Retail and Business Banking division, Barclays

with authority your goals!

www.michellebowden.com.au

it now!

Purchase your copyBuyhere

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OCTOBER 2014

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SUCCESS STORIES! LISA MACQUEEN NATIONAL SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER, CLEANCORP

to her 3 daughters. You can connect with Lisa at: www.dominateordisappear.com.au What kind of presenting do you do at work?

I’m now speaking on stages in Australia and the US to small business owners, as well as in smaller rooms and networking groups – I talk about about how to turn their business J-O-B into their J-O-Y. What prompted you to attend Michelle's Presentation Skills training?

Lisa Macqueen helps her clients crack the code of small business success by using a combination of technology and smart marketing ideas to dominate their industry.

She spent 20 years working in sales and marketing for large international hotel chains, before joining her husband Hamish, in the family business, Cleancorp. Not long after starting her ‘new career’ she realised that not only was the business struggling, there were no systems or processes in place to capture leads, nurture clients or manage day to day workflow.

So, she set about creating her 7 Step Power Principal S-y-s-te-m (save yourself time, energy and money), and turned the cleaning business into a multi-million dollar national cleaning company in the space of a few short years.

Lisa is also the winner of the Infusionsoft Small Business ICON Award for 2014 (formerly known as the Ultimate Marketer Award), entrepreneur, speaker, author, marketer, business owner, wife and mother

www.michellebowden.com.au

I had just been selected as a finalist for the prestigious, Infusionsoft Small Business ICON Award for 2014, and with that selection, I needed to go to Phoenix, Arizona where I would compete against the other 2 finalists for the title at the #ICON14 Conference. Each finalist was given just 20 minutes to present their ‘story’ to the audience of 5000 people. I knew the competition would be stiff as the other competitors were both US Companies, and the Americans are great public speakers – so I needed to bring my ‘A’ game to the stage…

Which is why I started to look for someone here in Australia who could teach me presentation skills that would be good enough to win the award… Lucky for me, I found Michelle!

How did Michelle's program change your attitude to presenting in business?

I’d always thought that good presenters were just naturally talented people. What I learnt from the program was that it takes skill to be an effective and persuasive presenter, and a lot of practice! Knowing how to construct a talk is all about following the steps Michelle teaches in the program, and always remembering that it’s not about you, it’s about the audience. I hate to think what my presentation might have sounded

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SUCCESS STORIES! (CONT.) like if I didn’t follow the steps she taught me.

Honestly, just doing that saves so much time, and plus when you follow her steps, you know who your audience are and then make sure you are addressing all of their WIIFMS and never forgetting how important it is to POO! In general, what positive outcomes have you achieved from improving your presentation skills?

I’m happy to report that my presentation helped me win the competition, so I am now officially the Infusionsoft Small Business ICON for 2014 – AND, the first woman and first international company ever to win this award. And since winning, it’s been full on – I’ve been booked to speak at a number of events in Australia, and I’m giving a keynote to 16,000 small business owners in Orlando, Florida this November which is HUGE… On top of that, I’ve been asked to co-author a book with Brian Tracy – “Power Principles for Success”, and later this year I’ll be appearing on his TV show “America’s Premier Experts” which is on CBS and Fox Affiliates around the US. In what specific ways have your presentation skills improved since completing Michelle's training?

I feel much more comfortable on a stage now, and I’m able to use the skills I learnt in the course to control my nerves, and deliver my message in a much more natural way. Plus, I’m super aware of the language I’m using when I’m on stage – before it was all ‘um’s and y’know’s’!!

What were your top three take aways from Michelle's program?

1. To never, ever forget it’s all about the audience.

2. To speak in 2nd position, and 3. Use inclusive language to ensure the audience are with you all the way…

Editor’s note: How rewarding when the student becomes more successful than the teacher!

TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training: FROM SONIA BORG, M.A.C COSMETICS “Great course. Michelle is amazing – very entertaining expert in the field and great to learn from! I loved that it was very practical with insightful content, the opportunity to practise learnings, the repetition in content to ensure understanding and learning the 13 step process. I will be incorporating this into future presentations.”

For more information on Michelle’s coaching or training please go to www.michellebowden.com.au

www.michellebowden.com.au

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MANAGING DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR IN YOUR MEETINGS

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN Control and relax your audience Have you ever found yourself sitting in the audience at a meeting or conference presentation wondering, ‘What credentials and experience does this speaker have?’ ‘What’s the agenda and scope of this meeting?’ ‘How long is this going for and will there be catering?’ or ‘When can I ask questions or raise my concerns and opinions?’

As a presenter, have you ever had people interrupt you during your meetings with unrelated questions that take you off track? Or have you experienced people having side conversations that disrupt the rest of the group and draw people’s attention away from you and your important message?

Some of the most common disruptions in business presentations are mobile phones ringing or people reading their text messages in what they think is a secretive way. (It makes me laugh that they believe you can’t see them doing it!) Actions such as these indicate that the person is at least somewhat disengaged from your presentation. These interruptions can be very annoying and off-putting, for both the

presenter and the rest of the audience. They can even make us feel nervous as presenters, especially when we don’t know how to manage them or stop them happening in the first place.

Reducing disruptions and increasing people’s attention Most inappropriate audience behaviour occurs because of a lack of boundary setting.

I believe that most inappropriate audience behaviour found in meetings, training courses and presentations occurs because the presenter did not state their expectations of the audience, the time, the subject matter and the event in general. When you don’t set the expectations or boundaries for your audience, they don’t know the scope, timeframe, logistics or anything about your experience or credentials. They are also not sure about what would be considered acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. As a result you can find yourself having to manage dysfunctional behaviour.

It is very important to set the ground rules and boundaries for your audiences, so that your participants know all the details at the start,

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MANAGING DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR IN YOUR MEETINGS (CONT.) such as who you are, what your session is all about, what to expect and how to behave.

When you set the boundaries you will reduce disruptions, maintain order in your meetings and improve your audience’s ability to listen and ultimately change their behaviour. Essentially, you will better control and relax your audience.

Boundary setting is otherwise known as framing.

talking about •

the scope of the presentation so they know what will not be discussed in this meeting or presentation

•

the agenda so they know what will be covered and the order in which you will deliver the message

•

mobile phone etiquette so disruptions are minimised

•

when people can ask questions so they can feel at ease about asking when they want to, or waiting until the end.

•

whether there will be a test so they know how attentive they need to be!

•

style so they understand what is required of them. For example, will this be interactive today, or will you be delivering a slide presentation in the dark?

•

whether people should take notes or whether there will be a handout so they can manage their retention of knowledge

Setting boundaries I recommend you set some of the following boundaries or frames: •

your name so they know how to address you

•

your role so they understand what you do

•

your job title so they know where you fit

•

your department if you come from inside the company so they understand which area you come from

•

your company if you come from outside the company so that the audience knows where you work

•

your credentials so they know why they should listen to you and believe you

•

how long the presentation will run for so they can manage their time

•

whether there will be breaks and refreshments so they can ensure their own comfort

•

an indication of the content so they know what you will be www.michellebowden.com.au

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MANAGING DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR IN YOUR MEETINGS (CONT.) Here is an example of some frames you might use in one of your presentations: ‘My name is Michelle Bowden. I am the director of Michelle Bowden Enterprises. In the past two decades as a presentation skills expert I have learned that anyone can be an exceptional presenter, no matter their personality or personal style. It’s just a matter of knowing what you are supposed to do to be exceptional and then practising it! So today I’ll be covering my top tips for exceptional presenting. This is going to be a highly interactive session, which means it would be excellent if you would please ask your questions throughout, and if you could switch your mobile to silent that would be wonderful for your colleagues.’

How many boundaries should you set?

The short answer is: as many as you need to, within reason of course. The number of boundaries you set depends entirely on your audience. When you conduct your audience analysis you should be made aware (sometimes painfully aware!) of the potential areas of

concern. These are the areas where people are potentially going to behave in a disruptive way and therefore need to be managed. So set as many boundaries as you need to for your audience to feel relaxed and so that you control the proceedings.

What if you forget or choose not to set boundaries?

If you don’t remember or choose not to set the boundaries, people will be left wondering ‘What’s going on?’ They will be distracted by their internal dialogue asking unanswered logistics questions such as ‘when can I ask questions?’ and ‘how long will this go for?’, and they may demonstrate undesirable behaviour such as becoming distracted by their mobile phone, starting up side conversations or interrupting you unnecessarily.

When you do set boundaries, everyone in your audience knows you are credible. They know what to expect from the session and how they should behave for the meeting to be a success.

This will lead to your audience feeling more relaxed and you’ll be better placed to maintain control. Which in turn means you are more likely to maximise the likelihood of achieving your desired outcomes. So try this because it definitely works! www.michellebowden.com.au

TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training: FROM HANNAH HUGHES, M.A.C COSMETICS “What an incredible 2 days – I feel amazing and confident. Great tools and training. I loved the 13 step process, that Michelle was fantastic, that it was relatable to my role, and the clear processes put into practice.”

For more information on Michelle’s coaching or training please go to www.michellebowden.com.au

www.michellebowden.com.au

How to Present Magazine

OCTOBER 2014

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ENCOURAGING PROGRESS WITH WORKPLACE CHANGE

BY KEN WARREN "A word of encouragement from a teacher to a child can change a life. A word of encouragement from a spouse can save a marriage. A word of encouragement from a leader can inspire a person to reach her potential." John C. Maxwell A dear friend of mine was recently was part of an organizational restructure that involved painful redundancies, changed responsibilities, and completely different ways of working. The scale of the changes were significant. But having survived the redundancies, she decided to make the best of it. However, she has said to me that her colleagues’ progress in implementing change has not been appreciated. Management instead have focused on what people are doing wrong.

Although I know that only one-third of people say they receive sufficient recognition for their work, the lack of recognition can be especially problematic if you want people to embrace change.

There is a certain amount of conscious effort and discomfort involved in change. So it is important to reinforce progress as soon as it occurs, especially in the early stages.

the initial steps. Remember that if people have been dealing with a lot of change, this takes energy and self-control of which people have a limited supply. In this case, making change easy becomes even more important.

Where possible, allow individuals to choose what they will do and a timeframe for those actions. Alternatively, there may be a shared understanding of a few key behaviours that will be practised by everyone in the team.

Otherwise, communicate very clear expectations about the early actions required and a timeframe for these. Keeping a written record of what is agreed can be helpful in keeping people on track and promoting accountability.

2. Reinforce progress as it occurs. Even small steps need to be recognised. The general rule is that the more progress can be reinforced, the greater the momentum for change. Although we tend to think of verbal praise from team leaders as reinforcement, there are very different motivators we can use.

Here are some strategies you can use to help the momentum for change to grow.

1. Make initial changes easy: It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of a significant change facing your workplace. But change is often easier if you break it down into small steps that people can easily make – perhaps a meeting to be briefed about the changes, scheduling a training session, or a decision being made about www.michellebowden.com.au

How to Present Magazine

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ENCOURAGING PROGRESS WITH WORKPLACE CHANGE (CONT.) For example, there are … Internal motivators: It can be helpful for change leaders to be alert to the power that comes from connecting the desired behaviours with an individual’s or team’s satisfaction, values and identity. For example, a change leader might comment on the satisfaction that comes with learning new skills, embracing a change well, and feeling proud about the result.

A change leader might also comment about an individual who has a track record as an achiever, who finds a way to do things, even when they are hard. Or they might give their team a positive identity if there is not one there already – ‘We will get through this together’, ‘We all want the best outcomes for clients, so we need to pull in the same direction’ or ‘We are the ‘can do’ team.

Social motivators: Change leaders take advantage of this motivator when there is consensus between team members about the steps to be taken, when reviews of progress are held at team meetings (when there is accountability to peers), when progress is acknowledged and celebrated by other team members, when there is private discussion with individuals about the impact of their performance on others, or how their performance compares.

Nobody likes to think they are underperforming relative to their colleagues. So a weekly summary of targets achieved by individual team members, given to all team members, can be quite motivating for some to lift their performance. We all want to fit in and be approved by our peers. If group norms can be established, behaviour is often contagious.

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External motivators: Here change leaders and team members are reinforcing key behaviours, but in ways that are meaningful to the individual concerned. For example, some people appreciate genuine thanks for acknowledgment of their effort. Others value being trusted and given autonomy to implement the changes.

Some feel valued when they are put in control of part of the process. Others value notes of thanks or their manager giving them one-onone time.

Remember that even small steps deserve recognition. So take every opportunity to reinforce progress.

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ENCOURAGING PROGRESS WITH WORKPLACE CHANGE (CONT.) Remember that even small steps deserve recognition. So take every opportunity to reinforce progress.

3. Don’t reward the wrong behaviours: If we are not careful, we can inadvertently reward the wrong behaviours by allowing people who are consistently negative to dominate team meetings. Or we give people what they want whenever they throw a tantrum, even when what we are wanting is reasonable. Instead, we need to be clear about the behaviour we need to see, be firm when it is necessary to do so, and have a backup plan for escalated behaviour. There are times to be flexible, of course.

But if we are dealing with someone who has a track record of being unreasonable, we may be better to stick to our position with the support of our supervisor or do a trade: ‘If I do … will you do …?’ and then keep a written record to hold them accountable.

work?

Ken Warren is a Relationships Specialist who helps teams to perform at their very best.

Through his positive speaking programs, Ken helps people throughout Australia to build even stronger, more positive and productive teams, enhance their resilience and well-being at work, and provide excellent service to their clients, even the most difficult ones! Check out all of his free resources at: www.positivepeoplesolutions.com.au

4. Prepare for challenges: Inevitably, there are challenges in implementing change. So, expectations need to be set at the right level. Team members need to appreciate the challenges with change are not failures. Leaders are better to reframe challenges as to be expected, misunderstandings, feedback that allows the changes to be fine-tuned, or opportunities to learn and grow.

How are you going with the above? And what will you do to encourage your colleagues who are dealing with major change at www.michellebowden.com.au

How to Present Magazine

OCTOBER 2014

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DEVELOP TRUST

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN especially when you are explaining your credentials and achievements.

Tell people about your achievements in a way that makes sense to them and in a way that is interesting to them. Don’t expect your boss to always know how hard you have worked, how much you have cared and how well you have performed. Often the boss is the last person to know this about you. So tell them!

Trust takes time. If you want people to trust you and your ideas, you need to be able to express yourself with confidence, clarity and influence every time. If you want people to trust you they need to know about your achievements so they find you credible and worth listening to.

Develop a way of saying what you mean succinctly with examples and make sure it’s ALWAYS audience-focused. Remember it’s not about you, it’s all about your audience -

A big part of trust is about how you help the other person feel safe with you, confident in your abilities and credentials and when trust is high people feel good around you.

Who do you need to have trust you? What could you do to advance your trust relationship with them? It’s probably as simple as updating them on more of your activity that you are doing at present. Good luck! www.michellebowden.com.au

“FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON’T KNOW ME......”

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN I’m sure you’ve heard people using these words in presentations you’ve attended. And maybe you can even remember saying them yourself?

Actually it’s not advisable you say this when presenting.

The reason is this combination of words is not inclusive in nature. What about the people who do know you? Instead replace this option with something like: ‘I have met some of you before and I look forward to getting to know everyone here today. My name is …’. Or how about simply, ‘My name is…’. Or you could try, ‘It’s wonderful to see you here today. I’m ‘name’…’.

And, remember to tell people your name after www.michellebowden.com.au

you’ve built rapport in your opening, not at the very start when they are not listening properly and/or don’t care. Happy Presenting! www.michellebowden.com.au

How to Present Magazine

OCTOBER 2014

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WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS MANAGED

BY GREG MOWBRAY

I heard this saying years ago. “You can’t manage it if you can’t measure it.” Fundamentally, I took it to mean you need to monitor important things so you can tell if actual performance matches expected performance. Most people would agree that we should measure things like sales, safety and quality, but there are other important things that are much harder to measure, but we should still try.

Three really important parts of any organisation are its culture, the engagement of its employees and the satisfaction of its customers. With all three you should start by determining what your expectation is. State what sort of culture you want, how much you want your staff to care and how much you want your customers to love you.

Next, do your best to take stock of each one. Try to get a handle on how you are performing, even if it is hard and not perfect. In terms of culture, ask your staff to list three words to tell an outsider what it is like to work at your place. www.michellebowden.com.au

With regard to the engagement of your staff, look at absenteeism, staff turnover and observe morale. Another idea is to conduct an exit interview (usually done after a person resigns), while they still work for you! Ask what is good about working for you and what could be better.

When it comes to customer satisfaction we should be monitoring repeat business and asking questions like “would you recommend us to others?”. There are formalised approaches like the Net Promoter Score (Google to find out more) or just be bold enough to ask your customers how you are going.

Measuring the things that matter, comparing actual to expected performance, means that you can recognise and praise the good stuff and take corrective action on the not so good. www.licencetolead.com.au

How to Present Magazine

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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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How to Present Magazine

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TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER MICHELLE BOWDEN Michelle Bowden is an authority on presentation & persuasion in business.

Michelle is a CSP (the highest designation for speakers in the world), co-creator of the PRSI (a world-first psychometric indicator that tests your persuasiveness at work), best selling author (Wiley), editor of How to P r e s e n t m a g a z i n e , a n d a r e g u l a r commentator in print, radio & online media.

1. What are the 3 phases to persuasive presenting in business?

Phase 1. Analysis - where you understand your audience and your own goals for the presentation or persuasion scenario so you are clear on what everyone needs to achieve every time.

Phase 2. Design - where you craft your message using 13 advanced language patterns that persuade your audience to say 'yes' to you every time.

Phase 3. Delivery - otherwise known as 'stagecraft' - this is everything to do with the delivery of your message: body language, gestures, voice, stance, visual aids, managing the group dynamic and environment.

2. H o w c a n y o u o v e r c o m e f e a r o f presenting?

There are so many things you can do to better manage your nerves. The important thing to understand is that everything is fixable! You can overcome stage-fright when presenting. But you must work with the right person if you’re serious about being a confident presenter. The wrong trainer or coach could make your fear worse! I recommend you work with someone and learn how to: Elicit your own needs Understand your audience Craft your message persuasively Rehearse your message www.michellebowden.com.au

Build rapport Establish credibility Provide evidence to back up your points Stimulate the senses and completely engage Use direct, connected eye contact throughout And most importantly remember it's not about you - it's all about your audience.

3. You've created a psychometric indicator that reports on people's persuasiveness strengths and weaknesses. What are the 4 elements of persuasion?

There are four elements in the competency of persuasion. They are: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Build Rapport Establish Credibility Argue the Case Delivering the Message

Most people are strong in two and weak in two.

4. Are there gender differences when it comes to persuasion?

It appears that typically men are strong at establishing their credibility and not as good at building rapport. Women are typically strong at building rapport and not as strong at establishing their credibility. The good news: all these skills can be learnt, practiced and refined to create the flexibility necessary to be consistently persuasive.

5. When it comes to persuasion, is it better to work on your strengths or your weaknesses?

If you continue to communicate in the way you've always communicated you'll continue to build rapport and persuade those people exactly like you! The art of persuasion is the ability to develop a flexibility and adaptability in situations so you have the requisite skills no matter the communication scenario. In this way it's better to work on your weaknesses so you have a strength in all four elements of persuasion.

How to Present Magazine

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‘I AM’ vs ‘I FEEL’ - A CHEMICAL LOAD OF DIFFERENCE

BY JON PRATLETT interaction with a boss or team member and are responding by "being" angry, frustrated or sad.

Secondly, changing your physiology by standing up straight, moving, breathing more slowly, can change how you feel for the better.

Next time you think you "are" in an unresourceful state of being, acknowledge how you "feel", (name it and tame it) stand confidently, slow down your breathing, and change your facial expression. We can change how we are "feeling" and take effective action much more readily than we think we can.

To your success. www.jonpratlett.com When you feel like someone has done the wrong thing by you, do you say to yourself "I am angry", "I'm frustrated" or "I'm sad”. Research suggests that the way we respond to a fight/ flight situation plays a large part in how upset we get and how long we take to move on.

A small change in our ‘self talk’ can make a big difference in our physiological response.

Instead of saying "I am....", try saying to yourself "I feel...." which will likely produce a measurable shift in blood flow AWAY from the fight/flight centre and major muscle groups, and TOWARD the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the very part of the brain that cultivates witnessing, empathy, and problem-solving. The PFC requires oxygen and glucose rich blood to work effectively.

"I am" refers to identity, which we tend to hang on to, whereas "I feel" is far more amenable to change and more readily under your control.

This strategy, in the crisis-intervention world, is called "Name it and Tame it" and in social neuroscience "Affect Labelling". This may be particularly useful if you just had a tough

www.michellebowden.com.au

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FREE BOOK GIVE AWAY PATHWAY TO PROSPERITY BY PAT MESITI An inspiring guide to getting off the road to more debt and financial insecurity and on the road to wealth and financial freedom You can take charge of your financial future.

To claim your very own copy of Pathway to Prosperity be the first to email michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words Pathway to Prosperity in the subject line.

GET RICH SLOW BY SARAH RIEGELHUTH This book will show you how to take control of your finances and grow your wealth using nothing more than a few key principles and commonsense wisdom.

To claim your very own copy of Get Rich Slow be the first to email michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words Get Rich Slow in the subject line.

101 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR TAX LEGALLY BY ADRIAN RAFTERY How to minimise your tax debt and maximise your return from one of Australia's leading tax experts. Everyone has to pay tax, but why should you ever pay more than you owe?

To claim your very own copy of 101 ways be the first to email michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words 101 ways in the subject line.

PROPERTY VS SHARES BY PETER KOULIZOS AND ZAC ZACHARIA A comparison of property versus shares and how to find the right mix for a profitable portfolio Almost every investor eventually considers the question: which is the better investment, property or shares? The answer isn't as simple as one or the other, since both asset classes offer different benefits and risks.

To claim your very own copy of Property Vs Shares be the first to email michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words Property Vs Shares in the subject line. www.michellebowden.com.au

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CHANGE YOUR THINKING TO MANAGE YOUR STAGE FRIGHT

BY MICHELE BOWDEN “Nothing is good or bad, thinking makes it so”.

William Shakespeare, playwright Many of the best presenters use the power of positive thinking before they present. They imagine themselves as successful, confident, engaging presenters and are often delighted with the results. Others imagine themselves as something or someone else. (But you should never try to deceive your audience and be something or someone you are not. This technique is about finding the parts of you that you want to emphasise.)

that people pay money to experience the feeling we get when we present!

Let’s look at some examples: a tall guy with a massive ego who projected an image of a gentle giant onto his stage before presenting a fellow with an irritating accent projected the image of a gorgeous, handsome, charismatic presenter a woman I know thinks of the warm rays of the sun and instantly feels the warmth in her personality coming through a friend of mine who is a fellow presenter watches Jim Carey movies before an event, and he says this makes him more entertaining Another aspect of positive thinking in your presentation is the way you choose to describe the nervousness. Have you ever stopped to think that it’s exactly the same physiological experience, whether you are nervous or excited?

Did you realise that, in fact, the only thing that determines whether it’s a negative or positive experience is the word you choose to use to describe it?

If you have ever been bungy jumping, abseiling, parachuting, white-water rafting, climbing, caving, scuba diving or parasailing, you know full well www.michellebowden.com.au

And when they are doing those adventure type sports, they don’t call the feeling nervousness.

They call it: • excitement • energy • pumped • exhilaration • thrill • joy • arousal • pleasure • stimulation • enthusiasm In our family we call it funny tummy, and we even draw a smiley face on our stomachs with washable bath crayons (yes, I know - too much fun!) to re-frame how we feel in the moment! It’s so clever because it re-frames in our minds that the experience most people call nervousness is, in fact, a positive thing. I’ve been known to draw smiley faces on the stomachs of the executives I work with too! It works- it makes them relax and smile. And by the way, there’s something quite seductive about knowing you have a smiley face drawn under your business shirt that no-one knows is there!

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CHANGE YOUR THINKING TO MANAGE YOUR STAGE FRIGHT (CONT.) Which word will you choose to use?

So the question to ask yourself is this: which word do you want to use? If you continue to call it nervousness, I’m not sure you’re really that serious about making presenting an enjoyable experience for yourself.

Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result! So it’s quite simple really: change the word and change the experience.

Go on: do it right now!

Just because you change the word and call it ‘funny tummy’ or whatever word you prefer, it

doesn’t mean you won’t feel the adrenalin. You know, we have the genes of cave dwellers! So you’ll still get the fight or flight response, but giving it a different name, like funny tummy, really works! It makes you relax and smile!

Exercise 1. Come up with a new word to describe the feeling of adrenalin that you get before presenting and change the experience to a positive one for yourself.

2. Which word are you going to choose? Write it down right now and put it somewhere you will see it before you present! www.michellebowden.com.au

ARE YOU IN SALES? 10 QUESTIONS TO REVIEW YOUR SALES CALLS

BY DAVID PENGLASE Here are some helpful questions you can ask after your next sales call. They will help on your journey of continuous improvement.

5. How well did I seek their feedback and opinion on what I was presenting?

6. What obstacles or issues did they raise?

1.What did I do to build rapport and gain trust?

2. What questions did I ask that helped the client clarify and articulate the value they were seeking?

3. What value did I discover that the client was seeking?

4. What solution did I present that will achieve the value the client was seeking?

7. How did I deal with the obstacles or issues raised?

8. How did I ask the client for a buying decision?

9. Has the client made a commitment to buy?

10. What are the agreed next steps and have they been explained to the client? http://intentionomics.com

www.michellebowden.com.au

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OCTOBER 2014

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YOU

IS IT TIME IMPROVED YOUR PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS? PLEASE - COME JOIN ME! Dramatically improve the way you present and influence. Attend one of my Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclasses in 2014 and change your life!

Seriously, it’s a life changing

experience!

Absorb yourself in a generative and experiential approach.

Learn something then practice, then lear n something then practice…

Group sizes are limited to only 10 people per program.

Risk free - 100% moneyback guarantee.

Risk free approach to a subject most people find ‘daunting’!

Endorsed by thousands of people from over a hundred corporations around Australia.

Plenty of time for you to get personal one-on-one time with Michelle’s during the program.

Interactive personalised.

and

A d d re s s y o u r s p e c i fi c , personal needs.

Facilitated by Michelle Bowden who has over 20 years experience running her programs and who has been nominated for Educator of the Year for the last 4 years.

Learning with lots of laughter.

SYDNEY: 12-13 November 9-10 December 24-25 February To chat about your specific needs or receive more information please email Michelle: michelle@michellebowden.com.au

There’s no need for you to fear public speaking. Please don’t miss a career opportunity ever again because you couldn’t speak up! Anyone can be an exceptional presenter in business - 100% guaranteed.

Techniques are embedded so you remember them decades later.

TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training: FROM BETH WALLACH, SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS PLANNER, KLICK COMMUNICATIONS “I loved the fact that the programme was packed full of useful information, but the way the day was structured, with a balance of interactivity and tips and techniques delivered in bitesize chunks, meant that it didn’t ever feel like information overload. It was great to get so many tips on structure and delivery, and the psychology behind each piece of advice was absolutely fascinating. It was a really enjoyable day and Michelle worked hard to make us laugh and keep us engaged. This is not only a fantastic training course in persuasive presenting - it’s also a useful guide to relationship management in general; being aware of the other party’s needs and being able to effectively collaborate and negotiate. It was an invaluable learning experience for my career that I will be drawing on and practicing.”

For more information on Michelle’s coaching or training go to www.michellebowden.com.au

www.michellebowden.com.au

How to Present Magazine

OCTOBER 2014

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BEAUTY

CD OF THE MONTH

A delicious white balsamic reduction has been caramelised together with vanilla pods and white pepper. Simply Sensational!

White balsamic does something special to lettuce. www.blackleavineyard.com.au

Thinking of improving your presentation skills but don’t want to go on a training program? You need to grab a copy of How to Present - Tips from the Master. Tips from 14 of Australia’s top public speakers.

Go to my website

BEAUTY NEW Clinique Even Better Eyes has the power to brighten the appearance of the entire eye area. Plumping hydration makes thin eye-area skin appear less transparent and the cooling massage tip refreshes tiredlooking eyes. I use it all the time and love it!

CHARITY AIDS is a condition resulting from damage done to the human immune system by HIV. It affects tens of millions of people around the world. World AIDS Day is held on December 1 each year to honor the victims of the AIDS pandemic and focus attention on the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS related conditions.

BOOK OF THE MONTH

MICHELLE LOVES...

The Fat Revolution is a mindaltering, myth-shattering exposé about diet and exercise myths.

Here are some of my favourite things for you

BEAUTY

YUM!

GREAT HAIR

A long-wearing lipstick, features a nonfeathering & non-creeping formula. It provides high-impact shine and effectively keeps lips moist for hours plus maximizes color intensity & keeps a just-applied look. www.clinique.com.au

Well,Naturally Sugar Free Mint Crisp Rich Dark Chocolate is a premium low carb dark block chocolate and mint crisp. Yum!

Do you dream of voluminous thick hair that’s luscious and healthy? Well stop dreaming and make it a reality with Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hairspray.

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Photo Gallery

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