Archive for the ‘Presentation Skills Solutions’ Category

How to Stop Negative People From Draining You

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

 

I am in a golf league and for three weeks I had people coming up asking me to not put them with Casey.  Out of 60 people, 30 people had told me she was too negative to golf with.

So now I had a dilemma, what was I going to do? Talk to her about her attitude? Ask her to stop golfing?

Literally, every week the other people she golfed with would approach me and ask me to NEVER put her with them again. 

This left me in a leadership dilemma as to how to turn this around without alienating her and I knew the group was watching to see how I would handle it.

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Happy Holidays from Impression Management Professionals

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Holidays from Impression Management Professionals

 

Wishing you a Joyous Holiday Season

and a New Year filled with Peace and Happiness.

How To Change a “I Screwed Up” in to a “Step Up” For Your Career

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

It’s always helpful to learn from your mistakes because then your mistakes seem worthwhile. – Garry Marshall

Join Us For The  OUTCOME THINKING® WEBINAR SERIES

How To Change a “I Screwed Up” in to a “Step Up” For Your Career

January 19,  2012 1:00 CST ( Limited Space)

 

Have you ever put your foot in your mouth? Have you made a major misstep and not know how  to fix it?  Have you ever wondered how to go from being on the “watch out” list to being on the “must watch” list?

Let’s face it, we have all had some time in our career where we have botched a client project, mishandled a relationship, or made a mistake that has cost us in some way.  The point of this webinar will be to show you how to NOT ONLY get back in good graces but how to UTILIZE your mistake to launch your career forward.

You will learn:

  • The three mistakes most people make that COMPOUND the problem
  • How to have the tough discussion
  • How to move your boss from looking for your next mistake to looking for how to promote you

A screw up can often be the launch pad for a Step UP in your career if you just know what to say and how to say it.

 Join us for this fresh and exciting new webinar:

 

 

 

PS: Feel free to pass this invitation on to your family and friends for this one-of-a-kind-webinar experience.

Space is limited.

Reserve your webinar seat now at:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/705582730

Can’t make the date?

Still register so you can get access to the recording after the event.
For those who don’t register, the recording will be available for purchase.

How can I get information from customers when they feel we are infringing on the way they have always done things? How do I get them to see they need to share for the good of everyone?

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

The bottom line is that most customers do not like sharing information because they’re not sure how you will use it. So your job is to make them 100% comfortable and confident in how the information will be used as well as why it’s a value for them to share.

The worst way to get information from customers is to start by asking them questions. Most interaction I see people have with customers follows the typical pattern of a flat statement followed by a series of questions. It goes something like this: “We’re looking at a new way to process claims, so I need to ask you some questions. Do you process claims in batches?” Now with each question you ask them, they will answer hesitantly and rarely will they give you the complete information. Why? Because they don’t know how you’re going to use the information and they don’t want to have it come back to bite them.

The first thing you need to do is give them the complete roadmap of what you will be talking about and how it will benefit them.

Once you have given them this roadmap, that will give them the confidence to openly share information. If you ever feel a client isn’t sharing information, it’s telling you that they do not feel comfortable with how the information will be used. So as soon as you sense that, stop the conversation and paraphrase for them why you’re asking the question and how you will be utilizing their answers.

Register to watch the Strategic Presentation Video Series, it’s free…

Developing A Better Understanding Of Each Manager’s Agenda

Monday, December 12th, 2011

When you are conducting a large group meeting and you know there are multiple personal agendas, it is your job to get each agenda to flow into your main area of focus.

So you may say, “Today’s meeting will focus on how we can streamline our departments. In order to do that, we will look at what is working right now, what is not working, and what needs to change. So let’s take a moment to look at some of the concerns and needs each of us might have and see in which of the three categories they fit. Then we’ll try to go through and make sure we address all of the issues.”

Make sure you correlate each manager’s agenda into the main group’s focus for that meeting. Anything that does not fit within the main focus, table for later discussion. This will ensure that your meetings are focused, proactive, and easily understood by all participants.

Register to watch the Strategic Presentation Video Series, it’s free…

How to deal with a person that says one thing to your face and another behind your back? Or the person that says yes but then runs when things get tough

Friday, December 9th, 2011

First, get rid of the idea that the other person is doing this to attack you. Most likely it has nothing to do with you, but instead is driven by their own fear. So instead, try to think about what they might be so scared of losing that they would fight to protect it.

Apply Outcome Thinking® and try to think about the situation from the other person’s perspective. Why may they not feel safe telling you up front what they’re really thinking? Your job is to make it a safe environment for them to share their thoughts with you.

If the person is a Connector, this means you need to reassure them that you would like to hear their true thoughts even if they feel they are ones you might not want to hear right now. It also means you cannot blow up or get angry on the spot. Either of those reactions will immediately shut a Connector down.

If the person is actually being devious (and you would know this because what they are saying behind your back is malicious), you need to address them with what you heard. Make sure that you do it in a straightforward manner, sticking only with the facts, and that you do not jeopardize anyone that confided in you.

The discussion may go something like this: Jane, when you and I met on Friday, we agreed that all account information would be put into the database. I am now hearing that you feel that putting that information in is ridiculous and that you have no intention of doing it. I wanted to talk directly with you so we could sort this out and make sure that we are in agreement. Jane, I will always do you the courtesy of speaking directly to you, and I expect the same from you. So let’s talk this through.” At that point keep your mouth shut and let the other person talk so you can find out the reasoning behind what they are saying. By adding the line that you will “always give the courtesy of speaking directly” with Jane, and that you expect the same in return, it lets her know you will not tolerate her going behind your back.

Register to watch the Strategic Presentation Video Series, it’s free…

Drawing in your audience and make them interactive

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

The number one way most people like to draw their audience in and become more interactive is by spontaneously asking questions of people in the audience. I don’t recommend doing that for the following reason. In the first eight to ten minutes of your presentation, an audience is trying to find out how what you are saying matters to them. So you should spend that time talking to your audience. If you need to ask a question, ask them one they can answer by simply raising their hands. Demonstrate this at the front of the room by raising your hand as you ask the question.

If, in the middle of your presentation, you want group interaction, make it comfortable for them by doing the following:

1.  Ask them to turn to their partner and do an activity such as answering the question you ask, sharing information, or doing an activity.

2.  Then have them turn to someone else in their group to repeat the exercise. This gives them confidence that they’ve already stated their thoughts or opinions to one person and it’s been received well; they have now shared it with a second person and it’s been received well, so sharing in front of the room won’t be as scary.

3.  Then ask them to pull together as a big group and share some of the answers. Write them down on a flip chart. This promotes high audience involvement because you’ve lowered the risk for the audience to be involved.

You need to be willing to go where the audience needs to go. Don’t be tied to your visuals for your presentation. Instead, be tied to your audience and what you are trying to achieve with that audience.

Register to watch the Strategic Presentation Video Series, it’s free…