The Award-Winning Monthly Resource for Professionals

##########################################################
OUTCOME FOCUS REPORT
Circulation 17,100
Vol 43 - May 1, 2003
Publisher: Anne Warfield
contact@imp.us.com
888-imp-9421 or 952-921-9421
http://www.impressionmanagement.com
c) Impression Management Professionals 2003
###########################################################


A special welcome to our many new subscribers from Marketing Seek,
World Wide and SelfImprovementNewsletters.com and our many other signup
partners.

By subscription only! 

Welcome!  Use as a training tool:  Present the situation to the group and
have them brainstorm how they would best handle the situation. Then share
the Outcome Focus answer and see how it relates or differs from solutions
the group found.

Go ahead and pass this to friends. If you receive this from a friend and
you want to receive your own copies, just email
mailto:contact@imp.us.com  ** and put "Add me" in the
subject line.

To remove yourself from this list see bottom of this email.

=========================================================

IN THIS ISSUE 
=========================================================


1) What's In The News 
2) Outcome Focus Situation/Solution
3) Anne's Aha - How To Close So People Take Action
4) What To Watch For Next Time 
5) Resources To Learn More


=========================================================

1.                      What's In The News?
=========================================================
Learn more about IMP's Presentation Skills Seminar at the IMP Institute in
Minneapolis, MN!

Upcoming Seminar Date: May 19-20, 2003, One Seat Open
Next Seminar: July 22-23, 2003

Follow this link for more information,
http://www.impressionmanagement.com/coaching.phtml

or,
email me at mailto:Paul@imp.us.com 


Did you miss Anne's Tele-Seminar, HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF AND YOUR
COMPANY IN A TOUGH ECONOMY?  If so, you can purchase the Live TeleSeminar
on CD Rom.
Order Here: 
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=27387


=========================================================

2.          Here's This Months Outcome Focus Situation/Solution  
=========================================================

How To Handle People That Are Down Right Rude While You Are Talking!

SITUATION: Dear Anne, I am continually frustrated by people that interrupt
while you are talking.  These are people that finish your sentences,
contradict you in front of others, or just talk over you.  In particular I
work with two individuals that do this all the time.  The one person is
senior to me and the other person is a peer.  How do I handle this?

OUTCOME DESIRED: You want to be heard and not interrupted so people fully
understand what you are trying to say

HOW TO HANDLE: There is nothing more frustrating than having someone
continually interrupt you or contradict/correct you in front of others. 
The subtle message they are sending is that "you are not worth listening
to."

So how should you handle people that do that to you?

Well there are a couple of ways you can handle this.  First, we must start
by examining what you may be doing that is making the other person behave
this way.

So ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I tend to give too many details and people become lost by what I
say?  If you are doing this, you will find that people are either silent
after you talk or they pepper you with questions until they understand
what you just said.

2. Do I tend to talk too quietly, hesitantly, or in a way that conveys I
am not sure of what I am saying?  If so, people may talk over you because
they simply do not "hear" what you are saying.

3. Do I tend to state my thoughts as questions instead of statements so
people don't realize what I am saying?

4. Do I tend to jump in with why things can't be done so people see my
contribution as "negative" and they try to talk over it?

If any of those four are happening with you, you need to stop and rethink
your behavior.  You may be unintentionally sending off the wrong signals.

If so, ask some close comrades or friends what you can do to improve your
communication with others.  Remember communication is NOT a two-way street
it is about getting the response you want and right now you are not
getting the response you want.

Let's imagine though that you are not doing anything that could
potentially set the other person off.

Then you need to look at what the other person's communication style is
and see if there is a better way to work with their style.

For example:  Producers will have a tendency to constantly interrupt you
and correct you because they want to make sure they have things correctly
and that you are working toward the right results.  They won't see it as
insulting, just as clarifying.

Networkers will interrupt because they have a thought or idea in their
head and they want to share it right then and there.  They won't see it as
interrupting; they will see it as "adding" to what you have said.

Analyzers will interrupt because accuracy is so important to them.  They
can often contradict people because they want to get to the fine detail of
what you are talking about.

BEST PHRASED: If it is particularly two people you run in to this problem
with then I recommend you do the following:

With the senior person:  "JoAnn, I really want to make sure I communicate
my thoughts and ideas clearly.  I am assuming because you often have to
stop me with questions that I am not doing that right now.  What do you
need me to do in order to communicate better with you so you don't need to
ask me as many questions?"

Then let her talk.  She will probably let you know if it is you, her
style, or a combination of both.

With the co-worker:  "Thom, currently when you and I talk you often have
to interrupt me with questions or to change something I have said.  I am
guessing I am not making it easy for you to listen to me as we talk.  What
do you need from me in order to be able to fully listen to what I have to
say before we look at changing it around?"

When a person contradicts you in a meeting: Here, I would use some of the
catch phrases to flush out what they are trying to say.  For example, "So,
Bill, can you share with me why you believe your idea is more applicable?"
 Or "Bill, tell me this, is it how I have put this together you are
opposed to or is it how it will be handled?"  Try to pinpoint the person,
as some people just like to be contradictory.


SPECIAL NOTE:

Send Anne your situation to be included in an upcoming E-zine.
mailto:contact@imp.us.com

************** Want To Perfect Your Skills? *************

Order Anne's Book, Outcome Thinking: Getting Results 
Without The Boxing Gloves for $24.95.

http://www.impressionmanagement.com/products.phtml

Save $5.00 when ordering online.  Just enter the Discount Code: IMP101
(all caps) when checking out.

=========================================================
3.                            Anne's "Aha"   
=========================================================

How to close so people take action

For many people just getting to the end of the presentation is a relief!
Yet the closing is where you move your audience to action.  It is the last
spot you have to condense your message to it's critical elements,
re-emphasize key points, and then get them to move on what you have
shared.

Here are the most common closes people use and why they don't work:

1.  Thank You.  Questions?  This close leaves the audience unsure of what
they are supposed to do next.  They will feel compelled to ask you
questions and most will ask you clarifying questions that can then lead
your audience to feeling confused and remove action.

2.  So what do you think? This close is most often used at meetings with
the sister close, So how do you feel about that?  Both of these closes
will make the audience tend toward a more negative and judgmental response
because they will be looking at all the angles and won't want to appear
foolish.

3.  So?  This close sounds like you are hopeful that the audience
understood your point and that they will now direct the action.  You never
want to give up the close.

Here are some closes you can do that are effective:

1.  Tell them directly what to do.  I worked with a company that did
symposiums around the world.  After each section they would weakly say,
"we hope you see what great things we have planned.  If you would like to
see demonstrations or you have questions feel free to ask any of us.  We
have a cocktail party tonight so you can ask us there as well."    Every
person would get up, mingle a little and leave.  They closed few sales.

We switched their close to, "At this point you want to pull out a pen and
the sheet of paper that lists all of our new products.  As I go through
them briefly I would like you to circle the products you know you want,
put a question mark next to the ones you want more information on and
cross out any you know you don't need right now. "  Then they went through
and on each new product said, "if you need this circle it, if you have
questions put a question mark and if you don't need it cross it out."

At the end they said, "Now you sheet should be filled up with circles,
question marks and crossed out lines.  I would like you to take your sheet
to a person in a blue shirt.  They will help you order the products you
have circled and set up demonstrations for the products you have questions
about.  We are looking forward to helping you get a jump start on your
competition."

Their sales soared with this approach.

2.  Ask for action with a pointed question. Most people assume the
audience knows what you want them to do.  Not true.  You need to guide and
your question can lead to a very different response.  For example ending
with "which of these should we go after?" implies that the committee MUST
throw one option out while saying "how do we implement these?" implies you
believe all possibilities can be met and moves the audience's energy to
figuring out how to put them all in place.

Don't be afraid to tell the audience what you are doing, why they should
care about it, and what you want them to do about it.  Just make sure you
do so in a manner that is not threatening, dictator like, or demanding. 
How do you make sure it is phrased right?  Always come from their
perspective with Outcome Thinking.


****************
Quotable Quotes:
****************

"Dreams are where you're going and work is how you get there." Author
Unknown

==========================================================

4.          NEXT TIME:  Another situation submitted by you.
==========================================================

Send Anne your situation for inclusion in the E-zine.
Email your situation to: mailto:contact@imp.us.com

==========================================================

5.        I Want More Resources So I Can Perfect My Skills
==========================================================


Products: Outcome Thinking Book $24.95 *
Outcome Thinking CD $49.95
Communicating More Effectively Book $14.95
(Body Language)
Body Language Video $99.95
Success Negotiating Audio Tape $14.95
GOALS Set $39.95

I WANT IT ALL: COMPLETE PACKAGE, Regularly $245. Special price for
Subscribers, $197.95, includes two free gifts.

Order Online: http://www.impressionmanagement.com/products.phtml

*SAVE $5.00 on Anne's Outcome Thinking Book,
Type in the "Discount Code", IMP101 (All Caps) at check-out.

==========================================================

                   FREE ARTICLES AND BACK ISSUES
==========================================================


We have many articles available for your publication, company newsletter,
etc.  Articles can be viewed at
http://www.impressionmanagement.com/articles/
 
All you have to do is print the article in its entirety along with the by
line at top and the credits, and complete contact information at the end
of each article.  I would appreciate a tear sheet or electronic copy too.

Email: mailto:contact@imp.us.com for a complete listing of
available articles.

Back Issues of the Outcome Focus E-zine can be viewed at
http://www.impressionmanagement.com/ezine/
 
==========================================================


If you are receiving this issue as a forward, and would like to get your
own free subscription, visit http://www.impressionmanagement.com to
subscribe.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: We will not distribute your address to anyone. Period.


==========================================================
                       About Anne and IMP
==========================================================


Anne Warfield, CSP*
President
Impression Management Professionals
7200 France Avenue South, Suite 224
Minneapolis, MN 55435
952-921-9421
888-imp-9421
952-921-9420 Fax
Email: mailto:contact@imp.us.com  **
Visit us at: http://www.impressionmanagement.com  

"A true leader is not one you look up to because they are the best. A true
leader is one that draws the best out in you." Anne Warfield

*CSP- Certified Speaking Professional; a designation held by only 7% of
all speakers nationwide

Member of the National Speakers Association

<<<>>> <<<>>> <<<>>> <<<>>> <<<>>> <<<>>> <<<>>> 

Copyright 2003, IMP. Feel free to share information you learn. All we ask
is that you credit us as the source as everything we are putting in here
is copyright protected by our office.

Copyright note: Submission of an e-mail message or artwork affirms that
you are able to and have given Anne Warfield non-exclusive permission to
reprint the content of your message in all forms, electronic or otherwise,
in all languages throughout the world.

Privacy Statement:  We will not distribute your address to anyone. Period.

If you received this from a friend and you want to receive your own
copies, just email mailto:contact@impressionmanagement.com and put "Add
me" in the subject line.

To remove yourself from this mailing list, simply follow the instructions
at the end of this email.

or,

Forward a copy of this message to mailto:contact@imp.us.com
with the word remove in the subject line.
<<<>>> <<<>>> <<<>>> <<<>>> <<<>>> <<<>>> <<<>>>