Daily Quotes and Reflection: Power of First Impressions

Quotes:

The answer is that we are not helpless in the face of our first impressions. They may bubble up from the unconscious – from behind a locked door inside of our brain – but just because something is outside of awareness doesn’t mean it’s outside of control.”
Malcolm Gladwell, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

 Its’  all about storytelling. It’s about creating a connection to the audience.”

Reginald Hudlin, President of Entertainment, BET

 Reflection: 

Spend more time on making a strong and lasting “first impression” on the audience. Like the old saying, you only get one chance for a great first impression. Overcoming a lack luster open to your presentation,  like a flat  or non-energized beginning, and then having to change that initial  poor image, takes lots to time and effort. Your initial first impression can make or break your presentation.

Action Assignment: You may not be making a speech today, but is helpful to practice how to make good first impressions. Today, stop and try to make a positive impression on someone you don’t know. After the interaction circle back to get some feedback–How did you come across to this person and what was their first impression of you? There is a lot to learn here because we all have “blindspots” between how we want to come across to others and their actual experience of you. 

 

Daily Quote and Reflection:Sticky Presentations –Nail the Close

Daily Quote:  Winston Churchill once said: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

Reflection: We all could learn from this advice. Strong opening that hooks and captures the audience members curosity and a strong closing that inspires them to action. In my coaching I have seen presenters hurriedly do a summary, ask for questions while packing and other closes that flop or plop. The flop is a close that doesn’t impact the audience or reinforce your message like a quote that is not relevant to the message you want the audience to remember. The flop could be as bad as saying–”well folks that’s all I have to say.”  The “plop” is a remark that goes out to the audience but doesn’t get a positive response. It is important to close your speech with as much energy as when you open the speech. This is a time to have a powerful story that reinforces your message or request that is so powerful to move people to action or change their thinking.  This lack of nailing the close is an opportunity missed. For example,I recently saw a doctor when presenting keep looking at his watch and flying through complex slides just to get to the finish line on time. He ended is speech by saying, well I guess that’s all the slides I have. Thanks. WOW what a let downer and terrible closing that was. In fact, your last remarks when presenting are valued all out of proportion to the total amount of effort you put into the presentation. This powerful factor of audiences remembering the last thing they have seen or heard been studied by communication experts and linguist and is called the Recency Effect.

Action Activity: For your next presentation work on fine tuning your final message by practicing it in front of some colleagues and getting feedback on how it grabbed them or in what way it needs improvement. Some expert presenters memorize their closing and use the story format or quote to reinforce their message. Don’t missed an opportunity for your message to be experienced as inspirational, memorable and energizing. Remember your closing will be how your performance in the main is judged . Good Luck.

Death of PowerPoint. Just found PREZI–a new way to present content that engages People.

GOODBYE TO BORING POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just found one of the most exciting software developments for presentations. It was developed by Adam Somlai-Fischer, a Hungarian architect, as a tool to help with visualization.  But instead he has developed one of the more interesting presentation and storytelling devices I have ever seen.  PREZI  follows the speaker with a visual narrative of the material.  True to the developer’s mission to “make sharing ideas more interesting,” this presentation tool does just that.  DON’T MISS THIS ARTICLE — Requiem for PowerPoint: PREZI zooms in by Dr. Daniel Tomasulo at psychcentral .com

  

Learn to use the “Ripple Effect” for Unique connections

What is the “Ripple Effect” when it comes to communicating and presenting ideas or a proposal to others.  The Ripple Effect is a simple and practical way to spread an idea virus through your audience and their networks. The ripple effect explains the notion that from small acts we can create big changes In the the book Dragonfly, Andy Smith and Jennifer,  Draggonfly Effect, Part 1 provide a framework and compelling case studies to show readers how to harness social media for change, happiness and positive results.

Why the dragonfly? The dragonfly is the only insect able to propel itself in any direction when its four wings are working in harmony. It symbolizes the importance of integrated and insynch effect and is akin to the ripple effect—a term used in economics, sociology, and psychology to indicate how small acts can create big change.  The method relies on four essential skills, or wings: 1) focus: identify a single concrete and measurable goal; 2) grab attention: cut through the noise of social media with something authentic and memorable; 3) engage: create a personal connection, accessing emotions, empathy, and happiness; and 4) take action: invite and enable  others to take positive action to fulfill original goal or purpose.

The Ripple Effect depends on open and two-way communication to connect and convey information, ideas, experiences and knowledge.  To be effective and efficient the “Ripple Effect” in  interpersonal communications needs to be targeted to the right audience, with the right message by the right messenger and at the right moment when audiences are receptive and feel the message is relevant to their needs. Executing the “Ripple Effect” takes strategic thinking, exquisite planning and timing.

Learn to get what you really want by first giving of your time, your talent and your expertise. As you”’ discover, the ROI of selflessness is truly astounding. The Ripple Effect will teach you how to:

• Connect and create more meaningful relationships

• Use new social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to extend your connecting efforts

• Avoid common networking mistakes, both online and in person

• Leverage your network to open new doors and create new opportunities

• Establish connection lifelines that will bail you out when things get really tough

Painting a tantalizing picture of what business – and life can be once you decide to put other people first, The Ripple Effect is an indispensable resource not only for executives, sales managers, customer service representatives and entrepreneurs, but for anyone who wants to leave this world a better place than they found it.

A great read for the Thanksgiving Holiday–Free e-book by Heath Brothers.

Recently, I was reading The Myth of the Garage by Dan Heath and Chip Heath. This e-ibook is from Crown publishers and is free to the reader. The articles are the best of the Heath Brothers columns from Fast Magizine articles from 2007-2011. The stories range from Mutual Fund investing through customer service. The insights about business practices are mind stretching and not always what you expect, so if you want a great read and some AHA moments try reading this bag of business surprises. To access and download the articles in the Myth of the Garage log into the Heath Brothers Resource collection at  http://www.heathbrothers.com/resources/download/ 

Part 1: Remarkable Presentations–Creating and fostering “Unique Connections”

Part 1 Making your next Presentation- Remarkable

1. Create and foster “Unique Connections “

Connecting with the audience is one of the most challenging of the four keys to becoming a remarkable presenter- start

• You must be ready to start with high energy and hit your marks perfectively so to keep the audience engaged and curious about your topic
• Connecting is all about observation and building rapport and empathy. To do this you nee to show interest and understanding about your audience needs and problems.
• You need to know how to effectively open-up conversations. The skill of improvising and be attuned to audience feelings and distractions help you to  customize your presentation as you go.
• You must find ways to engage and connect emotionally not just presenting facts, bullet point slides and logic.
• Having the audience answer why they are attending or interested in the presentation needs to be ask at least three times so as to uncover the members “unique” objective or goal for the session.

Adult Learning design principles for connecting:

• Show passion and belief  for message- by building common ground through sharing values and personal stories; let the audience engage with you by answering questions throughout the presentation; let them know what is important to you ans probe what is important to them;.
• Be authentic and believable –the more authentic you are perceived to be the easier it will be to connect with you and your message
• Make your stories, facts and figures come to life by using visuals and being confident in how you present information.
• Remember in presenting –”less is more” so be concise and present information that is relevant to the audiences experience and needs.

2. Audience-Centered– Capture audience attention by assessing expectations and needs.

3. Purposeful Message–Design message to be “sticky “ and memorable

4. Ripple to  Waves–Stimulate curousity and challenge  audience point of view and actions

New Poem 0n Steve Jobs —Vision of a Leader…The heart of a Warrior. by M.W.Hardwick

Vision of a Leader…The heart of a Warrior by M.W.Hardwick

Steve Jobs was a special kind of person—a true visionary,

He saw the future and what we wanted before we knew

He show he cared …by never settling but always pushing for more…

Still so  much to do..then his body failed him

He choose to be the best he could be… always playing to win…Never settling

He was the voice for those …who march to their own drummer.

He had  the intuition to Believe…

He was bruised and battered…and always got Back Up

Failures…only Made him Stronger….

Always pushing him to the edge of New Beginnings

Music, movies and telephones…the modern day Thomas Edison…

Obstacles lie before him …others discouraged him but no one could stop him

Failures…and being fired only Make him Stronger..

He saw a better Future..he followed his heart..

Together we can do more…

He never gave-up… Never Gave In…

His voice…goes on..goes on …till it does not

Living his motto of  Stay Hungry…Stay foolish

Death makes room for the new by replacing the old.

He said –”Love what you do…

Live each day like it was your last…remember you are going to die is the best way to evaluate your life’s action

If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.

Our time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Don’t be trapped by dogma

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”

He loved life and especially  Laurene and his children…

“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.

Find what you love and love what you do. ..do great work…

If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.

Until you find it…”

We are all going to die so

“…live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.”

Keep hope alive and have the courage to change your ways……

Focus on your values and priorities…they help you make  the big choices in life.

Remembering that you are going to die is the way to avoid the trap of  playing not to lose.

“You are already naked. Already naked…

There is no reason not to follow your heart.

No one wants to die. But it is life’s change agent.

As we all today remember Steve I am sure his wish for us would be:

Stay Hungry…Stay foolish…

And don’t settle…push forward and make you own music….own music

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Daily Quote and Reflection: Being open to Others Stories true message of Empathy

Quote: “ Every story we hear can teach us something about our lives. The connection is not in the details but in the overall meaning. You will seean event in one way, I in an altogrther different way. What we learn from that experience will be just as different and enriching.” Tom Chappell, Past Ceo of Tom’s of Maine. From the book, The Soul of a Business–Managing for Profit and the Common Good.

Reflection:  In this masterful book Tom Chappel shares his experiences on how to grow a business through a strong mission statement and alignment of values. When Tom talks about stor telling he is providing us with a lesson for listening, sharing and caring about other people’s point of view.  What is relly exciting about Tom’s growing a successful business is his emphasis on people first and then profits will follow. This quote on story telling encourageous us all to be more open to other people’s experience. This is the true essence of empathy.

Want to be experienced as a “Truth Teller”—Think Straight, Speak Straight…

Think straight, Speak Straight by using common, clear and tangible language  and audience will pay attention and believe you.

The point I am going to try to model for you is simple: I want to provide a believable  message about thinking straight, and speaking straight and it’s effect on you being perceived as a truth teller.  To expand on this I want you to use a common language understood by all that is jargon free, be clear in what you want to do and say, make the message concise and tangible.

There are all sorts of ways language can communicate truth. Here are some solid facts for you:

• People usually judge that more details mean someone is more creditable
• We find stories that are more visual and vivid to be more true,
• To influence people provide concrete facts make think the events more likely. ( don’t overload with facts.)

Here is another study that gives us some guidance;  by Hansen and Wanke (2010). There findings support the idea of getting to your point early and repeating it often but not with the same words is a powerful way to be seen as credible  Don’t be vague or to general with your message; for example, ” We need more “green jobs” to reduce unemployment”. Instead be direct, concrete and keep your point simple to provide a compelling  reason for action. For example, “We need 250,000 “green jobs” by 2012 to reduce unemployment to 8%

Abstract words are handy for talking conceptually but they leave a lot of room for misunderstanding, spin and confusion by the receiver.  Tangible words,  pictures or a physical object are aligned  to something in the real world and they refer to it precisely. Solar panels and electric batteries is specific while green jobs could refer to anything that impacts the use of carbon..

Hansen and Wanke give three reasons why tangibility  suggests credibility and “truth telling”

1. Our minds process concrete statements more quickly, and we automatically associate quick and easy with true .
2. We can create mental pictures of concrete statements more easily. When something is easier to picture, it’s easier to recall, so seems more credible and believable.
3. Also, when something is more easily pictured it seems more plausible, so it’s more readily believed.

So, think and  speak straight by making your message  visual, concise and  concrete and people will think it’s more true.

Are you missing out on how to sell your services or products? Learn The Secret to Selling…

Do your sales people’s conversations enable them to stand out from the crowd – and explain to your prospects why you are distinctively different, and worthy of their consideration? If not, you should be aware that your sales people’s ability to conduct compelling conversations influences B2B buying decisions more than any of the other factors – brand, product or price – combined.

Your most natural salespeople – usually the top performers -have a particular talent for earning the trust of their prospects. They do it by sharing valuable information and by telling compelling, credible stories that make the listener respect their expertise and want to learn more. But the power of compelling conversation does not have to be restricted to the gifted few.

What if you could capture this capability and share the skills with your whole sales team? What if you could equip them to have engaging and stimulating conversations?  The good news is that the “gift of trusted conversationalist can be taught. The answer is to develop compelling stories that can be shared with potential customers and clients.  We’ve proved it time after time.  All the average sales person needs is a little help, the necessary resources – and the right attitude.

We’ll work with you to identify your most meaningful messages and capture your most compelling sales stories.  We do this through a combination of interactive workshops with your most gifted sales people (we can usually find some on every sales team) and the lessons learned from voice of the customer interviews. We’ll help you say something different, remarkable and meaningful – and enable you to stand out from the crowd. Storytelling is the new differentiator. Facts and figures, specifications and price all still matter, for certain. But it takes stories to connect with customers on an emotional level. The motivation to choose one brand over another – when the choices are endless – is triggered by emotion. More on next blog about how to connect through emotion and tips for collecting and developing your stories.