Blog
New Year: A New “Presenting” You…
Posted on January 5th, 2012 by Deon Newbronner
A quick-check guide to raise your profile through meaningful presentation, and thus increasing business revenue.
Another festive season has drawn to a close. The end of the year has come and gone. It’s a new year, new begining; a new “presenting” you. Indeed we are all facing a new year which promises to be huge, well for the UK at least. We have The Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics in the summer. Oh, and of course the exciting arrival of my little son in May. But we also have to draw in the business, in a real tough market place.
Have you set yourself New Year’s resolutions, goals or have you added to your bucket list?
I hope you have been kind to yourself, regardless of the approach you take to your 2012 business aspirations. We all know that goal-setting is only effective if the goals are realistic and timely. Don’t set yourself up to fail.
Is this the year you truly embrace presenting, and enjoy making your business grow?
I have listed a few thoughts on how you and your business could grow, if you spend some time developing your presentation skills:
- Put yourself forward as a speaker – at your networking group, at your industry conference or anywhere else you could raise your profile.
- Spend some time watching others present – ask: what makes them good, bad, indifferent? Who connects with you, and how do they do it? Is it their voice, the content, their presence or something else?
- Where would your public speaking possibly enhance your business/professional profile? You are an expert in your field; set yourself a challenge of getting a speaking slot at the best place for you, and your business to be seen.
- Enhance your skills as a presenter – work with a specialist. I would naturally suggest us. We’ve have been delivering presentation skills coaching for years. Working with a specialist will give you the opportunity to practice the skills in a safe, supportive and challenging environment. I believe it’s a huge expectation of self to be brilliant first time round. I suggest invest the time and money in you, and your business will reap the rewards in the long-term.
- Finally , chat a lot. Yip, speak out loud every chance you get – if you have children read to them more. Play with your voice and notice how much it can impact the message you are delivering.
Food for thought? Let me know how you get on.
BNI Training gives you points on the traffic lights – but don’t tell the members of other chapters! Plus – 6 reasons to attend BNI Training workshops
Posted on December 19th, 2011 by Keren Lerner
BNI Head Office provides us with very good training opportunities. Members who have’t been much lately should think about attending these in the new year. At the end of the year, we understand that you probably have lots of deadlines going and you can’t imagine booking in any new appointments. Is that how you feel?
However, January is the PERFECT month to be attending training. Many people are still easing back in, and this is a chance to get a head start on your business and marketing strategy for 2012.
Members are awarded points on the Members Traffic Lights for attending workshops.
But what else?
6 reasons to attend BNI Training workshops
I’m convinced! Where do I sign up?
Starting next year, BNI Head Office will be sending us an updated schedule showing all BNI workshops and events for the following two months at the beginning of every month. Additionally, every member will receive individual emails about each workshop. As Jon Marks from BNI said recently “We all want 2012 to be a bumper year for all BNI members, and one way you can really help your chapter members is by getting them booked on to a workshop which will give them great tips and techniques for better presentations, giving and getting more quality referrals, growing their network as well as two new workshops being offered later in the year – Networking Skills and 1-2-1 Skills.”
January and February 2012 Schedule
| Date | Event | Time | Location | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19th January | New Members Success Training | 17.45-21.00 | Sally’s, Putney | £15.00 | |
| 23rd January | Grow Your Network | 06.45-09.00 | Café Rouge, EC4 | £15.00 | |
| 9th February | Referral Skills | 17.45-20.00 | Britannia Hotel, NW3 | £15.00 | |
| 20th February | New Members Success Training | 06.45-09.00 | St. Stephen’s Club | £15.00 |
See A full schedule of workshops for the whole of 2012
So, happy Christmas and see you next year at BNI training!
To present or not to present?
Posted on November 2nd, 2011 by Deon Newbronner
Knowing when to deliver a speech or when to present may be more important than you think.
Recently, I worked with an executive who spoke passionately about issues important to him, only to dampen the impact of his remarks by using Power Point slides laden with technical data. The effect was to dilute his passion and conviction, and lose the audience.
So, when do you “speak” and when do you present?
First, it helps to know the difference. A presentation typically employs visual aids to convey data; a speech relies on words alone to create feeling and imagery in the minds of the listeners. However both require you to build rapport (something I’ll return to in another post).
How do you choose?
Determine what’s best for each occasion, each audience, based on audience needs, their concerns and expectations:
A presentation is generally the best vehicle for conveying specific, detailed information. Ideally, clear, uncomplicated visuals display the data that prove or support the presenter’s points.
A speech is more appropriate for striking larger themes and conveying emotion, with a greater dependence on language to convey ideas “visually.”
A significant part of understanding the difference between a speech and a presentation hinges on understanding the needs of your audience. As I have always said knowing your audience influence how you engage them. Consider: during turbulent times, a speech that conveys your commitment to your workforce may be far more important than keeping them informed of every bit of the financials, all the detail in “the numbers” to the last decimal place.
To present or not to present is driven by your audience.
What Comes After Hello?
Posted on October 30th, 2011 by James Talbot
Networking brings many things to mind. Some of us love it, others quite the reverse. Our breakfast at Home House give us an opportunity to meet new people as well as to deepen current relationships in delightful surroundings. One of the recurrent issues is how people introduce themselves when they first arrive, before the formal proceedings begin. This article is going to explore ways of improving so that it is pleasurable and effective. Here I am going to focus on the informal time when one first meets another person rather than the more structured opportunity of the ‘one minute’ in the BNI process.
Environment
Most networking occurs in a business context, whether that is a meeting in the street it is going to be different to a networking event or a trade show. It might be milling around at a conference or having a coffee with a contact. It might be opportunistic or it may be planned. In any case know what you want and who can help you find it. The chances are that the person you are talking to wants to help but cannot deliver exactly what you want but they may well know people who can be much more helpful.
You may be introduced or you may have to introduce yourself. In either case make sure that you have some simple ‘ice breaker’. It does not have to be the best in social repartee, just something that open up the conversation. If introduced it can be as simple as “Have you come far?” or “what do you do?” or “Who do you work for?” or “How do you know…” A question is much more likely to get you talking. This is the same as when you have to introduce yourself. “Do you come here often?” will work for regular events and for one off meetings “Who invited you?” might well do. Remember that everyone is there to meet new people and find out what is happening.
The Conversation
A little preparation is useful here. What will they want to know? Start with a general position so that people know what you do. This will generally include your trade or profession, your level or position and then your responsibilities. Being too precise early on may lead to confusion, especially if you use jargon or you assume that everyone know what you do. If you already know what they do you may be able to keep this focused as in, for instance, a trade show. If it is an open event, such as a BNI breakfast then best to start general and get more detailed as you get comments from your audience. Once a conversation has started, remember why you are there. Who so you want to meet? Do they know any such people? This is crucial and a point that many people give very little attention. Many people network and hope to find a customer then and there. This is unlikely to happen, at least until you have developed a relationship. On the other hand, if you know which professions or trades are good introducers for you then ask if they know if any are at the event. It might be suppliers, it might be customers or it can also be other specialists within the same sector. Often I get lots of good introductions when I am looking at how to be complimentary rather than competitive.
If you do make a good connection please, please follow up. Networking is only the beginning.
How good a leader are you? 10 leadership tips you should know
Posted on October 25th, 2011 by Jacky Lewis
Working in organisations in the legal and corporate field at Training Matters London I am often asked to coach people in leadership roles. This can mean working at any level from the secretary who has been promoted to team-leader, up to the senior partner of a multi-national. So what are the secrets of getting the very best out the people you manage? We all have our own styles of engaging with others but there are interesting and useful ‘add on’s’ that can help you move on from functioning as an ok manager to becoming the inspirational leader whom people want to follow.
The psychology and emotions of leadership are an important area to explore and understand.
Don’t forget, poor leadership results in:
- Time and money lost in missed opportunities.
- An uninspired, flattened, demotivated team.
- A poor internal and external reputation for the organisation.
- Grievances.
- Litigation and Employment Tribunals.
So here are some tips to help you think about how your personality and leadership-style help (or hinder) you.
10 top tips from a top coach to top up your leadership skills:
- Remember the importance of rapport; humans have evolved over thousands of years to function by means of good rapport; how good are you at creating rapport in your team or with your fellow managers? Get feedback from you friends; challenge any pre-conceived ideas about needing to hold back from connecting with people. Everybody likes to feel respected and special; how do you do this?
- Do you let your personal dislikes affect your vision and judgment of others? Be honest; write down the personality-traits you find difficult in other people. Is there someone in your team who fits this bill? We look at life through a ‘template’ of our past experiences; perhaps this person reminds you of a negative figure from your past? Discuss this with your friends, coach or workplace mentor; this worldview is costly and something you need to challenge in yourself.
- How does your team see you? Are you giving them responsibility or are you from the ’it’s quicker to do it myself’ school of leadership? This wastes time and means you’re not developing others. What happens if you’re off work with ‘flu’ for two weeks; who’s going to take up the slack?
- What’s your style of leadership? Are you a Dictator? Enabler? Disabler? Motivator? Collegiate? Approachable? Unapproachable? Do you have an open-door style of leadership? Talk to trusted colleagues, think it through.
- People like to be involved and engaged. If you are delegating a small piece of work, do you tell people in your team where this fits into the bigger picture? People don’t like to feel like a small cog in a wheel, they like to feel they are making a meaningful contribution.
- Is your cup half-full or half-empty? The leader who has poor self-image or a depressed attitude will communicate this to all around them. Remember, humans are wired in such a way that emotions are contagious. 90% of communication is non-verbal. Do you need help or support yourself; perhaps a mentor or counselling? Search out some good self-development space to feel better about yourself.
- Good leaders are aware of the stress levels in themselves and in their team-members. If you are under the cosh, is this because you’re not delegating appropriately, or failing to shape your team or not using people to best effect? Get a grip on some stress management techniques, learn some ‘desktop imagery’ or yoga relaxation. How is your work-life balance?
- How clear is your model of communication? Unclear communicating (and listening) is expensive and makes people around you feel anxious. Do you shout out instructions to others whilst walking down the corridor? This is a leadership disaster waiting to happen. People will get it wrong!! Encourage people to sum up your instructions and challenge you if they’re not clear. Unclear instructions can (and have) cost organisations millions of pounds!
- Don’t forget the importance of praise and constructive (not punishing) feedback. Do you review team-members’ performances regularly? Do people know where they are with you?
- Finally, if your leadership is impressive then people will trust and respect you. Research shows that trust is the most important component of good, effective leadership.
At BNI we all head up our own organisations or know others that do. Do you manage others well? Challenge yourself!
Good leadership training will help you to be the best you can be!
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