When business leaders focus on what they need to do to boost their performance as communicators, there’s one term that comes up over and over again.
It’s “confidence”.
Business leaders who haven’t been trained in the communications field typically say they get nervous in media interviews and their mind sometimes goes blank when asked a pressure question.
They get jittery when doing a presentation and stumble over their words.
And they lose sleep about how they will face up to questions that come up during or after they’ve given a speech.
They say they get butterflies in the pit of their stomach.
The good news is there is much that can be done to boost your confidence in all these situations.
Taking a big slow breath before you start has a remarkable feel-good, confidence-enhancing effect.
Getting your body in the right position with your arms open, not folded – and your hands open, not clenched in a defensive fist – can also send the right comforting, confidence-generating message to your brain.
And there are mental exercises you can do to get yourself in the right confident mindset before you begin.
All these things can be worked on in communications-boosting sessions that I run with individuals and groups.
GETTING YOUR CONTENT RIGHT
But there are two other things that are equally important when it comes to making you feel right for those big communications moments.
One is getting your CONTENT right for the particular audience – whether it’s for a sea of faces in a conference venue or the folks at home in TV viewerland when you’re under those hot media lights in the studio.
I find that one of the big reasons why business leaders get nervous in such situations is because deep down they realise they haven’t got the right content prepared for that particular audience.
And that is really unsettling.
When you are planning to get your content right, think of two things.
The first is all the elements your audience will need to know from you about on the subject.
This is represented in the green circle here on the left.
And then you need to consider all the things you can say to the audience on that subject.
This is represented in the orange circle here on the right.
The really important bit – and the bit that gives you the confidence that you’re on the right track – is the blue bit in the overlapping section between the two.
This is where there is a natural win-win point between you and your audience.
When you know you are talking about something that you have expertise in and which is also on the audience agenda then you have a right to feel supremely confident.
GETTING YOUR STRUCTURE RIGHT
The other confidence-enhancing thing you can do is get your STRUCTURE right.
Whether it’s a one-minute talk, a thirty-minute presentation with slides or an answer to a tough question, there are ways of structuring your content that works – and that make you feel suitably confident.
There isn’t the space here to go into all the intricate details of structuring, but one structuring trick works well in all situations…
Say something really impressive right at the start!
When you’re planning to do this, look at all the things you could possibly say and pick out something that is particularly appealing and interesting for your audience to put right up front.
This gets the audience engaged from the start.
And it also makes you feel more confident right at the outset.
Working on the right content, structure and delivery style is what we spend time on in communications-boosting sessions.
All have a baring on making you feel, look and sound more confident.
But one thing I’ve found is that however much progress we make in a session, clients sometimes still have a challenge working out exactly how to put it all into practice on a new topic and a new challenge after or in between sessions.
I have now developed a new solution for this.
It’s called “Becoming An Inspirational Business Communicator PLUS”.
BECOMING AN INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATOR – PLUS
This is a way of doing business that gives you support – by skype, telephone or email – in between communications-boosting confidence-enhancing sessions.
This video explains more.
And there’s more on the website on the bottom right-hand part of this page here:
http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/become-that-inspirational-business-leader-in-12-hours/
The PLUS package is ideal for:
# People at the top of companies who are under scrutiny in every speech and every business conversation – and who need guidance on content and structure for sudden-arrival challenges.
# Emerging leaders who need extra guidance while in preparation to be on the board and in the spotlight
# Sales team members whose success depends on demonstrating top level communications skills – and who need advice on working out the right answers to counter specific “objections”.
If you would like a programme drawn up for you or a member of your team, then give me a call on (44) 7944 952835 – or send me an email setting out what you need to michael@michaeldoddcommunications.com
When you sort your content and structure you have good reason to feel more confident in facing up to your communications challenges.
Becoming An Inspirational Business Communicator PLUS is designed to help give you that extra guidance, so you can rightfully feel more confident.
You might still get some butterflies at the big moment.
But with the right content, the right structure, the right body position and the right guidance, then you can get those butterflies flying in formation!
Keep smiling,
Michael