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Visual aids can help or hurt a presentation. Whether you are using PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, slides, video, a software interface, or other visual support, you need to make sure that the visuals won’t distract from the presentation. Many speakers have chosen abandon visual aids altogether and even proclaim that they are above using such tools. However, well-utilized visuals will significantly improve a presentation. This training will teach the best visual aid practices and offer the opportunity to practice techniques with individualized coaching feedback. Listeners will appreciate how the skillful use of visual aids truly enhances your presentations.
Speakers must prepare to answer real questions about their topic. Sometimes, listeners ask friendly, genuine questions, but often, you might be tasked with answering aggressive or set-up questions. In either case, the ability to handle even the most challenging question in a clear, comfortable, and competent manner is an important skill. Whether you have been called to answer questions at a congressional committee, in a sales meeting, or during a team presentation, this module will teach you how to hear and understand questions in order to respond with practical answers.
Have you ever wondered how some people always have the right thing to say at the right time? There is an art to handling yourself well in just about any setting—from dealing with an angry customer to holding a political debate or managing a contentious investor meeting.
Imagine yourself in front of the executive committee, the board of directors, the press, or a client, and someone requests that you speak on an unfamiliar topic. Perhaps you are asked a tough question that you hadn’t anticipated. What do you say? Thinking on your feet is a module that teaches you how to process and organize your thoughts quickly in a way that will help you communicate clearly and with confidence
What two words would you like people to say about you after you have left a meeting or a conversation? The answer defines your communication style. Style coaching is one of our most popular leadership and management offerings. It allows senior executives, managers, and emerging leaders to achieve their personal vision of how they wish to present themselves. Our coaches work with clients on their core communication skills, beginning with their two style words. The result is authentic, comfortable, and effective leadership or management capabilities.
Most crucial business communication occurs between leaders, managers, board members, and shareholders. Because Boards advise and direct management teams on key decisions, it is critical that leaders and managers clearly communicate the vision, metrics, and progress of the organization. Having worked with thousands of managers and board members, we have developed valuable insight into how relationships, presentations, handling questions, and more can affect your communication success. Whether you’re new to senior management or an old pro, this module will allow you to hone your Board and shareholder presentations and share your thoughts in a clear, concise manner. Our guidance will help you strengthen your relationships and effectiveness with your Board and shareholders.
Since the 1990s, coaching and mentoring have become widely used to develop employees in the business world and are important skills for anyone in a managerial or leadership role. Learn how to communicate in both coaching and mentoring styles while learning the differences between the two. Among other things, learn Socratic questioning, goal setting, skills in accountability, and ways to inspire that lead to complete development.
At times, speaking with coworkers, your staff, your boss, and, yes, your customers can be difficult. They may come to you with stories about their problems or your mistakes. They might even mistreat you. We need to remember that there are always two sides to every story. Learn how to diffuse difficult situations and become the difficult person’s advocate rather than the enemy.
When relationships are strong, you can communicate anything. When they are not strong, even the simplest feedback becomes difficult. This module provides an understanding of why and how strong relationships are created using our original research, which has unveiled the two most essential characteristics for building a solid working relationship. This module utilizes practice to strengthen the techniques and skills that foster trusting relationships.
Listening is not just about hearing—it involves the understanding and evaluation of what is heard. Whether you’re in a face-to-face meeting or talking on the phone, leaders and managers must exhibit comfort and proficiency in six specific areas of listening, or messages can be misunderstood. These qualities and techniques are the focus of this module. In addition, this module covers the top ten barriers to listening and how to overcome them. This is one of our most popular topics.
Have you ever felt that your listeners were confused? Have listeners ever asked you to get to the point? Truly connecting with your listeners is fundamental to all communication and critical for a successful presentation. This module teaches you how to make your point and engage all of your listeners. It does not provide a one-size-fits-all methodology but instead covers a whole range of skills from which you may choose the best approach for specific groups.
Business speaking requires a mixture of information and persuasion. Both are critical, and you use both in different situations and for various reasons. The distinction between these two types of speaking is that informative speaking lists data and impartially clarifies and enlightens with no particular goal other than making information clear. Persuasive speaking urges a partisan decision, favors a position, and tries to garner acceptance for that position. In many presentations, the speaker will use both information and persuasion in order to convince the listeners.
This training will help you understand the difference between informative and persuasive presentation. It teaches how to implement these concepts in your content and delivery and the three ways of persuasion that are used in virtually all presentations we see today. You’ll learn how to choose the proper mode of persuasion and how to match your message to your listeners.
Do your listeners ask you to repeat keywords? The ability to speak clearly is an important skill, no matter who you are. There are several ways to lose your listeners, but poor articulation, mumbling, and lack of volume are the most preventable. Don’t force listeners to work harder to understand the words coming out of your mouth! This module on communication excellence will teach key sounds and practice techniques to ensure that you are speaking clearly.
Your customers will often pay attention to how you sound as much as what you are saying. A positive interaction can depend on your tone and inflection, speed, and projection.
Plus, words matter! Your choice of words, such as “customers,” “clients,” “guests,” or “patrons,” will shape their perception, and perception shapes service communication. Don’t let your choice of words become a distraction during a customer interaction. This teaches participants the various sounds of service and how to master their sounds to best communicate with customers.
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How to Be A Listener-Centric Communicator
The concept of adapting your content and delivery to WHO you are speaking is a worthy objective. However, being able to do it in a poignant and meaningful manner can be an advanced skill, and it will take your workplace communication to the next level.
This article will provide a quick overview of one way in which we help our clients adapt to their listeners. The concept is called Patterns of Reasoning. The normal human brain capacity allows us to function with two basic patterns of reasoning; we use these patterns as the structure for our thoughts and speech. No one is completely one or the other.
We all use both INDUCTIVE and DEDUCTIVE processes. Both are correct and powerful. Most people have a preference or default that they use predominantly. Do you present your ideas Inductively or Deductively? Effective listeners and communicators know the difference.
To be most effective, it is imperative you understand how your colleagues, customers, clients, friends, and family present their ideas? It is crucial to begin assessing how people speak and listen to information.
If you are an Inductive communicator, you would prefer to share all the details upfront. You deliver your main point after sharing the background and overview.
If you are a Deductive communicator, you prefer to start with a point and then add additional information as needed.
Now, why does this matter? Interestingly, we tend to communicate information to others the way we prefer to receive it. So, if you like to talk things through, to be collaborative, if you say, “Well, let’s discuss this. What happened last year? What are all the factors involved we should consider?” You’re going to communicate well with someone who also likes to be Inductive.
But when an Inductive and Deductive person meets, watch out! There is a high level of frustration that can occur. Suppose I am highly Deductive (I like the answer first), and an Inductive person is talking through all the details, background, and observations on a topic. In that case, I may be sitting there silently fuming. I might be thinking:
“Hurry up!”
“Spit it out!”
“Get to the point!”
Similarly, suppose a Deductive person approaches an Inductive person and starts with the point. In that case, an Inductive communicator would feel like the Deductive person is a little bossy, abrasive, inconsiderate, or rude. If I am highly Inductive (I like to share all the background first, then the main point) and a Deductive person answers my question in ten words, I may be sitting there feeling hurt or not respected. I might be thinking:
“Wait, what?”
“Hold on, how did you get to that decision?”
“I haven’t even heard the whole situation; this person is jumping to conclusions!”
Neither approach is right or wrong, but understanding the differences between these Patterns of Reasoning is essential for presentations, updates, and communication. More and more organizations have become an “Answer First Culture,” which is a polite way of saying “Spit It Out.” Make your point fast, in under 30 seconds. If you often get interrupted or cut off while speaking at work, you may work with a group of Deductive communicators. They don’t want the whole story. They want the memo and a fast summary.
In other organizations, they want you to be Inductive. Remember, back in high school math; you had to “show your work.” In an Inductive culture, they want you to talk through your thought process. How did you get to this point? Why did you get there? How did you make this decision? What factors are in play? What are all the moving parts?
The main lesson around the concept of Inductive and Deductive communication is that if you can adapt how you communicate and present information based on who is in the room (your listeners), you will have a more positive interaction.
True success comes with knowing the difference between Inductive and Deductive communication, which will be required in a mixed group of listeners. You may need to be flexible and nimble at making strategic changes. It will be easier to persuade, convince, and create a favorable exchange when you adapt to the listener.
Think about your clients, customers, colleagues, and direct reports. Do you primarily work with Inductive people, or do you work with many Deductive people? Can you change how you communicate as needed?
You’ll notice this concept of Inductive and Deductive communication also applies to unofficial communication, such as with friends and family. For example, if your husband, wife, partner, or parents are very Inductive and you are Deductive, I would guess you spend a lot of time thinking, “Holy smokes, just get to the point, can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?”. If you are Inductive and you call your Deductive friend to catch up, you might be a bit disappointed when after ten minutes they say, “Well, I’ll let you go.”
This is a good stopping point for today, in the effort of time. During individual coaching and group training sessions, we share this concept and get into more details about leveraging and customizing this concept. We also discuss all the nuances involved that must be carefully considered.
This concept of the Patterns of Reasoning is a powerful tool. If these types of tips, tools, and techniques are interesting to you, be sure to follow The Speech Improvement Company on LinkedIn for more helpful executive communication resources, and connect with me here on LinkedIn for access to complimentary webinars and white papers.
Author
Laura Mathis
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