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Posts Tagged ‘presentations’
This week’s tip on communicating your ideas effectively is to talk to your stakeholders and supporters when you want to promote an idea. When web sites first started to be used as a marketing tool, I was a VP of Business Development for a creative firm. My common sense and feeling was that we needed to jump in early to get our name out there as the need for web sites grew.
I remember having a lot of conversations about the strategy and direction of the company. Would people really use web sites and the Internet as much as the media was suggesting? The owners had recently decided to invest a good portion of design time to a multi-media project for a popular art museum so our resources were stretched at the time.
However, I was certain we needed to move into web development and add to the services our company offered. To gain support, I talked to everyone. I talked
Gain agreement for your idea
to the company owners and my peers on the management team. In addition, I visited the creative people and heard their opinions. We talked about this in meetings and I discussed the strategy and approach in individual conversations.
People had varying opinions, however I wouldn’t give up. In general, the people I worked with were very open to new ideas. The web design idea was so new though, we risked putting resources into an area that we didn’t know would work or not.
Fortunately, the company was enough of a risk-taker that we put together a presentation and we talked to anyone who would listen. We were the first design company in town to carve out a position and promote our web design services so quickly our name was in the ring for consideration when companies wanted a web site. Not long after that we were invited to propose our services to one of the largest financial services companies in the country. We won the business!
Taking time to communicate your ideas with your stakeholders and with your supporters will benefit your career and very possibly contribute to the bottom line.
Here are some steps you can take to make this happen:
- Identify your key supporters and those you trust.
- Identify key stakeholders – those involved in the decision area of your idea.
- Have casual, unscheduled conversations.
- Schedule meetings one-on-one to discuss your idea.
- When you feel you are gaining support and interest for your idea, schedule a meeting with the decision-makers to present your idea.
- Be enthusiastic. This helps people tune in to your message.
Kathy Garland specializes in translating business challenges into opportunities that result in business and personal growth. She speaks frequently on business growth and leadership topics. Join her conversations on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Last week I promised you some ideas about communicating your ideas effectively. Over the years, I have presented great ideas poorly and bad ideas enthusiastically. I have slipped brilliant ideas into a conversation so that someone else picked it up and brought it forward (not a habit you want to keep) and other times simple, yet ingenious ideas get implemented immediately.
What’s the secret of getting your ideas across effectively? As in most success habits, there is a formula. And like making a wonderful cake, there are different recipes for success, the points shared in this blog over the next few weeks happen to be ones that have been effective for me.
The point this week is to make sure you schedule or carve out time to present a new idea. Don’t just casually bring up a great idea out of context or it may get lost, someone else may grab it, people won’t understand the significance.
One of the things Steve Jobs does well is present his ideas on a big stage with all the media and the world watching. He makes sure all the stakeholders are present and are ready and excited to hear about his idea.
This YouTube video is a clip of Steve Jobs presentation announcing the original iPhone. Watch how he sets up the grand idea (this is the full version you can watch the first three or four minutes to get the idea.)
This week’s main point is to make sure you have an audience for your idea and ask for or schedule time to present it.
Kathy Garland specializes in translating business challenges into opportunities that result in business and personal growth. She speaks frequently on business growth and leadership topics. Join her conversations on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Whether you are a professional speaker, make presentations to your local networking group, looking for a job or make professional presentations as part of your sales process, you will benefit from reading the best seller, “The Exceptional Presenter” by Timothy J. Koegel, http://www.presentationacademy.com/.
The author promises content to show the reader how to open up and own the room. His simple OPEN UP! formula is easy to implement and remember. If you love to speak, it will make your speaking better. If you hate to speak, it will de-mystify the process.
It’s the best book I’ve seen on speaking. I love the sketches he shows of effective and not so effective body language. A friend of mine was flipping through the book and laughed when she identified her own habits with the T-Rex posture. That is when speakers clinch their hands in front of their chest in a nervous gesture, resembling the T-Rex profile.
When I speak, I tend to use my arms and hands a lot. According to the book, it is effective to use arm and hand gestures while talking, although in strategic ways to match your talking points. I am practicing keeping my arms at my side (not easy I will tell you.) You can practice keeping your arms still while you are in line, during the national anthem at an event, in church while standing and at cocktail parties and networking events.
At $21.95, it’s a necessary book for your career toolbox. Find it on The Exceptional Presenter ($14.93 plus shipping.)
Kathy Garland International, www.kathygarland.com offering programs that awaken the soul of women leaders to enhance their wealth, balance and freedom.