The annual get together will be at the London School of International Communication
15 Holland Park Gardens, London, W14 8DZ – Tubes – Holland Park or Shepherds Bush.
SIETAR UK Christmas Do
Click on the link for tickets and details;
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sietar-uk-christmas-party-tickets-47791720322
See you there…
Don’t hesitate……….Don’t hesitate. Did I mention not hesitating? And, another thing…
The BBC’s long running radio parlour game on Radio 4, “Just a Minute” asks charismatic celebrities to entertain the studio and radio audience by talking for 60 seconds on a topic that is spontaneously chosen and allocated to them.
They are asked to talk non-stop with out hesitation, deviation or repetition.
But, are they right? Is this what great presenters do? And, is it what aspiring presenters should be aiming for?
NO! And, here’s why;
1) Hesitation
The pause is a critical part of spoken communication. There are 3 basic forms of silence in conversation and its opposite, interruption or overlapping chatter. Let us look at them and what they signify. A) The Northern European way – one person speaks at time, interruptions are rare and over-talking can be viewed as disrespectful. Gaps are dangerous and tend to be avoided – This is one reason why we get so many uhms and arghs in speech. The brain is desperate to fill any space that could cause a delay in delivered conversation. B) The Latin overlap – multiple players compete, collaborate and finish each other’s sentences in a display of empathy and contextual comfort. Here passion drives speech. The interruption is perceived as sympatico assistance, moving the emotion and dialogue along. Finally, C) The respectful silence of Japan or Finland, where silence is a valid unit of conversation – signifying reflection, respect and that the listener is taking the content of the other speaker seriously.
Silence is Authority
More evidence – I remember the opening of a large conference in Sophia, Bulgaria when a disparate group of academics, trainers and coaches came together having not seen each other for a couple of years. Add to this volatile mix, a vast spread of inviting food and good Bulgarian wine at the back of the room, and, we had the perfect cocktail for naughty schoolboy and schoolgirl behaviour and a room about to get seriously out of hand.
The courageous conference leader stood on the stage at the front and used a trick that worked. She just stood there, centred, still and silent. The naughty children (conference delegates) noticed, reacted reflexively and, row after row, sat down, shut up and paid attention.
Punctuation
How do we translate the words on the page into representative spoken form? What does a comma, full stop or paragraph sound like? They sound like a silent pause.
Action
Have more faith in silence and use it to boost your authority with the audience, give them time to absorb your wisdom, and, show that you are a confident presenter in charge of your body, your topic and the room.
2) Deviation
Whilst we are with the BBC, Do you remember Ronnie Corbett’s rambling stories, sat in that scruffy old chair every Saturday night? Appearing spontaneous, this rehearsed and masterful performance took the audience down many side roads, twists and turns – so many, you thought he would never get to the destination. What was, in fact, being delivered was a layering of content, a weaving of related references and the painting of a larger, textured story canvas. This was a mini-novel that allowed you to participate, experience and suspend your cynical perspective, as a critical and logical observer, and, to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of Ronnie’s constructed world.
Great speakers are deviants!
When you lace your speech with local landmarks and historic event or call out the last presenter’s content, you are branding yourself as a confident, present and aware performer at the top of your game, and, at ease with your core material. So, it is the drift from your script that is human, charming and impressive, not just sticking to the oft-repeated script of a keynote.
Action
Be prepared to inject a reference or two about the venue, the audience or the preceding entertainer, in order to elevate yourself to the level of super speaker.
3) Repetition.
We are told not to repeat ourselves. The irony is that repetition, and, repetition of the thing we just repeated, works. It reinforces the message, makes it stand out and breaks the listener’s ineffective patterns of remembering. Location Location Location. Education Education Education – You remember what those phrases refer to. “You turn if you want to, but the lady’s not for turning.” (No judgement.)
What?
When we speak to international audiences, it is an act of kindness to repeat key words. In a noisy environment, it is advisable to repeat key messages, and, in the army, the instructors are giving the following instructions, “Tell ‘um what you are going to tell ‘um, tell ‘um it, and, then, tell ‘um what you just told ‘um.” – Words to live by.
Action
Load up your call to action sentence with repetition and see what added response you get. You may be surprised at the benefit of repetition to your outcome.
So the skill of the BBC parlour game was, in fact, to go against what is wise, when speaking in public. Ironic me thinks.
About to present? Take action now!
Call Matthew Hill on 07540 65 9995 for a no c ost, no obligation coaching chat to boost your performance on the big day.
Conference Speaker Homework and Pre-Work
The biggest single opportunity for any freelancer is to be found on stage. When you are invited to speak, there will be plenty to preparatory work to get on with. It is not just about getting your presentation in tip-top condition for maximum impact and return. There is content creation, marketing and relationship warming, ahead of your gig, to consider too.
Here are 8 things to concentrate upon when you have received that special call.
PITCH PROFILE “I help (specific target audience within the general conference audience) to achieve (their specific desired and needed outcome / result) by providing (unique and differentiated services with personality, power and a twist). I have worked with (global customer 1, regional customer 2 and local customer 3) and worked (in a way that is unique, exciting and positive).
At the conference itself, you can meet people, collect their cards, if they qualify, and ask permission to send them a P4P – Product4Prospect – An informational gift that is brief and of perceived value to your new contact. This ticks the box for opting in, creating a sense of reciprocity and helps establish you as a generous expert. There are two forms of doing this – the product and the newsletter.
Now let’s get down to content creation. Do we really have to make such a big deal out of it? From conversations you have held in the last 90 days, what were the topics that revved up your passion levels? What did you read that set you alight? These are the topics to write 250 or 500 words on. Just two posts will be fine for now. Turning the top tips sheet accompanying your speech into the a meaty first newsletter post makes a lot of obvious sense too.
And, do create a space where you can store all of the IP and marketing collateral that you have just created, to be adapted quickly and used next time. The next time you run through this process before a conference speech, it will take only HALF the time and your materials will become richer and more focused, serving the needs and gaps that your audience are crying out for you to help them with.
Action
So what will you do now?
Call Matthew on 0754065 9995 for a 15-minute coaching session (no c ost and no obligation) if you are serious about making the most of your next conference speaking invitation.
Now is the time to build your returns next year
Whether you are an independent Intercultural Trainer, Coach or Mediator, It is what you think about and prepare this year, that will determine your business results next year. And, a moment’s pause over the Christmas break will definitely be too little and too late. Now is the time to do some deeper work.
4 Marketing Areas to Consider – Identity, Audience, Product & Tribe
It’s what you do this year that will make the difference next year
1) Identity – Imagine you are in a taxi, driving away from your best day in 2019. Yes imagine it. I have a philosophical question for you. You look down at the 10 / 10 feedback. Great. You feel sweaty and fabulous. You know that you just peaked back there. You are in flow and buzzing.
So,
Who were you? What persona or aspects of YOU were you choosing to emphasise? What part of your essence did you connect with your participants in order to feel this good? What did you draw upon from your experience to light up that room?
Are you thinking of the answer? – I hope so – Because that is your winning commercial identity for 2019…
2) Audience – If you had to pick just one recipient type for the whole of 2019 and stick to it, what facets would become important to you? What would you demand was in the room? What character / background / education and demographic would be most exciting for you to work with? Who would keep you excited as a trainer / coach / mediator? Who would bring out the best in you? Who would benefit the most from your life experience and expertise? Who would you make shine?
Got it? Found it? Zoned in on it? Do you want to own that space? Do you want to go deep and be THE EXPERT here?
That is your ideal audience for 2019.
3) Product – You have a little time to repurpose your life experience, training and education into whatever form you wish. What will suit you best? – Classroom / webinar / virtual coaching / blog channel / public speaking from a stage / pre-recorded remote E Learning package / book / film / audio?
Technology is rushing toward us and eliminating complexity, cost and many barriers to entry.
Almost anybody today can make almost anything.
So what form will your offer take in 2019 and what do you need to line up now to make that happen? What do you need to learn about? What do you need to prepare? Who do you need to rope in to help? Where will you make this splendid thing? What time, money and effort will you invest in the project?
That will be your new product for 2019.
4) Tribe – No, I am not repeating 2) – That was your avatar. Tribe / crowd / list / database / contact list / warms – These are names of the new people who will become your paying customers in 2019. Today, many do not know you exist. When you get your marketing right, they will come to you, listen to you, get to know you, like you, trust you, purchase a product or service from you.
AND,
If you really get it right, they will pay what you ask and do what you say!!!!
Marketing to build your tribe – So, how will you interrupt people this year? How will you get their attention? How will you bond with them? What will you give to them first to gain their trust? What small offering will you provide to move them from being critical observers to becoming first-time customers? And, what follow-up offering will you make to bring them all the way in? And, what second offering will you create to keep them as valued customers?
The winners next year will work on their marketing THIS YEAR. So, what are waiting for? What are you going to do today?
Call Matthew for a 15-minute coaching (no cost and no obligation) if you need a little help in narrowing down your answers to the questions above. 07540 65 9995
Thanks and here’s wishing you a really strong 2019.
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