How can professionals stand out in leadership or sales across Edmonton and our part of Canada without being in front of and around people? It is impossible.
Whether leadership is communicating at a seminar, a meeting, or discussing issues one-on-one with an employee, how individuals look in discussions or at speaking events is a very powerful aspect of winning friends and influencing people.
In the important Dale Carnegie business book, How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking, Chapter 11 focuses on how to be a good conversationalist, and it brings to light the opportunity and success of building critical relationships to get things done.
According to Mr. Carnegie, ego is an important part of relationships and it must be involved and addressed in discussions with others. It is incredibly important that we appeal to what people want, need, and have an interest in. This human fact is an important aspect of public and business communication. Being friendly and communicative attracts others and stimulates collective interest; making the other person feel important provides clarity when presenting an issue. In public speaking, although using visual aids can be used in a speech or presentation, it is truly through interpersonal conversation that success is created.
Dale Carnegie Training offers five ways to improve speaking success:
- Gestures: A warm and friendly stance, comfortable motions and inflection puts people in the audience or one-on-one at ease.
- Eye contact: Everyone is looking at the speaker; involve others by looking back and making this contact in a positive manner.
- Body language: Everything from dress to smile makes a difference in maintaining interest and attention.
- Topic: Study the demographics of who is meeting, know the individual or attendees, and present a subject of mutual interest.
- Group interaction: Ask questions, take occasional breaks if in a large group environment, and ask the team or group to take notes for the “Q&A” period right after the talk. These actions keep people focused on the message.
Always have a game plan and use motions, eye contact, and inflection as verbal cues when expressing various or important points.
Social Media is now center stage as well for expressing ideas, interest, and involving employees and clients. On Facebook, Twitter and Google + be engaging ask questions and share good information. Try to include a picture that best reflects the message.
First impressions are everything within engagement and interpersonal communication. Relationships begin with a smile and always end in success when done right. This is the season of relationships. Make every interaction a conversation and tale the time to learn and listen.
Tune up your relationships this spring with our online training. Check out the events summary on our website.
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