#credibility building

[theseoworkshop]

Why Search Engines Are Essential for Business Success: A Guide

In today’s digital age, establishing a strong online presence is not just an option; it’s a fundamental priority for businesses of all shapes and sizes. The internet has evolved into the primary resource for consumers searching for products, services, or information. Amidst this ever-expanding digital landscape, one key aspect plays a pivotal role in ensuring your business stands out and gets…

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[myprogrammingschool]

One-on-One Meetings - my Programming school

One-on-One Meetings – my Programming school

One-on-one meetings are a great way to foster a sense of community and strengthen relationships. They also have their own set of rules, which we’ll explore in this article. One-on-One Meetings #1.Learn the Value of One-on-One Meetings Q1)When you hold regular 1:1s, your employees are:I)More productive but slightly less engagedII)Four times as likely to stay in their positionIII)Eight times as…

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[cemiddleton]

Are you boring your listeners?

We all have experienced a time when we've thought to ourselves, "Boy this person is oblivious they are talking too much!" 

What about the oblivious presenter who isn't tuned into the fact everyone is pretending to care?

How do you know if you’re the long-winded talker or unpopular presenter? Better yet, how do does one prevent it?!

Here are a few suggestions about what to look for and how to change things around if you find that eternal glaze in your audience's eyes…

As a participant of a conversation or the leader of a meeting, it is your responsibility to read the other person(s) and the room. Often when we’re talking we go within our minds and thoughts with little attention to the most important information of all – what our eyes are seeing: body language.

Whether it’s a conversation, lecture or presentation, it’s critical to make what you’re saying interesting and move things along based on your audience. Period. You know your information, so spend your time getting your main points to be received.

THAT is the name of the game, not showing your stuff.

Even in a casual conversation, pay attention. If you are known to be a talker, challenge yourself to do more listening or give the other person permission to respectfully give you a sign or interrupt. It’s the only respectful thing to do. (If you don’t know whether you are or not, ask!)

In a lecture or presentation, there is usually one speaker and many listeners so the challenge is greater.  It is solely the presenter’s responsibility to  keep the audience from taking "eye-open naps."

So how do you know when you’re boring people? By observing body language.

According to Jo-Ellen Dimitrius, Ph.D, and Mark Mazzarella, authors of “Reading People,” those signs include:

Letting one’s eyes wander

Gazing into the distance

Glancing at one’s watch or other objects

Sighing heavily

Yawning

Crossing and uncrossing legs and arms

Tapping fingers, twiddling thumbs

Tapping feet

Fiddling with pens, eyeglasses, paper, etc.

Doodling

Pointing one’s body away from the other person

Shifting weight

Leaning forward and backward in one’s chair

Moving one’s head from side to side

Rolling the eyes

Stretching

Cradling one’s chin in hand while glancing around the room

Picking at fingernails or clothing

Attempting to do another task

When in a personal conversation and you notice the glazing effect (or a lot of “uh huh” responses), don’t keep going. Instead, quickly apologize you’re going on too long and ask the other person a question about their opinion on the subject. 

When in the role of a presenter, try turning the conversation over to the room – perhaps ask for examples of experiences that bring your point to life.

Other suggestions that help keep presentations effective:

Start your presentation with a “hook” – something you all have in common that links to your topic.

The best presentations stick to conveying no more than three or four main points.

Tell stories to illustrate your point and bring data to life (please!).

Power Points DO NOT increase retention or understanding. Instead of dumping in everything you think and know into your monologue and creating a novel in PowerPoint to back it up, keep it simple, use visuals as reminders about the point you want to make, and use no more than 3-5 bullets per slide if they are a must.

At very least, if you find your room is losing energy -- stop, pause, and ask questions that prompt conversation with your audience to get them re-engaged (another reason to stay lite on PowerPoint). Avoid questions that elicit yes-no answers.

Humor can also a powerful tool.

Another important fact to be mindful of: People's attention spans can be very short. (To test yours, click here.) 

Whether talking to your friend or a room of experts, build your credibility by taking listeners on a journey rather than giving a monologue or presentation.

For effective tips on creating an effective presentation, read “Give Your Speech, Change The World: How to Move Your Audience to Action” by Nick Morgan.