Invest in interpersonal skills

Helping people to achieve their goals and secure that all important job is a vindication of the process of personal interview skills coaching. It may well be a cost, but it's also an investment in the future that will repay itself many times.There are many talented and highly qualified people out there looking for work. You can imagine that in a recession there are even more talented and qualified people out there fighting for every position. Even in the times of a buoyant economy over 30% of people in work are looking for alternative work. What does this mean to you? Quite simply it means that you first of all need a great CV to get your foot in the door and secondly, you will need a first class interviewing technique to secure the job. The pressure on the candidate is more intense now than for many years.There are a number of consistent themes which explain why lots of very well qualified and highly talented people are not in work.Talent is great! I wish I had more of it. Academic qualifications are great and I wish I had more of that too.

 But these attributes alone will not secure the job. The people that are offered the jobs demonstrate the most desire, the best preparation and are the most persuasive. It's a buyer's market during a recession and you have possibly thirty to forty-five minutes to make an impact.I recently worked with a group of graduates from a leading university in the South of England. None of the group actually knew each other (which accounted for why they initially seemed a little timid) and none of them had managed to secure an internship in the holidays. They all brought their CVs along and I managed to have a good look at their achievements, which were academically outstanding. I had never seen so many straight A students in my life. But what very quickly became apparent during the sessions was that they were all totally focussed on themselves, their studies and interests and not really focussed on the nature of the businesses that they were applying too.Retail management is not a good fit if you have a qualification in Nordic Mythology.

But a degree in Nordic Mythology is a good fit for being employed in a museum which promotes the history of the Vikings etc. But to work in a museum these days, the requirements are quite staggering.You need great commercial skills to run exhibitions, you need great communication skills to get sponsors on side; you need excellent client-facing skills to entertain the guests who attend your exhibitions. And it was these types of skills that were lacking. The basic every day business skills that would help the business grow and flourish.When we discussed this, there was an enormous groan of resentment.

The interpersonal skills were lacking and they were almost unemployable. One of them suggested that eye-contact was not a requirement if you planned to spend your career with your head in a book. I was not surprised that he did not get the job after a remark like that,If you go for a job interview, you must demonstrate that you can add value to that company?s bottom line. You must be confident and sell yourself and your skills. Book knowledge is fantastic, I wish I had more. The question always is: how do I turn academic knowledge into business value? How can I apply it to this business?

Interpersonal Skills For Sales

Once you get a customer your interpersonal communication skills could be the difference between making a new client or failing. That is why every sales person should undergo interpersonal skills training.Interpersonal skills training programs are crucial, because if a professional salesman is unable to properly express the advantages of doing business with them, the deal is over before it can ever begin. Communication is so important for business.

 There are several different types of communication which sales people in particular should be skilled in. One of the most pivotal skills is the ability to be a great public speaker.Public speaking training is crucial for a person who wants to make a living in sales. A salesman or woman cannot fight for dollars without first fighting for attention. In order to get the attention of potential clients it is crucial to be a confident public speaker. The confidence gained after partaking in public speaking training makes a noticeable difference in any presentation.People remember the person who shakes and sways in front of a crowd, but forget about the message.

 The confident speaker can make any topic interesting and when you gain attention, you have a much better chance at gaining dollars as well.Once a large presentation goes well, interpersonal skills training will pay off. When potential clients want one on one time after a great presentation, interpersonal communication begins. A person who has undergone interpersonal skills training knows the proper body language and eye contact level to make the potential client feel not only welcome, but that the salesman truly cares about what they have to say.This interpersonal relationship can give any salesman to the edge in closing a sale and that edge can be the difference between a business succeeding or failing.

Does Social Networks Destroy Interpersonal Skills

55.6 million adults in the United States alone have a social networking account with sites like Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. The average number of new Facebook registrations per day is 250,000! More and more of us choose to stay in more of the time. We talk and play with our cyber friends, or do business via our computers, rather than venture outside in the real world and do it "the old way".And why would we, when we can do pretty much everything and anything at the touch of a button and without shifting our bottoms?We can browse, search and join networks of all sorts, we can set up profiles, connect with family, co-workers and friends, we can even run our own cyber farms, without the hard work or the smells.

 We can upload our best ever pictures and fun videos, share our innermost thoughts with the world, make controversial and bold statements, comment freely on other peoples' posts. 

We can request friends, accept, reject or ignore them, just because... we can peek, stalk and poke at will. We can even set up our own fan pages and instantly create an air of celebrity around us. Many of us find ourselves laughing at the computer, getting angry at things, and even crying.We flirt, start relationships and end them by simply clicking Block or Delete.But when we need a hug and a kiss, not of the cyber kind, of the kind that involves someone else enveloping you with their arms and sharing the warmth of their body and their energy with yours, or putting cheek to cheek... well, computers don't have arms, and if you have ever tried to kiss your computer, apart from running the risk of being a weirdo, you'll find it doesn't tend to kiss you back. 

And forget about those four thousand friends from all over the world that you haven't and will never meet in person. You can look, but you can't touch.And, I don't know about you, but when someone sends me a virtual gift, I can't help but feel kind of cheated.Social networking has given way to a new social dynamic where we get to make friends from across the globe, but know nothing of our next-door neighbour.

We are creating alternate realities made of superficial and sometimes false networks of strangers, and sometimes I wonder if this is an unavoidable result of a rapidly growing world, or if we are just plain lazy.Is this hyper connectedness destroying our social skills? What does this preference for text relationships over face to face interaction say about us? Are we unlearning how to naturally interact with other humans?While we are gaining a whole new set of social skills, we may be at risk of losing many of the interpersonal skills that can only be learnt via face to face interation, and which are the building blocks of a healthy, strong, and lasting self-esteem.

3 Simple Steps For Improving Interpersonal Skills

 It’s a skill set highly sought after by companies big and small.After all, these skills have been used to negotiate treaties, peace talks, salary raises and basically anything else you can think of. They have been used to win battles, campaigns and client deals.Whatever your battlefield is, they will come to your rescue. Improve your interpersonal communication skills using the tips below.

Step 1: Address People By Their Names.
Knowing the names of the people you talk to, and using their names, give you power. People like hearing their name because it shows that you acknowledge their presence. Besides, everyone has been trained to respond to their name since birthUsing people’s names also makes them feel more at ease with you. Just don’t overdo it since that might give people the wrong idea.
Step 2: Be More Relatable.
One way to improve interpersonal communication skills is to become more relatable or at least, foster an appearance of being more relatable. Why? Because when people find something in common with you, they are more inclined to trust you.Don’t act all high and mighty with the people around you, because that merely breeds animosity and contempt. No matter what anyone says, you can’t force cooperation or openness.
Step 3: Be Appreciative.
Another good practice to improve your interpersonal communication skills is showing your appreciation.People are seldom thanked these days. Sure, serving you coffee is part of the secretary’s job, but that doesn’t mean a little thank you won’t go a long way. What about the security guard who opens the door for you? That merits an appreciative smile or a nod at least.Being appreciative not only gives others a really good impression, it also paves the way for a smooth sailing relationship.
With these tips on how to improve interpersonal communication skills, you are now equipped to face another day of work. This time, however, you will find changes big and small happening all around you.You will realize how different people react to a person who remembers their name, has the ability to mingle with everybody and appreciates their efforts .

Interpersonal skills is a heterogeneous topic

Interpersonal skills are a very heterogeneous subject, confined space, where only my personal experience with some simple list, omissions inevitable.
1 more encouragement and praise to others, try to avoid criticizing, blaming and complaining, do not force others to admit.
2. To learn to listen. Do not talk too much, try to let other people say.

3 If you want to join someone else's conversation, first find out what others are saying.
4. Keep talking until neutral and objective. Indicate their tendency to figure out the other side before the first real trend.
5 Note that the other's social habits and proper to be imitated.
6. Do not interrupt, correct, add other people's conversations.
7 people have difficulty, take the initiative to help support and encourage.
8 Do not be friends because the other side and not pay attention to etiquette.
9 people want to talk about as far as possible, teach him how to get what he wants.
Without cause, a man of inaction, even if seemingly Pan grow, it is pretty bleak, big eyes, but no God, but no white light skin, hair and more but no color, delicate facial features can not stop the inner emptiness, a beautiful face for the people not to respect. So, in a sense, men do not cause it means there is no beauty.
 It can conquer the world by the pretty woman, there is sort of pretty, cause half success, such as Yang, Wang Zhaojun; can a man with good looks if you can eat, that can do it in the past called the surface first, now called the duck, PR , popular hot drink natural to worry about, but who take Zhengyan Qiao him. Old Wu Yang Zhang Changzong small white face, got the upper hand when everyone Zhongxingpengyue like holding him, said he was "the face, such as peach," a losing ground as the dog feces, even the head did not keep.

Connection between Interpersonal Skills and Business Success

When was the last time you watched a CEO of a Fortune 500 company deliver a lousy presentation and fall flat on his face? It doesn’t happen often—if ever! Most fortune 500 CEOs will tell you that the secret to their success is strong communication and presentation skills.Effective communication skills are increasingly viewed as essential to the success of organizations and their leaders. Furthermore, the skills required to be an effective communicator are changing rapidly and continuously. For today’s leaders it is mandatory to communicate in “real time” via a host of communication channels.
Leaders are evaluated by their candor and transparency, and are required to be constantly present, responsive and accessible.Speaking effectively can significantly enhance your personal professional relationships. For example, negotiation is about strategy—the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. It is also communicating your ideas, interests and solutions in a language palatable to the other party. This applies to negotiating deals with customers and suppliers, as well as negotiating a better job, compensation or benefits.The good news is that the bar for presentation skills is ridiculously low and you can vault above it with minimal effort. With effective presentation skills, you will engage your audience every time you make a presentation.
You’ll be more confident and find yourself presenting more often, resulting in more opportunities for you to command attention and deliver your message. Your ideas will win more often because you know how to convey them. You’ll utilize analogies and incorporate humor, and deliver a message that emphasizes benefits, not features. Most importantly you’ll know how to customize your message based on your audience.Communication has—and can have—a dramatic impact on your life. The questions this… “Have you invested sufficient time and resources developing your communication skills?” San Diego Effective Presentations skills provides keynote speakers, presentation skills and public speaking training courses to develop your communication skills.

Interpersonal skills among children beginning

Sometimes we find that some children quickly into the activities of these groups, and some children not only do not take the initiative to fit in, but depressed in the group activity. In order to make the child grow up healthy and happy, we should give children an early age to create a healthy and harmonious family  environment.Among children beginning the process of children growing up always communicate and interact."Carl ?Werther's education," a book on the old Carl ?Witt told us a"art of listening."

 He and his wife, his son every day before sleep,should stay for some time listening to him what happened during the day things, listening to his son about what things done well, what d things well. In the course of his narrative gradually accustomed to reflect on their own, parents can also use this opportunity to conducta timely manner, child interpersonal guidance. This "listen" to encourage children to understand their own education. If the child feels he can make anything free for their own views, and his knowledge has not been ignored and ridiculed, so he can make without hesitation,without scruple to express their views.

 First at home, then at school,in the future to be at work, social self-confidence and courage to face up to deal with things. This will let the children fully aware of the importance of their own parents, to deepen the feelings between children and parents. About theprocess of the child will develop the child's language skills, build his confidence and overcome the psychological timid or shy. Later he would adopt a positive attitude into the bold big collective society.The family is to cultivate children start interpersonal skills, health　harmonious family environment and good communication environment is to develop children's critical interpersonal skills.

Why Are Interpersonal Skills Important in Business Environment

No matter how talented an individual may be, if they lack the skills required to turn their thoughts into useful contributions then it will be to the firm's disadvantage. Skills like the ability to make effective and attention-grabbing presentations are extremely important to a variety of businesses when trying to win new clients. For example, an employee could have spent hours producing the most brilliant presentation that has ever been created in order to win a contract from a potential client, but if they lack the interpersonal skills to present it effectively and confidently then it is unlikely to convince those listening to the presentation that the firm could deliver on its promises and that it 'simply has' to choose your firm over the competition, and the new order will be lost.

Can your business really afford to let that happen?Similarly when it comes to handling the media, good communication skills are vital in order to get your organisation's message across. A failure to get that message across could lead to a loss of potential sales if, for example, customers are not aware of your amazing new special offer. Just as failing to get you organisation's message across is bad, putting out a misleading or factually incorrect message can be just as disastrous. This can make your business look incompetent and unprofessional, leading to a decline in corporate image. You could also potentially be sued if an interviewee from your organisation gets flustered and makes an outburst which contains defamatory or slanderous comments about another person or professional body. A good level of media training will equip them with the skills needed to handle the media, even under hostile and intense questioning.
　　

Improve Interpersonal Communication Skills In 3 Steps

The need to improve interpersonal communication skills grows urgent every day. It’s a skill set highly sought after by companies big and small.After all, these skills have been used to negotiate treaties, peace talks, salary raises and basically anything else you can think of. They have been used to win battles, campaigns and client deals.Whatever your battlefield is, they will come to your rescue. Improve your interpersonal communication skills using the tips below.

Step 1: Address People By Their Names.
Knowing the names of the people you talk to, and using their names, give you power. People like hearing their name because it shows that you acknowledge their presence. Besides, everyone has been trained to respond to their name since birth.Using people’s names also makes them feel more at ease with you. Just don’t overdo it since that might give people the wrong idea.

Step 2: Be More Relatable.
One way to improve interpersonal communication skills is to become more relatable or at least, foster an appearance of being more relatable. Why? Because when people find something in common with you, they are more inclined to trust you.Don’t act all high and mighty with the people around you, because that merely breeds animosity and contempt. No matter what anyone says, you can’t force cooperation or openness.

Step 3: Be Appreciative.
Another good practice to improve your interpersonal communication skills is showing your appreciation.People are seldom thanked these days. Sure, serving you coffee is part of the secretary’s job, but that doesn’t mean a little thank you won’t go a long way. What about the security guard who opens the door for you? That merits an appreciative smile or a nod at least.Being appreciative not only gives others a really good impression, it also paves the way for a smooth sailing relationship.

With these tips on how to improve interpersonal communication skills, you are now equipped to face another day of work. This time, however, you will find changes big and small happening all around you.You will realize how different people react to a person who remembers their name, has the ability to mingle with everybody and appreciates their efforts .

How To Develop Your Interpersonal Skills

One of the abilities needed in work is interpersonal skills. How you communicate and interact with your fellow workers, can affect your efficiency at work and your daily dealings.Your efficiency at work is useless, and it'll not get you far if you have trouble with how you handle your coworkers. Luckily, you are able to find several factors to strengthen your interpersonal skills and turn out to be a team player.Interpersonal skills are abilities we use every day to communicate and interact with others. These are occasionally referred to as communication abilities, people abilities or soft skills. 

These skills deal with how we handle other people. These consist of how we interact with other people, how we communicate, our self esteem and our skill to listen and comprehend.Most of the time, it's individuals with strong interpersonal skills that succeed both professionally and personally. The success of these individuals lies in the fact that interpersonal abilities have provided them charisma and confidence, which are regarded as as endearing qualities.Even though, you will find various skills like technical abilities that we all need to succeed in our chosen endeavor, interpersonal skills are much more salient capability to develop as these abilities are important to our personal relationships, professional lives and social affairs.

 In contrast with technical abilities, interpersonal abilities are the abilities we use each day.Such skills can be developed through the following:1. Usually show a happy attitude. Putting on a pleased face in the workplace or even at house exudes positive vibes. A person who always smiles and have a pleased attitude will always attract individuals. Moreover, people who have happy attitude are usually favored.2. Listen. One of the best methods to be productive at work is to have the capability to listen. Having this ability is beneficial at work because it enables you to comprehend what's expected of you, and build rapport with your employer and colleague.2. Listen. Having the ability to listen is among the ways to be effective at work. With this capability, an employee can effortlessly understand what the employers need him or her to do, and can easily build a rapport with fellow workers and the employer.3. Learn to give a favorable feedback.

Communication as a procedure involves the element like speaker, receiver, and feedback. Usually the trigger of failure in communication between a sender and receiver are the barriers that prevent them to give a positive feedback.
You will find three different ways to keep these barriers from affecting the communication. These are using clear and specific words, listening and understanding the other people's perspective.It is said that if you want people to understand you, you should use clear and specific words. Using such words facilitate communication in between people as they make the meaning of the utterance clear; therefore, positive feedback may be generated. Moreover, you should possess the ability to listen so that you are able to get the idea of the info that the speaker sends. With this, you're assured that you can give a positive feedback. Finally, comprehend the perspective of the speaker. Empathizing with him or her will allow you understand his behavior, giving you the opportunity to give an unprejudiced response.Always wear your very best smile, listen, and offer a positive response are just 3 of the variables which you ought to strengthen so that your interpersonal skills will be developed. By following these variables, your good results in your expert and personal endeavor will probably be guaranteed.

3 Factors That Will Help Develop Your Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are necessary at work. How you dealwith your coworkers, have a significant impact on yourcareer, as well as on your daily existence.You may be efficient with your work, but if you don't know how to deal with your colleagues, you will not get anywhere else. Fortunately, there are a couple of things you can do to enhance your social skills and become a team player.Interpersonal skills are abilities we use every day to communicate and interact with others. These are sometimes referred to as communication skills, people skills or soft skills. These skills deal with how we deal with other individuals. These include how we interact with others, how we communicate, our self esteem and our skill to listen and understand.
Those with strong interpersonal skills have a greater probability of success in their field of endeavor, may it be professionally or personally. This happens because interpersonal skills endow those individuals with endearing qualities such as confidence and charisma.Although, there are different skills such as technical abilities that we all need to succeed in our chosen endeavor, interpersonal skills are more salient ability to develop as these skills are essential to our personal relationships,professional lives and social affairs. In contrast with technical skills, interpersonal skills are the skills we use every day.To help you strengthen these soft skills, you can develop the following skills:
1. Always put on a happy face. Wherever you are, you may be at work or home, always wear your best smile. If you smile often and have a happy attitude, people will be drawn to you. People that are always cheerful is usually showered with favors.
2. Listen. Having the ability to listen will help you become productive at work as this can help you understand what is expected of you, build rapport with your employer and coworkers, and help you understand the underlying meaning in what others say.
3. Give a positive feedback. Communication is a process that involves elements such as speaker, receiver and feedback. Usually communication fails because of the barriers that keep both the speaker and the receiver to give a positive feedback. These barriers can be avoided if you choose the words you use, listen and empathize.
Choosing the words you use when talking to other people ensures that the message you sent is understood, generating a positive feedback. Then, take time to listen to what the speaker says. In this way, you can comprehend what the speaker is telling you. Finally, empathize. Put yourself on the shoe of others. Knowing that people have different opinions, you should learn to see things from their point of view. Through this, you can understand the speaker's attitude, making you give an unprejudiced reply.These are just three of the various factors that you need to enhance so that you can develop your interpersonal skills. If you follow these factors, you will become successful in both personal and professional endeavor.

Respect and Love

Love and respect are abstract, intangible aspects in interpersonal relationships. Everybody wants it, few people get it. It cannot be bought and can only be earned. However, it is something that each and everyone of us craves.
I have noticed in my daily life that love, friendships and respect are aspects that are strongly interlinked. We tend to become good friends if there is something about he or she that i greatly respect or admire. The converse is also true.
Just think about it. Think about your best friend whom you love and treasure very much. There must be something about he or she that you really respect or admire.

　　This could be their way with people, their intelligence, their analytical ability or maybe even about the way he or she looks. The fact that you respect your best friends shows that love and respect are often connected.
Respect has implications beyond friendships, and extend to relationships in all walks of life such as in marriages, workplace or even in the sporting arena.Respect is also especially important in the workplace.
Disrespect for others in the workplace creates an atmosphere of negativity, which leads to suspicion, hostility, harassment, bullying, malpractices and frustration.Respect is an important component in a successful marriage. One of the most important ingredients for a successful marriage is mutual respect.
Do show appreciation to your significant other for all the little things that he or she does for you. By paying attention to your spouse, you are demonstrating your respect, and your love for them.

Importance of Interpersonal Skills to Managing a Company

A distribution retail business, such as Buy Rolls.com, buys a product from a producer and then sells it, for a profit, to a consumer. To be able to run a business such as this successfully one must have efficient managerial skills. Meaning, a manager of a distribution retail business must have exemplary interpersonal abilities and the ability to manage one’s environment while still getting the job done.

　　Because nothing is more important to the survival of a company than the relationship between its workers and its manager, it is of uttermost importance that a business finds a manager who has the ability to be an excellent communicator, make friends easily, delegate tasks efficiently and has no trouble making decisions. “Interpersonal skills [like these] are the ‘Master Key’ to [the] success of any organization” and so a business would do well to find a woman who can manage all these things well. A female often makes a successful manager because she is biologically prepared to excel in these areas.
The key to being a good manager is good listening skills. One cannot delegate, lead or form solid relationships if one does not pay attention to all forms of communication. One must pay attention to both verbal, as in tone of voice, word choice and responsiveness, as well as non-verbal communication. Non-verbal conversation can be anything from gestures to body positioning to facial expressions. Women use both sides of their brain for language and communication. Because of this, they have the potential to be very skilful managers. Because women’s brains dedicate a large portion of their focus to communication, they have the propensity to make others feel that they are tuned in to what they are saying and that they are being heard. If people feel they are being heard they are more likely to trust and respect the person listening to them. Good communication provides a basis for mutual respect from which both men and women can work.
Because women are admirable listeners and communicators they would certainly be in tune with the needs of their employees. When managers start with a base of mutual respect it is easier to manage the needs of their employees. If employees feel that their needs are being looked after, the relationship between manager and employee can only be strengthened. And, as many studies have suggested, a women’s first intention is to build relationships with those around them. If all these parts work together – interpersonal skills, managing employees needs and mutual respect – a company has a much better chance of success.

Never Make a Concession

Power Negotiators know that anytime the other side asks you for a concession in the negotiations, you should automatically ask for something in return. Let’s look at a couple of ways of using the Trade-Off Gambit:
Let’s say that you have sold your house, and the buyers ask you if they could move some of their furniture into the garage three days before closing. Although you wouldn’t want to let them move into the house before closing, you see an advantage in letting them use the garage. It will get them emotionally involved and far less likely to create problems for you at closing. So you’re almost eager to make the concession, but I want you to remember the rule: However small the concession they’re asking you for, always ask for something in return. Say to them, “Let me check with my family and see how they feel about that, but let me ask you this: If we do that for you, what will you do for us?”

　　One of three things is going to happen when you ask for something in return:
1. You might just get something.

　　The buyers of your house may be willing to increase the deposit, buy your patio furniture, or give your dog a good home. The hardware storeowners may just have been thinking, “Boy, have we got a problem here. What can we give them as an incentive to get them to move this shipment up?” So, they may just concede something to you. They may just say, “I’ll tell accounting to cut the check for you today.” Or “Take care of this for me, and I’ll use you again for the store that we’re opening in Chicago in December.”
2. By asking for something in return, you elevate the value of the concession.
When you’re negotiating, why give anything away? Always make the big deal out of it. You may need that later. Later you may be doing the walk through with the buyers of the house, and they’ve found a light switch that doesn’t work. You’re able to say, “Do you know how it inconvenienced us to let you move your furniture into the garage? We did that for you, and now I want you to overlook this small problem.” Later you may need to be able to go to the people at the hardware store and say, “Do you remember last August when you needed me to move that shipment up for you? You know how hard I had to talk to my people to get them to re-schedule all our shipments? We did that for you, so don’t make me wait for our money. Cut me the check today, won’t you?” When you elevate the value of the concession, you set it up for a trade-off later.
3. It stops the grinding away process.
This is the key reason why you should always use the Trade-Off Gambit. If they know that every time they ask you for something, you’re going to ask for something in return, then it stops them constantly coming back for more. I can’t tell you how many times a student of mine has come up to me at seminar or called my office and said to me, “Roger, can you help me with this? I thought I had a sweetheart of a deal put together. I didn’t think that I would have any problems at all with this one. But in the very early stages, they asked me for a small concession. I was so happy to have their business that I told them, ‘Sure, we can do that.’ A week later they called me for another small concession, and I said: ‘All right, I guess I can do that too.’ Ever since then, it’s been one darn thing after another. Now it looks as though the whole thing is going to fall apart on me.” He should have known up front that when the other person asked him for that first small concession, he should have asked for something in return. “If we can do that for you, what can you do for us?”
Key points to remember:
1. When asked for a small concession by the other side, always ask for something in return.
2. Use this expression: “If we can do that for you, what can you do for me?”
3. You may just get something in return.
4. It elevates the value of the concession so that you can use it as a trade-off later.
5. Most important, it stops the grinding away process.
6. Don’t change the wording and ask for something specific in return because it’s too confrontational.

Presentation Skills Mastery – The Lessons of Obama’s Oratory Skills

　

　　When someone makes the difficult look easy, we tend to label him or her “a natural.” President Barack Obama is no exception.
His ability to move people through soaring rhetoric and appealing rhythms of his delivery is now the stuff of legends. Detractors often attribute the president’s strong popularity in large part to his oratorical skills, not his ideas. It is the president’s personae and sheer natural magnetism at work they insist, nothing more.
The problem with the argument is that it assumes good communication skills are the same as good acting skills. It presumes that intent and belief by the speaker in what is said is irrelevant, and that, cynically, people can’t tell the difference. It’s that one assumption, that substance takes a back seat to style (and sometimes isn’t even riding in the same car), that holds back many if not most executives from communicating effectively in public.
Any executive looking to improve presentation skill or public speaking confidence must first understand the basics.
In fact, acting and presenting are not the same. In the real world, ideas and words have to align with what an audience knows or thinks they know about a subject and speaker. Contrary to popular notion, assuming audience ignorance or indifference of your own involvement is dangerous. In fact, what other reason is there in this day and age to expect others to leave their offices and devote valuable time listening to presentations or speeches, if not for the audience to “see for themselves” the relevance of both the speaker and what the speaker has to say. If the speaker really made no difference in our judgments, then all communication could take place out of each other’s sight or in written formats.

　　There are still powerful reasons for us to watch someone communicate their ideas to us directly and to judge what they have to say for ourselves. The president’s communication mastery is no lucky accident. Mr. Obama has developed his strengths as a public communicator precisely by understanding the links between his ideas and the way those ideas can most powerfully persuade others; ideas any executive can borrow:
1. Start with what you know.
Yes, there will be times when you do not have or cannot address the full picture. Minimize discomfort through preparation and practice. Work to build your presentation or speech around those areas you are comfortable speaking about. If you are forthcoming about what you do know, your audience will understand if you do not have all the answers immediately.
2. Don’t speculate about what you don’t know.
Being forthcoming does not mean taking a stab at addressing every possible concern or question on the topic, regardless of your expertise. Be clear on your purpose for presenting or speaking, and the value you bring on that topic to your audience. Don’t seek to lecture. Seek to communicate.
3. Be clear.
Never leave an audience wondering what your position is, why they are listening to you or what you expect them to do with the information you’re giving them. Of all the things you could say about your topic, only choose the things that are relevant to your audience and that they need to know.
4. They’re listening, not reading.
Write and speak “for the ear”, the way you normally communicate orally. Your audience cannot re-read your remarks, so seek to be understood the first time. Use a natural communication style, enunciating your words and using the vocabulary you’re comfortable with.
5. Let them judge.
Understand your audience is looking for your perspective, not just data. Welcome their attention and build on it with examples, stories and experiences, not just facts. Relate those facts and data to some larger points and conclusions. Look for something to give your audience that they couldn’t have gotten from you any other way than by watching and listening.
Powerful public speaking and presentation skills aren’t “bestowed” on a few lucky individuals. They take work and practice. Start with something you want to communicate, match it with your strengths as a communicator, and leave the acting to actors.