Art of Communicating
words by > Bret Love
“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves,”
said famed motivational speaker Anthony Robbins,
“ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” This maxim
is especially true in the world of business, where ineffective
communications can lead to much more than mere hurt
feelings, and can actually impact a company’s bottom line.
Few people understand the importance of understanding a client’s needs and presenting services in a way that solves those needs better than Sally Williamson, an Atlanta-based business development and speech coach with more than 20 years of experience in the development of eff ective sales communication strategies and business presentations. The owner/operator of Sally Williamson & Associates, Williamson has worked with over 25 IPOs, coached delivery skills and personal image for over 50 CEOs, and helped over 200 individuals with their content organization and personal delivery methods.
Recent studies show that the average business professional spends over 80% of every workday communicating—whether by phone, email or in person—and that most fear leaving their desks for more than one hour because of the mounting emails and phone calls.
The result? Th e rising popularity of instant communication devices such as the Blackberry, which allow busy professionals to stay in touch with associates and clients 24/7, even when they’re on the go. Th e problem, according to Williamson, is that “it’s easy to get caught up in immediate response, but oft entimes, methods like email and text messaging can become misinterpreted in a fast-paced environment.”
The biggest challenge when information is being exchanged at such high speeds is learning to listen and speak skillfully rather than talking mindlessly. But communications experts such as Williamson off er a broad range of tips that can help executives and salespeople communicate more eff ectively, such as not taking things personally, admitting if you don’t know the answer to a question, responding with facts rather than merely reacting with feelings, understanding that people are more concerned that you listen to them than they are that you agree with them, keeping a positive mental focus and emphasizing common ground rather than focusing exclusively on diff erences of opinion.
Sally Williamson & Associates prides itself on improving communication skills, helping executives via a combination of classroom techniques and one-on-one coaching to ensure that their clients not only learn new skills, but also know how to use them in the field. Th e company off ers a range of services, including sessions on executive coaching, persuasive selling and creating winning presentations that can help even the most nervous public speakers learn how to close the deal.
Sally Williamson’s Top 5 Tips For Creating a Winning Presentation
1. Define your goals.
“The first step in outlining your presentation is to define clearly what you hope to achieve when the curtain comes down. Make sure every message you deliver supports the achievement of your goal, and don’t waste time or attention spans with unnecessary information that doesn’t work toward your success.”
2. Boil it down.
“When you’re facing an audience, it’s understood that you’re the expert on the topic at hand. But don’t let your knowledge hinder your connection with the audience! Speakers often deliver presentations saturated with details and industry jargon, two ingredients that are sure to make an audience check out.”
3. Know your audience.
“Important presentations often bring important people to the table. Presentations are usually the final step in cementing relationships. Don’t wait until the presentation to build bridges to influencers.”
4. Avoid optical overload.
“It happens all the time. A speaker finally delivers the speech he’s rehearsed for weeks. The message is convincing, but no one’s listening because they’re anticipating when the next piece of clip art will fly across the screen. Multimedia visuals should complement your presentation, not compete with it