Monthly Archives: February 2023

Professional Development Leave a comment

How to Dazzle at Your Next Speaking Gig

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Getting out in front of an audience is one of the best and most efficient ways to network. Approach the podium and the spotlight will shine on you! Everyone in the room will want to meet you and exchange a few words. Inevitably, some will ask to exchange cards and request follow-up conversation.

Taking on a keynote speaking role instantly lends credibility, showcasing you as a an expert in your field and a trusted source of information. Freelancers, owners of business ventures of every size and corporate and not-for-profit organizaton leaders understand that speaking engagements introduce them and their organization to colleagues, potential clients or donors, influencers, referral sources, potential investors, or strategic partners.

Some are intimidated by the thought of speaking before a group of people, no matter how well-versed they are in the subject matter. Public speaking is not a natural activity for everyone. Nevertheless, for those who hold or aspire to a leadership role of some sort, public speaking comes with the territory.

The good news is that public speaking is skill that can be learned. Those who make the effort to develop the skill will be happy to realize that the more you do it, the more proficient and comfortable you’ll become. Consider it professional development. Also encouraging to know is that like learning any skill, breaking the components down into manageable “chunks” and tackling them one by one prevents you from feeling overwhelmed and helps you to learn.

Keep it simple

Be considerate to your audience by making your talk both informative and relatable. Let the audience govern the content of your talk. In particular, unless you’ll address an industry group, avoid technical jargon—it’s not the best way to show off what you know. Not only does high-falutin’ tech speak bore most listeners, it doesn’t convince anyone of your expertise or insights into the topic.

To make your subject engaging for an audience, using easily understood language is the most effective way to demonstrate your grasp of the subject . The most important thing about your talk is that the audience “gets it.” Keeping your things simple allows you to control the flow, no matter which way it goes,” says Maria Thimothy of Forbes Magazine Young Entrepreneur Council.

Shape the story

Rather than composing your entire speech ahead of time, write out key concepts you want to emphasize and then rehearse, using those key points as a focus. You’ll find that by allowing room for flexibility, it will be easier to adjust your talk to the mood of the room and your talk will be better received. For example, if you sense that you’ve lost the attention of some in the audience, you might pose a question or slip in a joke or reference to some happening in the news as a way to re-engage them.

Own the stage

A presentation is more than words. Audience members expect the speaker to be an expert in his/her field who possesses knowledge and experience that will inform and enlighten those who’ve come to listen. Additionally, the speaker’s intention may be to rally audience members with a compelling Call-to-Action that inspires them to demonstrate their support of a cause. To achieve these objectives, public speakers must be both highly competent and also confident.

The successful speaker makes it known that s/he is worthy of the audiences’ trust and respect not only by way of the content of the talk but also in body language and demeanor. It is important for a public speaker to develop stage presence.

  • Power stance

How one stands is a strong indicator of that person’s confidence and mindset. When facing an audience, the speaker should hold a strong and steady position. The feet will be shoulder width apart, with knees relaxed and not locked. The spine will be comfortably erect and the neck and shoulders will also be relaxed.

With this posture the speaker signals that s/he has important information to share and that s/he feels confident. In a 2012 TEDGlobal talk Your Body Language Shapes Who Your Are, social psychologist Amy Cuddy sparked a sensation when she modeled this and other so-called “power poses.”

In a 2013 Harvard Business Review article, TED Curator Chris Anderson seconded Cuddy when he noted that the most common mistake made by inexperienced or nervous speakers is the inability to maintain a solid, stationary posture. Swaying or fidgeting works against the ability to communicate confidence. Anderson noted that “Simply getting a person to keep his or her lower body motionless can dramatically improve stage presence.”

  • Eye contact

Making eye contact is important for maintaining dynamic interaction with the audience. It’s another reason to avoid memorizing your speech and instead focusing on the key points you want to emphasize

To incorporate good eye contact, Chris Anderson recommends finding five or six friendly-looking faces in different parts of an audience, then making eye contact with them as you speak. “Even if you don’t have time to prepare fully and have to read from a script, looking up and making eye contact will make a huge difference,” he advised.

  • Vocal power

When you think about it, the human voice is like a musical intrument. What is singing? You can learn to use your voice as if you are playing a musical instrument, to increase your vocal power and persuasiveness, whether you’re giving a speech or having a conversation.  You can learn to adjust your vocal pitch, volume and speed in a way that allows audience members to follow your talk and want to hear more.

The primary lessons are to keep your tone of voice conversational, enunciate your words clearly and speak somewhat more slowly. When you slow down your speech somewhat, your voice will take on more power and you’ll sound more authoritative. Another benefit of slowing down your speech is that it gives your listeners the opportunity to absorb and reflect on what you’re saying.

Another useful public speaking vocal technique is to include strategically placed pauses when you’ve made an especially salient point to let the information sink in and resonate. Tape your rehearsals and play back to assess your vocal delivery and make adjustments where necessary.

  • Dynamic opening

Attention spans and patience seem to get shorter every month. In the Twitter, TikTok, jump-cut to the chase media hyped world we inhabit, engaging an audience has become more challenging than it was even a few years ago. Those is search of an audience have had to become more inventive.

So try this tactic—rather than opening your talk with the usual trite and predictable ritual of thanking the person who introduced you and then greeting the audience and asking everyone how they’re doing, dare to do the unexpected. Why not simply take the stage and look at audience, as you pause for a beat to create a frisson of tension. Then, launch your talk with a fact or a story that is surprising, if not shocking. You might begin with a tale in which you or someone else is in a moment of crisis. Make a confession. Say something in that very first line that both demands attention and is entirely relevant to the rest of your speech.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: ©  PA Archive/Press Association Images. Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) speaking at Blythe Road, Hammersmith, London February1949. Churchill served twice as UK Prime Minister, 1940-1945 and 1951-1955.

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Manage Your Time, Manage Your Mood

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According to Philip G. Levendusky, Ph.D., Director of the Psychology Department at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA, “Those who struggle with time management are more likely to experience stress, sleep issues, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. They may also start to exhibit symptoms of workplace burnout.” Time management is now recognized as a vital soft skill that impacts not just your professional (and personal) life, but also your health.

Moreover, if establishing success in just about any part of life is a goal, you’ll be greatly assisted by well-developed time management skills. The inability to effectively manage time means, frankly, that life will be more difficult because you won’t be able to get things done. Your plans may never get beyond the drawing board.

When you can’t get things done colleagues and friends, to say nothing of clients, may enjoy your company, but may simultaneously label you as undependable and perhaps also frustrating. Those who can’t appropriately manage their time often don’t have the best reputation. That managing time is a way to avoid hassles, frustration, embarrasment, disappointment and other aggravations that feed both stress and low self-esteem is, I’m afraid, not obvious to everyone.

Freelancers know that when there is a deadline to meet good time management, which involves prioritizing and planning, is essential. Time management is part of your brand and when it’s lacking, you can’t call yourself trustworthy or dependable.

As part of your strategy to make Freelance consulting projects efficient and pleasant for yourself, your team and your clients, it’s important to be mindful of where and how to devote time. Not only will you achieve optimal productivity, you’ll enhance your (everyone’s!) health. Here’s how time management can help you minimize or avoid professional difficulties, personal disappointments and affective mood disorders.

Decrease stress

Recent research found that nearly 57% of U.S. and Canadian workers reported that they feel stressed on a daily basis, an 8-point increase from the year prior, compared to 43% of working people worldwide. Stress, worry, sadness and anger rates have been trending upward in the U.S. since 2009.

Numerous horrific and all-too-often deadly acts of workplace violence demonstrate that undeniable finding. During the coronavirus shutdown and its aftershocks, stress was further increased by concerns over the virus and risk of illness, conflict associated with families grappling with WFH and at-home schooling and financial insecurities. Prolonged stress can cause a wide range of negative health outcomes. Related physical effects include sleep difficulties, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression and habits such as procrastination, over- eating, a depressed appetite, or excessive drinking.

Effectively manage your time and give yourself as much control over your schedule as possible. Smart time management helps you find, or create, blocks of free time that can be spent relaxing and enjoying yourself by participating in whatever physical fitness or relaxation activities make the stress you’ve been feeling melt away.

Reduce anxiety

The most common mental health issues today are anxiety disorders and (reactive) depression. The pandemic has increased their occurrence. Globally, depression affects 3.8% of the population, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately 30% of U.S. adults will experience an anxiety disorder during their lifetime, according to another study.

Time management and anxiety are intertwined—-poor time management can result in missed deadlines and missed deadlines are known to result in anxiety (and stress). Prolonged feelings of anxiety may bring about symptoms that signal depression, such as low energy, mood swings, irritability and an overall negative attitude. To address noticeable feelings of anxiety or depression, speak with your primary care physician or a mental health care provider.

Your time management skills can help reduce anxiety and distress (depression requires professional care). So if improving work- life balance is something you’d like to do, especially in light of the prevalence of WFH work schedules, time management skills can help you to establish useful boundaries. Meaning, when it’s time to prepare and enjoy dinner, whether alone or with family, flexing your time management muscle makes it easier to turn off your phone and avoid responding to work-related messages when it’s more important to let yourself have some battery recharging downtime.

Avoid burnout

Ongoing workplace stress can leave you feeling not just anxious, but also overwhelmed, inadequate, irritable and resentful—burned out. The World Health Organization classifies burnout as an extreme form of stress that is associated with mental and physical exhaustion, cynical attitudes, emotional withdrawal, difficulty with concentration and focus and diminished productivity and professionalism at work.

Yet another benefit of time management is that it makes you acknowledge how much work you can take on in a given day or week. As noted earlier, time management supports your establishment of healthy boundaries, making it easier to turn down potential demands on your time when you already have a full plate (work or leisure).

Improve your mood and attitude

Maintaining a positive frame of mind will be difficult if you suffer from high stress, anxiety, resentment, depression, or burnout. Time management is not a cure-all for the challenges you face. Still, as a readily available first line of defense, time management can be your go-to strategy when organizing your life is necessary.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Courtesy of Harold Lloyd Entertainment. Actor Harold Lloyd (1893-1971, pictured) in the 1923 silent film classic Safety Last.

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Pulling Out of A Slump

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It can be argued that periodic downturns are endemic to the business cycle. Companies large and small will eventually suffer through a downturn, a slump, in sales revenues and profit. A slump is always worrisome but some are seasonable and therefore predictable. That means you can prepare.

Landscaping services expect the demand for lawn and garden maintenance to drop during the winter months. To supplement cash-flow and position the company for year-round customer value, owners of landscaping concerns are known to retool for snow removal when gardens are dormant.

But for most businesses, unfortunately, a slump will occur unexpectedly and for no immediately obvious reason, such as the appearance of a competitor or a difficult economy. If the struggling business is to survive, corrective action must be taken soon. Reversing a sales trend that’s negative or flat is a formidable challenge, a high-stakes test of the resoucefulness and strategic vision of the company leadership. A turnaound, rather a bigger deal than a pivot, may be needed to turn the tide. Or not.

Freelancers typically do not have the financial wherewithal to bring in a management consultant to diagnose the problem and recommend solutions. Freelance consultants need a Do It Yourself remedy and that’s what we’ll talk about today. As usual, the solution you seek will probably be found in data and knowledge you already own and have access to. Your company’s Key Performance Indicators (determine which ones tell the story) and revelations shared by your customers will most likely steer you to both the correct diagnosis plus cost-effective strategies to halt the slump and stimulate revenue.

When to respond

A slump may be a sudden or gradual phenomenon and caused by any number of factors, including a national or regional economic downturn, the introduction of a compelling new technology, a large-scale health crisis, even a vote in your state legislature. If your top line gross revenues show a decline of 10 % or more (or flatline) for three consecutive months and you are unable to understand why revenue is dropping, recognize that your business is in a slump and you cannot ignore the problem.

The cause

If you’re in a slump, it’s important to identify the cause (single or plural). Did something happen in the industry, or in the local or national economy (like a widespread or a war)? Has business been adversely impacted by the shift to Work From Home, because your customers are no longer in the office five days a week and connecting with them has become difficult? Whatever the cause may be, it’s important to know what went wrong and decide if a work-around would make sense, or if a fundamental change should be made. In some cases, it will be necessary to assess your entire operation. It will be wise to consider the following possibilities:

  • Evolving customer tastes or priorities
  • Business model weakness
  • Powerful competitor
  • Economic factors

The cure

You will likely find that customer feedback is essential to the discovery process. Seeking out the wisdom that your customers can provide will guarantee that you’ll develop a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of the marketplace and that understanding will lead to an effective solution. A more nuanced understanding of the marketplace can also help you to develop products and services that customers actually want and need.

When preparing to reach out to your customers, make contact through various channels—emails, call-outs in your blog or newsletter, calls-to-action posted to your website and social media platforms. Customer surveys and invitations to join (30-60 minute) conference or video calls can yield a wealth of boots-on-the-ground insights and you’ll be almost certain to obtain actionable information. Reddit, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are ideal venues for this type of research. For example, Twitter Spaces is a feature that allows users to create a chatroom-like environment with a group of people.

Keep in mind, however, that while customer feedback can be very helpful as you search for the cause of your business slump and can as well be very useful as you engineer a pivot or a turnaround for the business, blindly following customer suggestions is not recommended. The customers’ money is not on the line and neither do they see the big picture of the business and its challenges-—you do. Have the confidence to use your own judgment and expertise to make what you interpret as the best decisions for your entity.

In sum, good KPI data and customer feedback should be essential components of any business’s intention to understand and resolve a significant business challenge. An assessment of business conditions, industry trends and customer feedback re: their priorities, goals and preferences can inform any tweaking of products or services you might undertake, the pivot or turnaround you may follow to pull the business back from the brink and position your venture for the greatest success its ever experienced.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © AF Archive/Alamy. John Dimech (as Daud) struggles to escape quicksand in Lawrence of Arabia (1962).