Talking with the audience

I've been watching the Lib-Dem Conference this week. Not with any political interest but because I love the conference scene (even Party conferences) and I like to watch the presenters do their stuff. It's clear that some effective preparatory work has gone into the headlining speakers. TV doesn't show the speaker's full view of things, but eye movement patterns certainly suggested the deployment of autocue moniters at centre "circle seats" level, and probably to left and right too. As a result we saw the main presenters talking naturally with all of the audience. Much more effective than the "tennis umpire" look we see when glass projection screens are sited either side of the lectern.
And good to see the attention given to the "non-verbals." Chris Huhne and Tim Farron both comfortable to step away from the lectern and walk the stage to alter emphasis.
It's not so easy though when you're a "rank and file member." No stage rehearsal time for you....and reciting to the bathroom mirror in your hotel room is never the same. You've just got to get up there with speech in hand. Anchor yourself to the lectern and find a space to spread the pages. And hope that you remembered to write it in phrases that allow you to look up occasionally.
Of course that isn't how it has to be. Yes Tim Farron gave an excellent presentation with autocue as support. But he knew his speech. Because of that he was able to tell his story with feeling and animation, and enjoy it knowing that the prompt of autocue was there if needed. I reckon that one or two of the "unrehearsed" presenters knew their speech and could have done the same. Except that once you've got that blessed script in your hand it's hard to relax and go for it. Leave the script on your seat comrades....write out some cue cards..or a mind map. Then get up there and tell your story as it is!

Bob Howard-Spink is a partner in Persuadability. http://www.persuadability.co.uk/

Internal Communications - Solid foundations or wet cement?

I was recently reminded of a very successful retailer I'd met some years ago. He used to say “run a shop and you make a living....run several shops and you make money!” In practice what he did was to find a successful model and then replicate it, with every individual outlet copying that successful model, whilst at the same time feeling ownership of it.
What he created was a successful organisation of individuals, who were clear about the things they have to do.....who believed that doing those things would make everyone successful....and who understood that their energy and efforts made the difference. ......A situation that any business would prize!
That retailer also had a pretty basic way to sum up performance levels within an organisation. He called it "the law of self-levelling cement"… which argues that performance finds its own natural lowest level when left unattended. His management philosophy may have lacked present day finesse and phraseology but it’s pretty unarguable. It is the organisations who consistently reinforce what matters and why it matters who perform best. They stand on solid foundations….not on wet cement!!

Bob Howard-Spink is a partner in Persuadability. For tips and advice on how we can improve your persuadability visit us at http://www.persuadability.co.uk/

The power of subconscious persuasion

I came across a fascinating article published in the New York Times in July 2007 which delves into the question of sub-conscious communication. The author discusses several well authenticated experiments where groups of people behaved differently because of some subtle stimuli. For example, a "clean" aroma in the room encouraged tidy behaviour. Iced coffee and hot coffee given on arrival to two separate groups corresponded with the "cold" and "warm" feelings each group had when subsequently discussing the same person. Experiments with reducing light and changing temparature similarly produced changing behaviour. Other research co-relates with these findings. One experiment indicated that we have an unconscious memory thousands of times larger than our conscious one, and that our minds are accessed by a channel of unconscious thought that is exceptionally responsive to sensory stimuli. Psychologists do accept that there is still much to be discovered about the workings of the brain, but it's clear that sub-conscious communication works.  Not the infamous and subsequently confessed fake claims of the "subliminal Coke Ad," but an evident form where as we concentrate our attention on the "centre stage" action, it is the un-noticed surrounding stimuli that is simultaneously influencing our ultimate response.
And the key to this is Un-noticed. Unskilled attempts at mirroring the buyer in a one to one presentation won't do it. Blasting out "Simply the best!" as the Sales Director walks on stage won't do it!
But do it skillfully ...subtly....naturally...and all importantly, with congruence....and that will do it!


Bob Howard-Spink is a partner in Persuadability. For more tips and advice on how we can help improve your persuadability visit us at http://www.persuadability.co.uk/

The "Theo-ology of Social Media

I read a great article by Theo Paphitis of Dragon's Den fame in Mail Online where he argues for a ban in the workplace on social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, because of their time-wasting impact on business.
I love some of the phrases he uses to describe the content on such sites - "an orgy of self-indulgence and exhibitionism," and "meaningless babble and egomaniacal drivel!"
He cites the example of Portsmouth City Council who have banned staff from using Facebook after discovering that log-ins had reached 270,000 in one month. And generally he presents a compelling argument for such a ban. He struck a particular chord with me when he went on to discuss our over-reliance on emails, mobile telephones and text messaging, suggesting that "Technological progress has brought linguistic regressions." I was appalled to realise the other day that I was now habitually typing "there" for "their" and "they're" in emails.
And the other bee in my bonnet is how we mis-communicate through electronic communication because of its total dependance on words alone. A colleague in sales endured constant confusion and harrassment because of her boss's reliance on text messages to direct and control the sales team. Unfortunately we haven't all learnt that 90% of the interpretation of meaning comes through accompanying body language and voice tones!
But the fact remains that businesses will want to communicate with employees and customers, and the internet and mobile technology is a fantastic way to do that once the audience is engaged. Mobile technology, the internet and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Digg are arguably the perfect delivery channel to achieve this. The "opting in...community" format creates a sense of ownership with the audience, and because of this they instinctively trust content and choose to engage with messages. The huge opportunity for business is in recognising where social media is appropriate within the communication mix, and learning how to work with it to get messages across.

Bob Howard-Spink is a partner in Persuadability. For tips and advice on how we can assist you to get your message across persuasively please visit us at http://www.persuadability.co.uk/