Editor's Corner Excerpted from the April 2005 Newsletter Connecting with your audience In one of our recent seminars, we had a lively discussion about that morning’s presidential press conference. As you may imagine, various pros and cons were mentioned. It was an amiable discussion though not everyone was in agreement. One man said “I didn’t notice any of those,” meaning any of the suggestions for improvement. To which someone responded, “I guess you voted for him, didn’t you?” And, indeed, he had. And that, my friends, underscores the power—and necessity—of connecting with your audience. In our seminars, the point is always made that it isn’t about the data—the underlying truth of which is that if you haven’t connected, they’ll doubt your data regardless of how complete or accurate it is. Because we speak on a much less global scale than the President, we may have a better chance of recovering from an initial lack of connection, but it’s a long haul however you look at it. Much better to be sure you’ve found common ground with your audience and made the effort to make sure they know you care about them and your subject before you launch into your data than to risk losing them and therefore the response you were hoping for. Connecting isn’t frivolous. It’s vital. Dear Teach Stephen Lysik, Sales Division Controller, Sika Corporation: Thanks to you and your course, everything went very well in the presentation I delivered right after the class. To give you an idea what I was dealing with, there were a hundred people there, one of whom was the new president of our company, and I also had a mobile microphone! Believe it our not, I wasn’t that nervous because I was in the right frame of mind and confident about the message I was about to deliver. Thanks again for all of your help and I'm sure I’ll discover new aspects everyday of what we covered. Controlling emotion Question: “How do you control emotion when giving a presentation? Sometimes I can feel the tears starting to form and then I’m lost.” Answer: First, it’s helpful to know that tears welling up doesn’t mean all is lost. Usually it won’t ruin your purpose as long as you don’t lose control. It can even lend a kind of credibility as to your commitment. However, if you think, “all is lost,” you’re more likely to do something that will make it harder for you all to get back on track. Examine what it is that triggers the tears. You should then be able to find a way to say the same thing leaving out the visual and emotional connection that diverts your focus from your message. Without that trigger, it’s much easier to stay focused on why you’re sharing this information and how it affects the audience, rather than on your own state of mind and the effect the experience had on your life. As always, it’s focus and discipline. But do make it easier on yourself by avoiding your own emotional triggers. Quotes can make it lively Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect. —Mark Twain Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow. —Johann von Goethe I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. —Abraham Lincoln Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit. —Napoleon Hill Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown. —H. Ross Perot He conquers who endures. —Persius You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. —Naguib, Mahfouz The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. —Socrates For more great quotes, check out these websites: www.americanrhetoric.com/top100speechesall.html www.brainyquote.com www.mightyminds.com/quotes www.quotegarden.com

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