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Sometimes my clients teach me about
communication skills.
“I have
an associate that needs your help,” a law firm partner
told me over the telephone. “He is smart and a great
lawyer. But he lacks executive presence.”
“What
do you mean?”
“Speaking to clients, he never inspires confidence, ”
the partner said. “Every time he speaks, I cringe.”
What a
great definition of “executive presence”: the ability to
inspire confidence.
So can
we teach how to speak in a way that inspires
confidence?
Yes.
It takes four things.
Strong
eye contact
Without
good eye contact, you won’t look confident.
I
worked with a computer consultant who was charged with
proposing ideas to senior business executives. By all
accounts, his analysis was brilliant. But when conveying
ideas, he would only make glancing eye contact.
“When
I’m thinking as I speak,” this consultant said, “I like
to look up or down. It’s a way of gathering my
thoughts. So I don’t really give good eye contact.”
The
best practice is to start your statement with strong,
unwavering eye contact. Don’t shift your eyes. Don’t
look down or up. Lock in for three to five seconds.
After that, you can look away briefly and then return to
strong eye contact.
Cleanly
Organized Messages
Here’s
a classic test of “executive presence”. You’re in a
meeting and someone asks you, “What’s happening with the
project to expand services into Canada?”
If you
respond with a “brain dump” spewing ideas at random,
you’re not going to inspire confidence.
We
recommend organizing your thoughts with an
easy-to-remember, three-part structure: what’s happened
so far, challenges, solutions.
“We think we can expand
into Canada, but there are some issues. I’d like to
touch on three things: what’s happened so far, the
challenges we see with the expansion, and the solutions
we propose.”
Then go
through each of those three issues (what’s happened so
far, the challenges, and the solutions), making sure to
start each section with a verbal cue like “So let’s talk
about what’s happened so far.”
The
ability to report on matters quickly and simply is a
classic example of strong executive presence.
Answer
questions tightly
Tight
answers have snap and inspire confidence. Here’s a
simple recipe for answering questions with executive
presence. Start with the simple answer in the first
sentence or two. Give a little explanation. Then stop.
“How
long will the project take?”
Poor
executive presence:
“Well, we need to have a
couple of meetings with people in the field first.
During those meetings, we’re going to gather a lot of
data about preferences. Sometimes their preferences can
dictate a lot of extra work on our part. However, if
their preferences are pretty straightforward, we
probably won’t have to do much in terms of follow-up. If
that’s the case, then we estimate that the project will
take between three and six months.”
Good
executive presence:
“We estimate it will take
no more than six months. The key will be whether we can
get the key data from field personnel quickly.”
Speak
with Passion
Intensity and passion sell ideas and inspire
confidence. I love the quote from Thomas Fuller, an
English writer from the 1600s who wrote, “Boldness in
business is the first, second, and third thing.” A
bold, energetic voice is a sure characteristic of
executive presence.
So be
bold. Make strong eye contact. Organize your ideas
simply. And give simple answers. You’ll greatly improve
your executive presence.
Joey Asher is President of Speechworks, a selling and
communication skills coaching company in Atlanta. He has
worked with hundreds of business people helping them
learn how to communicate in a way that connects with
clients. His new book 15 Minutes Including Q&A: a Plan
to Save the World from Lousy Presentations” is due out
in the fall. He is also the author three previous books
including “How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals
That Will Distinguish You from the Competition”,
“Selling and Communication Skills for Lawyers” and “Even
A Geek Can Speak.” He can be reached at 404-266-0888 or
joey@speechworks.net. |
