Volume 6, Issue 2 February 2002 Job Link Business Confidence: Presenting Your Favorite Topic - You
Ready, Set, Test!
Confidence: 5 Ways to Be More ConfidentConfidence or Cockiness?
Notable Quotable
Our Disciplines and Locations
Business Confidence: Presenting Your Favorite Topic - You From ivillage.com by JoyLynn Reed
Whether you’re interviewing for a job, selling your consulting business to prospective clients or telling your boss the reasons you deserve a promotion, good presentation skills make your point. You’re really teaching others about a great subject: you. If you think of these moments as opportunities to teach people who you are and what you can do, you will be effective. This is true whether you’re talking one on one or to a large group.
Most of the people — from managers to college freshmen, Ph.D. students to women returning to the workforce — to whom I’ve taught presentation skills since 1985 spent more time rehearsing every word of their speeches than they did writing down and organizing what they were going to say. But good presentations take two factors into account: your audience and your message.
Consider your audience first
- What do they expect you to tell them? That is not always the same as what you want to tell them.
- What do they already believe about you? It doesn’t matter whether their belief is good or bad, true or false when you begin; they believe it.
- How much do they want to know about you? Some people like knowing small personal details; many want you to remain detached.
- What do they need to know to understand you and your abilities? Providing some background is helpful; too much is self-indulgent and boring.
- How can you help them? Everyone ultimately wants to know what’s in it for them.
Write down the main points you want to make
After you’ve considered your audience, you’re ready to think about what you’ll say and how you’ll say it. Even though you’re talking about a subject you know better than anyone else, you still need to write out main points you want to make about your skills, abilities, background and other things you want to say. Target your message — it’s easy to ramble and get off track when you’re discussing your favorite subject
Look your best
Don’t underestimate your physical presentation. You know that dressing professionally is essential. But have you ever thought about how distracting some styles are? A manager at a law firm recently told a story about being in a meeting with two women who were wearing tight and short clothing. All he could remember was what they were wearing; he couldn’t tell me anything about what they said.
Practice speaking
Finally, pay attention to your voice. Vocal quality is something many people don’t consider at all. Many sound weak, wimpy, and ‘’lispy’’ — that conveys powerlessness — yet they don’t even realize they sound that way. Try this: Tape all of your conversations for a day. When you play it back, listen to whether your voice has authority or sounds tentative, weak and lazy. A lazy voice is one that doesn’t articulate well, runs words together and ends sentences with a questioning tone. Think about sounding like Diane Sawyer instead of an MTV veejay.
Don’t worry about trying to pay attention to all these at once. Start with one aspect at a time and focus on improving it. Remember, presenting yourself is not automatically easy just because you’re an expert on the subject. It takes thought and practice, but with those, you can shine.
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” NOTABLE QUOTABLE
– James Baldwin
Confidence or Cockiness?
This month’s issue focuses on confidence -- why it is important and how to attain it. But an important point to remember is the line between confidence and cockiness. One will get you the job, the other will show you the door!It is a common enough mistake; often people without much real confidence will use bluster and attitude as a poor substitute.
So how do you know when you know when you have crossed that line? You really need to think and ask yourself some hard questions and then, the hardest part, give yourself honest answers. “Am I really advanced in Microsoft Word?” “Can I say that I am proficient in General Ledger functions?” If you can really do these things, without fudging your way through, then you can give a confident “Yes.” If not, then your answer is just bluster.
Also, use your NRI Recruiter as a tool. Listen to the feedback they give you after an interview or temp assignment. Listen to what they have to say about your skills after you test. Take what they say to heart without being defensive and improve your skills; nothing builds true confidence like gauging your progress and seeing yourself improve. If what your Recruiter says is all good, mentally wear their feedback like a “confidence badge”, it will be evident to others in your demeanor.
Ready, Set, Test!
As anyone who has signed-up with NRI knows, we have lots of stuff for you to do that first day: tests to take, interviews and, of course, forms to fill out -- Federal, State and ours!With all of that hullaballoo going on, did you realize that you can become even more acquainted with our computers? Each of the computers in our testing rooms are equipped with QWIZ software. They don’t just test you, they can teach you. Integrated into the testing system is a tutorial program that allows you to learn more about a software you already use, or one you have never even seen before!
Build your confidence by building your skills and making yourself more marketable. Call your Recruiter today and make an appointment to keep learning!
Confidence: 5 Ways to Be More Confident Now
From www.ivillage.com, by Mary MitchellWe all wish we could be more confident. In the long term, that means believing in ourselves and our choices, and enjoying our accomplishments and relationships. Yet in the short term, it would be nice to get a little confidence boost every day to goose that long-term effort. Try these strategies and start feeling better today.
- Move your body.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park farther away and walk the distance. Ride a bike and work up a sweat. Exercise clears the brain and the lungs. It increases strength and endurance, and it defuses anger and frustration. You’ll feel energized, and let’s face it, energy is attractive. Nothing enhances your overall appearance like rosy cheeks and a lively step. So get out of chair and get the creative juices flowing.
- Take a look at what you’re wearing.
It’s what others see first. Everything you put on is a reflection of your taste, aesthetic sense and style. If your attire is inappropriate, colleagues are apt to question your judgment and your ability as a significant player. When you’re considering how to dress, ask yourself: How do I want to be perceived? Who are the people I want to impress? We’re not talking fashion statements or fancy clothing; we’re talking about what’s effective in a given environment. And remember these four key factors:
- Fit. Whether you use a tailor or not, make sure all your clothes fit well.
- Cleanliness. Dry cleaning and machine washing can damage clothes. Make sure your outfits are clean without pulls, stray threads or chipped buttons.
- Shoes. Everybody notices shoes, mostly because we get nervous and end up looking down. Keep shoes well soled, shined and in good repair.
- Smile. A clean, bright smile goes a long way to making us feel better about ourselves.
- Breathe.
Stand still. Find sanctuary inside yourself. We are so time-crunched, information bludgeoned, downsized and multitasked that it’s spiritually suffocating. Without a way to focus on who we are inside, we add to the chaos. Learn ‘’belly breathing’’: lie on the floor, be quiet and place your hands on your tummy. Breathe from your belly, letting your belly rise and fall like a bellows. Babies breathe this way. I’ve learned to belly breathe on elevators, in bathroom stalls, and in the middle of crowded rooms when I need to calm down and focus. No need to ‘’om ...’’
- Be disciplined.
Keep your agreements. Be on time. Be mindful and in the present. When we stick to the ‘’now’’ and don’t chase rabbits, we are involved and aware of opportunities. Those we deal with sense that we’re fully with them. That has a tremendous effect on the quality of your personal and professional relationships.
- Give and receive.
Give what you want. If you want more cooperation and respect, give respect and cooperate. If you want to succeed, help others succeed. If you want more joy, be more joyful. And be open to giving to yourself. Honor your own worthiness to receive or no one else will. When we circulate our positive energy, we create more and more to enjoy.Perhaps, as you read this, you’re thinking, ‘’These seem so easy, they couldn’t possibly work.’’ But those people who are most confident do live simply. They don’t let life become overwhelming.
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