Page 155 - Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders

Ch09/P3_Baldoni_141496-7 5/22/03 12:53 PM Page 133
CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE BEYOND WORDS
CHAPTER 9
Ask the facilitator to develop a list of questions to ask the leader.

Invite the facilitator to provide periodic summaries of the discussion so

that everyone in the group stays together.
Require the facilitator to keep the meeting on time and on task. The

facilitator should focus discussion on the issues, not go into extraneous
topics. (There may be times, however, when there will be a deliberate 133
veer in the dialogue in order to cover hot issues or deal with unexpected
surprises.)
Ask the facilitator to summarize, but then invite the leader to close the
dialogue.
The bottom line is that leadership communications is about content and
meaning. A facilitated dialogue can be a wonderful way to explore new ideas
as well as to affirm organizational values and create deeper levels of trust.
Communications Planner:
Connecting with the Audience
Getting the audience’s attention and maintaining it is the presenter’s
chief challenge. Beyond words and visuals, presenters can use their
imagination to grab the audience’s eyes and speak directly to their souls.

1. Develop a “get to know me” pitch for the start of every pre-
sentation. This should let the audience know who you are and
what you will do in your presentation.
2. Consider learning a magic trick or a simple juggling maneu-
ver. Practice it until you can do it in your sleep, or in front of
your friends. Look for opportunities to introduce it into a pre-
sentation. It may be an opener; it may be a closer. Think about
how and where you can use it.
3. Practice different ways to demonstrate your product. If it is
something tangible, let the audience touch and feel it. If it is a
service, invite the audience to experience it. Consider revers-
ing the order of presentation. Maybe you will lead with the
benefits and close with the features, or perhaps you will lead
with the features and close with the benefits.
4. Talk to corporate trainers. Find out what games they use to
engage the audience’s attention. An easy way to find some
titles is to do a search in a virtual bookstore. Choose the words
games for trainers.