Building Executive Presence Into Your Presentations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) April 15, 2004 -- FILE: Personal Presence/Style



TO: Executive Presence Addressed

FR: James E. Lukaszewski, APR

Chairman

RE: Building Executive Presence Into Your Presentations





Mortimer Levitt in the book Class, What It Is And How To Acquire It suggests the four basic components of class:



What you say

How you say what you say

What you do

How you look

Why care about class? Because lack of it is among the most common reasons for losing sales, accounts, and customers. Without it we are often unable to present ourselves effectively, to project presence, build rapport, or maintain relationships. Establishing and keeping relationships through the way we present products and ourselves is a key to more sales.



Relationships deteriorate from:



Poor initial impressions

Neutral or negative lasting impressions

Lack of knowledge of client's business

Poor presentation skills

Presentations fail from:



Speaking without clarity and with discomfort

Written materials which are unclear and unorganized

Poor listening, attentiveness and understanding

Focusing too much on ourselves rather than on client problems and needs

Add presence to your presentations:



Collect questions you're asked during presentations and client meetings. Develop answers that bring value to what you say and do and to your relationship with your audience or client.

Use anecdotes and stories. Refine and develop them so that they enhance your personal presence and add value to your presentations. A good story, well told, can do more to keep clients and audiences than the highest level of technical competence.

Always approach what you say, how you say what you say, how you look and what you do from the client/customer's perspective.