Archiv der Kategorie: English

Undermining oneself

Most tasks require a lot of preparation, mental stamina and serious efforts, in order to prepare the results. With the appropriate engagement the outcomes are normally presentable. Occasionally there are chances to share the experiences with others. Eventually there is even a remarkable presentation set. In the crucial moment, when all eyes are directed on you, one stumbles and undermines oneself.

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You could avoid most of the traps. The following bullets are some simple elements that you should evade in any cases.

  • Give an uncertain impression
    It all begins in the first seconds of the presentation. Hanging shoulders, lacking eye contact and a suffering facial expression without a trace of smile produce an incapable impression for the audience. The best content cannot compensate.
  • Arrogant appearance
    The opposite of an uncertain manner is the smug appearance that tells the listeners that they are dumb and should be grateful that one takes the time to explain the world to them. This begins with a cheeky greeting and goes to awkward teaching. Everybody knows how it works. Or not?
  • Speaking in an incomprehensible language
    “The intention of reminiscence is the reflection of the exorbitant quintessence that you forced upon by serendipity.” What a pity the good results are distorted by an incomprehensible language like this. It only takes many words, a set of subordinate clauses and links to exclude any meaning from a message. The target audience defines what they get. Who gives a Spaniard, who does not know English, a presentation in English. Or presents to a non-expert crowd information in an unknown jargon.
  • Load statement negatively
    “Unconsciously we do not believe that we cannot do many things and never know that we know nothing.” Although we are convinced that we control a lot instinctively and can always access our experiences, in order to contribute something. Words load a statement with energy that cramp the purpose – not, never, no, none, without, nothing, nobody. Prefixes are a fast way for negating, by putting them in advance: – a-social, in-competent, dis-informed, ir-relevant. In German you can even put words together, in order to give them an evaluation – gift+grün (bilious green), stink+fein (ritzy), or scheiß+freundlich (palsy-walsy).
  • Not getting ready for the event
    The safest way to fail is not to be prepared. To present off the cuff is a good idea in workshops or in other open situations. Presentations or sales talks without a clear operational sequence, ill prepared statements and unskillful exchange of thoughts are wasted opportunities for you and particularly for the audience.
  • Missing relation to the target group
    The reference to the target audience is created by the fact that you imagine previously the group with the mental eye. Although it consists of different individuals, who provide together a certain image – business types (e.g. developer vs. sales person), interests (e.g. vision vs. results) and attitudes (being vs. having). If you do not connect with the audience due to unawareness, you will inevitably fail.

The first step towards a solution is being aware of the previous bullets. Giving a sense of security, appearing modestly, expressing yourself clearly, and loading expressions positively, being prepared and connecting with the audience is the way out that however all have to develop for themselves.

Bottom line: The best result cannot be appreciated, if you undermine your own appearance by awkward behavior, an incomprehensible language and missing preparation. The effect that you get does not come for a large part from the conclusive and correct work result, but from the impression that you leave.

PERYOU – Does the customer get what I have or what he wants?

The best offer is the package that supplies the customer with the best result. Afterwards, even the latest knows what this is. The difficulty is the blur of the potential customer needs and the first proposals of the bidder. In the early phases of the contact both parties don’t know each other sufficiently. Therefore it is important to bring the ideas into a form that makes the selection easy for the customer. Does the customer get what one has or what he wants?

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For all offerers it is crucial to accept that there is no other objectivity in dealing with the customers but their subjectivity. For this reason the components of the offer should be peryouficated. The following items help.

  • Put off the eyeglasses!
    In the first step it is important to let go the own filters that obstruct the neutral look at the customers. The colored eyeglasses affect not only the contrast between the aspects, but extract certain colors. Your own experience, knowledge and hypothesis manipulate the same way, what you notice with a customer and its topics. Unfortunately you cannot escape completely from your own mental models, since you only understand what you already know. Examples are the terms that are available to you and always need the context, in order to have the chance of being understood: Realization, groundwork, values, measures, effluvium/affluvium, mesmerization as well as any other terms. Therefore, always put off the eyeglasses!
  • Put on the eyeglasses!
    In the second step you focus on understanding the customer. Without your own bias you recognize your counterpart more easily. You observe the nonverbal messages of the body language and empathize. At this moment it is not only a matter of answering but also of experiencing the said, including the corresponding feelings (e.g. faster breath or heart beat in difficult situations). You recognize thereby, where the customers see their benefit. These are at first sight rather functional advantages. However, often these are more emotional advantages. The value of a service appears after you consider the required sacrifices of the customer. This is mostly not the price of the deliverable, but the accompanying expenditures for the realization, like necessary, internal means and employees. Thus a clear picture arises within shortest time. If you take over the acquired hue of the customer, you see from then on the topic with his eyes. Therefore, put on the eyeglasses!
  • Peryouficating
    In the third step it is a matter of translating your offer in such a way to the customer that he can assess it from his own view and hopefully will make the right choice. The appropriate word selection can be derived from the usual formulations. This step we simply call peryoufication (derived from per you = through the counterpart and fication = make). For this purpose you do not describe what you as an offerer know, have and are able to do, but what the customer learns, gets and will be able to do. Let’s look at the following two examples of proposals.
    <1) Our specialists analyze the situation, develop alternative solutions and provide professional business models. We master the newest methods, know all legal conditions and future challenges.>
    Peryouficated could look like this one.
    <2) You receive a clear assessment of your starting position and a selection from meaningful options, in order to make your business fit for the pending tasks. You learn effective procedures, fulfill reliably the legal requirements and you sustainably successful.>
    With whom would you rather collaborate?

Even if the examples seem to be both and simple at first sight, sooner or later you recognize the difference. In the real world further aspects are added, like e.g. the appropriate word choice, the personal behavior, and the dressing. In any case it is better to focus on the view of the customers, than on yourself.

Bottom line: Regardless of your field of expertise it is favorable to consider and formulate the tasks from the perspective of the customer. This will makes it easier for the customer to understand and valuate an offer and to decide for it. PERYOU the customer gets what he wants.