How To Present July 2011

JULY 2011

IN THIS ISSUE Award winning Kirsty Spraggon shares her tips for presenting How to achieve your dreams Staying profitable as you move into the new financial year Bad Managers The purposequestion process Sweat the small stuff Engage and Entertain

Success Stories Boost your Confidence

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DIARY DATES INFLUENTIAL PRESENTATION SKILLS (2-day Public Program) Join Michelle at her next public program IN SYDNEY: • July 19-20 • August 23-24 BRISBANE: September 6-7 MELBOURNE: August 9-10 To register or chat about your specific needs please email: michelle@michellebowden.com.au

Who is Michelle Bowden?

Michelle is an expert in influential presentation skills in business. She has run her 2-day Influential Presentation Skills program over 550 times with many thousands of people and she’s been nominated for Educator of the Year 3 years running. Michelle is one of only 25 Australian females who is a Certified Speaking Professional the highest designation for speakers in the world. For a list of Michelle’s clients please go to her website.

Michelle’s Update Welcome to the July edition of How to Present magazine. This issue is packed full of tips to help you sell your ideas more persuasively in a variety of ways.

How exciting! I’m sending you this magazine from China! What an amazing place! I’m here with my family for a couple of weeks to see what it’s like in one of the most populated countries in the world - we are having a great time! One of my dreams was to see the terracotta warriors in Xian. If you also have dreams and want to see them fulfilled then you’ll love both the article on Achieve your Goals as well as our cover story/interview with the award winning international speaker Kirsty Spraggon in the Hot Seat.

In sales, one of the most common forms of disengagement occurs when we ask a question that causes a client or prospect to think to themselves "why would you be asking me that question?" This can often be the result of us asking a question that may seem to be without context, potentially confronting, confusing or has the chance of being misinterpreted or having an ulterior motive. Read about the Purpose-Question process and learn how to build trust with your clients and prospects.

Plus keep reading for lots of great information on why you should Sweat the Small Stuff, how to Engage & Entertain the people in your audience who have a Visual preference, how to Boost your Confidence. AND we have some insights into Bad Managers and how to Stay Profitable in the 2011/12 financial year.

So grab yourself a ’cuppa’, put your feet up and have a read!

And most importantly, make sure you put the invaluable advice into immediate action so you see some fast results. Happy Presenting!

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SUCCESS STORIES! What general positive outcomes have you achieved from improving your presentation skills?

JOC OʼDONNELL DIRECTOR, H W RICHARDSON GROUP

Upon finishing any courses that I attend I always do a ‘one pager’ of the key points I have picked up and I laminate them and have them sitting around to prompt me. When I went to do this after Michelle’s course it was the first time I couldn’t do this on one or two pages as there were so many beneficial learnings and that was in just 2 days!! Michelle is so enthusiastic and provided such a supportive environment made this course a really fun one to do.

How did Michelle's program change your attitude to presenting?

What kind of presenting do you do?

My name is Joc O’Donnell. I am the Owner/ Director, along with my mother, of our family business which specialises in Ready Mixed Concrete, Fuel and Lubricant distribution, road construction and maintenance and specialised transport. We have 1000 staff and 700 heavy vehicles. The presenting that I do is very broad. It can involve addresses to our executive teams, function openings, retirement functions, company profile videos and the likes.

Michelle’s program changed my focus on presenting and made me realise that “it wasn’t about me, it’s all about the audience” Taking this on board has made me a lot more relaxed about having to speak and helped me gain confidence.

I found the different techniques we were taught on how to structure your presentation particularly useful, especially the 4 Mat and the 13 step process. These are very helpful tools which enable you to reach and engage and build rapport with your whole audience.

What prompted you to attend Michelle's Influential Presentation Skills program?

What were your top three take aways from Michelle's training?

I was attending a course in Australia at Mt Eliza when one of the other participants mentioned that she had just completed the best course that she had ever done. This was Michelle’s Advanced Presentations Skills course. As public speaking is something my mother Shona and I have found ourselves having to do more and more we decided to give Michelle’s program a go.

If I were to name 3 key take away they would be:

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• Be prepared • Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse • Be yourself, relax and enjoy!

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STAYING PROFITABLE IN 2011 Here are just a few of my tips for staying profitable for the remainder of in 2011: 1.

Be the best. Make sure you are the best at what you do. Be the person your customers go to when they need what you offer whether that be a product, service or advice. Remember, your personal brand is what people say about you ‘behind your back!

Continually grow and develop yourself and your offering and make ‘expert’ an authentic personal brand word for yourself in your area of interest in 2009.

2.

Add value. Add more value to your offering than ever before. Evolve the way you do things to stay current and innovative - WHAT ELSE can you do to further exceed your customers’ individual expectations?

3.

Know your customers. Understand your customers inside out so you can give them what they need. Use my think/feel/do

analysis to help conduct a thorough needs analysis of your customer. Also, try to keep using as many of the advanced language patterns I teach whilst talking with your clients so you can pitch and influence with the highest levels of rapport.

TESTIMONIAL Combining ancient Eastern wisdom (Ayurveda), thousand-year-old spiritual teachings, natural health science secrets, and the latest good research, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Health, will remind you of the simple, age-old wisdoms of health and happiness, as followed by the world’s healthiest and longest-living people. You will learn to never again be confused about modern-day health advice, and understand the timeless wisdoms for enjoying your best health without pills, powders or magic potions.

If you want to simplify your life, stay young in mind and body, lose weight, re-energise, or experience more contentment and joy in life, you will love this book.

I love this book and highly recommend it to you. www.healthspeaker.com.au www.howtopresent.com.au

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July 2011

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ENGAGE AND INTEREST YOUR AUDIENCE We know that the ability to build rapport or get along with people is very important in both business and personal relationships.

We also know that is easier to build rapport with people who demonstrate the same or similar characteristics to us people who are like ourselves.

And it is difficult to build rapport with those people who are not like us. When we don’t understand others, we often find it difficult to relate effectively to them, and even harder to influence these people in a workplace presentation setting.

According to some theorists, we each have over 70 different personality filters that make up who we are. Every situation, conversation and experience is taken through these filters. They explain why we choose to act, decide, respond the way we do, with the people and situations around us.

When it comes to presenting, we know that audiences are made up of people with a variety of different personality filters. One of the more relevant filters to apply when you are a presenter running meetings, influencing people or facilitating groups relates to the way people process and sort information. It’s called the VAKOGAd sort - good name hey?!

If you have ever wished you could be more engaging and stimulate your audience more effectively throughout your presentations then keep reading. There is a simple way...

How to engage and stimulate your audience...

Some of you have covered the VAKOGAd theory with me in my 2-day Influential Presentation Skills program. You may recall that there are people who favour their visual, auditory, www.howtopresent.com.au

kinesthetic, olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), and Auditory Digital channels for processing and storing information or memories.

Recently, some people have asked for some more detail. So let’s look at the first of these filters - the Visual Representational Filter - so you can keep stimulating these people in your daily communications.

We will cover the rest of the filters in this model in our upcoming magazines over the next few months...

How would you describe a Visual Learner/ Audience Member?

These are the people who seem to take a lot of pride in their appearance, often have an organised, neat, orderly desk. They like to see what you mean and make decisions based on how things look. They often have trouble remembering verbal conversations or presentations. People with a visual preference are also less distracted by noisy interferences due to less focus on their auditory channel.

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ENGAGE AND INTEREST YOUR AUDIENCE (CONT.) Reduce the number of words on your slides.

Questions to ask yourself

2. Use gestures, move across the floor with a purpose. Try wall charts, posters, flipcharts, whiteboard, handouts, props.

3. Pay attention to the detail in your personal appearance. Shine your shoes, brush your hair, iron your clothes well, and girls make sure you reapply your lipstick throughout the day!

4. Visuals tend to process information quickly and will be frustrated by time wasting so make sure you speak quickly at times and keep your message moving.

Do you find it easy or difficult to deal with people who have the visual preference?

Would you like to make influencing these people easier for yourself?

Remember that the key to rapport building with the people around you who are least like you, is cultivating a competent ability to flex your personal preferences to be as like your audience members as possible.

Some practical tips...

So how would you be as like your visual audience members as possible? How would you ensure the visuals in your meetings remember your message?

1.

These people need visual displays to be engaged by your message, to stay alert, and to understand your point easily. So use PowerPoint and make sure your slides have clear, simple graphs and beautiful, modern images or pictures.

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5. It is advisable that you give people with a visual preference some form of written reinforcement of your content: handouts, web addresses, intranet back-up.

6.

Eye contact - lots of it.

7.

Use visually-based language. Here are some visual words for you to consider:

aim, apparition, appear, blank, blind, blue, blur, bright, brilliant, clear, cloudy, colour, dark, dim, diagram, disillusion, draw, dull, elucidate, eclipse, envision, enlighten, flash, focus, foggy, foresight, frame, glaze, glance, glare, glow, hazy, hindsight, horizon, illuminate, insight, light, look, luminous, mirror, neat, obscure, observe, outlook, overshadow, oversight, overview, paint, pattern, peer, perspective, picture, portray, reveal, round, reflect, see, watch, vivid, visualise, veil, vision, sketch, show, shine.

Try using tips 1-7 to stimulate the visual audience members and notice how much more engaging and influential your presentations are for these people.

Happy Presenting!

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THE PURPOSE-QUESTION PROCESS

BY DAVID PENGLASE Have you ever been in a situation where someone has asked you a question and you've thought to yourself something like.... "why would they be asking that?"

When we're communicating with others, one of our prime goals should be to build and maintain trust through the thoughts we think, the words we use, the questions we ask and the actions we take.

We want to keep the people with whom we're communicating engaged.

There are many ways that we can unintentionally cause a disengagement when communicating, most of which are based on a stress-fracturing of the trust levels between us and those with whom we are communicating.

In sales, one of the most common forms of disengagement occurs when we ask a question that causes a client or prospect to think to themselves "why would you be asking me that question?"

When a client's or prospect's internal voice says "why would you be asking me that question?", it is usually because we have asked a question that may seem to be without context, potentially confronting, confusing or has the chance of being misinterpreted or having an ulterior motive

Now consider the same question, if asked with the Purpose-Question Process:

The Purpose-Question process is a communication strategy that is designed to build trust, strengthen understanding and keep those with whom we are communicating engaged.

Consider the following example: "What insurance do you currently have?"

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"As a wealth adviser it's important for us to not only help you create wealth through an effective financial plan, it's also important for us to ensure that we help you protect that wealth, implement the plan and achieve the lifestyle goals we've discussed. Insurance is something that a lot of people want to ignore or avoid, and yet it's essential for us to help protect the wealth creation plan that you're working toward.

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THE PURPOSE-QUESTION PROCESS (CONT.) So one of the questions we need to consider is what insurance do you currently have?"

Now, although this example is quite involved, it establishes purpose for the question before the question is asked. This helps the client understand why we're asking the question, and more importantly, why the question is important for them to answer....not just for us....but for them.

How to construct a PurposeQuestion approach.

The best way to construct a Purpose-Question approach is to first ask yourself this question "Why do I want to ask the client/prospect this question.....what's my reason or purpose.....why is this an important question for the client/prospect?

Summary You won't want to use the Purpose-Question Process for

every question. It will be most powerful and effective when you use it for any question that you believe is really important for your client/prospect to answer.

The more you develop your ability to craft and ask great questions especially those that have the capacity to comfortably disturb' a client/prospect into discovering the value that you can offer, the more success you will have in sales.

This article is an extract from just one of the many sales tips available for the members of SalesCoachCentral.

David Penglase is Australia’s leading expert on the ethics of selling. He is a business educator, sales and success coach, and one of Australia’s most sought after presenters at sales conferences, seminars

and workshops. David is the founding director of SalesCoachCentral.com, one of the world’s leading online sales coaching resource sites offering annual membership and unlimited 24/7 access to a vast array of resources to help sales managers and sales people win more new, repeat and referral sales… and all for an investment of less than $1 a day for annual membership.

TESTIMONIAL FOR MICHELLE BOWDEN “Excellent. I now have the information to improve myself and the confidence to commit to what I have learnt. Michelle did a fantastic job of delivering this program over the 2 days. The format whilst very challenging was very informative and leaves you with the commitment to use what you have learnt in the future.”

Warren Massey, Account Executive, Dimension Data www.howtopresent.com.au

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DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL?

BY MICHAEL NEAYLON Storytelling is so important especially when it comes to selling.

1.Stories connect people: I learnt this through a recent blog post that brought in 5 times the daily follows the blog normally receives on Twitter.

2.Stories sell: Alex, the 16 year old I've been mentoring for the last year constantly reminds me of this. As the program comes to an end I see how he's become much more socially confident as he bounds up to a counter, boldly asks for what he wants before any social niceties, and then proudly tells people how polite he's being.

Twelve months ago store owners would have been offended by his seeming abruptness. Now he disarms them. Much of the power lies in the delivery: he's positive, up, enthusiastic and endearing.

Alex is learning how to present himself to the world something I believe we can all keep working on to produce the results we want.

3.Your story matters. Your leads, clients, prospects and colleagues buy you as much as they buy your product, service or brand. That's why both personal and professional development are so vital in overcoming road blocks and limitations we can all unconsciously put in our own way. The result? We find ways to sell our offerings with greater impact.

What stories are you selling? And how are you presenting your best selling point to your clients, leads and prospects?

www.michaelneaylon.com

TESTIMONIAL JULIE SAYS:

Michelle Bowden is a masterful communicator. Her book Don't Picture Me Naked is an absolutely essential reference for successful presenting. I followed her advice and my ratings as a presenter improved measurably.

It is both a virtuoso performance and an irresistible invitation to sing along. Fantastic!!

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BAD MANAGERS I HAVE KNOWN

BY KEN WARREN I have been very fortunate in having had some excellent managers over the years.

In this article, I would like to reflect on some of the not-so-great managers I have encountered.

See if any of them are familiar to you.

I have alternated the genders in the following examples, but feel free to change as needed.

Firstly, there is Mr Busy who is too busy to catch up with his staff, leaving them feeling unsupported and unappreciated. While Mr Busy gives a great impression of getting things done, unfortunately, he neglects the most important part of his role – taking good care of his staff. Mr Busy is also good at working very long hours, creating an expectation that everyone else should do the same.

You might also know Ms Perfect, who is very good at finding fault in almost everyone, except herself. Unfortunately, she has the worst fault any of us can have – pretending that she doesnʼt have any. This characteristic is also very effective in alienating her from those staff who are not her favourites. The morale and performance of nonfavoured staff steadily decreases, thus giving her more opportunity to highlight their inadequacies and her frustration of having to put up with these individuals. Ms Perfect often has no idea as to how she is coming across. If she does, she simply feels she is entitled to do so.

You probably have encountered Mr I'm the Boss who likes to remind people that he is in charge.

Mr I'm the Boss loves to tell people how to do the details of their work, imposing his opinion on others, and generally being unapproachable.

There is only one way to see things and that is his way. His staff tend to feel frustrated, not heard, and are unlikely to raise any concerns directly with him, often causing small frustrations to grow into major concerns. www.howtopresent.com.au

Almost the opposite is Ms Wishy Washy, who doesnʼt set any clear direction and is indecisive.

Sadly, if she does give a clear direction, this only lasts until the next person speaks to her. Her team feel frustrated by the uncertainty, unchallenged, and unsupported when the going gets tough. Ms Wishy Washy can be supportive with her words, but not so good with her actions.

Then there is Mr Letʼs Not Rock the Boat who is unwilling to take any tough decisions in case this has repercussions for him. He will be likely to tolerate an extremely problematic team member even though this person has a very long history of problem behaviour and many team leaders have done their best to turn this person around. There is a time for decisive action, but you will not get it from Mr Letʼs Not Rock the Boat who will give it some thought or suggest you try what has been tried before.

Do any of these sound familiar? Of course the above are all stereotypes and there are no perfect managers. Some of these descriptions also fit some team members as well. But I wonder how your colleagues would describe you? If they have a negative stereotype of you which you would like to change, you will need to do the complete opposite of what they expect for a significant period of time.

What we do tend to appreciate in a manager is the opposite of all of these types. Great managers tend to be someone who is strong, who sets a clear direction, communicates clear expectations, can give balanced feedback, and can make and stand by their decisions. But they also are approachable, open to feedback,, supportive, flexible, and they genuinely care for their staff.

I call him Mr Strong And Supportive!

Ken can be contacted through www.positivepeoplesolutions.com.au

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BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN There is no single thing or magic formula that is a panacea for a l a c k o f c o n fi d e n c e w h e n presenting. There are no short cuts. I would say that if you are lacking confidence you might like to consider a change of approach. Begin by writing a slogan in big letters: IT’S NOT ABOUT ME, IT’S ALL ABOUT MY AUDIENCE! And then try the following four tips: Analyse the audience – it’s critical to spend some time analysing both the current and desired state of your audience. One way to do this is to ask yourself: ‘What is my audience thinking about me, my message and my department or company?’, ‘What is my audience feeling about me, my message and my department or company?’ and ‘What will the atmosphere or vibe of the room be like before I present?’ This way you know what to expect when you walk in. Then, plan your desired outcome by asking yourself, ‘What do I want my audience to think about me, my message and my department or company?’, ‘What do I want the audience to feel about me, my message and my department or company?’ and ‘What do I want them to do once I have finished talking?’

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2

Structure the message – if you have a nice, tight, well-crafted message and you have designed it with a model

that allows you to remember the information without relying on notes, then of course you’ll feel more confident! I teach three models for the design and structure of a presentation: 13steps, 4Mat and Storyboarding.

These models help you know what to say and when to say it so that the audience’s needs are met and so you are more likely to change their behaviour.

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Connect with the people – when it’s time to deliver your presentation it’s essential to re-read your slogan: IT’S NOT ABOUT ME, IT’S ALL ABOUT MY AUDIENCE, and to look into the whites of your audience’s eyes – really see the individuals in the audience, rather than skim their heads or pretend to look at t h e m . K n o w t h e y a re re a l

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humans you have the opportunity to influence and help. This takes your focus off your nerves and places your attention on the audience – this enhances your connection or rapport with them. If you are not focused on yourself, how could you be nervous? Remember, it’s not about you, it’s all about the audience!

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Get feedback – in my experience, many people focus a lot on their negative points and their nervousness, rather than on their positive attributes like their voice or their personal presentation. Set up a system in your organisation where you can give and receive feedback from others whom you respect.

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TESTIMONIAL

BY DAVID THOMAS, DIRECTOR, ACHIEVE GLOBAL David Thomas, CEO of Think Global Consulting, is highly respected in Australia for his experience, credibility and passion for identifying, building and facilitating business and investment relationships between developed and emerging countries. David is intimately involved in Australia’s attempts to engage with Asia for business purposes, particularly with BRIC countries. That is: Brazil, Russian, India and china. www.thinkglobal.com.au DAVID SAYS: “Every speaker, presenter and/or person who needs to influence/ impact others should do Michelle Bowden’s Influential Presentation Skills course.

It is packed with great content, practical ideas and the opportunity to try it out in a supportive environment and get instant and helpful feedback.

Michelle you are a fabulous trainer!

The 13 steps are a great structure and I enjoyed the time to practice the 13 steps in pairs as well as the great practical tips and examples giving you everything you need to know about speaking/presenting/influencing/selling.

It was also a great training environment - food, room set up, atmosphere.”

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ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

BY TRISTAN LOO external environment that will enable you to realize your dream. By selecting pictures and writing that charges your emotions with feelings of passion you will begin to manifest those things into your life.

The science behind the law of attraction

A vision board is a simple yet powerful visualization tool that activates the universal law of attraction to begin manifesting your dreams into reality. The concept of the vision board (also known as a goal board, goal map, or treasure map) has been around for generations, but it’s gained a renewed interest and popularity after success expert John Assaraf related his story of using vision boards to achieve his dreams in the best-selling DVD documentary The Secret.

WHAT'S A VISION BOARD? A vision board is simply a visual representation or collage of the things that you want to have, be, or do in your life. It consists of a poster or foam board with cutout pictures, drawings and/or writing on it of the things that you want in your life or the things that you want to become.

The purpose of a vision board is to activate the law of attraction to begin to pull things from your

What exactly is the law of attraction? The law of attraction states that we attract into our lives anything that we give attention to, regardless whether it be positive or negative. From a psychological view, the law of attraction can be best explained by the information filtering system of the brain known as the reticular activating system (RAS). Vision boards serve the role of programming the RAS to tune into external stimuli that can help us move closer towards our intentions.

radio. You are surrounded by radio waves from various stations and your portable radio can pick up those channels, but only one at a time. You have to tune your radio to a specific frequency of your favorite radio station in order to receive it properly. Your RAS is not much different in this regard. Imagine you are in a meeting room talking to several people and out in the distant corner of the room you hear your name. All your focus gets diverted in the direction that you heard your name because that bit of information is tagged by the RAS as important to you. Your RAS is responsible for having the ability to sleep through the noise of traffic outside your room, but waking up suddenly at the smallest cry from your infant child. Another example of the RAS at work is when you go and buy a brand new car and

At the base of the human brain stem, in between the medulla oblongata and the mesencephalon, there is a small finger-sized control center called the reticular activating system (RAS) that sorts and evaluates incoming data. Your RAS is responsible for filtering all the incoming information that your brain receives and it also acts as receiver for information that is tagged as important.

A simple way to conceptualize the RAS is to think of it like a

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ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS (CONT.) then suddenly you notice how many more people have that exact same car.

According to Hans Morvec, the principal research scientist at the Robotics Institute of

Carnegie Mellon University, ability is not a prerequisite for creating a functional vision board however and the procedures I’ve outlined below can be used by anyone.

The general elements that a well-designed vision board should include are: Visual. Your subconscious mind works in pictures and images, so make your vision board as visual as possible with as many pictures as you can. You can supplement your pictures with words and phrases to increase the emotional response you get from it.

Emotional. Each picture on your vision board should evoke a positive emotional response from you. The mere sight of your vision board should make you happy and fuel your passion to achieve it every time you look at it.

Strategically-placed. Your vision board should be strategically placed in a location that gives you maximum exposure to it. You need to constantly bath your subconscious mind with it’s energy in order to manifest your desires quicker than you hope.

Personal. Negative feelings, self-doubt, and criticism can damage the delicate energy that your vision board emits. If you fear criticism or justification of your vision board from others, then place it in a private location so it can only be seen by yourself.

Supplies Needed Foam core board (recommended) or poster board A large assortment of magazines You want to make sure that these are in color. You can go to various businesses or hospitals to ask for their old issues.

Glue. I prefer the dispenser type tape rollers, commonly used to mount photos because they are clean and won’t damage your

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pictures.

Scissors (Optional) Color inkjet or laser printer (Optional) 3 1/3” x 4” or larger printer labels. I use Avery #5164 mailing labels that work great.

(Optional) Internet access Step 1—Compile your pictures. Start by going through your magazines and compiling all the pictures that you can find that are relevant to your goal.

Don’t evaluate the pictures or start pasting them onto your board. Just stack them into a pile. If you are internet saavy, then a much quicker method that I do myself is to use an internet search engine to find good pictures that I can use for my board.

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ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS (CONT.) You can either print the pictures out on paper and then glue it to the board, or print the pictures out onto a self-adhesive label so that it becomes a sticker. This is the preferred method because it is takes much less time to do and you can pinpoint your pictures using very good technology at your hands. Make sure that each image that you put on your board resonates with your heart and makes you excited at the mere look of it. It’s also important when selecting pictures to include anything that is congruent with your goal, such as any changes in your life that might result from obtaining your goal. So if your goal is to have a six figure income, then select pictures of a lifestyle that goes with your six figure income.

Asking yourself the following questions might help you design a congruent vision board: What would you do differently when you realize your goal?

Where would you travel?

Where would you live?

What would you wear?

What things would you own?

What kind of vehicle would you drive?

What would you do for work?...Or would you work?

Who would you help?

Step 2—Sort and Cut. Go through your pile of pictures and select the ones that impact you the most. Cut the extraneous material away from the image.

Step 3—Arrange and glue.

Start arranging your pictures creatively on your board. Don’t worry about being artistic—that’s not the point. The point is that your board should resonate with your emotions. Arrange your pictures in a way that gives you an emotional connection to your vision board. After you are satisfied with the arrangement, glue all your pictures in place.

Additionally, you might want to add writing or drawing on your vision board if you feel that it would better resonate with your emotions. A feature unique to my vision boards is that I also put two labels on the bottom of board that read: “Date created: [today’s date]” and “Date Manifested: [blank]” This lets me know how long my vision has been gestating since its creation and also every time I look at my vision board, not only am I emotionally charged with the pictures, but I also feel an overwhelming sense to see it manifested to completion.

Step 4—Strategic positioning.

The most important part of having a vision board is having it in a strategic location that gives you as much visual exposure to it throughout the day. For most of us, this is in the office, but if that is not possible or appropriate, then try your living room or your bedroom. Some people I know mount their vision boards on the ceiling above their bed so that it is the first thing they see when they wake up and the last thing they see when they

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go to sleep. If you are sensitive to what others might say of your vision board, then keep it where only you will see it. Criticism of your dreams can kill the energy that your vision board releases.

As Brian Tracy states, “What they don’t know, can’t hurt you.”

Step 5— Update your vision board. Your vision board has to inspire you. It has to charge you with renewed passion everytime you look at it and over time and as you progress closer towards your vision, you might find that some of the images or pictures on your vision board don’t really carry as much emotional impact on you as they did before. When this happens, you’ll want to update your vision board with new fresh images that do inspire you. You’re vision board is not a finished piece of art after its initial creation. It’s a dynamic piece of art that shifts and changes as your vision shifts and changes. Therefore, if you find your level of passion that your vision board gives you is growing weaker, then update it to bring fresh new emotions to it.

Famous examples of the law of attraction: Here are three examples of famous people who have used the techniques of visualization to activate the law of attraction in their lives. Although not all of them specifically used vision boards to get what they wanted, the applications that they used were similar in function.

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ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS (CONT.) John Assaraf’s Vision Board. Successful entrepreneur and author, John Assaraf, brought the age-old concept of a vision board to the mainstream public by relating his story of it in the motivational documentary, The Secret. In May of 2000, John was working in his home office when his fiveyear old son asked him what were in the dusty boxes in the corner of his office. John told him that it contained his vision boards. His son didn’t understand what they were, so John opened one of the boxes to show him. When John pulled out the second board from the box, he began to cry. On it was a picture of a 7000 square foot house on top of six acres of spectacular land that he had seen and cut out from Dream Homes magazine in 1995. It was the exact house that he had just purchased several weeks prior—A sure testament to the law of attraction at work.

Bruce Lee’s Letter. The late martial arts legend and my own personal role-model, Bruce Lee, understood the power of the law of attraction. As a struggling entrepreneur and actor, Bruce sat down one day and wrote a letter to himself: “By 1980, I will be the best known oriental movie star in the United States and will have secured $10 million dollars… And in return, I will give the very best acting I could possibly give every single time I am in front of the camera

and I will live in peace and harmony.” In 1973, months after Bruce’s untimely death, the blockbuster movie Enter the Dragon was released in both the United States and China, elevating Bruce to the level of an international star. According to Jack Canfield, the letter that Bruce wrote to himself is hanging up on the wall at Planet Hollywood in New York City.

Jim Carrey’s Check. As a struggling young comedian trying to make it in the make or break city of Hollywood, Jim Carrey was just about ready to give up his dream of becoming a professional actor and comedian. He had just performed at an open mic session at one of the nightclubs in Los Angeles and had been booed off the stage by his audience. He sat by himself at the top of Mulholand Drive and looked out at the city below him —the city that held his future success or failure. He then pulled out his check book and wrote himself a check for $10 million dollars and made a note on it: “for acting services rendered.” He then carried that check with him in his wallet everywhere he went from that day forward. By 1995, after the success of his blockbuster movies: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, and The Mask, his contract price had risen to the price of $20 million dollars.

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Conclusion Vision boards are an important tool in your success tool box.

They are cheap to make and their potential value to you is immeasurable. Figure out what you want in your life and then commit yourself 100% towards making that first step of creating your vision board and activating the law of attraction to pull your dreams into reality.

Tristan J. Loo is the Founder & Publisher of Self Improvement Magazine as well as a leading authority on human potential and personal effectiveness. As a life coach, author and publisher, Tristan has passionately inspired thousands of people all over the world to overcome adversity and create the ultimate life they desire.

His vision is a world where everyone is able to achieve their dreams using the practical tools and skills taught through his publications.

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HOT SEAT WITH KIRSTY SPRAGGON 1. The good ones make it look so easy! There is

no avoiding the fact that even with some natural ability you need to spend hours practicing to hone your skills and learn the craft of speaking.

2. Anyone can speak but to be a powerful speaker you need to connect and to do that one must be authentic and strip away the layers. It’s hard to be vulnerable and raw but when we are, it’s when the magic happens.

Kirsty Spraggon is a relationship building expert who was recently awarded the 2011 O2 Breakthrough Speaker of the Year at the National Speakers Convention in Melbourne.

In her previous life her outstanding career saw her ranked in the top 0.1 percent of individuals in RE/MAX’s global network of 121,000 sales agents worldwide. Whether speaking or selling Kirsty believes presenting is an imperative business skill as well as a life skill we can all benefit from mastering.

Why did you decide to become a professional speaker?

I had dreamt of it for as long as I can remember. I think the seed was first planted at 15 years old when I was participating in school speaking competitions. It grew stronger when I was in the sales industry as I would attend annual conferences and monthly training. I would watch these amazing speakers and be so inspired and I wanted to do that, to make people feel like that.

What are the most important three lessons you have learnt since becoming a speaker?

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3. When your starting out it doesn’t matter how many tips and techniques people give you around nerves, I have found it is just a process that you have to work through and it simple takes a certain amount of time and experiences that you must experience for yourself to get the confidence and learnings, to move through this phase.

What do you wish someone told you before you got started?

Understand that no one is born a world class presenter, some of us may have some natural talent but everyone has to work at it and anyone can develop their skills in this area. It just takes, time, perseverance, passion and a desire to be your best.

You did Michelle’s Influential Presentation Skills training program towards the start of your speaking career?

Yes, I did it in my first 12 months after I had moved to Sydney. I was hungry to fast-track my journey, so I researched a lot and was told Michelle was the best for small group training that focused on individual feedback and immediate improvements in people’s ability to present their message. It was much fun and I got loads of great takeaways.

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What were your top three takeaways from Michelle’s training and how have they helped you?

I was still quite green and learnt so many things.

The top three would be: 1. Knowing your audience - understanding what they are thinking, feeling and doing before you walk in the room. Then analyse what you want them to think, feel and do after they have heard your presentation. It is important to take the time to make sure your not sharing what you want to share and to be clear what they need.

2. Understanding the power of using our voice, body and location on the floor or stage when we present. This is incredibly important in terms of getting an audience to retain the information you are sharing and helping them to anchor it.

3. Watching Michelle for 2 days really was a huge part of the learning, seeing her putting it all into action, as I am a visual learner this was incredibly powerful. Plus I loved seeing her story telling ability (tell the story, deliver the point, then link to the content). And I love the way she uses music and flip charts and how she engaged us in activities with the frame-up, the actual running of the generative learning exercises and then the debrief of the activity so everyone really understood the key learnings clearly. She was like a role model for me and I took away many great ideas and confidence to try new things.

You were recently awarded the ‘breakthrough speaker of the year award’ at the National Speakers Conference after just 3 years in the industry. What do you think has been the key to making that happen?

me get ‘match fit’. Most importantly building lots of relationships. I am a big networker and met 1000 people in the first 6 months when I moved to Sydney. I put myself out there meeting people, forging connections, making friends and I also worked my butt off at getting great at my craft, constantly learning and growing.

What advice would you give people about following their dreams?

Cliche I know - but ‘just do it’ It hasn't always been easy. Leaving real estate, moving cities, starting over at the beginning of the global financial crisis. But I have no regrets, it was the best thing I ever did. What I would have regretted is the unknown. Always wondering and thinking ‘what if?’ I love my life and I get to do what I love every day with people that I love and it is the most amazing feeling in the world.

I don’t think it’s ever just one thing. You have to juggle many balls in the air at the same time to become successful. Certainly doing many many courses and workshops has helped fast track my success and learning. Having amazing mentors around me. Getting out there and speaking everywhere and anywhere in the beginning helped www.howtopresent.com.au

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What do you believe makes the difference between an average and a great presenter?

What is your top tip for people who present in business?

I think it is going beyond the basic’s. It is important to learn how to present, how to write a presentation, the art of storytelling and so many other skills but to go to the next level it’s about deeper things. Like how is the room reacting?

How do I shift the energy, engage and inspire them? What dynamics are going on? It’s an awareness of the subtle nuances going on in a room.

Value how important learning how to present is.

Back in my real estate days I was fairly successful yet I wonder how much more successful I could have been had I known then what I know now. I would have been a lethal weapon.

I think no matter what we do, we should never stop learning. So going from average to great means continuing to learn your craft, hone your skills and taking things to the next level.

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Learning how to present well, helps build confidence, teaches us how to be more articulate, to speak more powerfully, to engage others more effectively and gives us the power to influence.

Amazing and necessary life skills that can help us in all area’s of our life.

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What do you love most about speaking?

Oh so many things. Anyone who knows me knows I have always loved to talk, so it is my dream career really but mostly I love traveling and meeting so many different people in so many different industries and leaving them with some information and inspiration that you know makes a difference.

Who are your mentors and what role do they play in your career development?

Wow this could take awhile. I guess they all fit into different area’s of my life and needs. I have people who are aspirational that I consider mentors even though I have not met them, yet, such as Oprah, Richard Branson & Nelson Mandela. Then I have many in my life who mentor me on the craft side of the business. Then I have what I think of as my speaker mum and dads and brothers and sisters. Like Michelle Bowden, Amanda Gore, Helen McDonald, Colin James & Matt Church. Who each provide varying styles of mentoring some as teachers, others as friends who lend a shoulder to cry on along the way, who chat through issues and offer insight and who pep me up when I need it. Mentors play such a fundamental role when you are still gaining your confidence and rely on that support. For me having mentors is THE most important part of any journey, we really do need a strong support network.

With every person he was present, he shared a small moment, he shared a line of wisdom, a conversation or a question. He made each person feel like they were the only person in the room and truly had a heart the size of Texas.

Any final words of wisdom?

Practise, practise, practise and invest in yourself.

Be willing to back yourself and take a punt on you. Whether it be through reading, listening to cd’s, studying and spending time with mentors. I did 30 courses in my first 12 months as a speaker and know this was the key to fast tracking my success.

Who is the most inspirational speaker or author you have ever met?

I recently met Zig Ziglar when I was in Dallas, Texas. As a young girl with a Dad in sales, I grew up listening to the motivational words of the one and only Zig Ziglar, so I have to say it was an absolute highlight to meet the man himself. At the VIP event I attended in Dallas, Zig’s hometown he was the guest of honor, surrounded by people who wanted a moment to connect with him. Zig gave everything he had with the patience of a saint and energy of an athlete.

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SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

BY HANNAH SAMUEL someone with a non gender-specific name such as Chris is referred to as ‘he’ when in fact 'he' is a ‘she’.

Instead of making the person feel valued and respected, oversight of small details and administrative errors can irritate and alienate.

They can also raise doubts about your sincerity, and systems and processes, which may never have been thought about had you got it right in the first place.

So how can you minimise these types of errors and enhance your reputation for being great with the details?

Research indicates it’s 6-7 times more expensive to gain one new customer than it is to retain one, and that a 5 percent increase in customer retention can increase profits by between 25% and 95%. It makes sense, therefore, to retain as many clients and customers as you can, and saying thank you in ways that are meaningful and relevant to them can be one way of doing so.

But be warned: even the simplest ‘Thank You’ will be met with suspicion and disbelief if you spell the person’s name incorrectly; or some detail about the transaction referred to is incorrect; or

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Undertake occasional ‘mystery’ or ‘secretshopping’ to put yourself in your customers’ shoes and identify the actual process they go through, not the one you think they go through.

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Never assume – for example, ask your client directly how they wish to be addressed. ‘William’ might fill out a form using his full name when he first engages with you but may want to receive emails or other correspondence addressed to ‘Bill’ from there on in.

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Do regular quality checks of data and information. Make sure what you have on

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SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF (CONT.) •

Always treat your customers with respect and act with integrity. Make them feel both valued and valuable and tailor your communications and interactions to suit them, rather than you, where your can.

Details are important to a significant number of people you interact with. Inaccuracies and inattention to detail may be construed as sloppy delivery and lack of respect. Given that 85% or more of business comes from referrals for many service-based businesses, making sure you take care of the small stuff for those it matters too will definitely enhance your reputation.

file, or in your database, is accurate for each and every client or customer.

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Train and support every member of your team to respond to customer enquiries and requests in ways that live up to the reputation you have and your brand promises. If you say on your promotional material, “nothing is too much bother”, absolutely make sure this is the case.

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If you do make mistakes accept responsibility and find out what will satisfy your customer in terms of making amends.

Then go above and beyond their expectations in genuine and sincere ways.

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An award-winning speaker, columnist, and author, Hannah Samuel speaks, writes and mentors worldwide on issues around reputation, trust and integrity.

Hannah’s insights are based on more than 20 years experience working in business development in the UK and New Zealand and she is the founder of online reputation service directory TRUSTcite. For more info go to hannahsamuel.com

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PARENTS CORNER Parents Corner is a dedicated section designed to give adults tips for equipping their children with one of the most fundamental skills they can develop in life - the skill of public speaking.

Speaking Confidently Few things are feared more than public speaking.

It is listed in the TOP 10 fears of most people. Yet being able to speak confidently and effectively communicate your message is a great asset that will prove useful in many aspects of life.

For many students their first experience of public speaking is making a speech on assembly as part of the selection process for student leadership positions at either primary or secondary school.

Speaking on assembly, in front of peers, teachers and parents is VERY daunting.

As an experienced school principal I have seen the anxiety that students experience. Many students with great potential miss out on student leader positions, or even worse, don’t nominate for positions, due to their fear of having to speak in public.

To help students overcome this fear I have written 10 tips for students faced with this challenge. The materials can be used either by individual students or by schools as part of a student leadership or selection program.

The resources can be downloaded FREE OF CHARGE from the National Speakers Association Australia (NSAA) website. Each of the Top 10 Tips are also presented and explained through a short video clip accessible through NSAA and YouTube. www.howtopresent.com.au

The tips are founded in the belief that confident public speaking is a skill that can be developed through experience, by applying the knowledge that is presented.

Steve Francis is a leading educator, author, executive coach and professional speaker. www.stevefrancis.net.au Note from Michelle: Please stay tuned for more helpful tips for parents who want to help their kids be confident communicators in our August issue!

Happy Presenting!

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BEAUTIFUL GROOMING One Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector is sold every 9.8 seconds somewhere in the world. A verified 53% improvement in skin tone. See results in as little as 4 weeks. At 12 weeks, see a visible reduction in the appearance of dark spots, age spots, and traces of blemish past.

CD OF THE MONTH

TOUR DE FRANCE

If you wanted to learn from 13 of Australia’s top public speakers you’d have to spend $1000s and weeks of your time attending their training. Or, grab your very own copy of Tips from the Masters.

Running from 2 - 24 July, the 98th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a distance of 3,430.5 kilometres. Awesome!

GYM JUNKIE Lorna Jane is a leading retailer of women's active wear. Their products will ignite your enthusiasm for an active lifestyle.

Active body = active mind and better public speaking! Shop in store or online. I love the Ashira 7/8 Tights.

BOOK OF THE MONTH Want to be able to write a presentation & then deliver it with confidence, charisma and influence? You must get a copy of this essential business text!

SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM

MICHELLE LOVES

Here are some of my favourite things for you

CELEBRATE It’s time to celebrate with your loved ones, family and friends.

Christmas in July! Light the fire, dress up the tree and the table and get that pudding on the boil!

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Bodypump™ is a 60-minute workout that challenges all your major muscle groups by using exercises like squats, presses, lifts and curls. Great music, awesome instructors and your choice of weight mean fast results.

CRADLE MOUNTAIN OVERLAND TRACK I did this awesome 65km walk in Tasmania in April with my family.

Highly recommended for people who love bushwalking in reasonably tough conditions.

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Photo Gallery

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