How To Present October 2012

OCTOBER 2012

www.michellebowden.com.au

IN THIS ISSUE Li Cunxin (Mao’s Last Dancer) shares his tips for professional presenting Persuading Others Harnessing the best of BIG and little Picture Thinkers How to Function at Your BEST Who or What are you in Relationship with?

Manage your Nerves Men’s Business Fashion Tips Parent’s Corner PLUS: Success Stories What to do if you go BLANK? www.michellebowden.com.au

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DIARY DATE INFLUENTIAL PRESENTATION SKILLS (2-day Public Program) Join Michelle at her next public program IN SYDNEY: • October 16-17 • November 13-14 • December 3-4 IN BRISBANE: • November 7-8 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 600 times with many thousands of people and she’s been nominated for Educator of the Year 4 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: www.michellebowden.com.au

Michelle’s Update Welcome to the October issue of How to Present! This issue is packed with articles that will assist you to present with greater confidence and influence at work.

My exciting news is that Wiley & Sons have taken my book called Don’t Picture me Naked and will be re-releasing it internationally with a new title in January 2013. I’ve completely updated and re-written it so that it’s an even more motivating and useful guide to presenting in business than the original book. There is no other book in the world that takes you step-by-step through everything you need to know to write and deliver a business presentation. A must-read for anyone who speaks, updates or presents at work, I’ll let you know when you can grab one of the first copies once it hits the market.

And, I’ve been speaking up a storm this month! If you were there, you might be in some of the joyous audience photos in the photo pages at the back of How to Present magazine.

We are so privileged to have the world-class Li Cunxin on our How to Present cover this month! What a story he tells. If you have not booked Li for your company conference - don’t delay - seriously he’s amazing and you won’t be able to forget a word he says. It’s a heart-warming, in some ways shocking, and incredibly inspirational story of what it takes to be the BEST! I think you’ll enjoy his tips for presenting in business this month. PLUS I’ve shared some of my tips for Persuading Others, What to do if you go BLANK, PLUS Harnessing the best of BIG and little Picture Thinkers. As well, Yvonne Godfrey shares her parenting tips, Lorna Patten asks Who or what are you in relationship with?, Robin Powis shows us how to Spring Forward with Fashion at Work and Michele Tocci shares How to Function at Your Best, plus some inspiring Success Stories and How to Manage your Nerves!

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!

www.michellebowden.com.au

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HOW DO YOU PERSUADE OTHERS?

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN How persuasive are you?

Do people listen when you speak?

Do you often get your own way?

We all know self awareness is the first step to behavioural excellence! And the good news is that persuasion skills can definitely be developed, regardless of your personality.

I recently worked with the CEO of the Australian arm of an international company. This CEO had been lobbying unsuccessfully for 3 years to close one of the branch offices as a way of improving the financial performance of the company. After learning a number of new influencing skills relevant to the level of board presentation, he received the board approval that he needed on the spot. Yes, you read this correctly - on the spot!

I have also worked with many technologyfocused clients pitching for multi-million dollar projects where those involved would certainly not describe themselves as ‘people people’. Yet once they learnt the simple steps to persuasion they too have won their bids.

In order to improve your power to persuade you must appreciate that not everyone will be influenced by the same things and in the same way as you. It is critical then, to learn ways of flexing or adapting your persuasion style to suit the needs and decision-making behaviour of your stakeholder. As well, if you are serious about increasing your chances of hearing the word ‘yes’ then you must also develop specific persuasion skills so that you are expanding your persuasive communication toolkit.

What descriptors come to mind when you hear the word ‘influence’? Arouse, charm, tempt, entice, cajole, shape, force, negotiate, brainwash, manipulate, impress, incite, inspire, sway, transform. These are all value-laden words www.michellebowden.com.au

that may affect your view of what is desirable influencing and what is overstepping the line into the realm of unethical manipulating or misuse of power. How many of these words do you see as positive or negative? And what impact does this value judgement that you make have on your ability to persuade the people around you?

The real question is: How do YOU persuade others?

Do you know about the world-first, brand NEW, persuasion reality check? Michelle Bowden Enterprises has launched an exciting new psychometric tool for identifying the strengths and weaknesses in your persuasive communication style. Complete the tool and you will see persuasion is made up of a set of competencies that can be acquired by modelling specific behaviours that are achievable for everyone.

Use this link to complete my Persuasiveness Reality Check for FREE so that you can learn about your personal persuasion style.

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SUCCESS STORIES! to any industry on sales, marketing, social media, customer retention and finding and keeping champion teams. It is not all work, as I also have two powerful key notes where I share my personal story to help people take hold of their life and create work life balance and set meaningful goals.

JUSTIN TAMSETT DIRECTOR ACTIVE MANAGEMENT

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

To be honest, I had been referred to attend Michelle’s program, so I was going to do it. I actually bought the program at an auction which meant I stopped procrastinating! I really love learning and hoped this course would sharpen my presentation format and refine my delivery skills.

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

I wouldn’t say it changed my attitude. It reinforced to me that I am lucky enough to have a skill set and confidence that many people are not lucky enough to possess. The program built my confidence that the messages I want to get to everyone are relevant and important.

Justin is driven by ambition, passion and emotion. His objective in life is to “To improve the health of Aussies!” A fourth generation entrepreneur, he has owned two health clubs and a successful business coaching business.

Justin changes the lives of business owners and their staff by showing more effective ways to work and live life!

In general, what positive outcomes have you achieved from improving your presentation skills?

After Michelle’s presentation I have refined my skills. I am now more confident that I can impact people’s lives and businesses through my presentation skills. I am eternally grateful for this boost in confidence. It was the ‘kick in the butt’ I needed!

What kind of presenting do you do at work?

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

I present keynote presentations on leadership and customer service, both heavily influential in the success of any size business. I also have a range of other presentations that can be adapted

1. The skill of Storyboarding was a very powerful insight for me. In the past I just created my slides and then wrote my presentation from that.

Storyboarding has changed my whole approach

www.michellebowden.com.au

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SUCCESS STORIES! (CONT.) and I love this new way to prepare! It’s quick, it’s easy and it ensures I have all the points I want in the right place - no gaps. And the best part is I can remember my content without any notes at all - magic!

2. I am trying to take ‘but’ out of what I say and

what I write. I recognise this little word has the power to negate what I’ve just said. Such a small thing has had a profound impact on me!

It’s amazing how ingrained these tiny linguistic saboteurs are - I will get rid of ‘but’ - I know I can do it!

3. Finally, I have really worked on my hands during my presentation. I use them for emphasis and to help engage with the audience. I let my gestures reinforce key messages and I’m better at putting them back down by my side (clean the slate) when I don’t have any useful gesture for them.

FREE GIVE AWAY HOW TO PRESENT - TIPS FROM THE MASTERS Fast-Track Your Presentation and Speaking Skills Success By Discovering the Presentation Secrets What would be possible for your career and income if you absorbed the wisdom of Australia’s top speaking professionals and could learn from their tips and their mistakes? Well, now you can in this 10disc audio series of interviews by Australia’s #1 Presentation Skills Expert Michelle Bowden, of 14 experienced and

www.michellebowden.com.au

successful keynote speakers, people that have made speaking their profession.

Be one of the first 5 readers to email michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words “Tips from the Masters” and receive your very own copy of this essential audio series for people who want to be exceptional presenters.

How to Present Magazine

OCTOBER 2012

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HOW TO SPRING FORWARD WITH BUSINESS FASHION

BY ROBIN POWIS Must Have Item – Classic Jacket

Smoulder at evening in a neutral jacket in silver, black or ivory over a shimmery evening dress.

Men - Spring Forward in Colour Embrace colour this spring in cool summer styles. The style is a slim fit to look smart.

Block Colour - Give your look a contemporary spin with one strong colour. Country Road has a cord twill long sleeve shirt in coral.

Patterns - Embrace bold checks in blues and greens or red and blue. Statement striped shirts in navy, blue, red and emerald make a powerful look.

Edgy Colour - Wear chinos, jeans and shorts in colours of red, blue, teal, emerald or rust.

IĘźm often asked if you buy only one garment for the season what should it be. Without doubt it is a jacket that works with everything.

www.definingstyle.com.au

This spring try the new printed jacket; a coloured jacket like pink, red or emerald; a neutral jacket like white, ivory, silver or navy. The jacket teams beautifully with most garments to mix-n-match and provides a variety of looks.

Dress down with shorts and a flat with minimal jewellery.

Weekend chic with a patterned jacket with jeans in one of its colours.

Make a bold entrance with a stripe jacket with a bright coloured skirt like red, orange or emerald.

Pattern clash florals with stripes to make a statement.

Wear a pastel pant suit with a ladylike effect. www.michellebowden.com.au

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HARNESSING THE BEST IN BIG AND LITTLE PICTURE THINKERS

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN, CSP Have you ever wanted to get endorsement for your idea from your manager or sell a product or service to your client? Or perhaps you have found yourself needing to resolve a conflict with a client or service provider? Do you ever find yourself needing to get past a gatekeeper before you can interact with the right person?

To get what you want in life you have to get other people to give it to you. Whether you are a mother or father, neighbour or relative, customer or service provider, manager or team member it’s in your interest to learn how to influence the people around you. Influence is all about moving someone from Point A to Point B and it’s a learnt set of skills that anyone can master.

We know that organisations perform at their best when the decision-making processes they use provide the means for input from a diverse range of views. A key characteristic of successful organisations is the ability of senior decisionmakers to ensure that a diversity of values, levels of seniority or experience, and personality types all have a legitimate voice. Something many of us know too well is that this diversity in meetings and project groups can potentially result in complete chaos and potentially dangerous or at least misdirected communication.

Let me ask you…

•Do you work with someone who bores you to tears with detail upon detail that you don’t seem to need, and who appears to lose sight of the big picture or objectives?

•Are you frustrated by a colleague who operates from a vague, airy perspective and who doesn’t appear to know (or care) about all of the important details?

•Do you ever find yourself thinking that you are the only normal one and everyone around you is completely dysfunctional?

There’s a reason we find ourselves feeling a bit like we are hitting our head up against a wall with certain people. It’s that we are different to them! And the Big Picture/Little Picture personality filter will help you better understand why your communication can sometimes be a bit ‘hit and miss’.

Whether you are making formal presentations, participating in team meetings, updating the boss, or seeking the support of staff, it is important to be clear on what type of information your stakeholders require in order to make decisions. The type of information that people look for effects the quality of communication and is determined in part by the degree to which people are Big Picture or Little Picture thinkers.

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HARNESSING THE BEST IN BIG AND LITTLE PICTURE THINKERS (CONT.) What is a Big Picture Thinker?

Big Picture thinkers are deductive thinkers. They start with the global perspective and move downwards to the specifics. They operate from a universal perspective and tend to draw on the big picture or overall concept.

These people may miss details so they also commonly leave out steps in a process. For instance, they may be excellent at managing different parts of a project, but may struggle to complete all the detailed steps within each part of the project.

What is a Little Picture Thinker?

Little Picture thinkers are inductive or specific thinkers. They start specifically with the details and move upwards. They operate from an indepth perspective and tend to focus on the details or facts and figures.

These people have trouble working in the midst of visual clutter. They like things put away in an organised system and they do things precisely and in order.

Let me ask you, how do you normally go about structuring an important communication? Do you start with PowerPoint, collating existing slides, or creating a few new ones and then working out what to say about them? Or perhaps you use the, ‘introduction, aim, credentials, body one, body two, body three, summary, conclusion' model, which is commonly taught in schools and universities. Some people use a variety of mind mapping techniques like as the ‘fishbone technique'. And others just ‘wing it’ and hope their charisma will do the work for them! Do any of these approaches sound familiar?

Whether you are communicating one to one, one to few, or one to many, if you are keen to influence your audience in your presentation, you need a model that focuses on the different needs and expectations of your different stakeholders.

You see, individuals take in information differently, learn differently, and form opinions differently. As a result, individual stakeholders will be silently preoccupied by the different agendas and expectations they have of you. These agendas and expectations lead them to formulate certain questions that they are expecting you to address in your presentation.

Let me share a model with you to help you achieve greater buy-in and to cater for the diverse needs of your stakeholders.

www.michellebowden.com.au

OCTOBER 2012

What is your current approach?

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HARNESSING THE BEST IN BIG AND LITTLE PICTURE THINKERS (CONT.) An audience-focused model The model that I suggest you might like to use when structuring your presentations was developed by educationalist Dr. Bernice McCarthy. McCarthy drew on the various theories of adult learning proposed by psychologists and theorists such as Jung, Kolb and Knowles. She created an instructional system that addresses the intrinsic informational needs of all audience types. Bernice McCarthy called her model the 4Mat System. 4Mat recognises that individuals need to have four key questions answered: why? what? how? and what if?

In some cases, by virtue of their personality and preferred learning style, audience members have a preference for one of these four questions over the others. In order to be convinced by your argument they will need to have their primary question answered. This is not to say however that they will not be interested in other questions too. It follows then that in order to capture the hearts and minds of all audience members you will need to be sure that your presentation answers all four questions in a given order.

Here’s a more detailed explanation of the four key questions: 1. WHY? 2. WHAT? 3. HOW?

The audience member has a need to clarify the context and rationale.

The audience member has a need to identify the detail of what is to be learnt.

The audience member has a need to explore how to use and apply what is learnt.

4. WHAT IF?/ This is where the audience WHAT ELSE? member needs to outline the alternatives for the new information to modify, adapt and create new contexts.

The presenter who can move effortlessly through the various questions is the presenter who will elegantly address the needs of their entire audience and in turn influence them to do what they want.

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HARNESSING THE BEST IN BIG AND LITTLE PICTURE THINKERS (CONT.) Communication strategies for dealing with Little Picture Thinkers If you are a Big Picture thinker and have to communicate with specific thinkers, it can be very frustrating because you are someone who wants to focus their attention on the strategic level (the WHY? And WHAT IF?), preferring not to get bogged down with details (the WHAT?). On the other hand, the Little Picture thinker wants to give you the important details, so they get stuck in the WHAT section of 4Mat, often rendering you entirely bamboozled. To build rapport with Little Picture thinkers give them lots of details and break information down into small chunks.

Once they are on top of all the details, you will be able to explain the overall picture to them. Remember that if your customer, or employee has a specific preference they need a detailed presentation with facts, figures, details, charts and statistics in order to make a decision.

Avoid going into detail (the WHAT?) until you have built good rapport. And always remember that if your customer has a global preference they need shorter, more conceptual presentations and pitches.

Where do you sit on the continuum?

It’s important to note that most people are not exclusively either Big Picture or Little Picture.

They tend to operate somewhere on the continuum, and the demands of a position will also have some impact on the degree to which people operate as Big or Little Picture thinkers in their day-to-day working lives. It’s important not to label people inappropriately.

Communication strategies for dealing with Big Picture Thinkers If you are a Little Picture or specific thinker and you need to communicate with Big Picture Thinkers, it can be very confusing. Big Picture thinkers are people who start from general principles. They will present you with concepts and overall perspectives. They want the forest first, not the trees. You will improve your communication with these people by talking first about the overall concept and large ideas, spend more time in the WHY? Section building rapport and proving the need. www.michellebowden.com.au

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HARNESSING THE BEST IN BIG AND LITTLE PICTURE THINKERS (CONT.) Go forth and flex your style!

Switched-on business people who are keen to accelerate their career or business development have high emotional intelligence. They can intuit their environment and make clever, masterful choices about why and how to act in certain ways, whilst preserving the integrity of the people with whom they interact. They know how to interpret the verbal and non-verbal clues that people provide about their filters or preferences.

Then they can match their approach to the needs of their stakeholders. It’s really all about a keenness to ‘flex’ your style. Do this and you will build strong rapport with people.

Michelle Bowden is a Master of Presentation and Influence. Nominated for the Educator Award for Excellence, she is a prolific author and consultant to a list of blue chip International clients. Michelle is also well known for her coaching to help senior executives pitch their ideas at board level. www.michellebowden.com.au

Enjoy getting to know the people around you.

Celebrate your sameness and differences and achieve the most from your relationships. Take personal responsibility for the decisions you make and they way you chose to treat the people around you every day. If we all did that it would be a better world. The people around you aren’t dysfunctional, just different to you!

WHAT IF I GO BLANK?

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN If you forget a point or go blank, it’s important that you remember that it’s not the end of the world.

Great presenters lose their train of thought all the time. Just don’t apologise or make a big deal about the fact you have forgotten – this causes the RAS in their brain to track for further mistakes you www.michellebowden.com.au

might make! The audience wants you to be confident, so show them you are confident.

If you’ve designed your presentation using the Storyboard technique, you could look up and try to see an imaginary Storyboard with your 4Mat and post-it-notes on the ceiling (above your eye line). This might stimulate your visual memory.

It’s also important to remember to keep breathing right into your belly, so you keep your oxygen flowing. Remember oxygen in your brain means increased clarity of thought. If you still can’t remember, then it’s completely fine to take a drink of water and check your notes.

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WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU IN RELATIONSHIP WITH?

BY LORNA PATTEN

When you experience difficulties or issues in a relationship (personal or professional) ask yourself this question: Who (or what) am I having a relationship with ... the behaviour or the person?

expects you to change so they feel better? My guess is you do what most people do and you push back - either overtly by resisting and challenging or passive/aggressively by shutting down or withholding. Either way you don't like it.

Most unresolved issues in relationship are caused from the former not the latter, and almost always come from you reacting to someone's behaviour/s you don't like. And when you are having a relationship with someone's behaviour, you focus on what they are doing and having and how the relationship would be so much better if only they would change.

And there's the rub... No one does.

How's that working for you? Not very well I suspect! When you focus only on behaviour and the need to change someone else you are on the slippery slope to nowhere you want to be. Look at it from the other point of view: How do you feel when someone reacts to what you do and www.michellebowden.com.au

Peace and joy in relationship come from source - you. Focus on being who you are - loving, open, honest and response-able - in relationship to the other human being (rather than the human doing). Remember who they really are is the same as you - Love - (even though they don't necessarily behave the way you like) and keep communicating openly, honestly, clearly, directly and completely until the energy shifts and love remains. www.openup.com.au

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YOU

IS IT TIME IMPROVED YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS? COME JOIN ME! Dramatically improve the way you present and influence.

programs and who has been nominated for Educator of the Year for the last 3 years.

Attend one of my Influential Presentation Skills programs.

Absorb yourself in a generative and experiential approach. Learn something then practice, then learn something then practice…

It’s a life changing experience!

Risk free - 100% moneyback guarantee.

Endorsed by thousands of people from over a hundred corporations around Australia.

Interactive and personalised.

Facilitated by Michelle Bowden who has over 18 years experience running her

Learning with lots of laughter.

Techniques are embedded so you remember them decades later.

SYDNEY DATES: October 16-17 November 13-14 December 3-4

Group sizes are limited to only 10 people per program.

BRISBANE DATES: November 7-8

Risk free approach to a subject most people find ‘daunting’!

To chat about your specific needs or receive more information please email Michelle directly:

Plenty of time for you to get personal one-on-one time with Michelle’s during the program.

michelle@michellebowden.com.au

Address your specific, personal needs.

TESTIMONIAL I just want to say a big THANK YOU for your book Don't Picture me Naked. It has already made a huge impact in my business & personal presentation skills. I have changed my thoughts on presenting from nervous/anxious to EXCITING/WHAT A THRILL! "It's not about me - It's all about the audience" has helped me to stay focused on what the audience wants and this in itself has removed the nervousness I usually feel. Thank you for providing a system that is easy to pick up and use from my everyday 1:1 presentations to large team meetings. Ayla, NAB

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How to Present Magazine

OCTOBER 2012

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HOW TO FUNCTION AT YOUR BEST

BY MICHELE TOCCI All of us have a “prime time” in the day; that’s when you feel good, focused and productive.

For some it’s early morning, while for others it’s later in the day or even those who come alive in the evening. The idea is to consider when you function at your best and schedule your daily routine according to your energy cycles.

An energy cycle is how your body functions throughout the day. You need to take note of when you feel good, feel tired, are just chugging along. Evidence to track your energy cycle comes from asking questions such as are you an early bird or a night owl? Early birds get up and are ready to go as soon as they wake. Night owl’s find they are slower to get up of a morning and get going but busy themselves with tasks of an evening. If you feel you work better early in the day, it’s best to schedule the tasks that require concentration, focus and creativity during that time. Leave the less demanding tasks such as reading mail, emails, and phone calls until later in the day.

It’s not always possible to have control over all your tasks, however any tasks that you have control over when you can schedule it then stop and think when is the most appropriate time to place it into your schedule.

Energy Management not Time Management Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz in their book the Power of Full Engagement wrote “the number of hours in a day is fixed, but the quantity and quality of energy available to us is not. It’s our most precious resource. The more we take responsibility for the energy we bring to the world, the more empowered and productive we become.”

Therefore what we need to be doing is managing our energy so that we can manage our time better, be more productive, be more focused and reduce our stress. The quality of our energy is a reflection of our physical capacity. www.michellebowden.com.au

The four elements to being fully engaged are physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. § When you are physically fit you have more energy § When you are emotionally balanced you are better able to handle any problems or issues § When you are mentally clear you have improved concentration § When you are spiritually aligned you are happier If we are balanced in all of these areas we have the capacity to function at our best. That’s a fantastic way to be living life.

Therefore when we are planning our week we need to ensure we include “positive habits.”

That’s specific routines for managing our energy is all the four areas. It comes down to the food we buy, the exercise we do, the quiet relaxation we put in place and aligning our actions with our values.

LifeStyle Refocus is serious about helping you create a be6er life by managing your TIME. We work with businesses to increase their staff’s producCvity or individuals to help them gain control. We deliver workshops on “Managing your Time” and “DeClu6er and Take Back Control”. Refer to our website for free resources and regular newsle6er. www.lifestylerefocus.com.au

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MANAGE YOUR NERVES

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN When you want to portray confidence when presenting you need to be aware of your body and how it moves.

Before you have to present, stand in the natural stance (feet under your hips).

and feel it flow in and out of your body. This is called ‘centering your energy’, and it will help you become aware of your body so that your gestures are natural and complimentary to your message. It will also help you remain composed. Some people imagine the breath coming in and forming a golden ball in their diaphragm.

As you exhale, the golden ball sends energy to every extremity of your body, filling you completely with the glow.

Then breathe it back into your centre.

Relax your body from head to toe, breathe, concentrate on your breath, see your breath

SHOES, BELTS & JEWELLERY FOR MEN

BY ROBIN POWIS Clothes don't make the man, the man makes the clothes!

Shoes and Belts - The rule still applies, your shoes and belt should match and remember there's nothing like a handmade shoe. For a corporate look black shoes and belt always look superb with a navy or charcoal suit, or trousers. Burberry have beautiful black shiny leather brogues. The darker or finer the leather, the dressier the belt. For more casual wear a brown belt and shoes in a similar shade to team well. To jeans or shorts with a coloured shoe or belt, have the other one in navy or blue. Grey loafers are best with grey, navy or blue. Don't forget reversible belts are great to cover all bases. And always purchase the best belt you can afford. When buckled comfortably, the belt should be long enough to go through the first set of trouser loops, but not the second. Belts should be fastened comfortably around the waist, not the hips.

Jewellery - Looks best when it is low key and refined. Jewellery for corporate wear should www.michellebowden.com.au

only be a wedding band or signet ring, and a watch. Leave necklaces and bracelets for more casual wear. Necklaces are best if kept to single strands of medium sized masculine links.

Earrings are more appropriate for creative industries like advertising, entertainment or fashion.

The Watch There are three styles; the stainless steel sports watch (Maurice Lacroix with black & red striped canvas band), the formal watch with a leather band (Bruno Soehnle Lago $655) and, an evening watch that is gold or stainless steel. When worn for business they should be a classic style, simple and sophisticated. www.definingstyle.com.au

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A Classical Celebration with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra - 31 October & 2 November, 2012 Rich with tradition, classical ballet embodies ethereal beauty, disciplined technique and heartfelt emotion. In a joyous celebration of this revered art of dance, Queensland Ballet presents excerpts from some of the most loved works in the classical and romantic repertoire, including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Romeo & Juliet and La Sylphide. Let the glorious sounds of famous and familiar music envelope you, and escape into a world more beautiful... A Classical Celebration will be a simply unforgettable ballet experience

The Sleeping Beauty with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra - 1 – 19 December, 2012 The evil Carabosse casts a spell on baby Princess Aurora, proclaiming that at 16 years old, she will prick her finger on a rose thorn and die. But the good Lilac Fairy changes the spell to an enchanted sleep for one hundred years… Aurora is finally woken by a kiss from a Prince, and a joyous wedding follows.

The Sleeping Beauty is one of the most loved treasures of classical ballet, and this captivating production by François Klaus honours the style of Marius Petipa. With beautiful sets and costumes, the magical tale unfolds to the famous music of Tchaikovsky.

You and your family will be enchanted by this magnificent ballet.

Audio Description will be available at the performance on Wednesday 12 December at 6:30pm. www.michellebowden.com.au

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TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER LI CUNXIN MAOʼS LAST DANCER Li Cunxin’s journey is simply remarkable.

He was born into utter poverty in Mao’s communist China. At a very young age he was selected to train at Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy. The 7 years of harsh training regime taught him discipline, resilience, determination and perseverance. Li’s astounding drive and relentless hard work made him one of the best dancers in the world.

Li then made a successful career transition from ballet to finance. He was a senior manager at one of the largest stockbroking firms in Australia. He was named 2009 Australian Father of the Year.

Make your key message clear from the start, re-emphasis it again during and again in conclusion.

Make direct eye contact with your audience.

Try to really look at your audience throughout, especially when making your key points.

Use visual imagery to enhance your key message and to stimulate the audience's mind memory: film, photos, props, hand gestures and whole body movements.

Add humor to your presentation.

Vocal variation is crucial to keep your audience engaged. Avoid the monotone voice.

Punctuation with appropriate pauses in the right moments.

Make sure you facilitate audience involvement or participation.

Not too many presentation slides, I believe less is more. www.licunxin.com

Li’s inspirational story is recounted in his international bestselling memoir Mao’s Last Dancer. It subsequently became a blockbuster film. Li has been appointed the new Artistic Director of the Queensland Ballet.

How lucky are we? Li kindly shares his tops tips for presenting in business with us today:

Storytelling is most powerful: use real life stories, experiences and examples to make a connection with your audience.

Ensure you are well briefed about the conference theme and corporate profile. This way you can make your presentation relevant to your audience. www.michellebowden.com.au

How to Present Magazine

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PARENTS CORNER

BY YVONNE GODFREY

Give me the Boy and I’ll present you the Man 7 simple principles to grow personal leadership in young children Give me the boy and in 20 years I’ll present you the man! The nature or nurture debate lives on, but there is no question that our formative years set the scene for the adult we become. We can start developing leadership earlier than we think.

1. Show respect to your kids’ and their friends Greet your children and their friends with anticipation no matter how young or old. Get down to their level.

Look them in the eye and smile. Make them feel valued and valuable.

2. Acknowledge ideas and trust children’s judgment I once ‘lost’ my only car key. Five year old Taylor suggested that we should form three teams and look for my key, which of course we found quickly. Often we brush our children’s youthful suggestions off as ‘silly’. As Taylor showed, sometime they know what they are talking about!

Young people break things. They are clumsy and have little regard for other people’s property. Now apart from that, is there really any other reason why your 14-year-old can’t mow the lawn? Small kids can put their plate in the dishwasher or the sink and they can make their beds at 5 years old. This is where responsibility starts!

6. Disciplining the ‘will’ The ‘will’ determines our ability to initiate and follow through on goals and desires, which in turn fosters independence. Children begin asserting their ‘will’ very early. It helps them to establish their identity and to ultimately live independently of parents.

The ‘will’ is to be disciplined but not broken. Let’s face it, none of us really likes to be disciplined. But the truth is that boundaries yield feelings of safety and security. Children who have never been properly disciplined don’t feel whole. They can’t lead themselves and will therefore struggle to lead others.

7. Accept consequences for actions Allow your child to accept the consequences of their decisions. Don’t bail your children out. We all make mistakes, but being ‘saved’ from every bad move does nothing to help children to think more carefully about what we are deciding and choosing. www.miomo.nz

3. Encourage thinking and problem solving Validating children’s ideas encourages them to think up more. They will also learn to think and to solve problems. Children can learn how to use logic, reasoning skills and the instinct to develop solutions by having to solve problems from a young age. When the toy is missing help your child to go through the options of where to look. Don’t just find it for them.

4. Respect other people’s things and territory Teach children the value of their own things - toys, sports gear, musical instruments and pets. If they can’t look after their own things, they will never respect anyone else’s.

5. We learn responsibility by being given it

www.michellebowden.com.au

How to Present Magazine

OCTOBER 2012

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THEATRE

10-DISC CD SERIES

CHARITY

The Sapphires is an inspirational tale set in the ‘60s about four young, talented singers from a remote Aboriginal mission, discovered and guided by a kind-hearted, soul-loving manager.

Thinking of improving your presentation skills but don’t want to do a training course?

You need to grab a copy of How to Present - Tips from the Masters. Tips from 14 of Australia’s top public speakers.

Only $79. Visit my website

The National Breast Cancer Foundation is urging people to download the song “Lion Heart” to raise $ to fund research to achieve zero breast cancer deaths by 2030.“Lion Heart” is available to buy on iTunes for $2.19 with $1 going to the Foundation Access your copy here

BEAUTY

PLEASURE

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm is super-nourishing and loaded with mango and shea butters.

Just what dry, delicate lips need to feel comfortably soft and smooth.

Floriade is Australia's biggest celebration of spring. This iconic Canberra event runs for 30 days from 15 September to 14 October. It showcases one million flowers in bloom, set in Canberra's Commonwealth Park and entry is free.

MICHELLE LOVES...

Here are some of my favourite things for you

BEAUTY

HEALTH

WOW VENUE!

Jurlique Eye Makeup Remover is a gentle, soothing cleansing lotion for sensitive skin that lifts away surface impurities to leave the complexion feeling fresh and clean.

Herbs of Gold Omega 3 Concentrate is an essential fatty acid supplement containing highly concentrated fish oil a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, (EPA) and (DHA).

In September I spoke at a Conference held in the Sydney Hilton Hotel’s magnificent 1,200 seat Grand Ballroom. The Best Hotel I’ve ever worked at - the service was exceptional!

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How to Present Magazine

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Photo Gallery

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How to Present Magazine

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