Speaking well and moving up

Let’s face it – the harsh reality is that, the way you speak, present yourself, deliver a speech, do a presentation, or even something as trivial as the way you handle yourself in company meetings CAN have a big impact on your career.

Life is, indeed, not fair. This will explain why some jerks move up the corporate ladder faster than others, even though they may know or may be performing less than you do – just because they communicate well.

So why not develop your speaking skills? Add that to your other competencies to help you move up – and keep on moving up – the corporate ladder and achieve corporate career success.

Now some people just want to play things safe. They don’t offer their opinion or comment. They don’t speak up for fear of being rejected or ridiculed. They take on the role of a spectator, a passive onlooker watching the world pass them by. At best, they give the impression that they do not know what’s going on; at worst, they seem to just not care.

And then there are those who speak and speak even when it is not appropriate. They crack green jokes here and there, or try dominate the whole conversation or meeting. When these people open their mouth, others frown and look away. They come off as insensitive, obnoxious, overbearing loud-mouths whom people around them wish God would take sooner than their appointed time.

There are ways to build our communications skills without become obnoxious. Here are some suggestions:

1. MAKE YOURSELF ATTRACTIVE.

People see you first before they hear you. Ooops! Let me rephrase that: People see you first, and then decide whether they want to listen to you or not.

The first seven seconds in the mind of your audience are the critical seconds when they form quick judgment on whether you will be worth their time or not. So wear appropriate clothes. Consult your friends who have good fashion sense. You don’t have to sport an Armani Suit (depends on your audience) to be impressive, but you need to appear fresh, excited, neat, and for some guys I know – you may need to put deodorant all over your body. You can look all good, but if you don’t smell good, then everything will go downhill from there.

Another advice: if someone offers you a mint candy, accept it.

2. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

You may look good, smell good and even really be good, but if you are not prepared then you lose credibility. Fumbling around with your papers, frantically searching for the right slide in your mega-loaded PowerPoint presentation, and then saying.....” Ah,.....I know it’s here somewhere just give me some time to find it......” will turn your audience off instantly.

Learn to do your presentation powerfully and efficiently –so efficiently you can deliver it even during a case of power outage. Backing up your slides with hard copies, for instance, just in case.

And then speak like an expert. You need to be an expert before they give you the promotions or the attention you want.

3. BE SHORT, BE SPECIFIC, BE DEEP.

You and I are now living in the Tweet-er Generation, where we’re given just 140 characters to say something substantial.

When you speak at meetings, concentrate on making your point as succinctly as possible, while still being potent and thought-provoking. Avoid redundant statements and unnecessary words. Go straight to the point. Trying to be funny and cute are actually distractions from your goal. Because everybody is time-starved. Everybody wants the meeting to finish early so they can all go back to their work.

4. USE NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS.

Know the power of using the body as an effective communications tool.

a. Your posture should be up and straight.

b. Smile. This exudes confidence.

c. Make eye contact with everyone in the room.

d. Putting the hands on the table projects a person who has the authority and credibility to be listened to.

5. LEARN FROM PROFESSIONAL SINGERS.

Singers know when to belt and when to whisper. Their voice projects their emotions. It’s the same thing with making presentations. Learn to modulate your voice. Learn from other seasoned speakers. Watch how they do it and find out what it is they do that captivates their audience.

But most important, work on your character. Jesus said the most fundamental principle in public speaking: “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” The medium IS the message whether you like it or not. So don’t just take care of your mouth, take care of your heart.

(Send “Inspire” to 288 for Smart or Sun subscribers and 2889 for Globe to receive your daily inspirational quotes and thoughts from Francis. Visit facebook.com/franciskong 2 for more details.)