Oft-quoted workplace communications and leadership expert Peggy Klaus recently brought her whirlwind energy and brilliant advice to our Seeds For Success finalists...and they happily report that they will never present themselves or their businesses the same way again!
Finalists Karla, Abby, and Dapple partners Dana and Tamar graciously allowed me to push and prod them during our coaching time together. In each session, the focus was on how to effectively present yourself and your business, including learning how to brag (the right way, of course!) to the media, the investor community and to family and friends. While we've all been raised to think that brag is a four-letter word and that talking about our accomplishments is a big no-no, in today's competitive business world self-promotion is a necessity, not a choice. And entrepreneurs especially need to be able to toot their own horn because no one is going to do it for them. So, knowing how to talk about yourself and your company in a conversational, story-like fashion-- as if you were telling a good friend about an amazing trip you've just taken-- has become a must-have skill. The following advice given to Karla, Abby, Dana, and Tamar will benefit any entrepreneur when it comes to presenting and self-promoting:
- Complete the Take-12 Self-Evaluation Questionnaire at www.peggyklaus.com/brag/ questionnaire.htm
- After the questionnaire, it's time to create what I call a bragologue. Ranging from thirty-seconds to three-minutes, bragologues grab the listener's attention. You'll want to have your bragologue equally ready for an elevator pitch at a moment’s notice or a carefully orchestrated meeting with an investor.
- Spend time putting your bragologue together in different ways for different audiences. Continually update and hone them to keep them current and fresh. By doing this you will be armed and ready to promote yourself in any situation.
- Whether talking to a reporter, a group of investors, colleagues at a networking event, or any audience that make us feel anxious or judged, most of us dial down our level of energy a few notches when we present. To prevent this, practice going OVER -THE -TOP by delivering your content in a highly exaggerated fashion. That way when it's show time, your energy and enthusiasm will be at exactly the right performance level.
- Using an upward inflection at the end of your sentences (i.e., turning a declarative statement into a question) confuses the audience and makes you appear unsure of yourself and lacking authority. Before speaking, prompt yourself with the words “Declare” and “Convince” to force a downward inflection and create an impression of confidence.
- Be ready for the zingers—those unexpected questions that challenge you and bring up your weakest areas. Before each meeting, think about what the zingers might be. Write them out, answer them, and practice them aloud. Then you’ll really be ready to zap those zingers.
- Watch yourself on video or listen to yourself on audiotape, then critique your performance for both content and style. Did you get in your core message? Were you interesting, concise, energetic? Warning: Vocal speed does not need to equal your level of passion!
And remember, in the famous words of Dizzy Dean, or Satchel Paige, or Walt Whitman, and whomever else this quote has been attributed to:
It ain't bragging if you done it!
