Communication MASTERY

By Tony Jeary

Forward to a Friend Subscribe

© 2007 Nightingale-Conant Corporation

Life is a series of presentations. Every person you meet, every email,

voicemail, or letter you send, and every conversation you have is either a
communication or a presentation. The choice is yours, but the results are
incomparable. To marshal customers, partners, investors, employees,
friends, and family toward your success, you must move beyond
communicating and make your life a series of presentations!

How effective are your communications? It's a question you may never have
considered before, but one that is absolutely crucial to your success. Most people are
unintentional about the way they communicate. They communicate verbally and
through their body language without preparing and without honing the skills required
to make each encounter an extraordinary one. But what if there were a better way?
Look at your own communication skills. How many prospects do you have to tap in
order to make a profitable connection? Are you able to successfully make contact
with everyone you want, or do you play the numbers game, making dozens of calls
and sending out dozens of mailings and messages in the hopes of getting just one or
two responses?

Is it easy for you to get "in," either over the phone, through email, or in person, to
someone you want to pitch your products, services, or ideas to, or do you often find
yourself faced with impenetrable barriers (or simply ignored by not getting a call
back)?

Do you get things done faster and more easily with email and voicemail, or have
they added yet another layer of complication and frustration to your life?

Most people rate their communication effectiveness at about 20 percent to 30

percent, which means only two or three out of every 10 communications
accomplishes the desired result. The other seven or eight are wasted effort or worse
... missed opportunities.

But then there are the rare few who are able to maximize virtually all of the
communication opportunities they engage in. When they make a call, it gets returned
fast. When they share an idea, people respond to it immediately. When they set their
sights on a client, they get the client on the first try. When they make a speech, the
audience is captivated. Their communications get results, and people take their
desired action.

Life Is a Series of Presentations

There have been thousands of entrepreneurs over the years with incredible products,
ideas, and services that never realized success. The difference between them and the
greats — people like Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Sam Walton, Warren Buffett, and
Steve Jobs — is that the greats know how to effectively convince people to do what
they want. They can marshal customers, partners, investors, employees, friends,
family, and often entire markets to work collectively toward their success.

They are Communication Masters, and even though their individual communication
styles may vary, they have one common trait: Their communications are
presentations!

That word may conjure up an image of a conference room full of people, a slide
projector, coffee, and bagels. But a presentation encompasses much more than just
speechmaking. A presentation is, at its essence, the act of working to impact,
change, or reinforce the content and state of another person's mind and actions.
When you "present" instead of just communicate, you make a deep, nuanced,
profound connection with people — whether it's through an email, on the phone, in a
mailing or marketing piece, at a meeting, or in front of an audience. You present
your message with intentionality, power, and clarity, and get a completely different
outcome.

The difference between merely communicating and presenting is the difference

between trying to get through to a prospective client or customer and having that
person ringing your phone to set up a meeting.

It's the difference between sending an email, letter, or voicemail that gets
misinterpreted, ignored, or deleted and one that makes the recipient get back to you
quickly, with exactly the response you want.

Communication Mastery is the difference that makes all the difference in the world
toward achieving your goals — in just about every situation you can think of.

The 3 Secrets to Communication Mastery

Communication Mastery is a level few people operate at. Yet it's something that's
actually quite easy to achieve. The difference is in the way the message is prepared
and received, and it can be achieved by integrating three simple principles into your
daily communications:

1. Get Clear on Your Objectives

Ordinary communicators whip off an email, leave a quick voicemail, or rush into a
meeting with their minds on something else.

Communication Masters, on the other hand, imagine each and every communication
event down the line to its ideal conclusion before they ever start typing, talking, or
walking into a conference room. And they do it by asking — and answering — four
questions:

• What specific desired outcomes do I personally want from this

communication?
• What action do I want the recipient(s) to take as a result of my presentation?
• What must the recipient(s) know, say, or do differently when my presentation
is over?
• When are these actions required?
Let's say, for example, that you're leaving someone a voice message. Do you want
the recipient to call you back with a certain piece of information, write you a letter,
tell his or her assistant to schedule a meeting, buy your product immediately, or
simply get his or her mind turning in preparation for a follow-up presentation?

Articulate to yourself exactly what the goal of your presentation is, and exactly what
the recipient has to do in order for that goal to be achieved. You may even want to
write down the objective in either a short sentence or short list of bullets and then
keep that list handy and top of mind during the presentation.

2. Apply the Presentation Platinum Rule

We all know The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. This
is good advice, but those who communicate effectively use the Platinum Rule: Do
unto others as they want to be done unto. Communicate the way others want to
receive your message — not the way you like to be communicated to!

Everyone receives and processes information differently. Once you realize this
distinction about human nature, your power and communication effectiveness will be
enhanced. Master Communicators are flexible. They rarely make the same
presentation twice because they know each recipient is different. They learn the
composition of the person or people they're presenting to before the presentation
begins, then adjust accordingly.

The best way to determine how people want to receive your message is to take a
look at how they communicate their own messages to you. The more your
communications are able to mirror back to the recipients their own likes and
preferences, the more likely they are to respond quickly and positively to your
message. If they use email, you use email. If they always call you, use the phone.
(See Match your Recipient's Communication Style.)

You can utilize the Platinum Rule even if you've never met the person you are
making a presentation to. Imagine, for example, that your goal is to create a joint
venture between your organization and XYZ Industries, and in order to do it, you
need to get your proposal to the president—someone you've never met. What does
XYZ Industries' website look like? Do they have a public persona, a "vibe" they want
to convey? How does the president dress — conservatively, casually, or with an
edge? Are there any articles about him or her or interviews that you can read? Does
the corporate literature contain any letters-from-the-president — type content that
might offer some insights into his or her personality, likes, and dislikes, or do you
have any shared acquaintances who may be able to give you insight?

All of this information will enable you to shape your presentation in a way that will
resonate with your prospect on a deep personal level. For example, if the president is
young and the XYZ is a web company, you might send an audio postcard via email. If
the company is a manufacturing company without a website, you might infer that a
personal letter is best.

3. Address the 'So What?' Factor

The difference between communicators and Communication Masters is that masters
constantly and continuously target the recipient(s) pains, needs, and objectives with
every presentation opportunity. They can imagine their recipient saying, "So what?"
to each and every idea, bullet point, or sentence. And they make sure that their
presentation delivers the response to that "So what?"

Most people, excited about the opportunity to sell their idea, product, or service,
spend so much time talking about what excites them about the opportunity and the
need they think it solves for their prospect, they never take the time to truly dig into
the recipient's pains or objectives. And, this is why most presentations fail. It has
nothing to do with the opportunity; the failure is in the delivery because the "So
what?" factor was never addressed, and the recipient never made the connection
between the needs in his life and the opportunity presented.

Your first communication should be entirely exploratory, whether by email or in

person. Ask leading questions. Take detailed notes. Resist the urge to offer solutions
or answers. This is difficult at first, because you are naturally excited about the
opportunity you have to offer. But, it is only an "opportunity" if the recipient
recognizes it as an opportunity — if it satisfies their "So what?" Once you have
identified the needs, weave those into every communication. Make sure that every
presentation — every email, voicemail, or face-to-face meeting — recognizes those
pains and addresses them. Make constant and continuous connection with your
recipients, and you will have overcome the "So what?" factor.

Achieving Communication Mastery

You're already doing the work of communicating: You're having the conversations,
writing the emails, making the phone calls, giving the speeches. Simply by
integrating these three principles into all of those efforts, you will transform them
from mere communications into presentations ... and in so doing, multiply their
effectiveness exponentially. You will accomplish more through your communications
than you ever knew you could, and you'll do it in less time and with less effort than
you will believe.
Presentation Power Tips
Here are four tips to turn everyday communication into effective presentations:

Email Presentation Power Tip

Establish the purpose of your email for the recipient upfront, in one clear, concise
sentence. Use concise phrases, not verbose sentences, in the body of the email. If
you know your recipient's style (slow or fast, task-oriented, or social connector),
tailor the length and meat of the phrases accordingly. But remember, everyone wants
email to be efficient.

Phone Presentation Power Tip

If you expect to reach someone live on the phone, be sure to plan for what you will
say if you get voicemail. People often get caught off-guard by voicemail and leave a
jumbled less-than-ideal communication. Before picking up the phone, briefly plan a
concise message in the event that you get voicemail.

Be prepared to reach your prospect's assistant. Executive assistants are the front line
of executive communication, and your entire opportunity could be lost or hindered by
an ineffective or disorganized communication. Prepare for this presentation as you
would for any other, utilizing the three principles of Communication Mastery.

Group Presentation Power Tip

If you are presenting to a small group, get the members involved early. For example,
you might try asking each member of the group to share one personal objective for
your meeting. In this way, you generate a sense of shared purpose and get the
group members engaged in a personal way with what you are discussing.

Public Speaking Presentation Power Tip

Before presenting to a group, mingle with some of the participants beforehand. Ask
them what they are interested in hearing and pre-sell some of your ideas. This will
give you a connection with the audience and also give you a chance to adjust or
target your speech, depending on the feedback you received.

If possible, learn the environment before you have to present. Walk the room, sit in
some of the chairs, walk the stage. This will give you a mental "ownership" of the
space, which will translate into a greater sense of comfort, confidence, and authority.
Match Your Recipient's Communication Style

Master Communicators know how their recipients want to receive information and
adjust their communication styles to match.

The Slow Talker

If the recipient talks slowly and methodically, and exhibits a thorough approach to
meetings, emails, and discussions, you must do the same. Break your ideas into
highly structured communications that cover all details.

The Fast Talker

If the recipient is fast talking and extroversive, has high energy, and moves quickly
from one idea to the next, you will need to stay dynamic. Cover multiple ideas and
maintain high energy and passion in your communications.

Be Task-Oriented
If your recipient has a "bottom line" mentality, gets to the point, and doesn't linger in
conversations, your communications need to be task-oriented. Keep your emails
efficient; use short concise phrases. Connect highly action-oriented tasks to clear
benefits.

Achieve Social Connection

If your recipient is very conversational and talks about off-topic experiences, this
person needs to make a social connection in his or her communications. Build more
emotion into your presentations and maintain fluidity. This person needs to know you
connect and emphasize with them.

Practice all these tips, put them in your presentation arsenal and you've got a great
start to becoming a communication master! And remember, life is a seri

About The 10 Qualities of Charismatic People

Did you ever notice that when some people walk
into a room - all heads turn? Or when some people
speak – they captivate everyone around them. And
how about the type of people who when you shake
their hand, you instantly trust them … believe them
… and like them! Charisma, A
Mysterious Trait?
What’s their secret? What do they have that most people
don’t? It’s called …charisma — undoubtedly one of the Personal Magnetism
most desirable qualities in the world.
Studies of Charisma
By developing charisma: Bill Gates Story

• You get far more respect than the average person!

• People seem to adore you without any effort on Need audio
help? Click here
your part!
• You exude huge amounts of self-confidence and
self-esteem!
• You seem extremely powerful without being intimidating.
• You put people at ease and make them feel understood!
• And you’re able to easily get what you want, because people instinctively
want to help you!

Charisma is easy to spot. And at the same time it’s not so easy to put your finger on
exactly what it is about a person that makes him or her charismatic. It’s an
attractiveness that goes beyond good looks, an appeal that can’t be labeled as
intellectual brilliance or a terrific sense of humor. Most people see it as something
elusive and unachievable—a kind of magical, mysterious magnetism that you’re
either born with or not. And the fact is that nothing could be further from the truth!

Now you can be the person everyone wants to be like!

Relationship expert Dr. Tony Alessandra wanted to demystify charisma and reduce
this characteristic to its foundation. Tony spent years researching the lives,
behaviors, and characteristics of charismatic people from all walks of life in order to
discover the qualities they all shared. In the process, he made a fascinating
discovery.

Charisma is not based on genetics, IQ, social position, or luck. It’s actually a skill.
And anyone can learn and master it.

Once he debunked the myth of charisma, Tony set out to create a simple, step-by-
step system that would enable anybody to develop it. In his latest audio program,
The 10 Qualities of Charismatic People, Tony offers a complete how-to guide to
accessing and developing the kind of powerful personal magnetism that will draw
people to you, make them feel comfortable with you, and compel them to help you
achieve your personal goals.

Turn your assets into powerful personality “magnets”

Tony’s research uncovered 10 Universal Keys to Charisma — 10 specific qualities that

are present in each one of us, but are all highly developed in truly charismatic
people. The secret to becoming an extremely charismatic person is identifying these
10 qualities within yourself and learning how to develop each one as fully as
possible.

You might think of these qualities as 10 glasses. The more developed a particular
quality is, the fuller that glass is. Right now, some of your glasses may be filled
almost to the brim, while others are only slightly full.

In The 10 Qualities of Charismatic People, you’ll examine each of these 10 keys in

depth. Powerful real-life examples of charisma in action will help you understand why
these skills are so vital to your success. Quizzes, exercises, and anecdotes will help
you assess your current level of ability in each area. And you’ll learn specific
techniques, skills, and strategies that target each area and that will help you develop
each one to your maximum ability. Once you do, that magical, mysterious power that
attracts people and wins them over will be yours!

A royal example of the power of learned charisma and what it can do!

A classic example of someone who learned charisma and used it to flourish is the late
Princess Diana. When she first arrived on the public scene as young Diana Spencer,
she was a shy, awkward girl, with no presence at all.

But by learning how to maximize the aspects of her personality that had the most
potential, she blossomed from "Shy Di" into an international icon. Beloved by millions
around the world, the power of her presence went much deeper than her beauty,
confidence, or title … and it enabled her to gain tremendous financial and media
support for the humanitarian causes most important to her.

In this program, you’ll discover all the tools you need to experience this same kind of
profound personal transformation in your own life.

Develop the single most advantageous skill in the world

Charisma gives you a tremendous advantage in almost every conceivable situation,

from business meetings and sales calls, to getting your kids to do their homework or
getting the cooperation of a store clerk or teacher. Just imagine how much easier
your life will be when people are instantly drawn to you and automatically want to
help you. You’ll be able to inspire people, ignite their enthusiasm, persuade them to
see things your way, and do what you want them to—without creating defensiveness
or resentment.

Whether you’re running a corporation, a department, a classroom, a volunteer

program, or a household, there’s no skill more valuable than the ability to positively
influence others. You already have the potential to be more charismatic. Once you
unlock it, you’ll have an extraordinary edge in life shared only by a select few. Utilize
the power of "charisma" for yourself.
An Unspoken Secret of Great Communicators
By Peter Thomson

Forward to a Friend Subscribe

© 2007 Nightingale-Conant Corporation
How sharp are your listening skills?

Take this simple quiz and find out:

• How many animals of each SPECIES did Moses take onto the ark?
• Some months have 31 days; some have 30 days. How many have 28 days?
• You go into a log cabin with one match in a matchbox. In the cabin is a wood-
burning stove, a paraffin lamp and a candle. Which do you light first for
maximum WARMTH?
• Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain on
Earth?
• How far can a three-legged tiger run into the woods?

For the answers, read on ...

How many opportunities do you have in your life to make a difference with your
power of communication? Thousands! Dealing with your family, your friends, your
business colleagues, suppliers, doctors, dentists — the list is endless. When you can
communicate your messages to these people powerfully, persuasively, and
passionately, your success by any definition will be assured.

In more than 30 years of research into communication, fascination with the subject,
and practical application in my own life, I've discovered that all great communicators
share certain distinct secrets in common. Begin using these secrets today and your
communications will take on a degree of power and effectiveness that will absolutely
amaze you. One secret is Dynamic Listening.

Studies have shown that it is the great listeners who get the raises, promotions, and
perks in life, not necessarily the great talkers.

The purpose of the quiz at the start of this article was to illustrate this. If you have
not figured them out already, here are the answers:

• It wasn't Moses who went onto the ark — it was Noah.

• All the months have 28 days.
• You'd need to light the match first!
• Everest was the highest mountain on Earth even before it was discovered.
• Halfway is the answer, because after halfway, it will be running "out" of the
woods!

Any surprises? That's because in most of those questions I was using a technique
that I call "sleight of voice."

You've probably seen a stage magician, perhaps on TV, use sleight of hand to
misdirect your attention. The same technique can apply to spoken or written
communication. For example, when you looked at the emboldened word SPECIES,
perhaps you didn't notice the name Moses quite as much as you might have if the
word hadn't been highlighted.
This confusion or misdirection often occurs in everyday speech, sometimes
deliberately, but usually the speaker is simply unaware of the effect of his or her
words. Unfortunately, it is often the listener who is at fault, by engaging the "filters"
in the brain and consequently mishearing what is said. Those filters are the
paradigms through which they hear the world.

Generalization of information and deletion of information are two other common

filters that impede our ability to effectively listen, and therefore to successfully
communicate.

One of the simplest and best methods for keeping your filters in check and improving
your listening skills is called Rapid Repeat. It works like this: When someone talks to
you, simply repeat what he or she says in your mind, as the person is talking. You'll
hear a slight echo of the words, but in the sound of your own voice.

This has a number of benefits. Some scientists claim that every 11 seconds we
engage in self-talk. It's no wonder that we don't always hear what someone else is
saying. When you use Rapid Repeat, you give your mind something to do. It doesn't
need to wander off thinking about next year's vacation or whether you put the cat
out before going to work.

You'll also find when you use this technique that your level of concentration increases
and your recall of information improves dramatically.

Just imagine having a conversation with a group of people at 7:30 a.m. and then
meeting up with them again at 11:30 p.m. and being able to use their names and
refer specifically to the detail of the conversation you had earlier. Wow! Rapid Repeat
will do that for you, and a lot more.

An Unspoken Secret of Great Communicators

By Peter Thomson

Forward to a Friend Subscribe

© 2007 Nightingale-Conant Corporation

How sharp are your listening skills?

Take this simple quiz and find out:

• How many animals of each SPECIES did Moses take onto the ark?
• Some months have 31 days; some have 30 days. How many have 28 days?
• You go into a log cabin with one match in a matchbox. In the cabin is a wood-
burning stove, a paraffin lamp and a candle. Which do you light first for
maximum WARMTH?
• Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain on
Earth?
• How far can a three-legged tiger run into the woods?

For the answers, read on ...

How many opportunities do you have in your life to make a difference with your
power of communication? Thousands! Dealing with your family, your friends, your
business colleagues, suppliers, doctors, dentists — the list is endless. When you can
communicate your messages to these people powerfully, persuasively, and
passionately, your success by any definition will be assured.

In more than 30 years of research into communication, fascination with the subject,
and practical application in my own life, I've discovered that all great communicators
share certain distinct secrets in common. Begin using these secrets today and your
communications will take on a degree of power and effectiveness that will absolutely
amaze you. One secret is Dynamic Listening.

Studies have shown that it is the great listeners who get the raises, promotions, and
perks in life, not necessarily the great talkers.

The purpose of the quiz at the start of this article was to illustrate this. If you have
not figured them out already, here are the answers:

• It wasn't Moses who went onto the ark — it was Noah.

• All the months have 28 days.
• You'd need to light the match first!
• Everest was the highest mountain on Earth even before it was discovered.
• Halfway is the answer, because after halfway, it will be running "out" of the
woods!

Any surprises? That's because in most of those questions I was using a technique
that I call "sleight of voice."

You've probably seen a stage magician, perhaps on TV, use sleight of hand to
misdirect your attention. The same technique can apply to spoken or written
communication. For example, when you looked at the emboldened word SPECIES,
perhaps you didn't notice the name Moses quite as much as you might have if the
word hadn't been highlighted.

This confusion or misdirection often occurs in everyday speech, sometimes

deliberately, but usually the speaker is simply unaware of the effect of his or her
words. Unfortunately, it is often the listener who is at fault, by engaging the "filters"
in the brain and consequently mishearing what is said. Those filters are the
paradigms through which they hear the world.

Generalization of information and deletion of information are two other common

filters that impede our ability to effectively listen, and therefore to successfully
communicate.

One of the simplest and best methods for keeping your filters in check and improving
your listening skills is called Rapid Repeat. It works like this: When someone talks to
you, simply repeat what he or she says in your mind, as the person is talking. You'll
hear a slight echo of the words, but in the sound of your own voice.

This has a number of benefits. Some scientists claim that every 11 seconds we
engage in self-talk. It's no wonder that we don't always hear what someone else is
saying. When you use Rapid Repeat, you give your mind something to do. It doesn't
need to wander off thinking about next year's vacation or whether you put the cat
out before going to work.

You'll also find when you use this technique that your level of concentration increases
and your recall of information improves dramatically.

Just imagine having a conversation with a group of people at 7:30 a.m. and then
meeting up with them again at 11:30 p.m. and being able to use their names and
refer specifically to the detail of the conversation you had earlier. Wow! Rapid Repeat
will do that for you, and a lot more.