So are we in or are we out? Let’s put aside the official government guidelines or systems of measuring economic performance. It’s all out of date anyhow when it’s published. How about some good old fashioned commonsense? What really is happening in the marketplace? Now this may well be anecdotal and possibly challenged as not being scientific but so what, as far as I am concerned it’s real.

Companies are now back re-employing and redundancies have dwindled to the normal healthy trickle. Consumers are spending again as exemplified by the buoyant second-hand car market, always a good indicator. Our experience has shown a healthy growth of interest in business training. Every business person I speak to tells me they are feeling optimistic, and having got the holiday season out of the way decisions will be made. Executives are fed up with standing still; they are fed up with negative retreat. There is a ‘let’s get going’ feeling in the air.

If you have been delivering outstanding customer care over the past few months, if you have been investing by upskilling your people, if you have kept your most valuable asset – your staff, if you are customer led with your product mix you will now fairly quickly experience the rewards.

So in September step up a gear, really now be proactive in your communication in all its forms to your customers, your prospects and most important of all the real diamond mine the ‘No not today’s‘.

Listern to the interview

Listen to the interview                              Article by Richard Denny

• Fear of drying up
• Fear of forgetting
• Fear of going on too long
• Fear of boring people
• Fear of not sounding right
• Fear of trembling hands and trembling voice
• Fear of having a weak speech

YES you can overcome the lot. Here are just a few tips on which to get started:-

1. Prior to writing the speech/presentation collect ideas, stories, interesting facts, anything that you may be able to use before you start to write.
2. When you write the speech there must be a beginning, a middle and close.
3. The beginning should be an interesting fact or a people story. The purpose is to get their attention, it is best not to have a weak joke.
4. The middle is the content, this is where you make your case or present your main theme.
5. Illustrate the speech with stories or people to make it interesting. Genuine case histories and examples are excellent.
6. The better the preparation the less the fear and the more confident you will feel.
7. Always take some deep breaths before you start, this will settle the nerves.
8. Always have notes with big writing. Your notes must be your aid not a trap.
9. Remember the 6 P’s – Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
10. Invest in yourself, get some training, this will reap untold rewards, every good speaker has had some training.

How often have you wondered:

• What shall I say?
• What’s the ‘right’ thing to say?
• Have I said too little?
• Did I say too much?
• If only I’d said that!

Improve your verbal communication with 8 tips

1. Remember, it’s good to talk

2. Be really interested in the people you are talking to

3. Give sincere compliments

4. Speak less than you listen

5. Be positive have something nice or encouraging to say

6. Make only constructive criticism

7. Make sure you understand what is said before replying

8. Ask questions – why, what, how and when – for example “What do you think?” is better than “What I think”

Whether you have the gift, or you’re the strong silent type, do remember this it’s good to talk. Your actual words might only play a small part in the impact you make, there are plenty of other factors involved so don’t miss the opportunity to talk, use them verbal skills.

Make your impact heard however small or large.

More change has taken place in the past 30 years than in the whole history of mankind. This change has included ever-increasing technological advances to enable us to communicate faster, more efficiently and more effectively. Technological changes have indisputably led to faster and more efficient communication. We have

• Email
• Fax machines
• Telephones
• Telephone conferencing
• Video conferencing
• Pagers

but are we communicating more effectively? No.

We have

• TV
• Radio
• Stations that transmit news immediately
• Newspapers
• Journals
• Trade magazines
• Newsletters
• Books
• Direct mail
• Specialist publications
• The World Wide Web

We are getting to the point of information overload, but are we communicating more effectively? No.

Everything that we do throughout each day involves communication in one form or another – at work and at home, in politics, commerce, education, sport, entertainment and the financial world. Communication touches every sphere of our lives. Yet communication is a largely undervalued, untaught asset in the modern world, often with disastrous results. When communication breaks down the bombs and the brickbats start flying about – whether in the home environment, the workplace or the global political arena.

Professor Stephen Hawking of Cambridge University recently stated – in a TV commercial, incidentally – that ‘the world’s problems could be solved if we kept talking’. This idea can be applied to almost any situation.

1. Speak to people
2. Smile at people
3. Address people by name
4. Be warm, friendly and helpful
5. Be enthusiastic about life
6. Be genuinely interested in people
7. Look for the opportunity to give praise
8. Be considerate of other people’s feelings
9. Be thoughtful and respectful of other people’s opinions
10. Be a great listener

Written – This is the most dangerous form of Communication. There is one simple rule that should be the basis of all written communication.

You must write not so that you can be understood, but so that you cannot be misunderstood.

Written communication has a long-lasting effect because it can be read over and over again. It can re-ignite joys and bitterness. In my years of consultancy work I have seen the written word cause more aggression, drama, and strikes than any other means of communication. The written word, if there is any ambiguity, will always be read negatively.

Email is one of the greatest inventions but is becoming the world’s biggest timewaster. It is not a management tool. Please don’t email your people – speak to them.

One golden rule of communication is: Never write negatively.

When the subject is someone’s behaviour or performance, no letters, faxes, inter-office memos, emails, notices and so on should be written in a way that could be construed as critical, condemning or complaining – in other words negative.

Before sending your written communication, re-read it and ask yourself what your reaction would be if your received it.

Always re-read written communication before its dispatch. This also applies to email where the consequences of a badly worded communication can be even worse than a letter – a letter is usually only read by just one individual, whereas an email can upset countless people.

Write short paragraphs – 2 to 3 lines per paragraph.

Here are just a few tips:-

1. All presentations should be delivered with enthusiasm and passion
2. Always clearly describe the result first of all before going into the detail
3. Illustrate with some appropriate examples and case histories
4. Don’t use the I word
5. Don’t read the script
6. Make eye contact

If you are going to present it really is essential to get some coaching. Nobody drives a car without being taught so why should people be allowed to present without some coaching? Self-help is just not good enough, and time is too precious to have it wasted by some well intentioned but tiresome delivery.

Let’s all have a laugh and hear your worst example of poor presentation.

I have a great concern that we have a spiral going in the wrong direction with people’s ability to communicate. As more and more people’s time is spent with the computer and the only communication skill they are using is the written word, we will see even more anger, resentment and stress. The written word is the most dangerous form of communication, and whenever it can be read negatively it will be, yet hardly anybody is being taught on how to communicate with the written word, and I’m not talking about spelling here!

• How to read body language
• How to control our own facial expressions
• How to step out of our shoes into the other persons
• Instead of reacting ask ourselves why did he or she say that.
• How to use our voice to convey warmth.
• Get in the habit of using the telephone as against email

Every one of us if we are not a Trappist Monk should take time out to improve our communication skills. Communicate to win!.

• University of Gloucestershire on March 13, 5-30pm for 6pm.

Denny, the head of the business support consultancy, Richard Denny Group, will deliver a speech called:

The Manager is Dead… Long Live the Leader.

He has produced more than 30 training videos, written five books and lectured to business people and the professions around the world. A spokesperson for IoD said:

“Richard Denny is among the most inspirational speakers in the UK.”

Richard Denny is the head of the Denny Group, based at Moreton-in-Marsh.

The Denny Lecture is being sponsored by Cirencester-based change management company, BJC Europe Ltd. Further information from Sarah Morley IoD South West, on 01179175801