Speak easy CAREER Public speaking can be nerve wracking at the best of times, but
what happens if you’re landed in one of these terrifying scenarios? We seek the expert advice of Eric Feng for how to get your opinion across
HELP! I’m giving a presentation to the CEO CEOs sit in a lot ofmeetings hence start by giving them the big picture (why are we having this presentation) in order to refresh their memory. Then proceed to reveal the purpose of this presentation (what you plan to achieve) and your approach (how to achieve). If there is a decision for your CEO to make, be sure to state it upfront. Ensure your points are succinct and
also back up your claims with evidence like statistics or testimonials. Also list down potential questions yourCEOwill ask and be prepared to answer them. If you are not familiar with this CEO, get help fromyour colleagues on the type of concerns or questions theymay
have.The way to win with your CEO is to be clear and prepared.
HELP! I have an important job interview Duringyour preparation stage, get a piece of paper andlistdownten things youwant your interviewer toknowaboutyouthatwill put you in best light. For each of them, makesure youanswer the following invis- ible questions in the heads of your inter- viewers – “So what?”, “Who cares?” and “What’s in it for us?”
Whenever you share your strengths or
claims, back it up with evidence. This makes what you say more credible and memorable. Structure your evidencewith the STAR formula:
Setting: When and where? Task:Whatwas the task youwere given? Actions:Whatwere the actions you took? Results: What specific results did you achieve?
To succeed at a job interview, don’t see
yourself as a secretary. Instead, see your- self as a salesperson. This is not the time to be humble if you want to get the job.
HELP! I’ve been handed a last minute presentation! There are three critical pieces of infor- mation you need to have to excel at a last minute presentation. First, find out the objective of your presentation – are you speaking to inform, influence or inspire? Second, who are your audience and
why are they there? For amore thorough process, start by writing down the ques- tions you knowyour audiencewill ask you during your presentation. Put yourself in their shoes and list down all the possible questions. Make sure you have an answer for each of them.
You can then drive your presentation
forwards by answering the listed ques- tions either by first asking the question (“Sowhat’s this project about?”) or mak- ing a statement (“Here’s howyou can get involved”). Third, how much time do you have?
Thiswill help you edit and prioritise the information that you need to present.
HELP! The PowerPoint won’t work! The best way to approach this scenario is to be prepared for it! No matter how confident you are about the presentation, have a set of your slides and notes with you at all time. So even if technology fails you (which they will due to Murphy’s Law), youwill still have something to fall back on in an emergency. Be clear on your roadmap too. Know
how you are going start, end and move fromone point to another, including key headlines and examples that youwant to share. Thisway, in spite of the technology breakdown, you will still be able to con- tinue eloquently. E
THE EXPERT Eric Feng is a highly sought after public
speaking coach in Asia and best-selling author of ‘Get To The Point®’, which has sold 12,000 copies. Regarded by the media as an expert on speaking, he is regularly seen on TV and in papers. For more public speaking tips, visit
www.ericfeng.com.
2012 ISSUETWO |
WWW.EXECUTIVEPA.ASIA 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56