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Empowerment Tip
Make Effective Oral Presentatios

People who speak well while interacting with work associates project an image of self-confidence. Every reader of this article has either heard about, read about, or taken a course in effective communications. We all know that you should look at the listener, speak clearly, avoid mumbling, vary your pitch and tone, and make appropriate use of hand gestures. Here we look at several less-known aspects of spoken com?munications that will project self-confidence.

Use Heavy-Impact, Embellishing Languages
"It's important that I fill you in on my recent activities," said Tina Blair to her boss, the vice president of commercial mortgages. "The bank's strategic plan is to get into the next generation of financial marketing. I've bought into the strat?egy, and it's working. Instead of simply selling commercial mortgages, I'm heavily into relationship banking. I've been building long-term symbiotic relations with some very big potential clients."

"So far, I haven't pinned down short-term results. But the long-term results could be mind boggling. We may soon become the dominant supplier of financial services to a key player in commercial real estate."

What Tina is really telling her boss is that she has been calling on a few potential large mortgage customers. So far no sales have been consummated, but she is on the right track. Her bank does want to establish long-term relation?ships with good customers. Tina embellishes her accom?plishments by explaining how her rather mundane efforts support the corporate strategy. As perceived by her listener, Tina's language is powerful and upbeat, especially be?cause it focuses on top-level company concerns.

During any given era, certain words used in the right context give power and force to your speech. Used comfort?ably and naturally, these words can help you project an appropriate degree of self-confidence. Eugene Fram, the J. McClure Warren professor of marketing at the Rochester Institute of Technology, advises tha t the following words and phrases will enhance your image:

> Talk about having attended a prestigious trade show rather than simply a trade show .
> Use the termon the verge of accomplishing something so long as a project is in process .
> Mention how an influential person (such as the company president or an important political figure) knows of your work. "Knowing of your work" is not untrue. The term does not necessarily mean that you have received his or her endorsement.
> Mention that you have bonded with your customers or your team members instead of simply stating that you have a good working relationship .
> Speak about being on the verge of a breakthrough when you have found even a minor way to improve a process. In truth, minor adaptations often do be?come breakthroughs .
> When referring to your position in the organization, casually mention that you are close to the seat of power. Perhaps you work out of a cubicle 50 feet from the eEO's office, or you perform an occasional clerical task for him or her .
> When your department has won in an interdepart?mental skirmish, or won a bid over a competitor, mention that you have nuked them. "Nuking" is more powerful than simply winning (except when it refers to using a microwave oven).