DECEMBER 2014www.michellebowden.com.a

PLUS: FREE book giveaway Success Stories Wear 1 item 3 Ways

IN THIS ISSUE!Speaker Yvonne Adele shares her tips for presenting in business How to be more persuasive and get what you want Putting CHANGE into action Using people’s FEEDBACK wisely Be aware of your intentional attention What happens if you invest in people and they leave? What are you certain of?

Michelle’sUpdate

Welcome to the December issue of How to Present magazine. This edition is packed with articles to assist you to present with increased confidence and influence at work.

This is a fantastic issue and I’m sure you will love it! Our cover girl this month is Yvonne Adele - formerly known as Miss Megabyte! Yvonne is a very successful entrepreneur and speaker on innovation and social media for small business. I’m sure you’ll enjoy her tips for presenting in business.

It’s nearly Christmas! I LOVE Christmas. Do you? This year my family and I have a very different Christmas in store. If you’ve been watching my facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/MichelleBowdenEnterprises you will know that this year I’m spending the festive season including Christmas Day in Cambodia on a volunteer tourism holiday where (amongst other things) we will visit the New Hope Orphanage and the Sunrise Children's Village-Kandal. One of our first stops will be to buy 120 jackets in the local market and deliver them to Sunrise. If you’d like to donate $8 to buy a jacket for an orphan please email me at michelle@michellebowden.com.au. We are also taking over 200 toothbrushes, a whole box of baby bottles, worming chocolate, bandaids, antiseptic spray, toothpaste and sterile dressings. All these things were donated by amazing people and businesses. If you know where I can get my hands on any more of these supplies please let me know. Thank you in advance!

Plus I explain How to be more persuasive and get what you want plus How to use people’s feedback wisely. Ken Warren helps you to Put change into action and David Penglase reminds us to Be aware of your intentional attention. Greg Mowbray asks What happens if you invest in people and they leave? Lorna Paten asks you What are you certain of? Plus of course there is our usual free giveaway and this month it’s bonus Christmas give-away so be quick!

So grab yourself a ’cuppa’, put your feet up and have a read! And most importantly, make sure you put the invaluable advice into immediate action so you see some fast results. Happy Presenting!!

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DIARYDATES

PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS MASTERCLASS

(2-day Public Program)

SYDNEY 2014 December 9-10 FULL !SYDNEY 2015 February 24-25 March 24-25 April 28-29 May 19-20 !To register or chat about your specific needs please email: michelle@michellebowden.com.au

WHO IS MICHELLE BOWDEN?

Michelle is an expert in persuasive presentation skills in business. She has run her 2-day Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass over 660 times with more than 6600 people and she’s been nominated for Educator of the Year for 6 years running.

Michelle is one of only 35 Australian females who is a Certified Speaking Professional - the highest designation for speakers in the world. For a list of Michelle’s clients please go to: www.michellebowden.com.au

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine DECEMBER 2014 2

Michelle Bowden’s Proven Presentation System

Do you get nervous when presenting at work?

Do you want to showcase your knowledge, LQÀXHQFH�SHRSOH�DQG�DFFHOHUDWH�\RXU�FDUHHU"

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There is no other book on the market like this that will take you step-by-step through the process of successful presenting.— Steve Weston, Managing Director of Retail Lending, UK Retail and Business Banking division, Barclays

How to Present will help you:

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www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine DECEMBER 2014 3

SIGRID RIJGERSBERG-VON STOCKHAUSEN PRODUCT MANAGER, IMMUNOLOGY, JANSSEN-CILAG

Sigrid Rijgersberg-von Stockhausen has been in the pharmaceutical business for over 10 years and has held a number of different roles across Marketing and Medical Affairs. She has the privilege of working on highly i n n o v a t i v e p ro d u c t s t h a t h e l p transform the lives of those people who suffer from a number of chronic auto-immune diseases. It’s why she gets up in the morning and goes to work. She loves being part of a team that posi t ive ly impacts pat ient outcomes.

What kind of presenting do you do at work?

In my role as a marketer, I am required to present to a number of different cross func t iona l i n te r na l and ex te r na l audiences. Content often centres on marketing projects and initiatives, strategy and brand development.

What prompted you to attend Michelle's Influential Presentation Skills program?

Early this year I was asked to develop and present our brand plan. While I spent weeks preparing for this presentation I felt very nervous, anxious and stressed. I spent a lot of time and energy worrying whether I would be able to accurately articulate the content. On the day itself I was nauseous and my heart was racing. It was very debilitating for me.

I feel all of this on the INSIDE, however when I present I have heard from my colleagues that on the OUTSIDE I don’t come across like that at all. They see a confident and articulate presenter in front of them. Really? How I feel on the inside and how I project on the outside does not match – that has got to be worth an Oscar nomination for Best Actress!

You see my dilemma right? It’s all in my own head and I needed to learn to believe myself and see what my colleagues were seeing. So off to Michelle’s workshop I went!

How did Michelle's program change your attitude to presenting in business?

I know this sounds cliché but it’s so true for me: it was life changing! I’m a methodical person (control freak tendencies) and Michelle’s techniques taught me step by step how to confidently prepare for a presentation. Just going through the 13 step process helps me become more confident about the content I will be present and allows me to tell the story in my own way even when the content is not mine. At the same time her process also enables me to better manage my nerves and anxiety around presenting.

SUCCESS STORIES!

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine DECEMBER 2014 4

In general, what positive outcomes have you achieved from improving your presentation skills?

I definitely came back from the workshop with a sense of fearlessness when it comes to presenting! Bring it on, I say! Getting feedback from 10 strangers who you have known for less than 2 days and hearing them make the same comments your colleagues have made about your presenting style was my light bulb moment. All that self- doubt in my head – I was so over it!

It was time to clear my head of all those insecurities and BELIEVE! I will always be nervous before a presentation – but I have embraced it as a good thing, it keeps me sharp and I have the tools and skills now to manage it better.

In what specific ways have your presentation skills improved since completing Michelle's training?  

I definitely feel more confident and prepared and a little more calm in the inside!

What were your top three take aways from Michelle's program?

1. Doing a POO before hand makes such a huge difference! In more ways than one. Trust me. You had to be there.Methodical person meets 13 steps toward awesome presenting – that should help me “love my guts’ as Michelle so eloquently says!

2. Slides can be distracting – use sparingly and wisely! Spread the word…especially to those who rock up for a 15 minute presentation and their first slide has “slide 1 of 68” on it!!

Thanks Michelle for an awesome two days!

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SUCCESS STORIES! (CONT.)

!

Book now on Michelle’s 2-day

Persuasive Presentation Skills

Masterclass. !

BOOK ON A PROGRAM HERE

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine DECEMBER 2014 5

Whether we are at home or at work, and whether we are with our friends and family, or our work colleagues and clients, one thing is for sure: we all employ a variety of communication tactics on a daily basis aimed at influencing the people around us. Let’s face it, we want and need to get things from other people. We want them to trust us, to endorse our ideas, to agree with our suggestions. Gone are the days when you could get away with poor persuasion skills. It’s a fact that if you have strong persuasion skills you will have greater success in your entire life.!So what is persuasion?

Persuasion is the act of convincing another to change their thinking or behaviour whilst ensuring there is a measure of freedom in the decision making process.

Is Persuasion the same as manipulation?

Manipulation is where you force, direct or coerce your stakeholder to your way of thinking. Generally manipulation is considered to be a

win/lose approach to a communication scenario. Whereas persuasion is the assertive approach using reasoning, empathetic argument and compelling benefits to get people to do things that are in their interests as well as in the interest of the persuader. It’s a basic law of human nature that no human can feel truly happy by making someone else unhappy. Persuasion is where everyone is on the winning team.

Your end goal must be reasonable.

Whilst the outcome you seek might not always be easy to attain, it’s essential that it is reasonable in nature. If your outcome is unreasonable it won’t matter how good your persuasion skills are, the stakeholder will always say no to you. So be careful to pick your battles and only aim to persuade where there can be a win/win outcome for all parties.

15 Tips to Improve your Persuasive Ability

1. It’s not about you. If you want to get your way, you must first know what is important to your stakeholder. Get into their shoes and understand the world from their point of view. Ask questions about what interests them. Talk about them. It’s ALL about them.

2. Listen with your whole self. The best way to really understand what someone is thinking, feeling and doing in relation to your persuasion scenario is to ask questions and then listen. Really listen to every word. Be present. Persuasive people can listen to what is both said an unsaid so they can manage objections before they really get in the way.

HOW TO BE MORE PERSUASIVE AND GET WHAT YOU WANT BY MICHELLE BOWDEN!

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HOW TO BE MORE PERSUASIVE AND GET

3. Believe in yourself. Stop thinking you're not good enough, not prepared enough, or you haven't got what it takes. Please be sure to think confident thoughts. Why would people believe you, if you don’t display that you believe in yourself? Make sure you do what you can to manage your self-talk, believe in yourself and then put your most confident foot forward in every situation.

4. You must be credible. Why would people do what you ask if they don’t believe you and trust you? Learn how to tell people about your successes and triumphs without boasting so they know what you are capable of. Do what you can with your dress, speech, body language and attitude to display your credibility from the outset.

5. Use your authority. A basic rule of influence is that people will pay attention to author i ty. That’s why certa in advertisements use doctors to tell you what to do or not to do. Do your research, know your content, and work out how to communicate your authority in a positive way to encourage your stakeholder to yes.

6. Establish rapport. We like people who are like ourselves. And it’s a fact that people are more likely to say 'yes' to someone they like. Don’t be afraid to connect and establish a relationship with people by telling them a bit about yourself. Disclose about your family, hobbies, interests, passions. Look people in the eye when you speak to them and be sure to call them by their name.

7. Be generous. The more you give, the more you will get in return, or so states the law of reciprocity. Work out what

your stakeholder needs and give them as much as you can without giving away your power, even if it’s just a compliment so that the stakeholder is compelled to return your kindness.

8. Manage your personal brand. Your personal brand is the words other people use to describe you behind your back (when you are not there to hear them talking about you!) Be sure to manage every aspect of your personal brand from your grooming, to your speech patterns, to the formality of your speech (your use of slang/swearing), and the way your carry and conduct yourself. Remember you cannot not influence, and people are always watching!

9. Beautify yourself. There’s heaps of research around that shows attractive people are more persuasive. And although this is very superficial of us, it’s just a fact we need to work with. So do what you can to enhance your physical attributes. Whether you are male or female, consider a personal stylist to help you wear clothes that flatter your body ype and colouring and a hairstylist will show you how to groom your hair, beard, etc for best results. And girls, a professional make-up artist will help you apply makeup that enhances your assets.

10.Make it scarce. Cialdini’s principle or scarcity suggests that things are more attractive when their availability is limited, or when we stand to lose the opportuni ty to acquire them on favorable terms. For instance, we might buy something immediately if we're told that it's the last one, or that a special offer will soon expire. So where possible

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HOW TO BE MORE PERSUASIVE AND GET harness this approach and make your

offer scarce.

11.Make it critical. Ensure that you make the problem as critical as is relevant for the scenario and then show how easy it will be to fix it using your suggest ions. Be sure to eliminate any fear associated with the problem through your solution.

12.Have a sense of humour. It’s no fluke that funny people are more desirable than beautiful ones! Be yourself and be sure to find a way to inject your style of humour when you speak. It might be a joke, or pun, or simply a cheeky twinkle in your eye in the appropriate moments. People will be attracted to your confidence.

13.Be persistent. When it comes to change, most people take a bit of time to make up their mind. So be sure to hang in there. Don’t give up when you hear the first ‘no’. Just be clever and change your approach if something is not working.

14.Be flexible. The law of ‘requisite variety’ states that the system/person with the most flexibility of behaviour will control the system. Strive to develop a h u g e a r s e n a l o f responses that you can use depending on the situation you find yourself in to be sure that you achieve your outcome.

15.Stay calm. Keep your emotions in check – the best advice anyone ever gave me when it comes to parenting my three

daughters is ‘respond don’t react’. This advice is invaluable in business too. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you. If you need to walk away to calm down first then do so.

All these tips will help you develop your ab i l i t y to persuade no mat te r the communication scenario. Why not pick one each week and take the time to plan out how you could put each tip into practice w i th your upcoming meet ings and workplace communications.

Happy Persuading!

Michelle Bowden CSP is a recognised expert on the subject of persuasive presenting in business. She’s a best selling author (Wiley) and the co-creator of the PRSI, a world-first, brand new psychometric indicator that reports on y o u r p e r s u a s i v e s t r e n g t h s a n d weaknesses. For more information please visit her website

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www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine DECEMBER 2014 8

“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction, than to make a great l e a p f o r w a r d o n l y t o s t u m b l e backward.”

- Old Chinese Proverb

!One of the interesting things about human beings is that most of us are creatures of habit. We like doing the same things, even if our choices are not always taking us in a good direction. 

So, when it comes to changes initiated by others at work, such changes can be particularly challenging. 

We know we are more engaged with change when there is open communication about the changes, when we are given good reasons for the change, when we have a greater say and some control, when we are engaged at an emotional level, and the environment is supportive of the new ways of working. 

So, assuming people have been engaged with the need for change, how can we encourage people to start behaving differently? Here are 7 factors for you to consider:

1. Leaders setting the example. When people are unsettled by change, they tend to look to their leaders for support and guidance. So it is essential that leaders change first and model the attitudes and behaviour they want to see in others. It is also important they use their relationships to give support and influence formal and informal leaders to cooperate with the changes required. 

2. Allocate time. Here change leaders are allocating time for learning about the changes and releasing staff to attend training programs about new ways of working. Or they are helping people to manage their time, setting priorities for their work, so they can do what is required. Or discussions are held to free up people’s time - about what team members will stop doing - so they have the time to practise new ways of working. 

3. Take small steps. To get people moving with change, it has to be easy until it gains momentum. So small steps forward will help people to take action sooner. Remember that if people have been dealing with a lot of change, this takes energy and self-control of which people have a limited supply. In this case, making change easy becomes even more important. 

PUTTING CHANGE INTO ACTION BY KEN WARREN

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Where possible, allow individuals to choose what they will do and a timeframe for those actions. Alternatively, there may be a shared understanding of a few key behaviours that will be practised by everyone in the team. Otherwise, c o m m u n i c a t e v e r y c l e a r expectations about the early actions required and a timeframe for these. Keeping a written record of what is agreed can be helpful in keeping people on track and promoting accountability. 

4. Notice what works. Here attention i s p a i d t o a n y p r o g r e s s i n implementing change – how people found the time, accommodated the c h a n g e s , a n d o v e rc a m e t h e challenges, for example. Here a simple question is being asked: ‘What is already working and how can we do more of it?’ Particular attention might be paid to your star performers who are implementing the changes well. If people are not aware of what they are doing that is helping, you might ask them to notice anything they do that helps. 

5. Link behaviours. If we can link a new behaviour to a well-established behaviour, the new behaviour often becomes easier. For example, in hospitals, you may have noticed a linking behaviour with nurses - each time they need to physically handle a patient, they put on gloves. In an office, it could be that after each coffee break, they give a follow-up call to an important client. Consider how you can link a new behaviour

with an existing behaviour. 

6. R e c o rd a n d re i n f o rc e y o u r progress. People often minimise the progress that has been made. So, it can be motivating for individuals to keep a record of actions taken and their progress. Checklists can be an effective way of both helping people to remember the key behaviours and affirming the actions they have taken.  Try to reinforce progress as soon as it occurs, finding ways of valuing effort in ways that are meaningfu l to the ind iv idua l . Remember that even small steps deserve recognition. So take every opportunity to reinforce progress. 

7. Hold people accountable. People need to be followed up to see how they are going and held accountable if they are not doing what has been agreed. This needs to be done sensitively, as there may well be legitimate barriers. Your written records of what was agreed will be useful in such discussions. The action plan can be revised, as needed, with a backup plan if there are difficulties in meeting the new timeframe.

Ken Warren BA, M Soc Sc, CSP is a Relationships Specialist who helps teams to perform at their very best. Through his enjoyable and interactive speaking programs, Ken will help your people to build even stronger, more positive and productive teams; work more easily with difficult colleagues and clients; and enhance their resilience and well-being at work. Check out all of his free resources through his website www.positivepeoplesolutions.com.au!

PUTTING CHANGE INTO ACTION (CONT.)

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Ever received criticism that made you feel sad or worthless? It’s pretty bad when negative feedback comes from someone you don’t respect. It can feel downright devastating when it comes from someone you thought you could trust and whose opinion you value.

The fact is that when you are creating something meaningful and putting yourself out there you’ll get all sorts of feedback. Elbert Hubbard said:

To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.

As a professional speaker/trainer on the stage in front of thousands of people for more than 2 decades I’ve been given all sorts of critical feedback over the years. Some of it has made me a better at what I do, and some of it has even made me a better person (even some of the tough feedback can be very helpful). On the other hand, some of it was just mean and unproductive, and some of it was complete rubbish.

In fact, the truth is that about 10 years ago I stopped asking the question, “How cou ld we improve th i s training program?’ on my program evaluation forms, when the most common complaint was about a small p e r s o n a l d i s l i k e i n a n otherwise delicious lunch (we all know how important the catering is when attending training) or about my hair. Yes, I know, I can hear you gasp! The most consistent piece of negative feedback I received when asking for helpful feedback was about my hair. Not sure how it

relates to the teaching of presentation skills! Not sure how anyone in their right mind could be bothered after completely transforming their presentation skills to make an inane comment about my hair! It is what it is. I have a personal hair stylist now and I do my best. If you don’t like it, nothing more I can do!

Here’s the best advice I can give you: Don’t ever give away your power. Don’t ever let someone else ‘make’ you feel less-than. Don’t determine how you feel based on what others say or do to you.

Here is my personal approach to managing criticism:

1. Listen to the words they say and if you’re not sure what they mean ask questions to clarify the point.

2. Decide if it’s worth processing. Is it something that (even if you don’t like it) might make you better, stronger, more expert.

USE PEOPLE’S FEEDBACK WISELY BY MICHELE BOWDEN

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3. Either use the feedback to grow and change for the better. Or bin it. Seriously. Do an imaginary gesture like you are tossing it in the bin to physically remove it from your person.

4. You don't have to keep listening. Don’t tolerate people being mean or cruel. Disengage ASAP.

5. Sometimes it just seems tricky to get the mean words out of your head. You don’t have to keep processing it over and over again. Remember YO are in control of your own thoughts and therefore feelings. And you shouldn’t go on and on and one about it with your friends and family until they need to go on a holiday to get away from you! Set a time limit for this issue i.e. “I will chastise myself about this for a maximum of 6 hours and will stop thinking about this by dinnertime tonight.” Then do it, stick to your promise.

6. Try and find a way to have a laugh at it whether you’re going to implement the feedback or not. Share it with someone supportive who can laugh with you and make it semi-ridiculous.

7. Make sure you are always kind. You are responsible for the way you behave under pressure. Don’t lose your cool and embarrass yourself over feedback from others.

Now I know it’s easier said than done

right? Sometimes when people have said mean things to me over the years I’ve bored my husband senseless talking it over and over again.

Here’s the facts:

1. People can say whatever they want.

2. You can’t control how functional they are when they give you feedback.

3. You CAN control who you go to for feedback. Hint: don’t ask for the feedback if you know the person is going to be mean.

4. You CAN control what you do with the feedback and how much you let it affect your wellbeing.

Remember this affirmation: I accept and value myself. You cannot make me feel worthless. I

USE PEOPLE’S FEEDBACK WISELY (CONT.)

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The number one responsibility of a leader is to grow and develop other people. I believe that a leader should be judged not by how many followers they have, but by how many other leaders they create.

As someone who encourages aspiring leaders to focus on lifting the performances of others, I often get asked "what happens if I train them, then they leave?". My response is usually along the lines of "what happens if you don't develop them and they stay?".

I saw a quote by Sir Richard Branson recently that support this. "Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to."

Developing skills and competencies is one thing (and important by the way), but creating an environment and culture where they feel valued, where they feel that they contribute and belong, means that they are less likely to look elsewhere.

There is strong evidence that links the commitment of the leader to the growth and development of employees with the level of engagement that the employees have.

What will your legacy of leadership be? Were you more focused on creating leaders than followers?

www.licencetolead.com.au

Life is a paradox ... unpredictable and mysterious ... things happen that you are not aware of until they do and yet you still seek certainty BEFORE they happen. Fruitless and pointless. The quest for certainty only increases your fee l ings o f fear and uncertainty ... and the more you seek certainty the more fearful you become.

If you want to feel safe and secure, you need to remember WHO YOU ARE - powerful, magnificent, lovable, valuable creative being able to choose. When you remember who you are before you go seeking certainty about what’s going to happen, you put yourself in the driver’s seat of your life and can choose how to respond to whatever shows up.

When you source yourself in love rather than fear, you have more choices about how to respond. Rather than automatically reacting,

defending, protecting and managing what shows up, you free yourself to choose how y o u s h o w u p i n response....and if you are wi l l ing to fu l ly e m b r a c e w h a t e v e r happens next as your loving creation and your opportunity to respond, you find yourself flowing with the mystery of life rather than trying to predict it and control  it. It’s the difference between choosing to operate from the biggest context: I Create The Whole Of My Own Reality and being unconsciously consumed by the paradigm of fear. And if you really need certainty about anything, it’s that YOU are the one who gets to choose ... always. www.openup.com.au

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU INVEST IN PEOPLE AND THEY LEAVE? BY GREG MOWBRAY

WHAT ARE YOU CERTAIN OF? BY LORNA PATEN

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CONFIDENT SPEAKING VOCALS–AUDIOA confident, persuasive speaking voice lies within you!

Many of us know someone who has a strong, rich, resonant voice. Maybe it’s an actor like Sean Connery or Cate Blanchett.

At some point you may have found yourself wishing that you could enhance your vocal quality and projection so you were more compelling, influential and persuasive when speaking in meetings, persuading your manager, or selling to your clients.

Well you know it’s possible, and it’s easy! Creating a rich, resonant influential voice is all about warming up your voice, and this CD will take you through the warm-ups that actually work one by one. Enjoy!

EXCEPTIONAL PRESENTATION DESIGN–DVDYou can design an exceptional presentation in a minimum amount of time!

Imagine how helpful it would be if you could have your very own coach taking you through the design process for an exceptional presentation. That’s exactly what this DVD is for!

If you have a presentation to write, simply play this DVD and Michelle Bowden will coach you through the design of an exceptional presentation from beginning to end. It couldn’t be simpler!

An ideal accompaniment to Michelle’s book How to Present, you’ll be reminded how to identify the purpose of your presentation, analyse your audience and design a powerful message that influences your audience to change their thinking and/or behaviour using techniques that actually work!

www.michellebowden.com.au

HOW TO PRESENT–TIPS FROM THE MASTERS–AUDIO SERIESFast-track your presentation and speaking skills success by discovering the presentation secrets of 14 of Australia’s top conference keynote presenters.

What would be possible for your career and income if you absorbed the wisdom of Australia’s top speaking professionals and could learn from their tips and their mistakes? Well, now you can in this series of insightful interviews by Australia’s #1 Presentation Skills Expert–Michelle Bowden. Learn critical presentation tips from the amazing: Amanda Gore, Lisa McInnes-Smith, Glenn Capelli, Alan Parker, Siimon Reynolds, Rodney Marks, Sam Cawthorn, Marty Wilson, Terry Hawkins, Dale Beaumont, Catherine DeVrye, David Penglase, Avril Henry and Bruce Sullivan.

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TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training:

“Michelle your programme over the last two days has been a life-changing experience for me. In  the “Extend Yourself” exercise I became aware with incredible clarity of an almost physical breaking of a barrier within me.  I no longer fear making presentations, and that is a very big thing for me to say. Your training was the switch that made it happen.  So thank you very much. “ 

FROM STEVE TATT, SENIOR HR MANAGER, SUBSIDIARIES, SUNRICE

Effortless style is having the right pieces to wear over and over again. To make them work for you in so many ways. Do you have items in your wardrobe you don’t know what to do with? It’s a constant dilemma for my clients who buy an item they love and then hey presto, don’t know how to wear it. So how do you make it work?

Start by choosing colours that will make a great contrast with your piece. If your piece is a strong colour then look for a neutral to offset it like white, navy or tan. Add an accessory in a colour that makes your garment zing like orange, aqua, red or yellow. Or add a colour that blends with it like mauve with pink.

And even if your garment is a print you can make it work. Use the colours in the garment to pull out and use in your mix n match pieces. Then to add balance add your favourite neutral. Or use colours in a similar cluster like shades of blue.

Finishing touches will then make your outfit your own. It could be in your lipstick colour, a great handbag, a statement piece of jewellery and ATTITUDE. Feeling totally comfortable in who y o u a r e a n d w h a t y o u ’ r e w e a r i n g . www.definingstyle.com.au

WEAR 1 ITEM 3 WAYS BY ROBIN POWIS

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!Shane Warne and Babe Ruth were sporting champions. But in both of their cases they had to risk failure in order to succeed.

At the time Shane Warne claimed the world record for being cricket’s leading test wicket taker he was also the international bowler who had the most sixes scored off him.

Similarly, in the year that New York Yankees’ Babe Ruth broke the world record for the number of home runs, he also led the league in strike outs.

Some might think that being bashed over the fence more times than anyone else if you are a bowler, or swinging and missing more times than anyone else if you are a batter, is failing. But both champions (and their organisations) realised that in order to win they had to take risks.

If Warney’s instructions from his captain were to bowl conservatively and whatever you do, don’t give runs away, it would have been impossible for him to take the wickets that he did. If Babe’s attitude was to just get to first base every time, he doesn’t get the world record for home runs.

What is your organisation’s attitude towards

failure? If people try something new and it falls short, are they ridiculed? If people stick their neck out and have a go yet don’t get the outcome they wanted are they punished?

Leaders accept that not everything will work. They encourage experimentation and taking risks. They build corporate knowledge by learning from what worked and, importantly, what didn’t. Encourage your people to have a go. Celebrate their success and support and learn if they fail. www.licencetolead.com.au

HOW SHANE WARNE AND BABE RUTH FAILED IN ORDER TO SUCCEED BY GREG MOWBRAY

TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training:"You know what it is like to work with the best? The person who is the EXPERT in their field? Someone who lives the topic? That is Michelle Bowden. I have trained people on delivering presentations and thought I did a pretty good job until I completed Michelle's Persuasive Presenting Masterclass and realised I still had lots to learn from the expert. If you want to be a persuasive presenter in business and you are smart enough to want to work with the best - call Michelle." 

FROM BRAD SHAW

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine DECEMBER 2014 16

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TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER YVONNE ADELE PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER/MC

After many years with Microsoft, Yvonne Adele created the Ms Megabyte brand persona in the mid 90′s appearing weekly on the Today Show and in Womans Day. She’s the author of the best-selling book: Conquer Your Computer and is a Telstra Business Women’s Awards Finalist. Yvonne is an accomplished MC; plus she speaks regularly and consults on Social Media. She also provides an outsourced social media service for events. www.yvonneadele.com

Here are Yvonne’s Top Tips for Presenting in Business:

PREPARATION – My No.1 tip for beating nerves and building confidence. The more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll be. Prepare your slides, your speech, your travel, equipment.

RESEARCH – Don’t stop at the client brief, their industry and challenges. Research other industries who have faced the same challenges and relate their success stories back to the client under the banner of your expertise.

YOUR INTRODUCTION – Always carry a copy of your introduction for the MC. Your introduction is the start of your presentation. It sets the scene and shows you’ve earned the right to be there. Then you can start your presentation directly with the good stuff – no need for 5 minutes of your accomplishments and biography.

USE THE STAGE – When illustrating an important point by telling a story, think of the stage as a timeline. Start stage-left (as the audience is looking at you), move to the middle as you get to the middle of your story and end your story at the stage-right position.

FACILITATE ACTION – You’ll yield the best feedback from your presentation if you ensure you close the loop on your main points. State your point, illustrate it with a story and always facilitate a way for the audience to relate it back t o t h e m s e l v e s . I t w i l l e n s u re s w i f t implementation.

BE ACCESSIBLE – After your presentation, be accessible to the delegates at the next break or two. I f the conference has a healthy tweetstream and hashtag, jump into that conversation and offer further insights.

SOLDIER ON -  Don’t tell the audience if you’re unwe l l , you were runn ing la te , your presentation went missing or the dog ate your homework. Get out of your own way and smash it out of the ball park anyway.

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine DECEMBER 2014 17

THE IMPACT OF YOUR INTENTIONAL ATTENTIONWhen was the last time (if ever), you stopped and thought about where your attention is focused throughout your working day? Is your attention intentionally focused on what will provide you with the best possible results?

Let’s broaden this for a moment beyond your work day, to your overall life satisfaction.

By the very nature of placing your attention on one thing, it restricts it from being focused on another thing at the same time. In reality, our attention is being constantly shifted from one thing to another, all day, every day.

And therein lies a problem.

This constant shifting of our attention often leads us to allowing our propensity as humans to operate on ‘auto-pilot’ to determine what we

focus our attention on. Sure, we may be often consciously aware of what we are focusing or shifting our attention toward, but is our attention intentionally focused?

Positive psychology researchers typically report on what contributes to us living more happily, flourishing and meaningful lives, and often, this is looking at the inputs that are correlated with either happiness, wellbeing or overall life satisfaction. However, the research findings are often seemingly conflicting. For example, there are a number of studies that equally suggest that money can and can’t buy you happiness.

What’s becoming clearer to me as I continue studying what the researchers are discovering about the contributors to living a ‘good life’, is it’s not necessarily the input itself (for example, money, religion, exercise, learning, relationships,

BY DAVID PENGLASE

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine DECEMBER 2014 18

THE IMPACT OF YOUR INTENTIONAL ATTENTION (CONT.)etc), but rather a big contributing factor is the attention we have on those inputs.

This is what I am now referring to as Intentional Attention. For example, we all know that trust is important in our lives. However, if we don’t intentionally focus our attention on brining trust into our lives, we leave trust to chance… we just accept that it is important… we take it for granted. And as I’ve posted before, when we take things for granted, we just get used to them and over time, we devalue them.

Intentional attention is the discipline of knowing what you are focusing your attention on and understanding why and how the way you are focusing your attention on something, impacts how that something impacts your wellbeing, in your work and personal life.

Let’s use money as an example. Up to a point, what we know from the science is that it’s not necessarily how much money you have that will have the greatest impact on your happiness…

it’s the way you think about money, your attitude to money, your philosophy about money… your intentional attention on money.

Let’s use trust as another example. While we might know and take for granted that trust in our life is important, what will have the greatest impact on your overall wellbeing is not knowing that trust is important… it’s the way you think about trust, your attitude to trust, your philosophy about trust… your intentional attention on trust (self-trust, trust in others and others trusting in you).

Here’s my point. In any area of your work or personal life, where you’re not achieving the intentional results that you’re aiming for, I suggest that you’re probably not taking intentional actions that will lead to your intentional results. Why? Because you’re attention to the things that matter most to you may not be intentionally focused.

www.intentionomics.com

BOOK GIVEAWAYIn this comprehensive audio series, Michelle Bowden draws out the expertise of 14 of Australia’s top professional public speakers so you can achieve results. Michelle extracts the presentation tips, tricks and techniques that have made these successful presenters the Masters they are today so you can use them too! You will learn how to structure a message, how to tell great stories that engage and inspire your audience, and how to use the stage so your message makes even more sense to your audience PLUS much, much more! This series is the compilation of these Masters’ collective wisdom and a ‘must have’ business tool for anyone who communicates, sells or presents to others at work.!Be one of the first 5 readers to email me with the words TIPS FROM THE MASTERS at michelle@michellebowden.com.au and claim your prize!

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IS IT TIME YOU IMPROVED YOUR PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS? PLEASE - COME JOIN ME in 2014/2015!Dramatically improve the w a y y o u p r e s e n t a n d influence. Attend one of my Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclasses in 2014 and change your life!

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LUNCH IN THE VINYEARDS

For a mouth-wateringly delicious lunch at the vineyard in Mudgee

go to the Blacklea Vineyard website

MICHELLELOVES...

Here are some of my favourite things for you

HELP OTHERS New Hope Cambodia is a grass

roots, non government organisation that relies heavily on

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donate some supplies email me: michelle@michellebowden.com.au

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Business Essentials is a monthly audio series providing business people with practical, down-to-

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www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine NOVEMBER 2014 22