Selling Your Competence 31
I’m sure you’ve been at a reception and the person you’re
talking to glances away regularly. It may not be his intention, but
it looks as though he’s checking to see if someone more important
has come into the room.
Practice with a friend
Try the following exercise with a friend.- Introduce yourself looking away as your friend looks at you.
- Now look at your friend.
- Have your friend look away as you introduce yourself.
- Now look at each other as you introduce yourself.
- Now reverse roles with your friend as introducer in the
three scenarios.
It’s a perfect example. When eye contact is called for and not
used, no communication is possible. In fact, it’s almost laughable.
Without the combination of silence and eye contact in the
pause, you’re inflicting major damage on yourself. An audience
will find it very hard, if not impossible, to perceive you as a com-
petent person.
Preparation
You’re also going to be judged on the basis of what you say, on
your information. Here again, this is about preparation, not about
what to say. That’s your strong suit. You know your subject.
This is about how to put it together and how to say it.How to say it
My focus is on how to say it. It would be presumptuous of
outsiders to tell you what to say.
That being said, there are a few thoughts worth mentioning
here. You really don’t need me to tell you that most speakers take
far too long to say what they have to say. I’m sure you’re aware of
that already.
Even in conversation, it isn’t unusual for people to say too
much. Most speeches, presentations, and meetings go on beyond
human endurance.