barack obama opening pitch

Sending Signals

I’ve never read Dante’s book describing his vision of the nine circles of hell, but I’d be happy to take a punt that making a pitch hovers somewhere around level eight.

It’s not just the fear of saying the wrong thing and losing a potential contract, it’s also the stress of being on show – being scrutinised by others. Just what are they looking for?

In all honesty, the panel probably don’t even really know themselves. They will have clocked whether you look well presented and professional within the first couple of seconds. But after that most of their opinions about your character will come from tiny pieces of body language that we all react to but few can explain.

It’s very hard to cheat and fool people that you’re something you’re not. However, as 90% of all communication is non-verbal an understanding of how to present yourself can make all the difference in business situations, whether it’s a 30 minute pitch or a 30 second introduction.

William Lewis, an international speaker specialising in business communication and interpersonal skills, believes that eye contact is the first essential. “People associate people with shifty eyes as being a bit untrustworthy,” he says. “You must look the person you’re talking to right in the eyes. Don’t take it too far though – hold contact for a few seconds then glance away otherwise you’re basically flirting. People get nervous if you hold their gaze for too long.”

Stance then follows as a vital ingredient. Stand if you can as those who stand always look more powerful to the people who are sitting down. This is because when you stand you take up more space which creates a feeling that you’re a person of higher status. If standing isn’t appropriate, you can still create a feeling of power while seated, simply use more space by stretching your legs out or by holding your arms at the side of the chair.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that standing with your hands behind your back shows control. Presentation coaches refer to it as the ‘Prince Charles’ and are quick to assert that this look suggests power. In reality research shows that holding the hands out of sight actually seems slightly untrustworthy, as if you have something to hide. The reverse is therefore true, to gain trust be open with your hands – use them to express yourself as it’ll only help to show your passion for the topic you’re discussing.

It’s impossible to imagine Barack Obama giving a speech without also envisaging his hands chopping away rhythmically to emphasise his key points and the belief he was placing in them. You don’t necessarily have to look so impassioned, but do remember the things they told you at school – stand up straight, don’t fidget or play with your clothes and try to hold your arms up, even clench your fists if you like, the key is to avoid looking limp. People want strength – they’re not just buying into your pitch, they’re buying into your ability to manage the stress of the project and deliver.

However, no matter how much you try to inflect excitement into your voice during a pitch don’t confuse fast talking with infectious enthusiasm. “Generally, people speak at an average rate of 125 to 225 words per minute,” explains Lewis. “If you talk faster than that you run the risk of sounding like a pushy salesman with a well-rehearsed pitch – that’s instantly going to turn the listener against you.”

So even if you’re networking and only have a minute to introduce yourself, don’t try and blurt out too much. “It’s definitely true that if you speak slowly and clearly you’ll say a lot more about yourself, even if you’ve actually said less.”

The words that you use have a value too. “If you’re meeting someone and only have a few seconds to get a flavour of your personality across never answer the question ‘Are you have a good evening’ with something along the lines of ‘Yes, it’s been very nice’.

“Nice is the weakest descriptive word in our language. Nobody makes an impression with nice. Say that it’s been exhilarating, stimulating, motivating – anything other than nice. The same rule also applies when your partner asks you for your thoughts on a new item of clothing, incidentally.”

Body language goes both ways – it’s not just what you can do to influence the emotions of others, it’s also important for you to be able to read signs that they’re offering and react accordingly.

If the person you’re pitching to is touching their chin it’s usually a sign that they’re interested in what you’re saying but have an issue with it that concerns them. If you know what that issue might be, mention how you plan to resolve it so that you can continue your presentation without the person having half their mind on the question they plan to ask you at the end.

Most people know that crossed arms and legs are a sign of a defensive listener. “If you’re talking to a group you should see this person as the one that needs the most convincing,” explains Lewis. “You can even be honest and say ‘You look very defensive there, what are your worries?’ in order to open a dialogue.”

However, if you look across and see the person you’re talking to holding a similar pose to you the job is as good as done. What you’ve seen is called ‘mirroring’. It basically means that the person is so absorbed and comfortable with what you’re saying that they’ve even started to reflect your posture. The same goes for leaning forward, people who are interested and enthused by a speaker will often lean as a demonstration of their eagerness to hear more.

And of course, you can instigate these things instead. If you’re the one doing the mirroring or leaning you’re sending a clear message that you hear what they’re saying and you’d like to be aboard. Follow these tips and, with any luck, you will be.

What’s the difference between N. Korea & Obama trying 2 get elementary school kids make pledges to him?

A school principal has apologized for showing a video at an assembly that a politically conservative group leader is calling “radical, leftist propaganda.”

He is targeting our most vulnerable just as Hitler and Mussolini did! Trying to build up his snitch squad through the innocence of children. This sick excuse for a president is going to find out soon that we aren’t going to take much more from this Administration! The New World Order puppetmasters will replace him though.

Raw Video: Obama Throws Out First Pitch