www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 1

AUGUST 2014

IN THIS ISSUESpeaker Anthony Bonnici shares his tips for presenting in business5 ways to help your colleagues learn and growThe essential wardrobeControl your stateFix job dissatisfactionHot Gossip!Stop asking ‘what’s wrong?’Hot Gossip!Should you use a Laser Pointer?Managing the group dynamic in a workplace presentationSuccess Stories

www.michellebowden.com.au

PLUS: FREE book giveaway

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

Michelle’sUpdate

Welcome to the August issue of How to Present - this issue is packed with articles that will assist you to present with greater confidence and influence at work.

NEWS BREAK: I’m speaking at inspireEX 11-1pm on 18th August - please come! I’ll be delivering my famous Speak Up and Influence People educational speech.

Welcome Barrett Burston, the NSW Ministry of Health, and welcome back IAG, Stryker, Challenger and Estee Lauder! You’ll see some terrific photos in the back of this edition!

And did you see that my best selling book called How to Present has been published in Portugese - exciting! Again there’s a photo at the back.

My world famous Persuasive Presentation Skills Masterclass is nearly full for the entire year (only 10 places per program). If you are thinking of coming along please don’t delay. Register today to be sure you can attend on the date you prefer. Visit my website.

Anthony Bonnici is our foxy cover this month! Anthony is a terrific speaker and you’ll enjoy reading his tips of presenting in business.

PLUS in this edition I will help you to better Manage the Group Dynamics in a Workplace Presentation and I share some of my thoughts on Should you use a Laser Pointer when you have Slides?

Lorna Patten reflects on the validity of the question, What’s Wrong? Jan Terkelsen gives us her tips on the Main Reasons for Job Dissatisfaction and how to Fix it and Robin Powis shares her seasonal tips for the Essential Wardrobe. Jason Jelicich helps us to better Control your State. Ken Warren gives us 5 Ways to Help your Colleagues Learn and Grow. Greg Mowbray, reflects on what to do when you are caught in the cross fire of some Hot Gossip! Plus read some inspiring presentation Success Stories.

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!

DIARYDATE

PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS MASTERCLASS(2-day Public Program)

SYDNEY 2014August 12-13September 16-17October 14-15November 12-13December 9-10

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 6500 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 AUGUST 2014 3

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"

Would you like to learn the secrets of successful speaking, communicating and presenting?

How to Present UHYHDOV� KRZ� \RX� FDQ� EH� D� FRQ¿GHQW��FOHDU� DQG� LQÀXHQWLDO� SUHVHQWHU� HYHU\� WLPH�� 3UHVHQWDWLRQ�skills expert Michelle Bowden shares her internationally proven 13-step system to exceptional presenting, starting with analysis (plan what you would like to achieve), then design (put your presentation together) and delivery �FRPPXQLFDWH�\RXU�PHVVDJH�IRU�UHVXOWV��

Whether you’re presenting or speaking to one person or thousands, this is the essential guide to becoming an RXWVWDQGLQJ�SUHVHQWHU�

7KH�XOWLPDWH�JXLGH�WR�SUHVHQWLQJ�\RXU�LGHDV�DQG�LQÀXHQFLQJ�SHRSOH�using techniques that actually work

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:

��0D[LPLVH�\RXU�LPSDFW�LQ�PHHWLQJV�������FRQIHUHQFHV�DQG�FRQYHUVDWLRQV���0DQDJH�\RXU�QHUYHV�VR�\RX�IHHO��������FDOP�DQG�FRQ¿GHQW���(QJDJH�\RXU�DXGLHQFH�DQG�PDVWHU��

the art of persuasion ��'HOLYHU�\RXU�PHVVDJH�FOHDUO\�DQG��

with authority ��&RPPDQG�DWWHQWLRQ�DQG�DFKLHYH��

your goals!

553�$8'���������1='��������_�$YDLODEOH�LQ�SULQW�DQG�HERRN�IRUPDWV

Buy it now!Purchase your copy here

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

MARIA DOHERTYGENERAL MANAGER SAFETY, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT OPERATIONS, ESSENTIAL ENERGY

What kind of presenting do you do at work?

Presentations for committees such as Essential Energy’s Women at Work network:  Women in their own time inspiring one another with their tips, life-skills and stories of their journeys and all the obstacles.  I was the guest speaker at the most recent Women @ Work seminar & breakfast event held at the Waters Edge in Port Macquarie.   It was titled “Leaders – we need more Women!”

In my week-to-week schedule I present at Executive & Board meetings.  I host and present to both field crews and office workers for Essential Energy’s annual Safety Week seminars as well as host executive traveling roadshows around NSW.   I will jump on board Working

Groups and Working Parties, Committees and Steering Groups just to learn more about how the people in Essential Energy are coping and to hear their ideas.

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

I head large utilities organisation’s Health, Safety & Environment division – I need to be as influential as I can possibly be as we’re talking about lives here.   The target audience is my absolute priority and if I can’t drive home how important peoples’ health, safety and environment is to themselves, family, colleagues and community I would be wasting my time.

Michelle’s program is so down to earth and uplifting – all the tips and cheats – her online magazines prompt your confidence over and over.

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

The program was designed for the current professional climate in which we work. The business world has gone through a decade of ‘Death by PowerPoint’, tables, charts and those awful pointer sticks.   I needed Michelle’s expertise on how to demonstrate the most imperative issues with a human touch and encourage interaction from the audience.

In general, what positive outcomes have you achieved from improving your presentation skills?    It has helped me get over those writers blocks, finding the right word or scrambling for engaging material – all those time wasters!   I can now just focus upon the foremost subject and somehow the planning, context and materials work with my audiences.

SUCCESS STORIES!

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

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

I’ve learned how to be respectful of people’s feelings while this State Goverment organisation has been through a major restructure.  Michelle's training is focussed on being confident in your own feelings and being able to express them.

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

Building my credibility over time – I didn’t want to bombard people with all my ideas at

once – the organisation was experiencing a major cultural change.  I wanted to gather a few successful strategies and go back and thank the people for making them work and show them how their contributions brought success.

Influencing Styles – different groups such as field crews, office workers, unions, government & legal are engaged by different styles - all the while I have to be true to myself.

Structuring my presentations – in terms of what is meaningful for my audience – rather than based on what I want to say.

SUCCESS STORIES! (CONT.)

Everyone has days when they look in the wardrobe and worry about what to wear.  If your wardrobe is well planned with key garments and versatile accessories your life is a lot easier.

CULLAlways start at the beginning and cull your wardrobe to the essentials that you will wear, not sit there till you lose weight or, they’ll come back into fashion.

BUILDBuild your wardrobe with beautifully tailored garments that do double duty.  That means only buy garments that you can wear several ways.  Like a pair of dark denim jeans that can be dressed up or down or, anywhere in between.  Your garments should be able to team together to make many outfits.  Versatility is the key.

WARDROBE STAPLES1. Dark denim slim fit jeans are the staple that works always.

2. A cashmere or merino wool knit in a neutral or colour that works with everything.

3. The iconic trench in a style that flatters you and a colour that works.  Girls can experiment with red, teal, silver, blue or spots.  Guys stick to the classics. www.definingstyle.com.au

THE ESSENTIAL WARDROBEBY ROBIN POWIS

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 6

MANAGING THE GROUP DYNAMICS IN A WORKPLACE PRESENTATION

Have you ever been in a presentation where the presenter either accidentally or willingly insulted an audience member, and before you knew it the whole group had ‘turned’ against the presenter?

If you answered yes to this question, what you observed is called the Ripple Effect. You know how when you throw a stone into a pond, the concentric circles ripple out? Well, it’s the same when you present. You can create your own metaphorical concentric circles by either insulting or complimenting your audience members. We call this action of either insulting or complementing your audience members the Ripple Effect, and the ripples will be either positive or negative depending on what you have said or done as the presenter.

Excellent presenters send out hundreds of positive ripples in a single event. Unskilled presenters can cause many negative ripples without even realising and then they ask themselves: ’What was wrong with that audience?’ Well, it’s just the audience ‘reacting’ to the negative ripples.

Excellent presenters send out hundreds of positive ripples in a single presentation.

How do you cause positive and negative ripples?

Positive ripples are caused by:

1. Complimenting the audience or a member of your audience, smiling and shaking hands in a respectful way.

2. Making people in your audience feel important and special we call this

‘giving status’.

Negative ripples are caused by:

1. Rudeness or insensitivity to an audience or an audience member.

2. Ignoring someone too many times or withholding eye contact.

3. Humiliating or embarrassing an audience member.

Unskilled presenters can cause many negative ripples in their presentation and then wonder, ’What was wrong

with that audience?’

If you cause a negative ripple, how do you fix it?

As long as you are not a rude presenter who doesn’t care at all about your audience, it’s very easy to fix a negative ripple. All you need to do is refocus on connecting with the individuals in the group and then purposefully cause a whole lot of positive ripples — in other words, compliments, smiles and inclusive statements — to counteract it! You will find that the audience will be on your side again quick smart.

Remember, it’s not about you; it is all about your audience, so make sure at all times that

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 7

MANAGING THE GROUP DYNAMICS IN A WORKPLACE PRESENTATION (CONT.)

you are conscious of the ripples you create. Respect your audience and master your craft.

How do you manage difficult behaviour without causing negative ripples or negative feelings?

Perhaps you’ve had difficult audience behaviour in your meetings, conferences or presentations. Examples can include side conversations, or a person who really loves the sound of their own voice and keeps calling out ideas or asking inappropriate questions that don’t add to the learning for the whole group. What did you do at the time? Did it work? Do you know what to do to make sure you minimise the amount of your energy you have to spend on managing the group, so you can spend more of your effort in connecting with the audience and influencing their behaviour?

Here are some tips for managing difficult behaviour:

1. Rapport. Ensure at all times that you maintain your 100% rapport. Don’t sound annoyed; if you do, you’ve lost your control. Remember, people are not their behaviour. So whilst the person’s behaviour might be seemingly ‘dysfunctional’, that doesn’t mean they are a dysfunctional person!

2. Turn to a friend. In this technique you suggest to the audience that they each turn to the person next to them and discuss three key things that are related to your subject. When you do this, it’s important that you give an example. And make

sure you explain what you are asking the group to do in three different ways. This way they will be more likely to do what you are asking. Then, while the audience is all doing what you asked them to do, you can spend time attending to the people causing the disruption. Once you have addressed the disruption you can re-claim your space and debrief the activity you sent the rest of the group to do. By this time they will generally have forgotten there was a disruption in the first place!

Some examples of things you could ask your audience to discuss:

•  The three things they most want from the project.

• The three concerns they have about the project.

• The three blockages they believe exist in relation to the project.

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

MANAGING THE GROUP DYNAMICS IN A WORKPLACE PRESENTATION3. Physical proximity. Walk close to them

without turning your head or eye contact in their direction. Remember never to face ‘front on’ to them. Your physical proximity is often enough to help people real ise their interruptions are unwanted at this time.

4. Hand it over to the audience. This is a version of ‘Turn to a Friend’. Use the energy of your audience and give permission to people to talk about something with the person next to them. For example: ‘OK everyone, please talk to the person next to you and find out their concerns about the project plan to date — you have two minutes.’ This way you have controlled the way the audience members go to the activity, and now you can control them turning their attention back to you when you say the activity is finished.

5. Calling the behaviour. This is where you articulate what the person is doing that is unacceptable. For example, if Shirley w a s i n t e r r u p t i n g Heath’s question you might say, ‘Your point is relevant and I’m conscious of not interrupting Heath’. O r i f B r i a n w a s ask ing too many questions and taking the group off-track you might say, ‘Ah, y e s , a n o t h e r question from you Brian.’ Whilst many of us would employ this technique with our close family and friends regularly, it is the most risky of the

techniques because you need strong rapport. If you don’t do this technique well, you might cause a negative ripple that could significantly break rapport.

6. Ignore the problem. Sometimes this is the best strategy. Occasionally if you ignore the problem it simply goes away. I’ll cross my fingers for you!

7. Pre-framing. This is where you approach the person (who you know is going to be disruptive based on past performance) prior to the presentation and ask for their assistance during your meeting/presentation. This interaction might be a ‘Why? What? How? What if?/What else?’ presentation in its own right.

Good luck trying some of these techniques to better manage the group dynamic. www.michellebowden.com.au

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 9

As an executive coach I am in the fortunate position of knowing what most people find challenging in their role and the people they manage. I have put together a list of reasons that most people become dissatisfied with their jobs.It's estimated that 60% of all management problems are the result of faulty communication.

How well do you communicate with your people?How will they know what you want them to do unless you, communicate it clearly and constructively?

The Top 7 Reasons for Job Dissatisfaction

1. Failure to give credit for suggestions2. Failure to correct grievances3. Failure to encourage4. Criticizing employees in front of other people5. Failure to ask employees their opinions6. Failure to inform employees of their progress7. Favouritism

Here are 3 steps you can put into action.

Step 1. I invite you to look over the list above and pick 1 that you know you could focus more energy and attention on.

Step 2. Reflect on all the people you manage directly and see what it is you think they need more of.

Step 3. Schedule time in your diary, and Do it.

For the most part people want the opportunity to do good work that is meaningful and utilises their strengths. We are all unique and our joy is in demonstrating that in the world. What a great opportunity for people managers to facilitate this expression. Validate your people and help them shine. www.janterkelsen.com

LEADERS TAKE NOTE: TOP REASONS FOR JOB DISSATISFACTION AND HOW TO FIX IT!BY JAN TERKELSEN

TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s keynote:

Time and time again, Michelle Bowden never fails to deliver a first class session to our delegates!!!  A sincere thank you Michelle, for being part of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand conference program in 2014.  As always, it’s a pleasure working with you.  We put on over 50 Professional Development sessions across 5 conferences nationally and you were our top performing presenter for 2014. A brilliant and well deserved result! You produced a professionally delivered, engaging session with clear key messages and loads of energy and interaction.  Our delegates loved it and it’s no surprise that they want to see you again!

For more information on Michelle’s keynote speaking go to www.michellebowden.com.au

FROM MELISSA CHEONG, PD & PROGRAMS SPECIALIST LIFELONG LEARNING, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 10

5 WAYS TO HELP YOUR COLLEAGUES LEARN AND GROW

As a 22 year old, I remember being horrified when my manager suggested I present some training with him. However, I stepped up to the challenge and with his support, coaching and encouragement, I found that I enjoyed it. Twenty-nine years later and I am still making a living from speaking & have hopefully become better at it.

Now, I do think it special that my manager could recognise some potential within me that he could encourage, though, there is a chance that he simply wanted to redirect my smart mouth into a more worthy direction. 

Smart leaders encourage their team members to learn and grow. They know that learning helps their team members to feel even better about themselves and their work. Learning also helps team members to embrace change and become better at what they do. 

There is no doubt that the skill mix required by many workplaces is changing. No longer is it acceptable for team members to simply be specialists in their role. For example, employers now expect good communication and problem-solving skills.

The question is not so much what the benefits of continual learning at work are, but more why isn’t every workplace providing opportunities to learn?

Yes, I know that we are all busy. And many workplaces have financial constraints that can limit the learning opportunities they can provide. But it should be no surprise that workplaces with very good morale and highly-performing team

members see the value in supporting team members to learn and grow by allocating time, resources and money to support them in doing so. 

This is the main reason, I think, that it is primarily very good workplaces with happy team members that book me to run training for their people. Such workplaces know that good professional development is one of the key things they do to help their people to perform at their very best.

There are different types of workplace learning, of course. They all have value. And many of these are low or no-cost. Here are five of them.

1. Mentoring: Here I am referring to regular meetings with a colleague or an external consultant with the complementary strengths that can help you to become better at what you do.

BY KEN WARREN

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 11

5 WAYS TO HELP YOUR COLLEAGUES LEARN AND GROW (CONT.)

2. New responsibilities: Look out for people in your team who have strengths you can encourage that are consistent with the outcomes you are wanting to achieve. Assuming you have spotted an individual with the right strengths, ask them if they are open to taking on a new responsibility. People like variety and a good number of people are looking for more challenge. But your job is to identify those who are looking for challenge, make sure you find a responsibility that is a good fit, and not overwhelm those who are already flat out. 3. Internal training: Many workplaces have designated Training Officers. But consider also having people who have attended outside training run an abbreviated version of that training for their colleagues. I particularly like to see team members who are star performers share what they do that is working for them.  4. On-line learning: Here I am referring to computer-based learning, such as webinars or training resources placed on your workplace’s intranet. Certainly, on-line learning can be very low-cost and an effective way to deliver training to staff in remote locations. Some workplaces do both, having me run a customised, 60 minute webinar for their staff, for example, and then place a recording of the webinar on their intranet for future use. 5. Outside speakers: Sometimes people pay more attention to someone from outside of their workplace than they do to an internal trainer. And often an outside speaker can bring in a fresh perspective and can get away with saying things that need to be said. If you have found the right speaker, they will bring expertise and run a customised, enjoyable program that achieves the desired outcomes. But where do you find such a speaker, you ask? Ahem - this is most of

the work I do. But you are also welcome to contact me if you are looking for a recommendation. As a past Qld Chapter President of the National Speakers Association of Australia, I know many excellent speakers and would be happy to recommend good people to you. We all know that it can be very demoralising when you have gone to some trouble to organise or attend training and it turns out to be irrelevant or badly presented. 

No matter what type of opportunities to learn are provided, great workplaces appreciate that people are interested in learning about different things and they learn in different ways. How do you find out what people are interested in learning? You ask them. 

Ken Warren is a Relationships Specialist who helps teams to perform at their very best. Through his positive speaking programs, Ken helps people throughout Australia to build even stronger, more positive and productive teams, enhance their resilience and well-being at work, and provide excellent service to their clients, even the most difficult ones! Check out all of his free resources at: www.positivepeoplesolutions.com.au

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 12

Despite what you may tell yourself, the most valuable work you can do in this world is to evolve your state of being – or inner awareness.  After all, it is your state of being (or how you feel in yourself) that essentially dictates the quality of your life.

Your state of being is shaped by every thought, every action and every conversation. It is affected by your emotions, when you are angry and sad, when you are joyful as well as in moments of pain and sorrow.

Yet most people remain unaware of their inner state until they encounter pressure or resistance – and perhaps find themselves reacting with extreme upset or anger, as if possessed by some alien force. ‘I don’t know what came over me!’ they may say. Their inner state, well hidden to that point and fused with unexpressed emotions from the past, sees an opening and expresses itself in the now.

It is by this manner that much of the world’s pain and hardships are generated i.e. your inner state of pain and hurt, expresses itself by way of your actions in the now, generating more pain and hurt, then you view the mess and this seems to justify your original state. ‘Life is hard’, ‘People are nasty’ you may tell yourself, reinforcing the need to hold onto the pain and therefore create more of it around you.

This way of living makes you part of the problem rather than the solution. Unfortunately this is an all too common predicament for many people in our cities and towns; by carrying hurt and upset from their childhood, relationships or past experiences, they have eventually absorbed the negative thoughts and emotions and this has deformed their natural state of being.

But this can all change fundamentally when you come to realise 2 things:

1. You have control over your own state of being, and

2. When you change – everything changes.

Rather than holding onto hurt and blame – which can be likened to drinking poison and hoping that someone else will die – start looking at every situation as a chance to learn, grow or let go. ‘What is this teaching me about myself?’ you might ask – you may even smile or laugh at the response.

Quite simply, if you want things to change in your life then you must change – change your attitude, your actions, your responses, your language or tone – even your beliefs (yes, people do this all the time). It is hard? Most certainly, because your egoic self wants to hold onto the hurt, pain and judgment as this is often how you have defined yourself to this point.

But is it worthwhile? Absolutely! It opens the gate to a completely different worldview, one in which you are in control of yourself, your feelings and your domain. You no longer are buffeted by the world and casting blame outside yourself, instead you are sitting in your desired state, controlling the controllables and putting that state back out into the world.

Jason Jelicich is CEO and founder of BePresent Enterprises, an organisation devoted to creating more connected people and healthier working cultures. Jason’s message is as simple and it is powerful: be present. Why? Because when you are engaged in the moment you are at your happiest and most productive. www.thepresent.com.au

CONTROLLING YOUR STATEBY JASON JELICICH

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 13

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.

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 14

This is an automatic and very common question when enquiring after someone’s emotional state - particularly when you see someone in obvious distress. Yet from the paradigm of fear it simply cements the belief that feeling anything distressing is somehow “wrong” or that there is something “wrong” with the person feeling whatever they are feeling.

Asking someone “what’s wrong?” doesn’t allow the responder any space to consider what is actually going on from the paradigm of cause. The very question usually catapults the communication into the paradigm of fear and elicits one of two responses: Either some blurt about how awful something or someone is or “nothing”, which is actually true ... even if not realised in that moment.

In the paradigm of cause, nothing is wrong and nothing is right. There is only what’s so and any judgement about it (right/wrong; good/bad; negative/positive etc) is something you are doing, it’s meaning you are making of whatever is happening. And the most pervasive, unconscious judgement filters you have will concern feelings and emotions ... hence your unconscious and automatic judgement of intense feelings rears it’s head in the form of the question: “What’s wrong?”

Time to change those filters and become conscious and aware that feelings are not wrong or bad or good or right ... they are simply feelings -  there to inform you how you feel so you can feel them and respond. So the next time you are tempted to ask “what’s wrong?” consider asking this instead: “What’s going on?”

When you let go of your automatic judgement filters, you can more clearly see what is really going on and you can fully respond from love. www.openup.com.au

TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training:

“I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation training run by Michelle Bowden. The tips on how to engage the audience and on calming the nerves before a presentation were brilliant. I would highly recommend the course for anyone who needs to present for work. The structure was easy to understand and workable in everyday situations"

For more information on Michelle’s coaching or training please go to www.michellebowden.com.au

FROM AYLA VIANA, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ASSET FINANCE, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK

WHAT’S WRONG?BY LORNA PATEN

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 15

TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERANTHONY BONNICI PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER

Anthony Bonnici is based in Sydney Australia and has presented to tens of thousands of people in 5 continents. His Brain Blinkers keynote & workshop is world-renowned and a game changer for scores of blue-chip organisations who seek behavioural change, change management and employee motivation. www.anthonybonnici.com www.brainblinkers.com

Here are Anthony’s tips for us when speaking in business:

Get over yourself. This is not about you. It's about them (the audience). Keep this top of mind and you will nail it.

Ask ‘What’s Important?’ Once you're gotten over yourself, the best way to keep audience-focussed when planning a presentation is to ask this question. Ask it of yourself, ask the audience, ask others.

Prepare. Even if you think you're a hot shot, spend time preparing & following a strategy for your presentation. It will always pay dividends.

Test. My wife is a fantastic critic of my work: bounce your thoughts, plans and presentations off other people before launching.

Earn their attention. Some people think that as soon as you walk on stage, the audience is yours. No way. Think about how you will earn the right to delight.

Think primally. Parts of our brain haven't changed in 100,000 years. We love stories, because we have been telling them for ages. Compare your key messages to normal things in life (i.e. use similes and metaphors).

Think about the visuals. I'm a visual learner (along with apparently 80% of the universe), so please don't just talk. Stimulate my cornea, and not with a thousand 9-point font slides.

Move. Get out from behind that lectern. Walk into the audience. Show them that you are one of them. The simple act of moving will stimulate learning and aid retention.

Authenticity trumps ‘showpony’. If you engage with an audience truly from your heart, and with the passion that it deserves, then this type of authenticity will always beat the "stage monkey" who knows all the tricks.

Keep it simple and clear. Ask yourself, what 1 or 2 things do I want everyone in the room to remember about this presentation? Simple, clear & elegant is always better than complex, sophisticated and elaborate.

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

So, there are several reasons why you could be reading this. First, you like reading the articles in this magazine. Second, you thought there was going to be some hot gossip. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it was the first! You see, we love gossip. We can't get enough of it. Sometimes it's harmless. Most likely, it is leading to and/or reinforcing a toxic culture in your workplace, and that's anything but harmless. Gossip, rumour and innuendo rarely lead to anything good. They might be a bit of light entertainment or escape but to be quite frank there is no place for them in an organisation that is trying to build a strong, positive culture.

So, what can you do about it? I reckon the most effective approach is the direct one. Say "enough is enough and we are not going to do it any more". In a team meeting you discuss what has been happening and the harm that it causes. You then ask for a commitment from your people that involves three things.

1. They no longer participate in gossip. The rule should be don't say anything about someone that you wouldn't say in front of them.

2. They refuse to participate in it. When someone tries to drag them into a conversation, they excuse themselves.

3. They call others on it. "That's gossip and it's not helping us build a positive culture and it should stop", or similar.

It's the leader's role to say "enough is enough" when it comes to gossip. It takes courage, but it's worth it. www.licencetolead.com.au

‘Get Real’ offers a fresh, clear and concise approach to the old browbeaten subject of losing weight and getting in shape. Most other approaches to fitness and weight loss are about the latest fad, gimmick or diet. They promise life-changing results in record time with minimal effort. The trouble is they often don’t work or the results don’t last. Instead of all the Hollywood hype for the latest miracle cure ‘Get Real’ returns to some of the basic principles that bring optimal health and with it, optimal weight. The principles in my book are actually relatively simple, surprisingly easy and will help you get in shape and stay in shape and live a healthy life.

To claim your very own copy of Get Real be one of the first 5 to email michelle@michellebowden.com.au with the words Get Real in the subject line.

FREE BOOK GIVE AWAYBY TIMO TOPP

HOT GOSSIP!BY GREG MOWBRAY

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

TESTIMONIAL about Michelle’s training:

“Michelle’s energy and enthusiasm was constant and AMAZING for the full two-day course. She is clearly extremely good at what she does and inspires excellence in others. It was a great interactive approach to delivering the course – very positive focus and at the same time Michelle points out mistakes and encourages improvement. I felt Michelle is a subject matter expert and am amazed that she delivers the course with such energy after so many years doing it. Best of both worlds – experience, expertise PLUS unsurpassed energy! I loved the great takeaways – good course materials (DVDs) and folder, and the good visual aids that were colourful, engaging and easy to remember. I would certainly recommend to everyone!”

For more information on Michelle’s coaching or training go to www.michellebowden.com.au

FROM LAURA CHAMBERS, FINANCE MANAGER, CHALLENGER LIMITED

IS IT TIME YOU IMPROVED YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS? COME JOIN ME!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!

Seriously, it’s a life changing experience!

Risk free - 100% money-back guarantee.

Endorsed by thousands of people from over a hundred corporations around Australia.

I n t e r a c t i v e a n d personalised.

Faci l i tated by Michel le Bowden who has over 20 years e x p e r i e n c e r u n n i n g h e r programs and who has been nominated for Educator of the Year for the last 4 years.

A b s o r b y o u r s e l f i n a generative and experiential approach. Learn something then practice, then learn something then practice…

Group sizes are limited to only 10 people per program.

Risk free approach to a subject most people find ‘daunting’!

Plenty of time for you to get personal one-on-one time with Michelle’s during the program.

Address your specific, personal needs.

L e a r n i n g w i t h l o t s o f laughter.

Techniques are embedded s o y o u re m e m b e r t h e m decades later.

SYDNEY:14-15 August16-17 September14-15 October12-13 November 9-10 December

To chat about your specific needs or rece ive more information please email Michelle:michelle@michellebowden.com.au

There’s no need for you to fear public speaking. Please don’t

miss a career opportunity ever again because you couldn’t speak up! Anyone can be an

exceptional presenter in business - 100% guaranteed.

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

SHOULD YOU USE A LASER POINTER OR NOT?

I’ll admit to you that I’m not a huge fan of the laser dot. However, I’ve certainly witnessed many of my amazing, powerful, charismatic clients in the pharmaceutical industry use the laser dot with precision and incredible confidence.

And I’ll also admit two more things to you. Firstly, there are some times when it is the best way to highlight something. And secondly, in some cases if you didn’t use the red dot your audience would think you were not credible because it’s an expectation of some audiences that you would use the laser pointer.

I do think that in an attempt to highlight the most important part of a diagram, graph or picture, many people use that annoying little red laser dot to their detriment. You will probably agree with me that the dot tends to jump around everywhere and make even the most competent presenter look ‘shaky’ and nervous!

Make no mistake, the laser pointer can be a slow and painful way to torture your audience!

So how should I point to something on a PowerPoint slide?

This is an important question because the a n n o y i n g l a s e r d o t i s n o t t h e o n l y unsophisticated thing presenters do when pointing out important points on their slides. The other torturous way people indicate what to look at on their slides is that they stand in-front of the projector light and reach up on their toes to point to something on the screen. This approach can distract the audience from the message as they check out your shadow on the screen. I’m not sure about you, but I don’t know that many people whose nose looks fabulous in

profile!

Instead of the laser dot, or walking in front of the projector to point to something on the screen, why not colour-code your slide so you can refer to the different colours from the other side of the room. This way everyone will know where you want them to look. For example:

‘Notice that in the last 12 months, the figures in blue indicate a significant rise in our share price.’

‘You can see the area shaded yellow in NSW represents our top performing regions, whereas our poorer performers are coloured navy.’

This way you help your audience know that they should be listening to you and looking at a particular part of the picture on the screen.

Give it a try and see how it works for you! M

BY MICHELLE BOWDEN

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 19

BOOK OF THE MONTH

OK, I know it’s MY book! If you are serious about really improving your business presentation skills then you need this book. Go to

my website

CD OF THE MONTHThinking of improving your

presentation skills but don’t want to go on a training program? You need to grab a copy of How to Present - Tips from the Master. Tips from 14 of Australia’s top

public speakers. Go to my website

QLD BALLETThese astounding and starkly

beautiful dance works reveal the myriad expressive possibilities of

dance. August 1-9 Go to QLD ballet website

GIFTSA major guide to all the music

you need to hear before you die. Here is a link to one online

retailer.  MICHELLELOVES...

Here are some of my favourite things for you

HEALTHRaw Cacao products are a source

of beta-carotene, amino acids (protein), Omega-3 essential fatty acids, calcium, zinc, iron, copper,

sulphur, potassium, and one of the best food sources of muscle

relaxing, stress relieving magnesium.

ACCOMMODATIONI just stayed at the Olsen hotel 637 Chapel Street South Yarra. What a stunning place! Highly recommended for business

travelers. And with my Fine Arts Degree I was in heaven!

ACCOMMODATION

Another photo of the Olsen - seriously - it was excellent!

BEAUTYMAC Phlox Garden limited edition fluidline eye-liner gel. Perfect for

anyone with green eyes!

www.michellebowden.com.au How to Present Magazine AUGUST 2014 20

Photo Gallery