Whether in business or life – it’s happened to you.
The Actor’s Nightmare.
That horrific moment when you realize you are the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time.
That’s an excerpt from my book and it has happened to a lot of us. Perhaps you arrive at a meeting unprepared. Or you think you are getting together with one group only to find out it’s another one.
We’ve been talking about the importance of using the right character that is authentically YOU in the right situation. By knowing all the characters you ARE, it becomes easier for you to be effective in your communications with any group – even if you must change characters at the last minute!
Knowing your audience in advance is a great help! Whether one or one hundred, knowing whom you will be communicating with allows you to prepare to speak to them. This applies to everyday situations as well and not just in making a formal presentation or having a planned meeting.
You may find that you want to be exactly the same as your audience or you may want to be completely different! I will share with you in another post when I was asked by the CEO of an organization where I was a keynote speaker to “shake up” the audience!
Two questions to ask yourself:
1. Who is the audience?
2. What is the most effective way for the audience to get the message?
If you have time to prepare, choose the character that will best support your message to the particular client. Keep in mind things might change and you may have to adjust plans!
I once arrived on the stage to make a presentation only to learn that earlier that day, a corporate news release had announced several major changes to the group. I chose to be sympathetic to that news and still make the required presentation. A moderate change on my part but one that made the presentation more effective for the audience at that time.
Remember that each of these characters is authentically YOU and you are choosing the one that will be most effective for the situation. By having those characters “up your sleeve” so to speak, you will be prepared for any situation!
To Being Heard,
Linda