CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – JULY 17, 2021(1) Public speaking anxiety, also known as glossophobia, is one of the most commonly reported social fears. While some people may feel nervous about giving a speech or presentation, if you have social anxiety disorder (SAD), public speaking anxiety may take over your life. Public Speaking Anxiety Symptoms of public speaking anxiety are the same as those that occur for social anxiety disorder, but they only happen in the context of speaking in public. If you live with public speaking anxiety, you may worry weeks or months in advance of a speech or presentation, and you probably have severe physical symptoms of anxiety during a speech such as the following: Shaking Blushing A pounding heart Quivering voice Shortness…

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HARDISON’S TIPS – JULY 16, 2021 – BOOSTING CUSTOMER LOYALTY (PT.5) How to Sell Office Furniture to New Client’s The need for businesses to purchase office furniture, whether for the first time or to replace worn office furniture, is a market as large as the country’s economic engine. There are a number of different clients that could be approached as new clients for office furniture. Traditionally, office buildings have been the main target of office furniture manufacturers, but with the number of home-based businesses, there is a new opportunity to market to that growing niche of clients. Selling Office Furniture to New Clients Develop a marketing plan that takes into consideration the types and appropriateness of office furniture for various kinds of clients. Appreciate whether…

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HARDISON’S TIPS – JULY 15, 2021 – BOOSTING CUSTOMER LOYALTY (PT.4) There is an old adage that there are only two certainties in life:  death and taxes. Having been in sales for years, I’ve added “newly enhanced annual sales goals” as the third.  To get to that higher level of sales this year, an office equipment sales rep, or really any salesperson, can focus resolve to drive more sales, know product features better, or increase cold call efforts.  While these are all noble pursuits, they concentrate less on quality and more on quantity.  Take a look at these opportunities to be more impactful and drive quality in your “Mid – Year” sales approach. 1. Go for the conversation, not the voicemail It is common to judge yourself…

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CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – JULY 15, 2021 (PT.4) Better Public Speaking Becoming a Confident, Compelling Speaker Think Positively Positive thinking  can make a huge difference to the success of your communication, because it helps you feel more confident. Fear makes it all too easy to slip into a cycle of negative self-talk, especially right before you speak, while self-sabotaging  thoughts such as “I’ll never be good at this!” or “I’m going to fall flat on my face!” lower your confidence and increase the chances that you won’t achieve what you’re truly capable of. Use affirmations  and visualization  to raise your confidence. This is especially important right before your speech or presentation. Visualize giving a successful presentation, and imagine how you’ll feel once it’s over and when you’ve made a…

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HARDISON’S TIPS – JULY 14, 2021 – BOOSTING CUSTOMER LOYALTY (PT.3) Why? Well firstly, from your point of view, if 1 of the larger customers decides to jump ship, you’re likely to take a huge financial hit. Losing 1 of many customers however isn’t anywhere near as big a deal. Secondly, fish love to talk. Well, they don’t actually, but your customers do. The more customers you have, the faster your reputation as the go-to person in the industry will grow, and having a strong reputation is an important factor in deciding whether customers stay or go. Just remember the big fish, little fish, cardboard box rule: if the big fish outweigh the little fish, you’re far more likely to be leaving with your things in a…

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CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – JULY 14, 2021 (PT.3) Better Public Speaking Becoming a Confident, Compelling Speaker Engage With Your Audience When you speak, try to engage your audience. This makes you feel less isolated as a speaker and keeps everyone involved with your message. If appropriate, ask leading questions  targeted to individuals or groups, and encourage people to participate and ask questions. Keep in mind that some words reduce your power as a speaker. For instance, think about how these sentences sound: “I just want to add that I think we can meet these goals” or “I just think this plan is a good one.” The words “just” and “I think” limit your authority and conviction. Don’t use them. A similar word is “actually,”…

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HARDISON’S TIPS – JULY 13, 2021 – BOOSTING CUSTOMER LOYALTY (PT.2) 2. Touch base One great way to boost loyalty with existing customers is to have your marketing department send out newsletters from each of the salespeople in your team, going to each of the accounts they look after. Doing every month, with a small, personal paragraph written by the relevant salesperson at the start and monthly offers throughout the email is a great way to keep in touch with your customer base. Even if (as it would need to be) the email is sent out in bulk through an email marketing system, sending a personal paragraph about some of “my best deals this month” directly to the customer, which addresses them by their first…

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CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – JULY 13, 2021 (PT.2) Better Public Speaking Becoming a Confident, Compelling Speaker Strategies for Becoming a Better Speaker The good news is that speaking in public is a learnable skill. As such, you can use the following strategies to become a better speaker and presenter. Plan Appropriately First, make sure that you plan  your communication appropriately. Use tools like the Rhetorical Triangle , Monroe’s Motivated Sequence , and the 7Cs of Communication  to think about how you’ll structure what you’re going to say. When you do this, think about how important a book’s first paragraph is; if it doesn’t grab you, you’re likely going to put it down. The same principle goes for your speech: from the beginning, you need to intrigue your audience. For example,…

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HARDISON’S TIPS – JULY 12, 2021 – BOOSTING CUSTOMER LOYALTY (PT.1) It’s often said that it costs at least 5 times as much to find and acquire a new customer than it does to keep an old one. The figure must be much higher, however, in the office supplies industry; orders are usually in high quantities, which means, for example, that a small price change from 9 cents to 8 can see huge savings for a company. This in turn makes loyalty about as cheap as a pack of 100 push pins. Luckily for all the office supplies salespeople out there, this is a problem that can be solved. Sales in the industry doesn’t have to be the same old tug of war between getting…

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CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – JULY 12, 2021 (PT.1) Better Public Speaking Becoming a Confident, Compelling Speaker Whether we’re talking in a team meeting or presenting in front of an audience, we all have to speak in public from time to time. We can do this well or we can do this badly, and the outcome strongly affects the way that people think about us. This is why public speaking causes so much anxiety and concern. The good news is that, with thorough preparation and practice, you can overcome your nervousness and perform exceptionally well. This article and video explain how. Click here to view a transcript of this video. The Importance of Public Speaking Even if you don’t need to make regular presentations in…

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