CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – DECEMBER 23, 2021 How to Prepare for a Behavioral Job Interview The Best Way to Prepare What’s the best way to prepare? It’s important to remember that you will not know what type of interview will take place until you are sitting in the interview room. So, prepare answers to traditional interview questions. Then, since you don’t know exactly what situations you will be asked about if it’s a behavioral interview, refresh your memory and consider some special situations you have dealt with or projects you have worked on. You may be able to use them to help frame responses. Prepare stories that illustrate times when you have successfully solved problems or performed memorably. The stories will be useful…

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HARDISON’S TIPS – DECEMBER 22, 2021 –  Why Mobile User Experience Will Rule the Market -1 I am an evangelist for mobile technology, because I encounter its power in my life every day.  Case in point: As a recent quarter rolled to an end, I thought all of the deals I supported as a solutions engineer were on track to close.  But as I boarded a plane for vacation, one of my account executives called—they needed crucial information to close a deal. I had to respond quickly, since there were only a few business hours left in the day. I leveraged mobile apps via airline Wi-Fi to address the client’s question, and sent supporting documentation within minutes. The email traveled from 30,000 feet in the air to…

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CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – DECEMBER 22, 2021-1 How to Prepare for a Behavioral Job Interview What is a behavioral interview? Candidates for employment often ask what the difference is between a regular job interview and a behavioral interview. What should you do to get ready if the employer is going to ask you behavioral based interview questions? In many ways, a behavioral interview resembles other types of job interviews. There isn’t a difference in the actual format of the job interview. You will still meet with an interviewer and respond to interview questions. The difference is in the type of interview questions that they will ask you. Review information on the difference between behavioral and traditional job interviews, examples of questions, and how to handle a…

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HARDISON’S TIPS – December 21, 2021 – FINDING GOOD SALES TALENT (PT.2) Tailor the interview to get to the heart of step one. “Identify the questions that would help [you] understand where [you] could find this talent,” Rate the applicant using a scorecard tailored to the role. Developing a scorecard can help you remove bias influencing who you hire, Paul notes. Hiring managers have a tendency to index on things like past work experience, which may or may not be a valid indicator of performance in the role you’re hiring for. A scorecard tied to the role in question, with an emphasis on finding the right skills, can keep biases at bay. Test the applicant. Potential hires may not love this step, but it’s one…

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CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – DECEMBER 21, 2021-2 Important Public Speaking Skills for Workplace Success Engaging Presentation Style Presentation style includes vocal tone, body language, facial expression, and timing. The right style can make a talk that could have been boring become exciting and engaging. Assessing the Needs of the Audience Some audiences want a lot of technical detail; others don’t. Some will enjoy humor; others won’t. There are jokes that work in some crowds but not others. To draft a successful talk and to adopt the appropriate presentation style, you need to be able to assess the needs of your audience. Before you begin speaking, think about your audience and what they hope to gain from your presentation. That can help you assess…

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HARDISON’S TIPS – December 20, 2021 – FINDING GOOD SALES TALENT (PT.1) Competition to find and keep top sales talent has always been fierce.  That’s become even more true lately, as a whopping 95% of employees are considering resigning from their jobs, according to Inc. magazine.  And it’s not just about who is most likely to hit their quota. They catalyze the teams around them, inspiring their colleagues to strike more and better deals. For revenue leaders, hiring and retaining top sellers is easier said than done, especially if you’re an emerging brand competing with the Fortune 500 for recruits. But organizations that empower leaders to invest in the success of their teams can improve talent retention by 15 to 30%, according to Gartner, saving untold…

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Important Public Speaking Skills for Workplace Success Candidates with strong public speaking skills are in demand for the many occupations that require the ability to speak to a group. Dynamic and well-prepared speakers are highly valued by employers, and having this skill set can even help land you leadership positions and important roles.  Learn more about public speaking, why it’s important, and how to improve your public speaking skills. What Is Public Speaking? Public speaking is a soft skill that requires excellent communication skills, enthusiasm, and the ability to engage with an audience. Soft skills are interpersonal skills that are less technical and more about how you interact with others. Public speakers make presentations to a group. Presentations could range from speaking to a small number of…

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CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – DECEMBER 19, 2021 Speaking Earnestly Public Speaking is one of the greatest fears many people have. And rightfully so!  Often, would-be speakers imagine all manner of disasters befalling them should they speak their mind aloud.  (Besides, who else needs to know if you had too many chocolate chip cookies for lunch, anyway?) Public Speakers have been ridiculed, abused and even killed for expressing contrary views to generally held beliefs. (Be glad you didn’t discover the world was not flat). However, if you want to convey yourself, your company, your products, your services, your art, your ideas, your opinions or your interest in chocolate chip cookies clearly and effectively to many people, it’s more efficient to get in front…

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CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – DECEMBER 18, 2021 How to Use Public Speaking Skills at Work These talents will pay off when giving feedback, pitching ideas, negotiating When it comes down to it, public speaking is not an easy skill. Some people are naturally good at it, and others have to work at it. That’s why there are specialized courses and groups out there to help people improve their public speaking ability. When we hear the term “public speaking,” we generally think of standing in front of large crowds and giving presentations. However, there are much broader applications for methods typically associated with public speaking. For instance, they can be used while speaking to smaller groups, even during an internal meeting at work. These…

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HARDISON’S TIPS – DECEMBER 17, 2021 – Selling Value Why is creating a Value Proposition so important? Because if you can’t articulate your value in a clear and compelling manner, your prospects will tune you out in a heartbeat. Remember, it’s not the value you believe your prospects/customers will receive, it is the value they will receive from their viewpoint. That’s why a strong value proposition matters not only to your buyers, but also to your sellers (your sales reps). A Strong Value Proposition Is A Simple and Concise Overview of What You Do While a company’s final Value Proposition might seem obvious, intuitive, and simple, the fact is that creating an effective value proposition can be complex – part art and part science. Many…

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