There are many strategies to consider in opening your pitch. Think about it twice, because those first minutes can make or break you.
Those who want, misunderstand us
Those who want, misunderstand us
Selbst, wenn wir einer Botschaft die entsprechend verdiente Chance verschaffen ...Limits of communication
Even if we provide a message with the appropriately deserved chance, it is not always communicated fairly. Then the best techniques and immense preparation help you only to a limited extent. Some hair can be found in every soup (German figure of speech), or conjured into it. What to do?
Those who want, to misunderstand us
It is not always easy to see if things are worth what they seem. So it is also with statements of people. There are people who can express themselves in a wonderfully chosen way while talking nonsense. Some have practiced smiling at their interlocutors, respectively at the audience, while they want to deceive them. And then there are honest people who have put a lot of thought into their speech, but are not skilled at expressing themselves in a way that their audience will immediately understand.
All that glitters is not gold! And it can be true the other way around and in all directions. Also, the intent or value of a message is not always immediately apparent. This makes it all the more important, as a listener, to pay closer attention to the messages, the messengers, and the contexts.
Even that is often not as easy as it would be desirable. First, some messengers don’t make it easy for us to understand the value of what they are offering. Second, our own beliefs and filters frequently make it even harder. Engaging openly with ideas requires the willingness and ability to do so. If on top of that, the personality or topic being represented is unappealing to me, only selective information reaches me and gets minimal or even no chance. Depending on the degree of self-reflection, personal development, and motivation, I will be more or less committed to exploring the idea or not.
If you have a message yourself, you would do well to express it in a way that is as understandable as possible, and suitable for the topic and the target audience. If the message deserves it, then the corresponding effort is worthwhile. And there is a lot that can be done to ensure that the message has the best possible chance of being understood and accepted. Just translating the message into the language of the audience, motivating them, and reducing possible misunderstandings can be quite a worthwhile effort.
However, even with the most extensive preparation, a message has no chance if the audience is not interested in understanding it, or at least not willing to admit it. For many reasons, they may be much more interested in twisting your words in some way. In this case, the best techniques and immense preparation will help you only to a limited extent. Some hair can be found in every soup, or conjured into it. The game is not always played fairly.
How likely this is, can often be seen in advance, if the willingness is there to look more closely.
The exchange with such people is quite one-sided because it is not about the best solution. In such a film, the only thing that can be done is to concentrate on not giving the opponents any unnecessary trump cards. Even if their tactics are very obvious and superficial, not everyone in the audience has to recognize that immediately. That would then damage your own message. Either such exchanges can be omitted altogether, or they have a different goal. In that case, communication no longer takes place for the purpose of convincing the interlocutors and finding a solution, but with a view to the effect on the audience.
If you want to present yourself and your message convincingly, it’s best to approach this systematically and explore perspectives early on. You can find out how to do this in the articles with links below.
Be ready for important conversations and negotiations
Communication can be easy. But often it is not. Sometimes we say one thing and then realize later, based on the other person's reaction, that they were talking to someone else. With the best will in the world, I didn't say that. - Or did I?
More or less consciously, conversations are about convincing other people of something - be it a special offer, your personality, a perspective, or a necessity. If this doesn't happen quickly enough, and above all, if it isn't precise and vivid, the other person quickly loses interest, and we lose the hoped-for opportunity. - The conversation has failed.
You can let me help you prepare for your meetings and negotiations (to be on the safe side: no legal advice!). Find out how you and your message are perceived (arguments, body language, language, voice, and much more). I will train you effective tools and communication strategies. Develop your psychological skills, learn to stay calm, act confidently, remain authentic, and ultimately convince.
Just ask me personally
Please post any questions that may be of interest to other readers in the comments. Looking for professional help?
If you are interested in coaching, training or consulting, if you have organizational questions, or if you want to make an appointment, you can reach me best via this contact form (you can choose whether you want to enter your personal data) or via e-mail (mail@karstennoack.com). The privacy policy can be found here.
Transparency is important. That is why you will find answers to frequently asked questions already here, for example about me (profile), the services, the fees and getting to know me. If you like what you see, I look forward to working with you.
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Related articles
- Using values as the driving force for good decision-making. Do you know your values?
- What effort and cost for the preparation of a conversation or negotiation are justified?
- These 20+ conversation tips let you talk without interruption!
- Professional impact analysis: How are you perceived by other people?
Present the benefits in the beginning of your pitch
You should know Godwin’s Law in order not to fall into the trap
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What effort and cost for the preparation of a conversation or negotiation are justified?
If you expect something from a conversation, it pays off to prepare accordingly. With a good conversation, a lot can be achieved and investments are worthwhile. So far so good. Which effort exactly is worthwhile?
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17 tips for facial expressions in speeches and presentations
This article deals with what it is worth paying attention to as a speaker concerning facial expressions.
These 20+ conversation tips let you talk without interruption!
What kind of people don’t let you finish your talk? In a good conversation, everyone has his part. Everyone can talk and let the other talk. But why are some people interrupted so often and what can be done about it? Here are some tips to reduce the likelihood to be interrupted while you speak.
Public speaking: Keeping it simple doesn’t mean you’re stupid
One should choose the simplest explanation of a phenomenon, the one that requires the fewest leaps of logic. The more complex something is, the easier we should explain it.
17 signs that someone is a manipulator
Not every attempt to manipulate us is obvious. Especially the professional manipulators learn how to hide their intentions. Unfortunately, there are a lot of those manipulators in business and private life. Learn how to recognize manipulators.
Don’t ignore conflicts!
When problem-solving everyday issues become a tug-of-war over who’s right and who’s wrong, then settling even the smallest of discussions becomes a battle. Don’t ignore conflicts. Deal with them!
Five fingers for a structured speech. Five-finger speech structure.
The five-finger speech structure step by step. Systematically build up statements, whether for speeches, presentations, or discussions.
Those who want, misunderstand us
Even if we provide a message with the appropriately deserved chance, it is not always communicated fairly. Then the best techniques and immense preparation help you only to a limited extent. Some hair can be found in every soup (German figure of speech), or conjured into it. What to do?
Being right at all costs. The price we pay for needing to be right.
Persuading without arguments, assertiveness, winning without consideration, knockout by nasty tricks, black magic, manipulating. It is a coveted feeling to be right.
This article is a short excerpt from the more comprehensive course materials my clients receive in a group or individual training or coaching.
Published: April 30, 2020
Author: Karsten Noack
Revision: April 30, 2020
Translation: ./.
German version: https://www.karstennoack.de/schluesselkompetenz-durchsetzungskraft/
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