Why Clients May Not Be "Hearing" You

Remember when you started your big presentation, and within two minutes felt like you were speaking a different language? Well, you probably were, and here is how to solve that.

People naturally like those with whom they identify, and the way you speak is a natural, immediate signal of familiarity. Whether your speech pattern is formal, casual, driven by corporate phrases, or even regional dialects, these are the clues that help your audience feel like you are part of their tribe – or not. And guides how deeply they will listen.

I once saw an articulate and incredibly intelligent performance media expert walk into a very formal final new business presentation and literally crash and burn. Why? Because the room contained the head of media, the CMO, along with other client media and marketing clients. The sociological view of the room's climate was formal and stiff, with an “On Your Best Behavior” feel. Unfortunately, he used very casual language, full of “gonna”, “wanna”, “shoulda”, along with phrases like “on fire”, “and you know”, and “some stuff”. You could tell that the audience never shifted from listening to believing. He just didn’t connect, and his content wasn’t viewed as sophisticated or compelling.

How do you make sure your audience can ‘hear’ you?

1.       Read Your Audience: A mix of Senior executives and managers will default to Senior Executive behaviors, which likely formalize the environment. Or the clients may think this is the best part of their day and they want to enjoy themselves.

2.       Understand the Intent of the Meeting: Are there high stakes to this meeting, such as a formal final presentation, or is this a meet-and-greet, such as an initial chemistry meeting? This is the difference between getting them to BELIEVE in your message, or using charm and personality to become LIKEABLE. Two very different objectives.

3.       Understand And Vary Your Natural Style: Are you more down-to-earth and approachable, or are you more formal and precise? You should vary your style by understanding your natural language patterns and either making it more upscale and disciplined or more approachable and charming.

So don’t think about your language AFTER you crash and burn. Use it to your advantage to win!