SPECIAL from the SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition, Orlando
When some people walk into a room, heads turn, people make way, people listen. Sometimes that executive presence can be the difference between getting your message across and not getting it across, says consultant Dianna Booher.
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If you want to interact with upper level management, says Booher (booher.com), you have to think about your presence:
- Dress
- Confidence
- Appearance
- Language
- Thought processes—quick thinking and how you react.
Thinking on your feet is important, she says. You’re going to hear: “You’ve got two minutes to defend that position—we’re listening.”
Booher suggests that you present your ideas using her SEER® system:
- Summary. One quick statement.
- Elaborate. Offer the whys and wherefores.
- Example. Give a concrete example.
- Restate. You can use the same sentence you started with, says Booher.
Or, she suggests, follow Aristotle:
- Use logic.
- Touch people emotionally.
- Have their good will at heart.
Here are Booher’s 10 tips for developing executive presence, excerpted from her Speak with Confidence.
1. “Take stage.”
2. Be better than “natural.” That is, be relaxed by being well prepared, but channel your energy toward the audience.
3. Command attention and enthusiasm for your subject by adding purpose and animation to your facial expression and your movements.
4. Balance your weight on both feet, with one foot slightly ahead of the other. Avoid leaning or swaying.
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5. Own your surroundings. Position on the platform is to a presentation what paragraphing is to a page.
6. Avoid a monotone. Vary your:
- Pace
- Emphasis
- Volume
- Inflection
- Silences
7. Vary your speaking rate according to your changing intentions.
- A fast delivery suggests knowledge, passion, and excitement about your message.
- A slow delivery adds intensity, impact, and importance to your words.
8. Gesture from the shoulder to convey authority. Get your hands “out of the box” to package your ideas.
9. Use gestures that show enthusiasm, informality, relaxation, and openness: Keep hands up, out, firm, and apart.
10. Avoid random gesturing that shows nervousness and negative feelings:
- Crossed arms
- Hands on hips
- Intimidating finger-pointing
- Small, jerky gestures
- Playing with clothing, jewelry, or other objects
- Tugging on ear, rubbing nose, or popping knuckles
- Hands tightly clasped behind or in front of body
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