Reluctance to change

The reluctance to change for the better, never fails to surprise ‘The Presenter’s Handbook’ team. It appears at times as if the term ‘Professional Development’ needs to come with a health warning. 

A case in point came from a business lunch recently attended, supported by the local chamber of commerce. A salesman from a sponsoring company was given the opportunity to address the 30 diners for between 5-10 minutes.  Seeing many presentations of this type, it was obvious from body language that the presenter was nervous from the outset.  As is natural in these circumstances a count started, listening for repeated words. These repeated words are one of the audible expression of presenter nerves.   

During the brief presentation the presenter mentioned the phrase ‘OK’ over 20 times. Over that short period of time this was the lasting memory of the presentation. It diluted the corporate message.

After the presentation an email arrived from the same presenter offering product support and thanks for attending the meal. 

As ‘The Presenter’s Handbook’ had spoken to the presenter prior to the meal, we offered the presenter some free support,  as we had new equipment to trial.  A win win situation – A presenter gets to improve their presenting skills, and we improve our product offering. The presenter though shied away from this opportunity.

This got us thinking – Why is professional development such a reluctant force?

This reluctance to change is inbred it seems. Many theories highlight this point. As humans we are bred to survive, accepting a sign a weakness is not in our nature.

Professional development does not have to be an admission of weakness though. It should be seen as a position of strength, wanting to progress and improve your standing. If you embrace professional development whilst others are standing still, who will be lower down the food chain? It certainly will not be those who embrace continual professional development.

The question is are you ready to embrace change in yourself or your organisation?

The perfect discovery for your company?

A Midlands training company has launched a high-tech solution to business leaders and sales executives who want to improve their presentation skills.

The equipment records and analyses presentations and sales pitches instantaneously and in more detail than ever before, and could put an end to the massive cost of business lost through poor presentations.

And using internet technology, the equipment is capable of allowing comment and analysis of a presentation by someone on the other side of the world.

 

Named Discovery, the equipment consists of two synchronised video iPod camera systems which film the presenter and the audience simultaneously. Using wireless infra-red tracking, the Discovery follows the presenter automatically, while instantly recording audience reaction.

The recordings can be viewed for later analysis which covers presentation delivery skills, voice tone, hand and head movements, audience reactions and any other features relevant to the presentation. The analysis tools can be customised for individual requirements.

Discovery has been launched by Lichfield-based company The Presenter’s Handbook. Joint managing directors Ian Callow and Phillip Adcock are experts in the field of presenter training, business communications and psychology.

Phillip Adcock said the Discovery equipment turned every presentation scenario – real or rehearsed – into an observatory which can be used to hone presentation skills.

He said, “As businessmen we have all sat through presentations which are truly awful, but very often the presenter doesn’t realise how bad their presentation is and hasn’t a clue how to improve. This equipment gives real-time analysis and has demonstrated startling results. A company only needs to analyse how much it costs to engage in a business presentation only to be unsuccessful in order to understand how valuable it can be. If the success rate only improves by 10 per cent I can add a small fortune to a company’s bottom line.”

“The equipment has a wide range of business applications, but the most obvious are as a training aid for presenter training, staff development or measurement of sales performance. The recorded material can be replayed and analysed on demand.”

The Discovery was originally developed by Iris Connect, based at the University of Sussex. It was originally envisaged as a tool for the education sector, helping teacher development. Now trainers at The Presenter’s Handbook have adapted it for business use.

Ian Callow and Phillip Adcock, as well as running the company, are joint authors of The Presenter’s Handbook, which was published last year as a guide for business communicators.

WAYS TO AVOID THE SUPERMARKET TRAP

Co-author of The Presenter's Handbook, Phillip Adcock, recently gave an interview to Linda Harrison of the Daily Express, in relation to his first book Supermarket Shoppology.

Linda starts by outlining that the weekly shop is a ritual familiar to us all. There’s the challenge of buying staples such as milk, tinned goods, a bag of pasta and a bottle of plonk without going over budget. Some of us buy in bulk, others pick up items as we go but we all face the bright lights and endless aisles laden with goodies at our local supermarket.

In an effort to cut costs, who hasn’t snapped up an item labelled “best value”, “three for two” or the bewildering acronym BOGOF (buy one get one free)? I often feel my brain is about to explode by the time I get to the till, never sure I’ve actually reduced my weekly spend. 

Now consumer behaviour expert Phillip Adcock has written a book exposing the real workings of the average supermarket, the tricks they employ, the confusing offers slapped on packaging and the store layouts that mean we sometimes spend more than we want to. 

Supermarket Shoppology: The Science Of Supermarket Shopping And A Strategy To Spend Less And Get More (Shopping Behaviour Xplained, £9.79) promises to spill the beans on all the stores’ secrets. 

“The average householder spends £150,000 in supermarkets in their lifetime,” says Phillip. “They’re spending more in there than on anything except the mortgage.”

Phillip, who for 20 years taught leading retailers how to induce consumers to spend more, agreed to accompany Linda on her weekly shop. 

Find out what happens by reading the full article.