5 tips to engage your audience when presenting

Presentations are a common part of business, whether internally or as part of a pitch. Usually, this can evoke the thought of dread between staff – sitting through an endless series of PowerPoint slides can even drive a few people to sleep.

So, how do you make presentations land? And why do speakers frequently face tuned-out listeners, who are too busy checking their phones and watches to pay attention to the important information being conveyed?

With a combination of powerful data and the right messaging strategy, you can hold your audience's attention and make your business presentations a success. Follow these five tips to keep all eyes and ears on you:

Know your strengths

Before you start preparing, take the time to reflect on your personal style of presenting. If you’re not an overtly funny or bubbly person, it’s advisable to stay clear of forced humour and over-enthusiasm. Work out your particular strengths and capitalise on them.

Tell a story

Statistics and facts are important to any presentation, but without a good story behind them, the charts and tables you painstakingly created will mean nothing to your audience.

Using a story is a great way to make an audience receptive to the content - but don't tell stories just for the sake of telling them: Make sure they have a point. A confusing story will only lead to a disengaged audience.

Most importantly, don't just read off of your slides. Your presentation should support the slides, not the other way around.

Be aware of your body language

Nerves can be a real problem if you’re speaking in front of a large audience. Particularly if you’re not used to being the centre of attention. But, remaining calm and in control of your body movements and tone of voice is imperative to establishing yourself as a strong presenter.

Try and look people in the eye, keep smiling and don’t be afraid to use your hands to express yourself - or even move around a little. Being natural instead of stiff can transfer through to your voice. If you’re standing rigid, chances are your voice will be stiff and monotone too,.

Let the situation guide you

Every presentation will be different, and as such, it’s wise to tailor yours towards each situation. If you’re in front of a small audience, who know your topic and who know you, it will be a lot easier to connect than if you’re presenting in front of 200 people, who are coming in cold.

Have a think about your presentation goals and what you’re trying to achieve. Is there an opportunity to have dialogue with your audience, or is there only likely to be a chance for a monologue? The success or failure of your presentation will depend on how well you can adapt.

Practice, practice, practice

They say that practice makes perfect, and this is especially true for presentations. Before you go up in front of the audience, go over the data you're presenting and the notes you've written. If possible, test out the technology you'll be using to make sure it works. Rehearse your speech in front of a test audience, and ask for feedback. The more prepared you are, the more likely you are to gracefully handle any unexpected hiccups, tangents or audience questions.

Finally, whether you're giving a guest lecture at a convention or just presenting some company data, remember to be passionate about it. If you’re not interested, your audience won’t be either.

Will job-hopping eventually make you happy? Or is it career suicide?

How often is too often, when it comes to changing jobs? If you’re in your mid-twenties and your career history is as chequered as a chess board, how likely is it that potential employers will be chucking your CV straight in the bin?

Job-hopping is getting a lot more frequent. Particularly with Gen’s Y & Z, who are used to everything in their life being as disposable as an iPhone. With the temptation of higher salaries and better perks around every corner (and the growing expectation that ‘work’ should be almost as much fun as a day on the beach) it’s unsurprising that some of us are throwing in the towel as soon as the working week starts to become a drag.

But, will job-hopping make you happy in the long-run? Or can it actually damage your career prospects? We look at some reasons for job-hopping, to understand whether they are valid or not:

The economy

If you worked for a residential house builder or high street bank circa 2007, chances are your job was in the firing line at the time. In these circumstances, it’s very unlikely any potential new employer would be put off if you jumped ship before it was too late.

Bad career choices

You decided that you wanted a job where you were selling on the telephone for most of the day, because a) you like to talk and b) those sales bonuses look amazing.

In reality, you realise that a) those sales targets are so unachievable they make you want to hide in the toilet, b) it’s tiring and c) you actually don’t like to talk that much.

Again, don’t worry – if this sounds familiar, it’s not going to be healthy for you to stay.

Bad bosses

If your boss is any of the following:

• Chauvinist
• Micro-manager
• Degrading
• Bullying
• Lazy
• A gossip
• The type that wants ‘everything’ in an email, so he / she can blame you if you didn’t do something properly
• Incompetent

It’s quite fair that leaving your job is the right thing to do. Get out whilst you can!

It’s absolutely fine to admit you’ve made mistakes. Nobody is perfect. But, if it looks like you’re going from industry to industry for no reason other than boredom, chances are that it won’t look good on paper.

If you do need to job-hop; try and steer your career in a direction where others can see the reasoning behind it, particularly if you are side-stepping or even taking a step back. Plus, if you are making a change, it may be wise to stick at it for at least a year or two. If you’ve got a CV where you’re moving around every six months, hiring managers will just assume you’ll continue that pattern - so you may find that those job offers will be difficult to come by.

3 ways to give your employees incentives that they actually want

Photo courtesy of Social Chain

Employee incentives often sound like a failsafe method of motivating your workforce - particularly the younger ones who might have friends who are reaping the benefits of free gym memberships or a giant slide and ball pool.

However, not all benefits are as beneficial as they seem. The team at ESA Group speak to many HR managers who have used perk programs, which are too complicated, or are simply a waste of money.

Make them relevant

It seems, the key to engaging your employees into using their incentives, is to make sure they care about them.

Whilst it could be a barrier for larger companies to find a recognition programs that are all things to all people; smaller companies have the benefit of being able to ask their employees what kind of perks they’d like. Using an employee survey, for instance, could reveal what benefits would be the most important to your team. For the younger members, discounts on health insurance is likely to be less interesting than a yearly subscription to Netflix.

Consider low cost perks:

Research suggest that three quarters of companies are planning to expand their recognition programs within the next year. The most influential of these perks are performance awards, service anniversary awards and personal awards, such as ‘employee of the month’.

However, none of these necessarily have to be financially disruptive. Some of the most popular rewards with employees include early work day finishes or extra holiday. A little extra cash can always help though. Some simple, low cost perks could include:

• Gift cards
• Restaurant vouchers
• Entertainment vouchers
• Subscription services, such as Netflix or Spotify

Make them accessible:

There has been an abundance of employee ‘perks’ companies popping up all over the internet, such as Perk Box and The Work Perk, offering to manage your employee recognition for you.

Whilst these can certainly work, a recent SheerID survey revealed that only 22% of workers regularly use their discount programs, however 46% of staff said that they would use their perks more if they were easier to access or manage.

So, if your employees have to logon to a complex website every time they need to search for a discount, and if that website is difficult to use, chances are that they’ll give up before they find that 10%- off holiday voucher (that was probably already available elsewhere).

Want to work with the best of Generation Y? Here’s how to attract the top talent.

Retaining and attracting the best talent in any business is difficult and it’s even more important for a growing company in a competitive marketplace.

Smart companies know that they're only as good as their most gifted workers, and will therefore prioritize seeking out the best of the best for their organizations.

As technology continues to evolve, it will play an increasingly important role in the way companies and HR teams approach the talent search and the hiring process. So, what's on the horizon for this important area of business operations?

The future is digital

When LinkedIn and online job applications first emerged, they were seen as supplements to the traditional paper résumé and in-person interview. Today, the world of recruiting is nearly 100% digital.

CVs are starting to be displaced by evolving digital representations of an individual’s experience, skills, and aptitudes. Innovative tools that use social media, big data and other tech will give hiring managers detailed insights into a person’s aptitude that was never possible before.

Not even twenty years ago, the résumé was just a piece of paper. And most people would struggle to verify that even half of it was true. Now, recruiters can assess whether a person will ‘fit’ with the personality of their business, and accurately learn whether they have the right skills for the job by using a wide array of digital tools.

Want to hire somebody from another country? Now there’s no need to fly them in at great expense. Simply use a video based interview over Skype or similar, along with a variety online assessments, and you can quantify your candidates just as efficiently as if you met them in person.

Streamlined applications

Today's job seekers know their worth and are aware of the competitive landscape. They see opportunities everywhere, and if one employer takes too long to respond or makes it difficult to apply, they'll quickly pass it up for another job opening.

Talent acquisition has suddenly become a seller’s market. One way to address this is by using recruitment marketing technologies such as candidate job portals, employee onboarding and specialty tools that foster employee referrals.

Although some small employers can’t afford sophisticated tech, they can still use the basics. Even by posting a job ad on their own website, together with a campaign on any existing social media networks, they can still reach job hunters with an engaging and simple process.

Maximise your employment brand

Savvy candidates will evaluate company brands before applying to or accepting a job, much in the same way they evaluate consumer brands when shopping. They’ll be researching you just as much as you are them, so it’s important your public facing brand meets their expectations.

A poor website or inactive social feeds will soon turn a potential employee off. They’ll want to be actively engaged with you company before they apply, or they’ll be unlikely to understand whether their personality will work with yours.

Similarly, don’t forget that there are even digital hubs out there that are starting to review how good your employees perceive you as a business. Sites such as Glassdoor are becoming increasingly important when it comes to looking after your brand.

Focus on passive candidates

As the number of Generation Y — and soon, Gen Z — workers continue to increase, recruiters are learning that these employees' expectations about the hiring process differ from those of older generations.

Those who’ve been raised on technology don’t really accept the legacy concepts of recruiting and many are used to head hunters coming to them, rather than vice versa. This is even starting to become true for junior roles too.

It’s becoming more and more important for a recruiter to be proactive when finding candidates, such as through LinkedIn and other social profiles. Today’s professionals take their online positioning very seriously and many even have their own website to showcase their work.

Whilst digital tools will never fully replace the human instinct necessary for identifying the right candidates, an ability to stay on top of technological trends could be a company’s biggest advantage going forward.

Taking advantage of tools which go beyond paper will help you ensure you make the right hire and ultimately save your business time, headaches and cash.

To find out how ESA Group can use digital tools to find you the best candidates, contact us today for a free consultation.

6 Leadership Qualities to Develop If You Want To Be a Great Manager

These personality traits can be developed and nurtured to help further your career and your role as a leader, at work, in your community, or in life in general.

Even if you’re not currently a manager, or don’t wish to be, these qualities can still be really useful in the workplace and help you on that road to promotion:

1. Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another is incredibly important in any workplace environment and can help manage conflict. However, it’s become even more important as businesses compete to better understand the needs of their customers. Customers don’t want to be analysed. They want brands to understand what they want and need. Empathetic leaders tend to function better within a company and can fuel growth by bringing the team together more efficiently.

2. Optimism

You might think that, if someone is being optimistic, it indicates confidence (and in some cases arrogance) in a successful outcome. Whereas blind optimism and egotism isn’t a good thing, optimistic leaders can inspire and motivate teams with energy and positivity.

3. Forgiveness

No one enjoys the boss who lords every mistake they’ve ever made over their head. There is real power in allowing employees to take calculated risks, but they have to know it’s not going to be held against them later. Doing so kills creativity and motivation. It causes people to think twice before bringing a new idea to the table, or experimenting with a new process or product. Learn how to forgive mistakes to nurture creativity and inspiration and your team will pay you back ten-fold.

4. Altruism

Looking after colleagues and helping them to do better, feel better, and perform better will create a good, productive atmosphere in the office. Famously, no man is an island. Shared credit will help you all look better to board. Although this isn’t a traditional leadership quality, those with great power and strength will always look to those around them for help.

5. Eloquence

The ability to speak and write persuasively has gained importance in the age of digital communications. People expect leaders to communicate and they want to be “wowed.” An eloquent speech can close a deal. An eloquent memo to staff can quell fears, dampen dissent, or inspire people to reach new heights. Practice your writing and speaking to become a more effective, persuasive leader.

6. Modesty

No one likes to hear how awesome someone else is all the time, especially when it’s someone blowing their own horn. Let your work speak for itself. Confidence can a great trait, but should be tempered with modesty to gain the most respect.

This article was based on an idea by Larry Kim.

Five Tips to Work Smarter, Not Harder, in 2017

Five top tips for a productive 2017.

Here are some useful pointers to help you work smarter and not harder during 2017:

1) Create mental space at the start of the day

What’s the first thing many of us do as soon as we wake up? Or once we’ve found a (cramped) space on the train or bus for the daily commute? We grab our mobiles and check social media or the latest news.

Whether you commute to an office or work from home, create space in your mind at the start of the day for internal reflection on what you want to achieve.

Try and avoid getting caught up in the first thing that looks urgent or interesting, without really thinking about your broader priorities. Do nothing for 15 minutes, leave your phone switched off and give yourself some space to think high level.

2) Break regularly

Reflecting on how successful you’ve been on a task largely only happens when you’ve stopped doing it. Take regular breaks to reset your mind and give you some closure on your recent work. Although powering through can feel like you’re being more productive, your end result may end up being less successful.

Also, ensure you get at least 30 minutes for lunch. Give your mind some time off and avoid looking on your computer phone for the duration. When you return to your desk, you’ll feel far more refreshed.

3) Monotask

There aren’t many of us who are brilliant at multi-tasking. Although we might think we are great at doing many different things at the same time, our brains can’t cope with focussing on each task as a whole.

When our brain switches between lots of different focus points, we become tired and less productive. So, instead, try monotasking more often. Choose one thing to work on and do that thing for 60-90 minutes. Any longer and you may lose momentum.

Prioritise your tasks and reduce your stress by writing each task down first and working through them in order.

4) Manage interruptions

Anybody who has a mildly stressful or busy job will tell you that they’re often being pulled multiple directions on an hourly basis. How can you get anything done?!

Ringfence time for yourself and don't feel guilty for doing so. Turn off your notifications, and close down your email when you’re trying to finish off that important proposal. When you’re done, you can answer those emails that came through whilst you were busy.

Many of you may think this is unrealistic; you need to be available for your clients at all times, right? Not necessarily. Your clients don’t know where you are, or what you’re doing every minute of the day. They won’t expect you to reply immediately. Create your own ‘available’ times and let your clients know when they’ll receive the answer they require.

5) Look after your body

Clarity of mind is closely linked to the condition of your body. If you feel sub-optimal, you'll perform that way. You don't need to hit the gym every day; it's more about the small things. Go for a short walk on your break, even just to the local coffee house; it will get the blood flowing. We also underestimate the importance of oxygen and water.

Dehydration limits brain function, so keep a 1.5 litre bottle of water on your desk and finish it by the end of each day

Whatever your challenges in 2017, remember that everything is within your control. With a little discipline and dedication to managing your environment, you can make it the best year yet!

This post was based on an original idea by Urban Guru.