146 The Financial Times Guide to Business Development
For formal events, actively plan ahead with follow-up time
One of the biggest problems I encounter is with people not following up
and keeping in touch with the people they have met. Here are a few tips
for this:
Create time in advance. If you know that you are attending a business
networking event, actually build some follow-up time into your diary
for the day or so after to decide and act on the next step.
Follow up everybody you have met even if it is just with a quick
courtesy e-mail.
Don’t just stuff cards into a drawer. Add all those you have met to
your contacts system and decide on activity for the future.
Actively consider how you can give support and help to the contacts
you have made. Remember, people will be more inclined to help you
if you do something for them rst.
Keep your promises. When you’re talking to them, let them see you
jot down any promises you make about getting in touch. When you
do, start any communication with ‘As promised. . .’.
Use social media networking. Integrate your face-to-face networking
with any social media networking you do. Always check if the people
that you have met face to face are on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or
other networks and then seek to connect with them.
‘Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.’
Benjamin Franklin
Presentation skills and tips
One trademark agent and scientist I had to train to present told me, ‘I’d
rather set re to my legs than speak in public.’ A little extreme, but it is a fact
that giving presentations is not everybody’s cup of tea. Nevertheless the
ability to be able to speak and inuence groups of people is an important
skill for those with a business development role.
Here then are a few brief and simple tips to observe.
Throw the rulebook away and be yourself
Many presentation trainers and books will give you a rigid set of rules.
Some will say don’t move your hands too much; that men should keep
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Personal performance business development skills 147
their jackets on, with buttons done up; don’t move around; use visual aids,
etc.
My tip is this. Chuck the xed rulebook away and do what works for you.
Be yourself. I have seen some of the best communicators and presenters in
the world break all of the above rules and yet still hold an audience in the
palm of their hands.
It’s not what you say but how you say it
Think of your favourite comedian and their most popular routines. I abso-
lutely guarantee you that if you had the script to their material and you
delivered it to an audience, it would not be half as funny. The bottom line
is that too many presenters focus only on the content and not on the tone
and style of their delivery.
With this in mind, one of the most important tips I can give you is to be
congruent. In other words, your tone and style of delivery must match
what you are saying. I have seen many presenters get up and tell the
audience, ‘I’m so excited and delighted to be here.’ The only problem is that
because they are saying this in a dull, unexcited monotone, with a miser-
able expression on their face, their comment loses any power and inuence
or credibility.
Remember who you are talking to
Never get up in front of an audience without asking yourself, ‘Who is
my audience?’ Your content, language, style and indeed everything about
your presentation should be adapted and moulded to the prole of your
audience.
Be there
Whatever time you have been given to do your presentation, aim if possible
to be there at least an hour before and if you have to give an early-morning
presentation, then if possible, go the night before.
Check everything
If your presentation involves visual aids, sound equipment, a lectern, etc.
then checking and double-checking everything relating to your presenta-
tion is not being paranoid, it is, in fact, being professional.
148 The Financial Times Guide to Business Development
Practise out loud
I have come across many people whose idea of practice and preparation is
to mentally read through their presentation beforehand. This may make
you more familiar with what you are going to do and say but it is not
proper practice. Unless you actually get up somewhere and say what you
are going to say out loud it doesn’t count. Remember: presenting is an
external process.
Understand the ‘tell them three times’ rule
There is a very simple and basic structure to help shape any presentation
you give:
Tell them what you are going to tell them.
Tell them it.
Tell them what you have just told them.
Learn and master the ICQES™ formula
This is a very simple acronym that I devised when training nervous pre-
senters how to get into their presentations. Use it, in this order:
I = Introduction. Get up and in a totally congruent style simply greet
your audience and give your name. For example: ‘A very good morning
ladies and gentlemen, my name is Ian Cooper and I’m the author of The
Financial Times Guide to Business Development.’
C = Credibility. This is when you very simply make sure the audience
knows who you are and your credentials. For example: ‘If you’re
wondering who I am to be speaking to you today, all you need to know
is that for the past 27 years I have helped over 800 businesses generate
millions of pounds worth of revenue and today I’m going to share some of
these business development secrets with you.’
Q = Questions. Now ask your audience three rhetorical questions as
a platform for what you will be talking about later on. For example:
‘Have you ever wondered what makes some business development activities
more successful than others? What is the quickest and most foolproof way
to win more protable customers and clients? What is the rst and most
important thing you should be doing when you get back to the ofce? These
are just some of the issues I will be addressing in this presentation.’
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Personal performance business development skills 149
E = Establish control. It is perfectly okay to feel a little nervous
when you get up to speak. Giving an introduction, explaining your
credentials and posing some questions gives you the chance to
get yourself and your voice under control. Use this stage to tell the
audience if you are going to take questions, about any handouts, if
you are taking a break, etc. You need them to appreciate you are in
control.
S = Structure. This is when you explain what you are going to tell
them and how the presentation will unfold.
Coping with nerves
If you feel nervous before a presentation then there is a word that describes
you . . . normal. Here are a few points to bear in mind and to help with this
issue:
Alcohol – avoid it before presenting.
Preparation – thorough preparation on every aspect of your
presentation is what should give you the peace of mind and
condence to be as relaxed as possible.
Sympathetic audience – on the vast majority of occasions, your audience
is not looking to catch you out and will be on your side.
Questions – if you are going to take questions, make a list of all
possible questions you think you might be asked in advance and
prepare possible answers.
You are human – have realistic expectations. The only person who
expects you to be Superman or Superwoman is you!
Breathe deeply – take plenty of calming deep breaths just before you get
up to present.
Visual aids work for you and not the other way round
I’m always asked, ‘Do I have to use visual aids such as PowerPoint or Keynote?’
The simple answer is ‘No’, you don’t have to. The real question is, ‘How will
such visual aids enhance my presentation?’
I’m a bit of a rebel over visual aids. I will only use them, and recommend
them to others, if I can control the technical environment and they are
actively going to be helpful to the audience and myself.
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