1. Getting the message across
Clare Willis

2. We do business with people we know, like and trust.

3. Overview What makes good communication? Preparing for success
Influencing skills
Communicating in the digital age
Team exercise

4. Paired exercise part 1 A interviews B then B interviews A
Four minutes each interview
Find out two things about the other person’s firm and one thing about the person that would make you want to work with them

5. Paired exercise part 2
Each person ‘promotes’ their partner to the group - two minutes maximum
Group discussion – what was most persuasive?
Consider content, language, voice, body language

6. What makes good communication?
Content – relevant, personal, focus on benefits
Language - positive
Voice – confident, enthusiastic
Body language – open posture/gestures, facial expression, eye contact

7. Preparing for success Why - long and short-term objective
- what do you want to have achieved by the
end of the meeting/discussion?
Who - research individual as well as firm
- put yourself in their shoes
How - what’s the best method?

8. Culture and communication
Surnames, titles First names
Formal dress/behaviour Casual dress/behaviour
Reticent Exuberant
Linear-active Multi-active
Strict about time Relaxed about time
Silence in conversation Uncomfortable with silence
Straight down to business Start with small talk
Say what you mean Indirect speech
Physical contact Little or no physical contact
Quick decisions Lengthy negotiations

9. Communication styles
Direct
Indirect

10. Task
Direct
Indirect
People

11. Task
Direct
Indirect
People

12. Task
Direct
Indirect
People

13. Task
Direct
Indirect
People

14. Task
Direct
Indirect
People

15. Preparing for success Why - long and short-term objective
- what do you want to have achieved by the
end of the meeting/discussion?
Who - research individual as well as firm
- put yourself in their shoes
How - what’s the best method?

16. How to make friends and influence people …

17. Robert Cialdini Reciprocation Liking Commitment and consistency
Weapons of
Influence
Scarcity
Social proof
Authority

18. Digital age trivia 6.8 billion What is the world population?
How many mobile phone contracts are there?
Which country has the highest percentage of
the population with a mobile phone?
How many text messages are sent daily?
How many s were sent daily in 2009?
How many members does Facebook have?
How many users does Twitter have?
How many members does LinkedIn have?
What is the average age of LinkedIn members?
According to a recent UK survey, what
percentage of information posted on social
networking sites is fabricated?
6.8 billion
5 billion approx
Lithuania
148%
6.7 billion
247 billion
500 million
100 million +
70 million + 43
Up to 40%

19. Communication in the digital age
It’s never been easier to communicate with people around the globe. It’s never been easier to avoid talking to people.

20. Communication in the digital age
Have you ever:
Sent a phone caller to voic because you didn’t want to
talk to them?
Read/sent s or text messages during a meeting?
ed a colleague in the same office because it was
easier than getting up to talk to them?
Failed to respond to an because it got lost among
all the other messages in your in-box?

21. Communication in the digital age
Are you a member of any social/on-line networks?
Do you know what people can read about you
and your firm on-line?
Does your firm have a digital media strategy?

22. Suggested action points
Talk to people!
Manage your
Use on-line networks to develop relationships
Encourage your firm to develop a digital media strategy
Ensure the content is relevant, interesting and
regularly up-dated

23. Team exercise Work in teams of three
Discuss the arguments you would use to persuade a firm to join AGN
Practise short sections of your arguments out loud to your colleagues

24. We do business with people we know, like and trust.