Communication specialist Anna O’Kennedy kindly delivered this well-attended lunchtime session aimed at the upcoming property professionals who work for our members on the proven tips and tricks to elevate pitches and presentations.
The session was arranged by our NextGen Committee and introduced by Committee member and DWS Real Estate Asset Management Analyst Georgina Anderson.
Although the session was short in length, it was jampacked with insights in areas including:
Communication challenges. Excessive jargon, difficulty translating between technical and non-technical language, generational differences, “phone fear” and accent bias.
The power of storytelling. When we pitch or present, we often focus on what we need to include rather than what we want people to feel. The audience will remember feelings more than facts.
Content crafting. What do we want the audience to remember afterwards? The importance of focusing on one or two key messages and repeating them in different ways to reinforce them and appeal to different members of the audience.
Slides and visuals. How are they contributing to the storytelling process humans are hardwired to respond to? If they are used, they need to be visual, not wordy, and include just the most relevant information. Less is usually more.
Delivering with impact. Once the content is correct, body language and tone of voice will elevate it. Standing tall and avoiding rocking or fidgeting, using hand gestures to purposefully underline points, making eye contact, finding the “warm audience”, varying the tone of voice and smiling can all make a difference.
Handling nerves. Believing in the content and your expertise. Visualisation and training your brain to see a successful pitch or presentation as achievable. Reframing fear as excitement and breathing techniques.
Everyone at Real Estate Balance is thankful to Anna for sharing her time and expertise with our community. Find out more about Great Speech Writing, the company she works for, here, and connect with Anna on LinkedIn here.