When the Sage of Omaha speaks, people listen. Because Warren Buffett talks and writes pretty well.
He was recently asked what advice he’d give to young people who’d just graduated.
“Invest in yourself. One easy way to become worth 50% more than you are now at least is to hone your communication skills.
If you can’t communicate, it’s like winking at a girl in the dark: nothing happens. You can have all the brainpower in the world, but you’ve got to be able to transmit it.”
So true.
Those who perform best and rise fastest have better communication skills than those they leave behind.
The ability to communicate is arguably the most important skill in life. And this ability is most challenged before and during a presentation.
Buffet again: “I was terrified of public speaking when I was in high school and college. I couldn’t do it. I mean I would throw up and everything.”
When Scott Mautz was researching his book “Make it Matter”, he found that over 1,000 executives said the number 1 problem in communication is lack of clarity and precision.
How do you avoid this trap?
I’ve been lucky enough to work with over 70 businesses and organisations and in 9 countries. Almost without exception the people I work with are missing an AIM for their talks…..a purpose, a direction.
This single act brings more clarity and precision to a talk than anything else.
How do you create an aim? Very simple. Ask yourself “ What do I want my listener(s) to do, feel, or think differently after listening to me?
And tell your audience what your aim is. Firstly in the first 60 seconds, and lastly at the end…..so you can remind them of what they were there for!
If you’d like to see me demonstrate this, you can either look at our YouTube channel Presentation Maestro, or download the free app Ovation. Both are packed with practical tips and videos.
With grateful thanks to Scott Mautz, Ariana Huffington and Thriveglobal.
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/skill-to-increase-your-worth-by-half-according-to-warren-buffett/amp/
Image by Mark Hirschey, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2581999
