Suppose a professional matter is very close to your heart. You really want to convince your supervisor of this. They have prepared intensively for the appointment. Their chain of reasoning is firmly anchored in their brain so that they can get started at any time. Finally, you are called to the boss. You're bursting with excitement to be able to present your great idea. You're not even sitting properly yet, when the first words are already tumbling out of you. Driven by an invisible pressure, you speak, and talk, and speak... Her boss opposite doesn't pull a face. They can't classify it and talk even more. Her mind is racing. Now you are already getting tangled up.
They feel that something is going massively wrong right now. This was not the plan. What happened?
Their need to communicate seduces to many words and details
They are full and completely fallen into the trap of "pressure to speak"! Don't worry, especially in the first phase of persuasion or sales talks, even proven professionals succumb to the temptation to talk too much, explain too much and argue too much. You then speak without pauses, your voice becomes impersonal, leaves the relationship-building tone and you come across as "pushy" and "salesy". Your conversation partner reacts immediately with inner defense.
Why does this pressure arise?
In this particular case, mainly by sitting face-to-face to your boss. This position of "body front versus body front" always seems like an unconscious invitation to speak.
The solution is "closing ranks"!
A small twist to the side, and the pressure has already given way. In the business conversation, I recommend that you consciously use this small twist in the closing of ranks. In doing so, they stage the "solution triangle", if you could look at the scene from above, a triangle would have emerged: you, boss, topic. Maybe you have a pad that you can use as a reference point, otherwise simply anchor the topic with your speaking hand at a certain point in the room. We know from spatial psychology that the topic of conversation follows the gaze.
You can now Involve your interlocutor much more easily. Her voice relaxes and becomes a little deeper. They look inviting! The situation will ease. Your counterpart will now really listen to you actively. And nothing stands in the way of the final implementation of your great business idea.
Try it out!
Yours sincerely,
Arno Fischbacher
P.S.: I'm happy if you like this post. If that's the case, please share it right away! Do you have a question or would you like to discuss my thoughts with me? Write a comment! I look forward to hearing your opinion!
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The author:
Arno Fischbacher is a business voice coach and rhetoric expert, speaker and author. He prepares executives and employees of the top companies in Germany and Austria for negotiations, presentations and media appearances. Fischbacher is the author of several books, past president of the German Speakers Association (GSA) Austria, chairman of the European Network of Voice Experts, stimme.at.
If you would like to learn more about specific training opportunities with Arno Fischbacher, make an appointment here free information talk.
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