Make Your Presentation Your Most Successful One Yet

Presentations and speeches have been a huge part of my work in the last six months: from giving them myself to training and coaching clients. Whether I’m delivering myself or helping others, there are common strategies that we can put in place to help us be more successful and get the results we want from the effort.

Recently, I trained and coached a Vice President at a DAX 30 global company, a successful speaker on the German presentation circuit, and a group of highly motivated international professionals needing to deliver more powerful presentations to achieve corporate results.

Each of these three clients had different audiences and different pain points, but all had the same goal: To design and deliver a presentation that resonated with the audience, showcased their expertise in the topic, and added value to their audiences by relieving their pain points or making their lives easier by offering tools, techniques and strategies.

Common presentation challenges

If you are like me and my clients, you can get overwhelmed in the planning phase. For some, it’s just easier to start writing the script or creating the slides. The result? An overly long presentation with slides overflowing with images and text. It’s overkill, and can both you and your audience from benefitting from the presentation.

The storyline can also be a challenge. We’ve all ‘gotten by’ without stories in our presentations for decades, so why start now? Because a storyline will engage your audience by taking them on a journey from what is now, to the brave new world of what can be. It’s your job to write the story and tell it in a compelling way that persuades your audience to take the desired action once they leave the presentation. Because that’s where their journey starts.

And then there’s the fear. Call it stage fright or call it nerves. In the end, we all want to give a great presentation and be seen as giving a great presentation by others. It affects our professional reputation after all.

Use my strategies to get results

So what can you do to overcome obstacles like these? Here are my 5 top strategies for a successful presentation that gets results:

1. Plan. And then plan some more.

I spent 16 hours preparing for my Global Communication Competence presentation. It was a 30-minute presentation. Do you need to spend that much time preparing? Your results will give you the answer to that question.

I focused my planning on analyzing who my audience was, what my key messages for them were, and creating a storyline to make sure my messages resonated with that specific audience.

2. Design your slides before you open the software.

I’m all for slides in a presentation situation. I can live without them when I deliver a speech, because they usually just distract the audience from me to the wall.

My strategy is to have one key message per slide, one image to represent that slide, and key words or short bullet points if images don’t suffice. I really mean it, too: One. Key. Message. Per. Slide.

3. Practice, practice, practice.

There are so many ways you can practice delivering your presentation or speech. Some memorize their script, but that can be a challenge for longer speeches, and there are pitfalls like forgetting your place in the script.

For speeches longer than 7 minutes, I recommend writing a script, and then learning it using various strategies like downsizing the script from full sentences to bullet points to key words. I do it on a slide-by-slide basis.

4. Use technology.

I also record myself using the voice recording function on my mobile. I can play the recording back while driving, while walking in the woods or soaking in the tub.

The key is to be so familiar with your key messages, anecdotes and storyline that it comes pouring out of you naturally during the presentation itself. The words may differ, the sentence order may be ‘off’ from your script, but it doesn’t matter.

5. Celebrate your success.

Don’t focus on what you didn’t say, focus on what you did say. Congratulate yourself for delivering a compelling presentation that gave your audience tools, techniques and strategies to make their work and their lives more successful. Did you inspire them to take action? If you can answer yes, that’s a big win in my book.

How do you make your presentations and speeches a success? Share your secrets here so we can learn together.

All the best,

Tracie

Tracie Marquardt, CPA and owner of Quality Assurance Communication, is Europe’s leading audit communications specialist. She is a trainer, coach and consultant to audit teams operating around the globe. Tracie empowers internal audit professionals to communicate their key messages more clearly and concisely so they can be more successful as they create positive change in their organizations. Connect with her today to get your free communication skills assessment.

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.

Communication Tips in Your Pocket

Hi Everyone! I’m excited to let you know that I have published my first book! It’s called Communicate Your Way To Global Business Success. In the book, I give you my top 101 communication techniques, strategies and inspiration for communicating for results, writing for impact, presenting with power, and succeeding in business. Let your communication skills soar!

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Make Your Communication Skills Soar

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Tracie's First Book Available Now!

When I decided to stay in Germany and start my business, I knew I wanted to inspire others to achieve more with their communication. My first pocket book, Communicate Your Way To Global Business Success, is my way of offering you the same inspiring, value-added communication techniques and strategies that I offer in my workshops, coaching sessions and speaking engagements. You can jump to any chapter that suits you on a particular day, and select a quote or strategy that will move you forward in that moment. Enjoy!

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Get the book now!

Take your own dare...

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

The Key to Success? Grit: Video

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Want a Better Business Relationship? Try These 5 Communication Strategies

Your ability to communicate internationally depends on your language skills. It seems like an obvious statement, but what happens when you try to break it down?

I had this discussion recently with two professionals who work internationally. Robert is a native English speaker from London who was here to visit his client, Wolfgang. Robert felt that he could communicate with anyone because most people speak English to one degree or another. Wolfgang, based in Frankfurt, felt that he faced many obstacles communicating in English.

To begin, I asked Wolfgang if communication between the two of them was always clear. He nervously answered, ‘not always’. When I asked Robert, he gave the same answer. They both looked at each other sheepishly. The truth was out!

Communicating the Miscommunication

When we dug deeper in this new insight, Robert said that Wolfgang sometimes uses words that don’t really fit the situation, but that he could usually decipher what Wolfgang was getting at. He also felt that Wolfgang was very direct, and that sometimes, more context or a less direct approach to a topic might be helpful.

Wolfgang said he was challenged by the speed of Robert’s delivery, because he often needed to take a moment to process what Robert had said. He also said it was difficult to read between the lines and interpret some expressions because they don’t always translate well, or at all, into German.

Both Robert and Wolfgang agreed that there was a great deal of personal interpretation going on ‘behind the scenes’. This interpretation had led to negative unintended consequences on one or two occasions, including ineffective and costly use of time and resources.

What followed next was an interesting negotiation on how Robert and Wolfgang would communicate in future, a Communication Code that included these guidelines:

1. Use plain English

Plain English means:

• using clear, straightforward words and expressions;
• using just enough words to get your messages across;
• removing redundant words and phrases, and those that don’t add value;
• choosing common vocabulary rather than words that require a dictionary.

Using plain English doesn’t mean taking your language down to a 5-year-old level, but it does embody the KISS concept.

2. Be as specific as possible

Use specifics like ‘in four cases’ rather than ‘in some cases’. Avoid overly long descriptions using vague language, and use the right vocabulary for the right concept.

3. Actively clarify meaning

Avoid misunderstandings by getting clarification. In the end, the misunderstandings will cost more than the potential embarrassment of asking what someone really means. Use simple clarifying statements and questions to help avoid these misunderstandings and possible assumptions.

• Statements like: ‘I’m not sure I understand’ and ‘What I mean is …’
• Questions like: ‘What do you mean by that?’ and ‘Are you saying …?’

4. Confirm understanding

This simple technique will ensure that you and your business partner end every discussion with the same understanding.

• ‘So we agree we need a solution that will …’
• ‘You are going to …, and I am going to …’

5. Develop a supportive communication environment

Now that they had identified the challenges in communicating with each other, it was easy for Robert and Wolfgang to agree on how to develop a supportive communication environment.
Robert promised to focus on using plain English and using fewer idiomatic and colloquial expressions. He also agreed to speak a bit slower and chunk his messages so that Wolfgang can process them easier.

Wolfgang agreed to give more context around his comments and suggestions and will consider the impact of being direct in sensitive situations that may require more diplomacy. He has also set himself a goal of expanding his vocabulary.

A Strategy to Build Upon

In the end, Robert and Wolfgang both agreed that when they have the same understanding of the situation, they are more productive and achieve even better results together. Robert and Wolfgang also agreed to let each other know when they feel like they’re slipping into old habits.

How do your language skills shape up when you are working with international business partners? Share one experience that surprised you.

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Tracie Marquardt Presents the International Audit Report Writing Workshop in Heidelberg, Germany on November 23 & 24, 2015

If you are an international internal auditor and are ready to take your audit report writing skills to the next level, you won’t want to miss this comprehensive training program.

No question about it – this is not your typical writing skills workshop.

Here’s what we will accomplish together:

• Understand and address stakeholder needs so you can write at an appropriate level of detail without having to guess or invest too much time;
• Master the universal best writing practices in English that today‘s auditor needs to know so that the underlying messages in your audit report are clear, concise and acted upon;
• Learn the 5 must-know techniques to persuade your audit clients of the validity of your findings so there is less debate during and after the audit closing meeting;
• Become an expert at writing findings and recommendations in a structured and supported way so your audit client comes to the same conclusions you did;
• Address the avoidable cultural mistakes in your audit report writing style that could provoke or offend your international audit client;
• And more!

Before the workshop, you’ll send Tracie a sample audit report based on a relevant audit scenario. You’ll then receive individual feedback outlining your writing weaknesses so that you have a starting point to measure your improvement.

During the 2-day workshop, you’ll write practice audit reports so you can get on-the-spot feedback to ensure you are able to put it what you’ve learned into practice before the workshop is over – you’ll be able to implement these tools, techniques and strategies the very next day when you are back at the work.

After the workshop, you’ll submit two more scenario-based audit reports for even more individual feedback. You’ll realize improvements every step of the way.

To learn more and to register go to the International Audit Report Writing Workshop Registration Page.

Set the Scene

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

How to Succeed at Handling Questions During Your Presentation

You’ve planned your presentation, prepared the slides, and practiced until you’re confident in your delivery. You’re ready for the praise that will surely come when your presentation is over. The only thing standing in your way is the questions you know you’ll get from your audience.

Many new and even seasoned presenters dread taking questions. In reality, questions about your presentation are a good thing. It means your audience is listening (and not talking, texting, or snoozing).

It also means you’re speaking about something they’re interested in. You’re not just on the right track, you have a golden opportunity to reinforce your main messages and achieve the results you want, for you AND the audience.

No matter how many times I conduct training on how to deliver a dynamic presentation, I’m often asked how and when to deal with questions from the audience. Here are the three most common questions I receive, and my advice:

1. Can I wait to take questions until the end of my presentation?

There are two schools of thought when it comes to the timing of taking questions.

Waiting until the end to take questions is an advantage if you want to make sure you don’t lose your train of thought during your presentation. It’s not a substitute for being well prepared, but it could boost your confidence before you begin speaking.

The risk of waiting until the end of your presentation to take questions is that you could lose your audience if you aren’t being clear, the presentation is very technical, or it’s a long presentation.

The advantages of handling questions during presentations are many. Questions make your presentation interactive, and engaging your audience is always a good thing. Communication is a two-way street, and lectures can be boring.

You also make sure your audience understands your key messages as you go, and ‘stays with you’ throughout. This increases the likelihood of your success when it comes to the call to action at the end of your presentation.

Taking questions throughout runs the risk that the questions take over the presentation, and you ‘lose’ valuable time or go off-topic. Know when to rein the questions in and keep moving forward with your presentation. Stay on topic, and be prepared to circle the discussion back to the topic at hand.

2. How can I possibly anticipate every possible question that will be asked?

Anticipating every question may be too much to expect of yourself, but you can anticipate the important ones. How? First, by putting yourself in the audience’s shoes. Then, by asking yourself what they need or want to know from you on the topic, and what their objections might be.

It’s a good idea to build this information into your presentation where possible. If you can’t do that because of time or scope constraints, prepare for those questions anyway, in case they are asked during your Question & Answer session after your presentation.

Don’t forget to anticipate ‘killer questions’, which are those questions you absolutely do not want to be asked.

3. Is there a ‘right’ way to answer questions?

There are many strategies to answering questions. I like to keep it simple, so I recommend using this strategy:

Clarify

If you aren’t clear about what is being asked, there are a couple of things you can do. Paraphrasing the question to check you have understood it correctly can help make sure you answer the question that is actually being asked.

Repeating the question back word for word is also option. This is a helpful technique to buy yourself a moment to think of an appropriate response.

Acknowledge

Show you value the question and the person asking it by thanking them, by name if you know it, and noting how frequent/common/relevant the question is.

Respond

Answer the question in as much detail as is appropriate. If you aren’t able to answer the question, defer it to a more appropriate time or until you have the required information.

Don’t forget body language here. Step forward to engage and focus on the person and their question.

Confirm

Once you have finished giving your answer, check back with the person to make sure they are satisfied and have understood. Then you can move on to the next question.

Bear in mind you don’t have to use all four of these when you answer each question. If you do, your audience might think you are repetitive and a bit robotic. Mix and match to suit the situation, so that you appear confident, competent and in control.

What are your techniques and strategies for answering questions before, during or after a presentation? Let us know by commenting below. Thanks for contributing to the conversation!

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

This article first appeared on LinkedIn Pulse.

That Resonates with Me! - A Tedx Talk

An inspiring video about communicating...

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Satisfaction lies in the effort...

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

I'm Writing to Apologize for My Last Email

Today I find myself in the position that I advise all my clients to avoid when it comes to written communication skills: Having to apologize for sending an email that I probably shouldn’t have. Yesterday I hit ‘send’ on an email that was factually correct and well-intentioned. But in reality, it may have been inappropriate and could well have damaged a valuable business relationship.

I realize I should have heeded my internal warning system as I reviewed what I wrote. Alarm bells were sounding, and a red flag was raised. But the bells weren’t THAT loud, and the flag wasn’t raised THAT high. Still the message was clear. Don’t click the send button!Whoops. Too late now.

There are several things you can do to avoid the position I put myself in.

Critically review the content of the email:

Have you included all relevant facts? Always make sure the facts you include are supported by a description of the situation so far, relevant contract paragraphs, and any other information that is indisputable.

Is the tone appropriate? Language and word choice can easily undermine the message you are trying to convey. Choosing wisely here will go a long way to ensuring your business partner’s acceptance of your message. Diplomacy is key!

Is the level of formality appropriate to the relationship? Business partners tend to operate on the formal side here in Germany despite the very positive long-term relationship. This will vary from business relationship to business relationship.

Have you explained the impact? One aspect of an argument that many forget to address is the impact of the problem or opportunity. Setting this out clearly will help your business partner formulate a decision on what to do… or not do.

If you’ve answered a resounding YES! to each of these questions, give yourself kudos for being able to craft a good email. You have excellent professional email communication etiquette. It’s not time to click ‘send’ just yet though.

Objectively assess the potential result of sending the email:

How will your business partner perceive this particular message? No matter how much time and effort we spend crafting what we think is a perfectly written email, we have to accept that it’s not about us. It’s all about THEIR understanding, interpretation and perception. This is a risk that you cannot afford to ignore.

Will this email negatively impact your relationship? If there is any potential for this at all… take your fingers from the keyboard. Immediately. Click ‘delete’, not ‘send’.

Is email the right method of communication? We’ve all learned the 7%-38%-55% rule from Albert Mehrabian. This rule is used all the time when assessing method of communication. (Rightly or wrongly.) In email, all you’ve got are black and white letters, which combine into words and sentences. No tone of voice, and no body language. It’s far easier for your business partner to interpret your message on the phone or better yet, in person.

Why is picking up the phone a better option? Always use caution when handling sensitive, political or emotional issues. And that usually means not communicating in writing when it can be avoided.

Where does that leave me?

I’m in the position now of having to pick up the phone and make sure I haven’t damaged or negatively affected a very important relationship with a valued client. I hope you don’t find yourself in the same position any time soon!

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

The Science of Science Communication

Here is a cool video about the science of science communication:
 
The Science of Science Communication from The Duke & the Duck on Vimeo.


All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

5 Characteristics of a Communication Superhero

Superheroes are all around us.

Like comic-book characters on the big screen who protect fictional worlds against terrorism and crime: Robert Downey Jr as Ironman in his suit of armor, or Linda Carter as Wonder Woman with her trademark bulletproof bracelets.

Like real life heroes who inspire us to be our best selves, achieve our goals, and give to others: Nick Vujicic, born with no arms and no legs, inspires people around the world to turn their seemingly overwhelming obstacles into opportunities, and inspires others to do the same every single day. See a picture of me and Nick here.

Am I a superhero? I like to think so…

You might not be able to see the invisible cape I wear, but it’s there. What’s my superpower? Sharing communication tools, techniques and strategies, and helping others build their communication competence and confidence. Why do I do it? So you can put on your invisible cape and go out into the world and create positive change through communication.

Are you a Communication Superhero?

According to Scott Weller, superheroes share similar characteristics. Are you ready to see how your communication skills measure up?

1. Selfless

Being selfless means having or showing more concern for other people and less concern for yourself. How can you be selfless in your communication? By consistently applying WIIFT – What’s In It For Them. Whether it is a presentation or a document, it’s important to tie your message into how your audience/reader can benefit from your core message, service or product.

2. Integrity

Having integrity means being honest and fair. You can achieve integrity in your communication by presenting the facts, identifying the risks, showing the benefits, and detailing the expected outcomes. Detailed source information, an audit trail, and other tools and techniques will promote transparency. For some professions like auditing, maintaining objectivity is a key requirement of the job. For others, subjectivity tempered by fairness will achieve the goal.

3. Courageous

Being courageous means being brave. This can be a daily occurrence when you are striving to become a more effective communicator. Because when you communicate, you put yourself and your core message out into the world for all to see (and critique).

Whether it’s a blog on LinkedIn, a video supporting your business on social media, a presentation to a foreign delegation at work, or providing your recommendations in a business report. Put your best foot forward by making sure you are well prepared, knowledgeable, and self-confident.

4. Responsible and accountable

These weighty words require you to step up, take action, and own the results of your actions. Being responsible and accountable in your communication means choosing your words wisely, so you can achieve the desired result. Being responsible means sending the email, writing the report, giving the presentation, or hosting the meeting, no matter how much you would rather be at the dentist.

And it means being committed to growing and learning from each communication experience. You might learn you’ve got the message exactly right, that you still need to perfect it, or that you need to change your delivery. The good news is: You’re learning!

5. Humble

Being humble means being modest in behavior and attitude. We can apply this superhero trait to communication skills as well.

We communicate our messages using words, voice and body language. When those messages are congruent, we are perceived as being authentic. When our words contradict what our body ‘says’, those around us can usually sense it. It might be a gut reaction, or it might be your ‘Spidey-sense’ warning you. Regardless, trustworthiness, relationship building, and success can ride on whether you are being authentic.

What color is your cape?

So there you have it, the characteristics of a Communication Superhero. Use your communication skills to create positive change at work and in your life. If you need a helping hand stepping into the role, let me know. I’ll just grab my cape…

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

This post first appeared on LinkedIn Pulse.

Doing the impossible

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Improve Your Writing Skills with My Online Workshop

My first International Audit Report Writing Online Workshop is starting next week. Now is the time for you to learn report writing skills that you can immediately put into practice to write concise and persuasive reports that affect change in your organization!

Jump over to the Registration Page to learn about the benefits, the dates of the workshop and the bonus call for all attendees.

Summer school is not just for kids: improve your writing skills and make an impact in your international organization.

Register today!

Communication is the key for success

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

A Comma Story

An amusing, informative lesson on commas. My favorite piece of advice... being in  balance. Enjoy!

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

I can, I will, I did

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

5 Mistakes You're Making in Your Business Reports

Have you ever been frustrated because you didn’t get the reaction you wanted from your business reports?

Maybe your client disputed your findings and recommendations, the action you wanted taken wasn’t approved by the Board, or you never got any feedback at all. That last one is particularly distressing, because you KNOW how much work you put into it!

If you’re like me, it’s happened to you at least once in your career.

As a written communication skills coach, I’ve given feedback on hundreds of audit reports, scientific reports, marketing and other documents over the last 12 years. And there are a ton of common mistakes that are made. Native English speaker or not, years of experience writing in business or not: we all do it.

Here’s my list of the top 5 mistakes you might be making in your business reports … and how you can fix them!

1. Lack of structure

A lack of structure automatically results in a lack of clarity. Your readers are busy people in their own right, so make it easy to follow your logic and lead them through your reasoning to your conclusions and recommendations. Not sure of a good structure to use? I’ve got one for you in my free e-Book.

2. Weak recommendations

Well-crafted recommendations get attention and result in actions being taken. Explaining what, who and when are critical to making sure your readers have enough information to move forward. The why will ensure decision makers can support you.

3. Ignoring your readers

Who’s going to read your report? What do they need from it to do their job, take action, or improve their world? If you don’t know, stop writing, think it through, andask them if you need to. For more on how not to ignore your readers, check out my article, Knowing Your Audience is Key to Your Success.

4. Including everything you know on the topic

So many clients want to write everything they know on the topic. “Just in case.” Please… leave it out! Put enough information in your report to satisfy the purpose of the document and to make your recommendation. Less is more, and there are options for providing more information to the one or two readers who want it.

5. ‘Forgetting’ to a run spelling, grammar and style check

The fix is so simple and effective, and yet the mistake is made so often. Your word processing software has this function built in… so use it! Go into the options, configure it to check what you want checked, and then run it. Spelling mistakes have a negative impact on how professional you are perceived. Avoid hits to your reputation, and run the check.

These mistakes are fairly quick and easy to fix. Follow the advice here, check out the links, and perform an in-depth review of the document you are working on. Ask a colleague to review it, or connect with me to find out about coaching options.

Happy report writing!

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

This post originally appeared on LinkedIn Pulse.

There is no pleasure to me without communication...

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

11 Smart Slide Creation Techniques Your Audience Will Thank You For

Expectations regarding presentations, and presenters, have increased significantly in today’s dynamic, international environment. It’s no longer acceptable to stand in front of your audience, talk about what you need, present loads of slides stuffed with text, and expect a great outcome.

Presentations today are the most effective when they influence, persuade and inspire. And when this happens, we can facilitate positive change, growth and results within our organizations.

Your slides need to convey your key messages clearly and concisely because your presentation is seen as a direct reflection of your competence, professionalism and expertise. How can you accomplish this without having to be a Microsoft PowerPoint expert?

Techniques and Tools for Mastering Slide Creation

I find the easiest way to have clear and effective slides is to have a checklist to follow, perform my own review against the checklist as I create each slide, and then get a second opinion from a colleague I trust.

Here is the checklist I use for every slide presentation I create, whether it’s a presentation for a client or training material for a workshop.

Quality Assurance Slide Creation Checklist

1. Have one obvious main message per slide.
2. Have ‘enough’ white space on each slide.
3. Use 18 pt. font at a minimum. 20 and 24 pt. fonts are even better.
4. Avoid animation unless is it clearly supports your message.
5. Use active slide titles rather than a topic, to convey the slide’s main message.
6. Use meaningful images to convey ideas, concepts and messages.
7. Choose elements/shapes/smart art that shows relationships between the information.
8. Use bullet points not sentences.
9. Include only one graph/chart per slide.
10. Use call out boxes for key messages; not more than one per slide.
11. Consider using appendices or back up slides for supplemental information.

Beware of dual-purpose slides

From what I’ve seen lately, companies often use slides for dual purposes. They are intended to serve as documentation to support new processes, status updates, recommendations, etc., AND they are used as the basis for a formal presentation. The same slides for both purposes creates a conflict.

Slides are a visualization tool that should support you during your dynamic presentation, rather than tell the story FOR you. If an audience is reading your slides, they are not paying attention to you. Most people cannot listen and read at the same time after all.

So keep the slides for your presentation crisp, clear, concise and meaningful, and keep your audience’s attention on YOU and your key messages.

The techniques and tips in this article are just some of the ones I teach in my Preparing Powerful Content workshop. If you’d like more support, contact me for your free one-hour consultation in 2015.

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

This post originally appeared on LinkedIn Pulse.

5 ways to listen better

Listening is the most underrated skill of all the skills needed to communicate clearly and concisely. Julian Treasure makes a great case for improving our listening skills.

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

What is your plan for today? #mondaymotivation

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

A little bit of humor for the weekend. #TGIF

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Your Report is Your Business Card

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

FREE Webinar on "Optimizing Your Audit Findings"

Want to know more about my NEW online International Audit Report Writing workshop? You're invited to register for my FREE one-hour webinar on Optimizing Your Audit Findings.

You’ll get to experience my webinar format firsthand, and I’ll give you techniques and strategies to write your audit findings more concisely and persuasively. These are the exact same techniques I share in the full International Audit Report Writing workshop/webinar.

So join us on Tuesday 28 April 2015 at 18:00 CET. Click here to register for the webinar now!

Giving Presentations Worth Listening To

Giving presentations can be difficult for even the most experienced speaker. Here is some great advice, insight and suggestions from Gordon Kangas during a local TEDx Talks.

What is your best presentation preparation technique?

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

I try just to communicate

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Your Monday Motivation

Today's #mondaymotivation comes from Sheryl Sandberg. I think it's great advice for all professional people.

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Just keep writing...

Whenever I get stuck writing, I always repeat to myself...

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Reports are much more than just reports

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

The ABCs You Were Never Taught in School

• A scientist who loves research but hates presenting his results to management because speaking in public is out of his comfort zone.
• An American project manager living in Germany who has realized the hard way that working internationally means that shifts in style, tone and language are required when communicating across cultures.
• An auditor struggling during international audit missions because he is perceived as being very direct and sometimes demanding, putting off audit clients and even causing escalations.

These are three of the people I met at a recent networking event, where attendees were asked about the challenges they face in their professional lives. Every story I heard was unique, but there was a common thread: A gap in communication competence and comfort.

So while it was a great networking event, I felt there was something missing from the discussion: WHY are these successful international professionals experiencing these challenges?

What’s missing might be those things most of us never learned at school. I call them the ABCs of communication success: Assertiveness, Behaviour and Competence. So let’s get back to the basics:

A: Assertiveness

Being assertive means you are confident in expressing your thoughts and ideas while respecting those of others. You can stand up for yourself without being aggressive. It’s the best way to communicate to ensure your messages are heard and acted on.

If you are overly passive, people may use you as a doormat if you aren’t careful. You might take on too much work or not give your opinion in a meeting… and your opinion might just be the voice of reason that carries a great idea forward.

The good news: You CAN learn to be assertive rather than aggressive or passive.

B: Behaviour

Your behaviour, or your response to someone else’s behaviour, can make or break your success. There’s good news here, too: You are free to CHOOSE your behaviour, and you are free to choose how you REACT to someone else’s behaviour.

Helping others, avoiding overly emotional reactions, and avoiding overtly competitive behaviour when it’s not appropriate in the situation – these will help you communicate effectively. Doing the opposite can prevent you from being successful.

C: Competence

When I was at university, there wasn’t any guidance on HOW to communicate well. And I never knew what I was missing until I started working in the real world.

Writing an action-oriented report, delivering a dynamic presentation, facilitating meetings, motivating a team to success – these are all skills we need to master. And if you’re like me, a little practice goes along way.

A Strategy to Strengthen Your Communication Skills

If you are not sure why your messages aren’t being appreciated or acted on, or why you are constantly having issues with clients and colleagues, it’s time to find out.

1. Make your own observations about where YOU feel you aren’t succeeding or communicating well.
2. Ask for feedback from your boss, colleagues, clients and other business associates.
3. Analyze all of the feedback together, looking for patterns, repeated observations or common situations.
4. Prioritize the communication skills you want to tackle first, so you get further, faster.
5. Identify resources to help you fill the gap, including books, workshops, and finding a mentor.
6. Take advantage of every opportunity to practice: Volunteer to run meetings, ask to lead a project group, offer to give the monthly departmental presentation, write the next report due to the Board, etc.
7. Keep a journal of communication goals, successes and challenges. Track what works, what doesn’t, and write down your ideas of how to change it next time.

The scientist, the project manager and the auditor are all educated, intelligent and considered successful by their peers. By identifying their communication skills gaps and executing a plan to fill them, they can reach their ultimate potential. And you can, too!

Which of these ABCs do you need to work on? Let me know in the comments below.

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

This post was originally posted on LinkedIn Pulse.

How great leaders inspire action

Enjoy this inspiring video.

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Keep moving forward

#mondaymotivation

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

It's time to spring clean your communication skills

Spring has sprung here in Germany, and it’s not just time to clean house. It’s also a great opportunity to work on improving other areas in your life. So this spring, why not add cleaning and organizing your communication skills to your plans?

Choosing which ‘room’ to start in

Sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. When it comes to spring cleaning your communication skills, you can try different strategies. Try beginning with the communication skill you find easiest and then moving on to the skills you find more challenging. Or jump right in and tackle your biggest communication challenge first. Whether it’s your general speaking skills, written communication skills, or presentation skills, choose one and get started. Take imperfect action, because it can be the easiest action of all.

Assessing what to throw out, improve and acquire

Assess where you are now, and where you want to be. This becomes the gap you want to work on. Ask yourself what you need to discard from your repertoire of skills because it’s not serving you, what you need to improve on, and what you need to learn to be more successful in your communication.

If you know you tend to interrupt when others are speaking, throw out that habit and commit to becoming a more empathetic listener. If you write reports often, assess how you can write more clearly and concisely so that your messages are easier for the reader to understand and act on. If you want to become a sought-after public speaker, learn how to deliver your presentation with confidence and authenticity, with effective slides that clearly support your key messages.

Kick-starting the process

Here are some ideas to help you begin your communication skills spring cleaning:

Speaking skills

• Think before you speak: Get back to basics by planning your strategy to achieve your goal for a conversation or meeting, or practising what you want to say in advance.
• Use your voice: Words aren’t enough. By varying the pace, pitch and power of your voice, you can give meaning and emphasis to your words. Try it out in front of the mirror, with a trusted colleague or even with your dog.

Written communication skills

• Manage sentence length: My advice is to keep sentences shorter. Bite-sized pieces will make it easy for the reader to digest your key messages. Write sentences that contain only 20 to 30 words rather than trying to beat the longest sentence I have ever read in a corporate report (105 words).
• Eliminate redundancy: As authors, we have a tendency to feel like every word we write is important. Therefore, we can’t possibly delete any of those words. The truth is, there are more opportunities to cut out the fluff than we think. So be brutal and cut out words or phrases that don’t add value, are redundant or are not required for emphasis or opinion.

Presentation skills

• Clarify your concept: Make sure your concept is tight. It should be short and concise, even tweetable. Write it in such a way that it hooks your audience and inspires them to action.
• Simplify your slides: Assess each slide to ensure there is only one message per slide no matter how hard that might seem. Challenge yourself to eliminate text and replace it with key words, images, smart art or other graphical representation.

Overcoming procrastination

Let’s face it: Some of us are more challenged by the procrastination monster than others. Strategy comes into play here, too. Take a small step, any step, toward your communication spring cleaning project. The first step will lead to the next step.

You may want to set aside an afternoon to reassess your communication skills in one area or all areas. Then focus on the one aspect that interests you most and take action on that one item. Communication skills are interrelated, so that one topic should lead you to the next topic.

If all else fails, promise yourself a reward for your hard work, such as a hot bath at the end of the afternoon, your favorite guilty food snack, or the freedom to go for a long run to cleanse your mind and body.

Maintaining your forward momentum

Now that you’ve decided on which communication skill(s) to focus, make sure you keep moving forward by addressing communication issues, questions and challenges as they arise. Keep a list of communication goals you want to achieve, progress you’ve made, and areas that need more attention.

I’ll be focusing on writing new articles regularly and refining my core presentation for key note speeches. What will you accomplish during your communication skills spring cleaning? Let us know so we can cheer you on.

All the best,

Tracie

High achievement...

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Think before you ink

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Start with the basics

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Communications Training

I love working with international teams on their professional communications skills. What is your professional passion?

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

TED Talks: Benjamin Zander

This is another one of my favorite TED Talks. Here Benjamin Zander talks about classic music and its surprising benefits. Which TED Talks do you watch over and over?

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

First international online training complete

Last month I completed my first online training for an international team in Africa. It was a great learning experience and I hope to do more of this online training in the future.

Do you provide online or virtual services? What do you find to be the advantages and disadvantages of working with people or teams remotely?

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Freedom lies in being bold...

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Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

On location workshops

I love working with international people and teams and find I work the best on-location with a group. You get instant feedback and can see the changes in body language and confidence happening in real time.

Here's a photo from a recent workshop I delivered to a group of international women. Where do you work the best?

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Never cut what you can untie

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication, Dossenheim, Germany

Clear Communication Adds Value

I believe that clear communication adds value, and the when we work on an international stage, our ability to communicate clearly and concisely has a significant impact on the results we achieve. When we communicate clearly, we can bring about positive change, both in our lives and in our work.

I believe that learning or improving communication skills must include language and culture components, because everything we do and say will be perceived by our partner according to their own personal culture, which includes national culture, language, education, profession, upbringing, etc.

I empower audit, finance other global professionals to communicate their key messages clearly, concisely and concisely on an international stage. I do this by providing training, coaching and consulting services to clients who competent in their fields but want to take their communication skills, and their results, to the next level. No matter whether it is audit reports, scientific reports, proposals, marketing material, emails, presentations or speeches for internal audiences or external events, I’m here to help.

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication

Fake it until you become it

Inspiring words of advice that I have carried with me through my journey of self-employment...

TED Talk - Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication, Dossenheim, Germany

A day in the office

Do you work in a home office? What's your biggest challenge?

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication, Dossenheim, Germany

Negotiate every day...

All the best,

Tracie Marquardt

Quality Assurance Communication, Dossenheim, Germany

A Business Communications Training Company

Since 2002, I have helped international professionals living in Europe to be more successful in their business communication so that they can achieve better results. Through my company, Quality Assurance Communication, I offer Communication Skills Training, Coaching and Consulting to companies and individuals who need to take their communication to the next level. Whether it is audit report writing training, scientific report writing, proposals, marketing material, and emails, or presentations and speeches for internal audiences or external events. Learn more:

• at the Quality Assurance Communication website
• on the Quality Assurance Communication Facebook page
• by receiving my twice-monthly “Up Your Impact” newsletter directly in your inbox and getting my free e-book as a sign up gift

And you can connect with me on

• LinkedIn
• Xing