Muhammad Noer

Why Smiling is Good for You When Giving Presentation?

November 13, 2019 by Muhammad Noer

Some of you might say, “Standing in front of audience without getting cold feet sometimes is already hard, let alone smiling.”

Well, the truth is smiling can help you reduce stress and shake off all your fears while talking in front of people, such as in a presentation.

A smile has its own strength. To your audience, a smile expresses warmth. For yourself, it gives a strong impression on how you see the world.

When you smile, you change the effect of the reaction on your body. The body releases dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins, the hormones that responsible for calmness and pleasure. Aren’t these conditions you really need to overcome your fears and stage fright?

When giving a presentation, your smile is an important part of the instruments that exist in your body. Smiles can modulate your voice, thus enabling you to get more engaged to your audience.

Our body is a tool, just like a musical instrument. The design is important. Our mouth is the bell of the instrument, while smile determines its shape. When you change the shape of the bell, it also changes your voice.

When you smile, you can feel it changes the atmosphere, from your stage to the entire room.

There are so many reasons why you better smile when giving presentation. The release of the happy hormones was just one of the them.

It makes you look cool and credible

People say, the less emotion you how, the more you look cool and credible. Apparently, not really. The Journal of Consumer Research in 2018 reveals the opposite. Looking serious or credible has nothing to do with smiling.

Researchers found that public speakers who smile look cooler than less expressive ones. In addition, unable to smile risks the absence of connection with the audience. And we all know that connectedness is needed in effective communication.

It helps you to build connection with audience

This point is related to the previous reason. Giving a presentation is a form of communication that based on relationships. Presenters need to smile to help them develop connections with the audience.

People tend to mimic face expression their interlocutors. The mimicry often occur unconsciously. Basically, by mimicking, we want to express warmth and build connection.

So, when you stand in front audience and smile at them, there’s a big chance they will smile back at you unconsciously. This is the beginning of the formation of connections in the subconscious.

It helps your mind stay calm and makes your body relax

When you see the audience smile back at you, you can also feel the effect. You will be calmer, more relaxed, and more confident. It is triggered by the release of the hormones, like serotonin and dopamine in the brain.

Dopamine increases feelings of happiness, while serotonin tries to reduce stress. When you smile, your brain produces chemicals that tell you if you enjoy this activity (presentation, public speaking). It is telling you, “You are fine.”

These hormones relax your body. Smiling reduces the body’s response to stressful changes.

Research that has been done involves the act of biting chopsticks in the mouth, which gives a similar shape to a smile, giving the effect to heart rate. The beating is lower, so less stress occurs.

These findings suggest that smiling during brief stress can help reduce the body’s stress response.

It helps you to have longer life span

Well, this might be the long-term reason, but if you think your life is stressful since you have to give presentation a little bit too often, and stress leads to shorten age, therefore you better start to practice this smile.

In conclusion, smiling is a simple way to make giving presentation or public speaking less stressful, while helping you connect with your audience.

One thing that also important to keep in mind is public speaking is an industry of service. As speakers, we must find ways to form ourselves to become instruments of presentation, that will get the strongest response from our audience. Who would have think that the strongest instrument was a smile?(*)

7 Tips How To Communicate At The New Workplace

May 15, 2019 by Muhammad Noer

You are just accepted at a new workplace. This means that you have to adapt to the new environment.

The new workplace with a new work atmosphere, habits, friendship environment, which may be very different from what you know so far. In a new workplace, in addition to the challenges of working on new responsibilities, you are also challenged to be able to adapt in a new environment, including how to communicate with new colleagues.

It’s okay, if you feel anxious and nervous at the first day in the new workplace. This nervousness is mainly because you really don’t know the atmosphere of the new office.

So, the ability to adapt is very important. The faster you adapt to the new atmosphere, the faster you can do your best there. The most important thing that will really help you adapt is how to communicate with the new colleagues.

Here are some tips for communicating in a new workplace:

1. Focus When The Introduction Process

When entering a new workplace, your status is a new employee. No matter what position you are in, you are a new employee.

A new employee will usually get guidance from the HRD team. The HRD team will usually provide information to you about important matters related to the internal company. For example, regarding the organizational structure, business activities or work performed, vision, mission, company values, habits and regulations that apply there.

The purpose of this introduction is to introduce the company to new employees. For that, you really need to focus when they explain it to you. Note the explanations given well. Ask questions if it is really needed, so when you start working, there are no more things that block you.

By focusing on paying attention to the explanations given at the introduction, and asking questions about things that you don’t understand, you show that you respect them. You listen to everything they say. Listening is one of the keys to a good communication.

2. Be Calm and Observe

Sometimes, there are people who are so passionate about working in a new place. They become overreacting. They act like they already know everybody.

This is maybe because the person wants to try to blend in immediately and is known by their colleagues. But, it really doesn’t need to be done. Excessive and pretentious attitude can even make other people feel uncomfortable, so that will actually limit your intercommunication.

It’s better to be casual. Observe first how the communication patterns that applies in the new office, like the communication style of your new colleagues, both to fellow work colleagues and to superiors.

When it’s time for a break or lunch, you can chat with new friends more relaxed. This is also an opportunity for you to observe their nature and behavior. That way, you can determine the right way to communicate with them later, especially when you want to discuss work issues.

3. Pay Attention to Your Voice

The point is, speak with the same volume with your new friends or with the circumstances around you. For example, there may be times when you need to speak quietly. There may also be times when you have to talk louder.

4. Use the Opportunity to Talk

At certain times, you must be proactive to get to know and be known by your new colleagues. You can’t just sit quietly and wait for them to be talked to. Every now and then, you must speak first. Of course, you have to look the situation first. You can start the chat when it’s time to relax, for example during recess. For that, prepare yourself with exciting chat materials.

5. Always be polite to everyone

Even if you are new, you don’t need to be inferior, especially if you meet or cross path with people who have higher positions than you. You can greet them politely, while making small talk.

Of course, you also have to be polite to everyone in the office. If you cross path with someone you just met, don’t look away and try to smile. You will never know, maybe that person turned out to be a big boss or a company owner.

By being polite, you have opened a barrier to build relationships with other people. Actually, it’s not just new people who are feeling awkward to communicate with old people somewhere. Old people will feel awkward when they have to interact with new people.

By being polite to each other, then you have reduced the awkwardness.

6. Avoid Excessive Complaints

As a new person, of course there will be things that make someone feel uncomfortable when in a new place. If you have worked in other places before, it will unconsciously make you compare it to the new one.

Even so, when you encounter something that makes you uncomfortable, just keep it in your heart. As a new person, you should not immediately file a complaint. Maybe, the thing that makes it uncomfortable is only temporary or actually doesn’t happen at any time.

Instead of thinking about complaints, you better focus on the fun about the new workplace. Isn’t that what used to make you interested in working in that place?

7. Manage Your Cubicle Properly

At the new workplace, you will get a desk or your own place to work. Arrange your cubicle well, so it is nice to see. Make sure that your telephone, laptop, and other devices have been set up in an organized fashion, so you are able to use them effectively when it comes to communicating with those who aren’t in the workplace. A SIP trunk (learn more here) with the latest features, and a device that has all the apps is also a must if you want to make sure you are communicating at a high quality. Don’t forget that a neat and pleasant cubicle will attract the attention of colleagues to visit. That way, your chances of being able to communicate and getting to know them more will be even greater.

Indeed, it is not easy to adapt in a new place. But, good communication skills will make your efforts to adapt easier.

Who Said Introverts Can’t Be Great in Public Speaking?

April 24, 2019 by Muhammad Noer

Many people thought that great public speakers are extroverts. They said only extroverts can fluently and successfully deliver messages and inspire people on stage. Introverts surely will find it difficult to give speech in front of a crowd. Let alone stand on stage and talk in front of dozens, even hundreds of people, giving a speech at a small family event will make them very nervous.

But, apparently that assumption was not entirely correct. Many world-renowned speakers are introverts. In fact, being an introvert can actually be a good asset to become a great public speaker. How come?

Introverts are people who tend to look inside themselves. They pay more attention to their own thoughts and feelings, not because they are not able to give attention to people or things that happen around them. They do this because they are more stimulated by their inner world.

Take the example of former United States President Barack Obama. Who would’ve thought that he is an introvert? Then there is Bill Gates, the founder and chairman of Microsoft. Although introverted, fortunately he is not a shy person.

But there are also introvert AND shy public speakers. One of them is Eleanor Roosevelt, most influential First Lady in the US history. An official biography wrote that she was a shy and awkward person. But however, she managed to show herself as very public and entertaining persona, during her duty as First Lady. She even become a US spokesperson at the United Nations, after her husband died.

Then, why are these introverts able to be great speakers?

1. Introverts are Full of Preparation

It’s like a mantra: preparation is the key. Being able to speak in public with confidence and engaging is not depending on your character or original nature, but how prepared you are. Good speeches, remarks, or presentations do not come from certain social skills, but rather preparation.

Introverts love solitude. They like to spend time in their solitude to improve or practice their speeches, remarks, or presentations. Introverts also tend to like writing. When doing this, they will try to write their messages right.

Not that they don’t need input or criticism from the friends or close people. Introverts, like any other speakers, like to get instant feedback from the messages they deliver. It’s just that introverts prefer to get this feedback by the time their draft of speech, remarks, or presentation has been completely done.

Introverts also pay more attention to their physical needs, such as getting enough rest, eating right, and calming down. So, it’s no wonder they have good physical condition when they talk on stage.

2. Introverts Focus on Messages

Introverts are very aware that they are not the most important thing in the room. They know that their presence is to serve the audience. Turned out that this perspective able to reduce anxiety because the focus is on things or messages that were more important than themselves.

A number of reliable speakers strongly believe that speaking in public will bring a kind of benefit to their audience. When you believe the strength of your messages, you will no longer have a problem with confidence.

3. Introverts Serve the Audience

Introverts are extraordinary listeners. This trait makes them care about the needs of those around them. For introverts, this is why they feel talking feels unnatural to them. Introverts think public speaking is not about them, but about their audience.

They realize, task of a speaker is to take care of the audience, not to be judged by them, nor to entertain them. It’s important to know who your audience are before giving a speech. You have to gain as much information about your audience as possible. Who are they? What do they need to know? What do they already know from your material?

Introverts will take time to research, to ask, and to think about what the audience needs to know and how to deliver their messages.

Introverts put focus on their audience is not only when they plan their speeches, remarks, or presentations, but also when delivering them. They consider instant feedback from the audience to be very important. Introverts will be very happy if they get nonverbal cues from their audience that show interest, or even vice versa, so they can immediately improve the delivery of their messages.

Well, if you are an introvert, don’t be too worry. You have enough capacity to be a great public speaker. You have unique strengths that extroverts don’t. Just trust yourself and master your stage. (*)

Have to Give Online Presentation? Here are the Tips

February 20, 2019 by Muhammad Noer

This is the era of digital transformation and you still have no clue how to deliver online presentation? Oh-oh. What if next week you have to manage a large project and it requires support from many people, but they are spread in cities or places far away from your workplace?

The easiest way to engage with this kind of working team is through online presentation or online meeting using digital applications or software. Online presentations are very effective media to make everyone from different spot can work together collaboratively without leaving their places.

In this article, we are not going to give you the step by step on how to make an online presentation from scratch, but more on how to make it effective, efficient, and correct. Well, here we go.

1. Choose the right device

Using the right tool to provide online presentations is the most important thing of all. Make sure your team has installed online meeting software to their devices, such as GoToMeeting, join.me, and so on. These software allow you to monitor who is online and communicate about the same points. Send meeting notifications via e-mail. You should be able to make sure everyone engaged with your presentation receives an e-mail and confirms their presence.

2. Be on time

Make sure that each team member is present in the online meeting room at scheduled time. It is pretty irritated if we can’t start the presentation just because one or two people are late. To make it easier for you and your team, set a calendar along with an alarm that can be sent via e-mail as a reminder. For team members who really can’t attend the online meeting, let them see the meeting video record every time they have time. Online meeting software usually includes this recorder feature.

3. Simple

Simplicity is not only applies to offline presentations. Online presentations are also better delivered through simple slides. Too much text will confuse and going to be difficult for your team members to read. They also won’t remember long sentence or definition. Make simple headlines, with three or four points as explanation or supporter. The fewer, the better.

4. Clear and efficient

Just do a short online presentation. At the very least, make one slide to represent three or four materials. Limit your presentation duration 10 minutes at the most. If there is a lot of material that you want to convey, divide them into several parts during the meeting. It’s much better than to stuff your team member with so many information at one time.

5. Practice, practice, and practice

Everyone knew practice makes perfect. Make sure you deliver an online presentation with the right order and good articulation, also with normal speech speed. Your voice must be heard clearly by each member of the team through the device. After the presentation, you can review your online presentation through the video recorder feature.

6. Be visual

Images represent many words. Therefore, rather than lengthy with sentences, it is better to choose images, photos, or short videos that represent what you want to convey in the presentation. If not everyone can access the video, give them the URL, so they can download it whenever they have time.

7. Entertaining

Yes, business meeting is a serious situation, but working should be fun too sometimes, right? A business presentation certainly contains a lot of factual and informative things. It is possible for your team members to feel bored quickly, especially when they have to follow the presentation through their device screens. So, spread a little sprinkle to your presentation. Stories or humor are good stuff. Your team members will tend to listen to you carefully. Plus, they will remember more of what you said to them.

8. Fair and strict moderation

Though it’s online meeting, make it possible for team members to ask questions and chat with you or other team members after the presentation. There are online meeting software feature that allowed moderator to manage conversation and Q & A session, to let one team member talk, while others can only listen (muted), because it will sound annoying, if one speaks and the other immediately responds. Set the time that will be used for the Q & A session and discussion.

9. Planning a follow up

Write down points of follow-up that you will take from online meeting. The you can add up with other points came up from the meeting. This preparation of follow-up points is important to cut down meeting time. It will also help you and team member to get conclusions and follow-up plans.

10. Finish it on time

Finish it on time. If it starts on time, then you have to end your presentation on time, too. Your team members are busy people and they may also have appointments or other activities. Respect their time and tell them they can always be connected to you to submit questions that have not yet been reviewed in your online presentation or if they would like to gain more information.

Wow, there are a lot of points! But actually these preparation is similar as the one you do for an offline presentation. The difference is probably only in the use of software and time efficiency. Have a practice and good luck with your online presentation. (*)

Evaluate Your Own Presentation to Give Better Ones: A New Year’s Resolution

January 23, 2019 by Muhammad Noer

Entering 2019, many hopes spark, including having a better job, a rising career, or maybe just improving the way we work for the better. Evaluating what we have done in the previous year and not being satisfied about it is normal. This is what distinguish between people who will continue to grow and succeed with those who are stagnant.

Last year you probably did a lot of work presentations. The more often you make presentations, the more proficient you are doing it. But there are things that haven’t made you satisfied. You know you’re are good, but not good enough. But what is it? What needs to be improved? How do I evaluate that?

The following are some steps you can take to identify what is still lacking in your presentation and how to improve that.

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