Even the best speakers were once terrifed

Most of us will have to give a talk or make a public presentation at some time in our lives. It may be to a handful of colleagues or an audience of hundreds. It may be to our chama or god forbid at a funeral. The ability to put your point across in an interesting and informative way is essential. In today’s competitive business world those who can communicate with authority and confidence have a great advantage over their peers. It is a great way to advance your career as well as an opportunity to be seen and heard by clients, peers and management.

If the reason for the speech is social and you’re not comfortable speaking in public you can always decline and no-one will think anything of it after all research has shown that most people would rather die than speak in public! However, if it is part of your job you most probably have no choice. At any rate, today, making presentations is a part of most people's working lives, and it is vitally important to do them well, as good communicators are the ones who make it to the top. Thorough preparation is the key to confidence, which in turn is the key to success, and I cannot emphasise that enough. After all, you never know how much new business could depend on it.

Any sort of presentation takes hours to prepare, not minutes. Having found out why you are speaking and to whom, put yourself in their seats. Try to answer the questions those people want answered and you will get your points across. If you are addressing a group where you know there are specific concerns, address those issues straight away. There are some fundamental rules; you must know your subject, you should be sincere and you have got to be enthusiastic.

Front line tactics

Recently I was contacted via email by the head of an organisation who was interested in the services offered by my company. We agreed on a time to meet at his office. I showed up early (as you always should) and someone directed me to his PA whose desk was down a corridor. A red flag was immediately raised when there was no smile or professional greeting but an indifferent “Yes?” to my presence at her desk. Things began to go pear shaped when after informing her whom I was there to see she failed to ask the next basic follow up question namely my name! The nearest seat where she directed me was back down the corridor next to a file cabinet piled with papers a good ten feet from her desk and then she proceeded to resume her previous activities. I could hear her boss in animated conversation behind the door so presumably she didn’t want to disturb him just yet.

After five minutes I went back to her gave her my name and that of my company and told her I had an appointment. She asked to me to sit down again and said she would let him know as soon as he was done with his conversation. After about ten minutes she went into his office and came back out and sat down without a word to me. So after being in the office for fifteen minutes twiddling my thumbs literally (no reading material anywhere), I had no idea whether he knew I was even here. More than a little peeved off at this point I asked her if he was aware that I was here. She curtly replied “sure” and volunteered no other information. I ended up waiting for another twenty minutes and finally left for another appointment. The boss never came out to see me; I was not updated nor was there any apology issued. As for being offered a drink or some refreshment that was wishful thinking! Granted I was there to solicit his business but what do you think was my first and lasting impression of that organization and my feelings regarding the competency of their core business?

Let’s examine what went so ghastly awry here. The front office can be considered ‘The Nerve Centre’ of any company. It is where the first and lasting impressions about an organization are created. This is the first point of contact with the organization and sets the tone for the culture of that office or business. The people here are vital to the organization as they are the literally the gateway. They are also the first and last customer contact areas. The qualities of front office staff which any organization should vie for include: smart appearance and proper grooming, pleasant nature and voice, good deportment and posture, a willingness to assist visitors, a sound knowledge of the organization, effective communication skills, sober temperament and habits, the ability to work under pressure and grace or flair for public and human relations. Please note that this also includes security staff. Some security guards are so zealous at their job that by the time you have negotiated your way onto the premises you need a sedative to calm down!

The ability to be warm and welcoming yet portray competency and professionalism is essential for them. I don’t necessarily need to be saluted like an army general, but certainly a smile and a friendly greeting is expected. The official language of business in this country is English – which means they should speak in English and not Kiswahili or Sheng or a variation of their mother tongue. I’m talking basic English here, regardless of the accent that I can comprehend when that person is hopefully giving me some indispensable information such as office floor location. And there should be no compromise on hygiene or grooming – remember they are setting the culture and tone of that business.

Business manners

Do manners matter in business and are they even necessary at all? Research has shown your technical ability and academic qualifications account for as little as 15% of getting a job and progressing within an organisation, and as much as 85% really boils down to your people skills and how you navigate office politics. At the crux of this is how you relate to other people - are you the congenial office colleague or the co-worker from hell. A recent study revealed that 40% of new hires into management failed and that the key reason for their failure was their inability to build good relationships with co-workers and subordinates. Good manners are said to be ageless, classless and priceless. If we can raise people’s level of behaviour by increasing their awareness of others as well as giving confidence and self esteem, we may lessen hostility and aggression, and who knows - the world might become a slightly happier place. Good manners never go out of style and are crucial in business.

Manners underpin all good business relationships and it does not take any more time to be nice than it does to be rude and it is one of the things in life that is still free. If we all followed the guidelines of good manners and mutual respect, we would treat each other more kindly, behave more honestly and enjoy greater professional success. People with good manners treat others with civility, think of others before themselves and have respect for each other. People buy from people and so better manners mean better business. Having good manners is an essential business tool but few managers consider whether bad manners are actually harming their business or what the cost is on the overall performance. Bad manners can cost businesses by contributing to loss of revenue and increased customer loss and decreased employee morale.

According to etiquette expert Anna Post, The University of North Carolina in the USA did a workplace study on manners a few years ago, and these were the resutls

Of 775 persons who had an uncivil or mannerless act committed against them:

28% Lost work time avoiding the instigator

53% Lost work time worrying

22% Decreased work effort

12% Actually left their job

You do the math in terms of the negative impact in the workplace.

Brand Kenya ambassadors

There has been much ado about branding or re-branding Kenya recently. Articles by experts and opinion makers abound about what we need to do to increase investment, trade and tourism and even get citizens to get behind a cause and change the attitude they have towards the country.

What I really want to know is what is the image of Kenyans traveling or living outside of the country? What is the image of the Kenyan student in Kansas, the nurse in Manchester, the manager in Uganda or the bouncer working in Dubai? What about those who carry our flag highest – our sportsmen, ministers, business people and cultural ambassadors. I heard a disturbing story recently about a Minister and his entourage who on a visit abroad at an official dinner broke many of the established rules of common etiquette, protocol and good manners. The group showed up late, drank too much, were dressed inappropriately, had 15th century dining manners, only talked amoungst themselves - and when they did talk to anyone else it was the men trying to chat up (or tune) other women. And these were only some of the most egregious examples by all accounts. It was an embarrassing spectacle for all present who included their host, the mayor and leading businessmen from that city as well as the diaspora Kenyans invited. Our brand, Kenya, took a severe dent that night.

Our rugby players proudly wear the Kenyan colours and airline logo on their jerseys and one hopes that in the lobbies of hotels in Wellington, London and Las Vegas, that they conduct themselves as competent and distinguished citizens in whom we have much pride. Good manners and a great image in the international social arena cannot be overstated. Ask any tourist who visits Kenya and overwhelmingly they will say Kenyans are friendly and hospitable. Is this the same image we have when visiting and living overseas? The good name we enjoy at home can be wiped out by boorish behavior or by a breach of etiquette especially by those in an official capacity or representing the country. When you travel abroad, remember you are an ambassador of Brand Kenya.

The body doesn't lie

Body language is crucial in helping to create a positive impression. This includes the way we enter a room and the way we stand and sit. Even the way you walk and hold yourself is fundamental to displaying clothes to their best advantage and projecting a confident, positive image.

Some recent events have highlighted how critically important body language is. If we take Tiger Woods mea culpa, watched by practically the entire world, some have criticized the “emotional detachment” with which he delivered his apology. His expression was mostly deadpan except when he was speaking about the media intrusion on his family and the work of his foundation. When you walk into a room (facing your harshest critics or otherwise) stand tall with your head up and your eye line directed to the person or people you are going to talk to. This automatically makes you look and feel confident and at ease. It does not mean sticking your nose in the air because you feel mightily aggrieved, but rather show your stoic side by standing with your shoulders back and your head facing forward to create a positive impression. You should also aim to look alert or have some sort of positive emotion – there’s nothing worse than having a blank face that says "the lights are on but nobody is home."

The Hellon – Arunga show (sorry press conference), played out to an incredulous Kenyan public also showed some interesting body language. Laughter and smiling is said to increase the flow of blood, producing positive emotions and helps us to achieve a natural high and a release from tension. That is why some people laugh when they are in trouble. When she wasn’t berating the attending press corps, Arunga was at times laughing and smiling which was clearly nervous laughter to release the tension. Other positive body language to use in such a situation include having hands visible and keeping hands and arms open rather than closed i.e clenched, crossed or folded which are all barrier positions and come across as defensive. Sitting upright and looking alert but relaxed and not constantly touching the face as this signifies nervousness or even that you're not being truthful. When she did excoriate the media – her body adopted an aggressive posture, belligerent hand movements and if she honestly has political aspirations she will need to work better on handling tough questions, innuendo and accusations which comes with the territory. This will include using positive body language and avoiding negative signals so as not to alienate the audience.

And talking of alienating an audience, the embattled head of Toyota, was roundly criticized for not bowing "deep enough" while issuing his own mea culpa for the recent problems Toyota cars have had. This in a country (Japan) where body language is everything and the angle of his bow was deemed insufficient for the magnitude of the apology. Poor body language displays unattractive traits like weakness, nervousness, insecurity, discomfort, and submissiveness.

Are you wearing your business

How casual should business casual be? Last week some of our leading politicians were holed up in Naivasha thrashing out important issues to do with the constitution. And being in the lush surroundings of the Great Rift Valley Lodge, the dress code was business casual and we were able to see the good, the bad and the unfortunate. Kanye West put it best when he said it’s harder to dress down than dress up – dressing casual is the true test. I’m going to focus on the men where we saw everything from rugby shirts to leather jackets and hawaiian shirts. The style of dress makes an immediate impression.

The nature of the public image of politicians has changed enormously with the growth of radio and TV coverage and the change in the marketing of newspapers so that their image is even more important. Our leaders need to inspire confidence and other leadership qualities like integrity and professionalism. In order to do this they need to make the right impression and create a positive image so here are a few tips that perhaps our honorable colleagues might want to take on board so as not to sacrifice their professionalism or integrity. Indeed this is for anyone who struggles with what to wear on dress down Fridays. The obvious rule of thumb is that clothes should be clean, with no creases, tears, holes, stains or loose buttons. Dressing casual especially for executives and politicians should never stray too far from the traditional look. Some lawmakers were still wearing the full suit and tie which came across as stuffy and inappropriate given the surroundings. They could easily have taken off the tie or jacket, sans button on the shirt and still looked like they meant business but coming across a little more relaxed. Women have it easier because they have wider choice as far as what works for business casual dressing and for the most part they didn’t make as many style faux pax.



Shirts should be collared and preferably plain. Shirts with logos, slogans or other prints don’t give a very serious impression and in particular hawaiian shirts are probably the most unserious shirt any man can wear and should be reserved for when on vacation with the family to amuse young children. Rugby shirts should be saved for the pub on weekends. So too should leather jackets which might work for a chilly evening but really when playing at this level a blazer or a sports jacket is preferable in fact every man of note should have a navy blue blazer in their wardrobe.



African printed shirts might work under certain circumstances but the rule above applies in avoiding extreme patterned shirts and collared shirts are considered more professional regardless. A good pair of wool trousers which can be part of a suit or khakis or corduroys are the way to go below the belt. Jeans are a just little too casual in my book and other no-no’s are shorts and ¾ trousers.

Going sockless or wearing white socks are two of the biggest mistakes you can make. Socks should be darker than the trousers you wear and long enough so that at no point should that gap of flesh between trouser and sock be seen especially when sitting. Black shoes – black belt, brown shoes – brown belt…it’s that simple. Many people will look at your feet before your face so wearing sandals, open toed shoes or sneakers will bring your credibility as a senior person into question. Make sure that you wear leather shoes preferably in black, brown or burgundy. And finally a word on jewelry – it should be kept to the bare minimum even with business casual i.e. a conservative watch and wedding band so no chains, bracelets or earrings should be visible.

Is that a mouse I hear whispering

Communicating with authority and confidence has a great advantage. It is a great way to advance your career as it gives you the opportunity to be seen and heard whether it is by clients, peers or management. The voice is our most powerful instrument of communication, and it is vital that we use it well as it accounts for 38 percent of the impression you make on other people. A good voice enhances your professional stature as well as keeps your audiences attention when you speak. If your voice lets you down when it comes to communication or portraying confidence or you simply want a better idea of what you sound like to other people, try recording your voice and listening to it. The sound we hear in our own heads is not necessarily the one other people hear. I expect we have all formed a vocal image of someone at some time or another. It might be a potential client at the other end of the telephone or a radio personality you love to listen to in the morning. When you finally meet very often the voice does not match up, which can sometimes be quite disappointing!

Are you one of those when you talk always have others asking, “What?” or ask you to repeat yourself? Nothing screams confidence (literally) like a strong, clear voice that isn’t afraid of being heard. Your voice doesn’t necessarily have to resound like Obama addressing a crowd, but you should talk in a volume that can move easily across a room, and in a clear tone that everyone can understand. It is not surprising how many people have a problem with low volume, mumbling, or being monotone and unfortunately it’s not an area people pay attention to or make an effort to fix. It doesn’t matter what you say if people can’t hear you! Weak voices can give the impression of fear or anxiety – death blows when it comes to portraying a confident image.

Some people actually have good volume, and talk in a clear voice, but speak without emotion. The key here is the pitch which should be varied as much as possible. Emphasise points as you go along and be enthusiastic - it comes through in your voice. Whether you are presenting the driest technical subject or regaling a tale to your colleagues, if your voice has no expression no one will listen to it, no matter how important the message; so it is vital that we learn to use the vocal range that we all posses to its full advantage. Make it a habit to practice speaking more clearly with friends or colleagues. By doing this, you’ll build a voice that displays a confident attitude - one that shows that everything you say is worth being heard.