You have just put the final touches on the new strategy, and now it needs to be implemented in the organization. You call a meeting to tell your employees and colleagues about the new strategy:

“As a player in a global market, we must be agile and adaptable. We must always be ready to act under constantly changing conditions. And we must continuously take the necessary steps to keep up with developments. Today we are facing an important transition, and our new strategy is the first step in realizing this transition. It will be demanding, yes, but I also dare to say: I am looking forward to it! I believe that with the new strategy we can continue to be the market leader. But if we are to succeed, I need you to help me.”

Yet it seems that the reactions are lacking. Those who heard your presentation have apparently not seen the light in the new strategy. A possible – and most likely – explanation is that you have fallen into the classic pitfall and have presented your message based on yourself and your own ambitions and goals. This is natural, but not always appropriate. When we want to create change – big or small – it is important that we translate the change to our recipients so that it makes sense to them and they can see themselves in it. In this article, you will get an effective tool to create motivation and greater ownership among employees in relation to the changes you want to implement

The Hero Model

The model we are going to use was originally developed as a tool for analyzing folk tales. The model (which some may know as the actant model) puts into words the different roles and relationships that exist in a typical fairy tale: There is a hero. This hero has a goal; something he wants to achieve – usually something involving a princess and half a kingdom. In order for there to be a fairy tale to be told at all, there must also be an opponent who initially prevents the hero from achieving his goal. If he could go straight into the castle and get the princess’s “yes”, there would not be much excitement in that story. Conversely, in order for the hero to eventually achieve his goal and overcome what often seems like an almost invincible opponent, he must have someone to help him. So he has a helper.

“What does all this fairy tale talk have to do with me and my communication?” you might be thinking. Quite a lot, actually. The model not only tells us something about the distribution of roles in fairy tales. It also tells us something fundamental about how we as humans perceive the world around us: namely, starting from ourselves. We all have a number of goals that we strive to achieve; an exciting career, a good family life, success at work, etc. This also applies to your recipients. They have a number of different goals that they would like to achieve. And it is in the light of these goals that they assess what you say to them: How does this affect my goals? Does it help me, or does it make it harder for me to achieve my goals? In other words, your recipients listen to your message with an eye to how it affects them and their goals. If you put yourself at the center and ask your recipients to help you with
something or other so that you can achieve your goal, then you are pressuring your recipients to either take on the role of helper or the role of adversary – you have taken the role of hero yourself. If you are on good terms with your recipients, it is possible that they will take on the role of helper. However, if you do not have a close relationship, or your credibility is not at its highest, you risk that the recipients will take on the role of adversary. And then it will be difficult for you to create motivation and influence the recipients’ behavior (in a positive direction).

The recipients are heroes

The model gives you three roles to work with: the hero, the helper and the adversary. And as you have probably already figured out, it is smart to put the recipient in the hero role and yourself in the helper role if you want to ensure the goodwill of the recipients. Putting the recipients in the hero role does not mean that you should flatter them, smooth their hair or make them superstars in your presentation. It means that they should experience that you are talking to them and that you have understood how what you are saying concerns them. You must therefore translate your message into their world. In the example of the new strategy, this means that you tell them what the strategy means to them. How will it affect their work or the part of the organization they are in? What will be different for them? And how will they feel an improvement when the strategy is implemented?

What does the hero dream about?

The more attractive a goal you can talk about, the more motivated your employees (the heroes) will be to try to achieve it. So take your time when choosing which goal you want to talk about. Start by getting to know what they dream about: What is important to them in terms of their work? Is it developing and coming up with smart solutions, providing good customer service, helping users, keeping track of budgets, or something completely different?

Once you have done your recipient analysis, the task is to find a goal that everyone – or at least the majority of recipients – can conceivably share. It works best if you can find a goal that is relatively close to the recipients, such as achieving success with a specific project they are passionate about, or having more time/better conditions to solve core work tasks. Goals that are more distant from the recipients’ self-interest, such as greater growth for the entire organization, will have a weaker effect because it has less direct influence on the recipients’ everyday lives. At the same time, it is important that you choose a goal that you are credible in helping them achieve.

Depending on who you are speaking to, it will often be an advantage to talk about slightly different goals, even if it is basically the same message that you are trying to convey. This is not an indication that you are trying to deceive the recipients, but rather that you have targeted your communication to the specific recipients.

You must be the helper.

Even though you are supposed to be the helper, you are welcome to talk about yourself. In fact, you should always be visible and clear in your communication so that your employees know where you stand. It is rarely enough to let the message speak for itself; your employees want to hear you state the direction and your expectations as clearly as possible. The important thing is that you do not primarily talk about goals that are important to you (or management), but also include the recipients’ perspective. If relevant, you are welcome to make it visible how you will help the recipients achieve their goals, but you should not be the main character.

Use resistance wisely

Sometimes you have to announce something that is very difficult to find a positive angle on from the perspective of the recipients. It could be a change in the workflow for the entire organization, which is decided by the top management, and which provides value in many other places in the organization, just not for those you are going to speak to. So what can you do to put the recipients in the hero role?

If your message is primarily a hassle for the recipients, you can advantageously put the new workflows in the role of adversary and say, for example: “I know that the new registration system is a hassle, and that you would rather spend your time getting on with your other work tasks. But I will do everything I can to ensure that we do not have to register more than necessary, so that we spend as little time as possible on it.” Instead of trying to sell the change as something positive, you acknowledge that the change entails extra hassle. But by putting yourself in the role of helper, you can try to focus on what you can actually do something about, namely how you handle the extra hassle.

Other times, the role of opponent can be filled by the concerns or objections your recipients have: Are they worried that lack of time might stand in the way of you reaching your goals? Or are they perhaps thinking back to the last change initiative that never really yielded the desired results? In such cases, as a helper, you need to point out the resistance and tell how you imagine you can overcome it.

The helper role provides credibility and ownership

It’s not just the recipients who benefit from you putting yourself in the helper role and them in the hero role. Using the hero model in your management communication also has clear advantages for your leadership:

First, you help your employees to better find motivation and take ownership of the development you want. If you put your recipients in the hero role and speak into their goals, you create a strong “why”. You make it clear to the recipients how what you say affects them, and thus why they should do what you suggest. And this “why” is crucial for the employees’ motivation and willingness to take responsibility for making something happen.

Secondly, it positively affects your credibility if you put your employees at the center. In this way, you show them that you want them to do well and that you are interested in them. Even when you are in town with a negative message. Conversely, it quickly negatively affects your credibility if you put yourself or management in the hero role, because employees can become angry and frustrated that you have no focus on anything other than your own goals.

From hero to helper

Did you feel a little bit affected by the example from the introduction? If you did, it is a sign that you – like many other leaders – will put yourself in the hero role and speak based on the goals and ambitions you have. As this article should have shown, this is not appropriate. Regardless of whether your message affects the recipients positively or negatively, you have a significantly better chance of a good reception if you make sure to put your recipients in the hero role. Let’s look at the example from the introduction – what would it look like if the roles were reversed?

“Over the past year, we have all felt that we have had to run faster to keep up. And that there are constantly new rules and requirements that we have to live up to. Of course, it is always demanding to make changes, but as you have probably also experienced, we are not working fully in the smartest way. We have tried to take this into account in the new strategy. Therefore, it is my hope and my firm belief that you will experience that everyday life will become a little easier and a little more fun when we implement the new plans. That way, you will have more time to concentrate on what you do best, namely making first-class products for our customers.”

The next time you need to create motivation and ownership, keep the recipients’ need to be able to achieve their goals in mind when choosing how to present your message. Tailor your presentation so that the recipients feel that you are speaking to them and have understood how your message affects their world. That way, you will get closer to achieving your own goal.

Do you or your organization need to be better at storytelling? We’d be happy to offer suggestions on how we can help you.

You communicate complicated messages to employees, colleagues, customers or suppliers on a daily basis. These are important messages that need to be acted upon and acted upon. Read here how to use the 3 elements of the art of persuasion and gain more impact in your communication.

Research shows that if you want to convince someone of something and induce long-term behavioral change in your recipients, you must actively use 3 elements in your communication: facts, emotions, and credibility. Yet the vast majority of leaders only focus on one element, namely facts.

You may have also heard the 3 elements referred to as the 3 forms of appeal, logos, pathos and ethos, as Aristotle named them a few thousand years ago. Read here how to use them and convince your recipients.

Logos – facts

Logos is reason, facts, statistics, logical argumentation. Reason is the foundation of any form of argumentation. You need to use it to support your claims. Logical arguments are the ones our recipients remember the longest (once they have soaked in), but not necessarily the ones that have the greatest immediate effect.

It is often a problem that we give our recipients so many facts that they cannot remember the important things afterwards. And thus we actually end up muddying the picture instead of convincing. So a rule of thumb is: Don’t focus on what you want to tell, but on what the recipient needs to remember.

And remember that we can typically remember a maximum of three things.

Pathos – emotions

Logic and objectivity alone cannot convince, which, for example, the Danish Defence has understood in their campaigns. Do you remember them? They are not specifically about the defence, but evoke strong feelings of community and something bigger than us.

Love, desire, pride, fear and worry are the fuel that makes us humans want to achieve something. That is why we need to use pathos and speak to the emotions of our recipients. One example is LEGO’s CEO, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, who in a 2014 interview with CNN explained how LEGO works with innovation:  “I started meeting regularly with LEGO fans. I think it must be like when a car manufacturer meets with racing drivers. Nobody understands the product better than them.”

By comparing to racing drivers, Knudstorp shows recognition and inspires pride in global viewers who are reminded of what you learn through play. It’s worth using imagery that your recipients can recognize; both because it activates their imagination and because it shows them that you have understood who they are. And even more importantly, because images and metaphors increase the likelihood that the recipient will remember your message. Because we think and remember in images.

Therefore:  Comparisons, anecdotes and examples increase your ability to influence the recipient’s emotions.

Ethos – credibility

Having the facts in place and being able to arouse emotions is of little use if your recipients don’t believe you. They need to feel that you want them to do well, and that it’s not superficial flattery chosen for the occasion.
You can do this, like Knudstorp, by using comparisons that are based on a common point of view and shared values. But it doesn’t come without investment: It requires that you understand the recipients’ specific needs.
Your recipients must be in focus. They must be the hero of your story. If your credibility is not in place, there is no point in spending time explaining the facts – because it won’t work if the stage isn’t set with the right atmosphere and trust in you.

Facts, emotions and credibility. The 3 elements of the art of persuasion. Were you convinced? Practice implementing the 3 elements when you communicate. We, Aristotle and all research indicate that you will then convince your recipients to a greater extent and thus achieve greater effect from your communication.

3 elements – 3 steps – here’s how you do it:

The next time you need to make a presentation that convinces and sets the mood, consider facts, emotions, and credibility:

1. What factual points are crucial for your recipient to remember? Leave the rest out.
2. What mood or feeling do you want to create? Use comparisons, anecdotes, and examples that convey that feeling.
3. If the recipient is to be the center, hero, and focal point of your communication, how should you present your message? Mention the shared values ​​and refer to the recipient’s needs and goals.

Do you or your organization need to be better at convincing in a credible way? We would be happy to offer you a suggestion on how we can help you.

When we have to convince someone of something, most of us choose to focus only on the good arguments in our case. The following rhetorical trick explains why that is not a good idea.

Yes, you read that right. If you want to argue for a cause – whether it’s about implementing a new strategy or whether it’s your or your colleague’s turn to get the pretzel – then you have to include arguments against your own cause in your argument! What we rhetoricians call “vaccinating”. Why that? Let’s illustrate with an example.

A rusty Opel Kadett

Imagine you are standing with a very eloquent used car salesman. He leans against the rusty Opel Kadett he is trying to sell you. He tells you that it is a beautiful car that almost “floats over the roads like a Mercedes”. In your eyes, there is nothing “floating” about that car at all, but he says that it is a wonderful car that will last for many years. Do you trust him?

Now imagine that you go to another dealer who also picks up a half-rusted Opel Kadett – same year, same mileage, same spotted patina. The difference is the seller. He can see that the car is rusty, and that it is also a bit sluggish in the acceleration because the gearbox is old, but that the engine is in very good condition, and it is his assessment that the car can run for about four years without major repairs. A little rust may need to be repaired before the next inspection, but it will not cost much. Which seller would you prefer to do business with?

Most of us would probably choose salesperson number two, and that’s because we don’t like to feel cheated. Salesperson number one may very well be right that the car is a steal for the price and brand, but if he doesn’t take into account how the recipient sees the matter, he’s missing the mark. Furthermore, he doesn’t think about how bad his credibility is, and if he doesn’t address our skepticism and show real goodwill towards us, we still don’t believe him.

Remember the counterarguments when you want to argue effectively – acknowledge the rust spots

To stay with the car metaphor, it may be worth acknowledging the rust spots if the car dealer wants you to take his statement about the car’s condition seriously. The same is true of your argument. It may be worth “vaccinating” your claim against external attacks by mentioning the counterargument yourself. Imagine the strength of addressing the weaknesses of your case yourself, rather than your opponent doing so. You demonstrate great knowledge in the field and at the same time leave the opponent without any effective defense.

Choose the strongest counterargument (which requires you to thoroughly put yourself in the recipient’s shoes) and acknowledge it. Then explain why your claim still holds up despite the pressure from the counterargument. Doing so makes you appear more credible and therefore more persuasive. And if your own argument can’t stand that test, it certainly can’t stand the fact that your skeptical employees behind your desks start tearing your arguments apart afterwards.

When many people instinctively fail to counter-argue, it’s probably because they’re afraid of giving the other party strong arguments. But think about the car: If you can see the rust spots, others probably can too!

3 elements – 3 steps – here’s how you do it:

So the next time you have to argue – either in an email, at a meeting or at a major conference – bring up the counterargument and have it de-dramatized, and you will be much stronger:

• What do you want to connect with? Focus on one main message.
• What resistance is there to your argument? Choose the strongest counterargument and acknowledge it.
• Remember to mention your shared values ​​and refer to the recipient’s needs and goals. Then explain why the counterargument does not prevent your recipients from supporting your proposal.

Do you or your organization need to be better at arguing and handling counterarguments? We would be happy to offer suggestions on how we can help you.

When we have to convince someone of something, most of us choose to focus only on the good arguments in our case. The following rhetorical trick explains why that is not a good idea.

Yes, you read that right. If you want to argue for a cause – whether it’s about implementing a new strategy or whether it’s your or your colleague’s turn to get the pretzel – then you have to include arguments against your own cause in your argument! What we rhetoricians call “vaccinating”. Why that? Let’s illustrate with an example.

A rusty Opel Kadett

Imagine you are standing with a very eloquent used car salesman. He leans against the rusty Opel Kadett he is trying to sell you. He tells you that it is a beautiful car that almost “floats over the roads like a Mercedes”. In your eyes, there is nothing “floating” about that car at all, but he says that it is a wonderful car that will last for many years. Do you trust him?

Now imagine that you go to another dealer who also picks up a half-rusted Opel Kadett – same year, same mileage, same spotted patina. The difference is the seller. He can see that the car is rusty, and that it is also a bit sluggish in the acceleration because the gearbox is old, but that the engine is in very good condition, and it is his assessment that the car can run for about four years without major repairs. A little rust may need to be repaired before the next inspection, but it will not cost much. Which seller would you prefer to do business with?

Most of us would probably choose salesperson number two, and that’s because we don’t like to feel cheated. Salesperson number one may very well be right that the car is a steal for the price and brand, but if he doesn’t take into account how the recipient sees the matter, he’s missing the mark. Furthermore, he doesn’t think about how bad his credibility is, and if he doesn’t address our skepticism and show real goodwill towards us, we still don’t believe him.

Remember the counterarguments when you want to argue effectively – acknowledge the rust spots

To stay with the car metaphor, it may be worth acknowledging the rust spots if the car dealer wants you to take his statement about the car’s condition seriously. The same is true of your argument. It may be worth “vaccinating” your claim against external attacks by mentioning the counterargument yourself. Imagine the strength of addressing the weaknesses of your case yourself, rather than your opponent doing so. You demonstrate great knowledge in the field and at the same time leave the opponent without any effective defense.

Choose the strongest counterargument (which requires you to thoroughly put yourself in the recipient’s shoes) and acknowledge it. Then explain why your claim still holds up despite the pressure from the counterargument. Doing so makes you appear more credible and therefore more persuasive. And if your own argument can’t stand that test, it certainly can’t stand the fact that your skeptical employees behind your desks start tearing your arguments apart afterwards.

When many people instinctively fail to counter-argue, it’s probably because they’re afraid of giving the other party strong arguments. But think about the car: If you can see the rust spots, others probably can too!

3 elements – 3 steps – here’s how you do it:

So the next time you have to argue – either in an email, at a meeting or at a major conference – bring up the counterargument and have it de-dramatized, and you will be much stronger:

• What do you want to connect with? Focus on one main message.
• What resistance is there to your argument? Choose the strongest counterargument and acknowledge it.
• Remember to mention your shared values ​​and refer to the recipient’s needs and goals. Then explain why the counterargument does not prevent your recipients from supporting your proposal.

Do you or your organization need to be better at arguing and handling counterarguments? We would be happy to offer suggestions on how we can help you.

The email is one of the most widely used forms of internal and external communication and therefore something you cannot afford to ignore.
An email paints a picture of you, the sender, especially when the recipient has no more information to go by than what is in the email. Hence, you should appear both professional and polite when communicating your message, so that the recipient understands it and responds properly.

From the subject field to the signature in 5 minutes
A good email begins in the subject field. You might be familiar with how emails tend to disappear in the inbox among all the other messages also calling for our attention. So be sure to use an eye‑catching and meaningful description of the contents of your email.
This makes it easier for the reader to find your email, and the desire to read it rises significantly when the recipient knows what they need to use their limited (working) time on.

Dear COMPANY or Hi Connie
There is no perfect template for proper email correspondence, and one issue that often causes problems is the initial greeting.
In a handwritten letter, the rule says we should write “Dear”, followed by the name of the recipient. This rule is often transferred to the art of writing good emails. If you’re writing to a relatively new recipient whose name you know, you can easily write “Dear Connie Nielsen”, followed by the text of your email. If you know the recipient better and you have exchanged emails before, you can start by using a more informal form, such as “Hi Connie”.
However, if you write to a company or organisation, do not write “Hi COMPANY” or “Dear COMPANY”, but “To COMPANY”.
Remember not to punctuate your opening phrase – not even with a comma or an exclamation mark – as many do today. This is not done in Danish. Instead, you can leave a line space between your opening greeting and the text of the email. However, in English it is correct to place a comma after the initial greeting.

The content of an email
The content of an email should be no different from a normal letter. This means that what you write is accurate, comprehensible, has the appropriate tone and is free from spelling and punctuation mistakes. Given that many people receive hundreds of emails a week for professional purposes, it is often a good idea to stick to the absolute essentials.
If you have more than one question in your email that you would like answers to, it might help to put the questions in bullet points as an aid to the recipient.

Smileys and tone
Likewise, be careful with the use of smileys, unrecognised abbreviations and irony in the first emails, as it may appear unprofessional and might trigger misunderstandings. Since there isn’t a perfect template for emails, it is often a good idea to copy the other person’s tone. This way you won’t get into immediate trouble.
Several studies show that the receiver interprets the tone of an email about 20 percent more negatively than the sender intends. Thus, as you have probably experienced, there may be a significant difference in tone if, for example, you exchange emails with COMPANY or Connie from accounting. But that is OK. The most important thing is that the message is communicated effectively.

Attachments and links
If you attach files, always make sure to mention it in the email – write both what the files contain and which file formats they are in. When these are texts, the most professional format to use is PDF. If you send a link, then mention what the site contains.
This way you ensure that the recipient’s confidence and desire to open the files or links is greater. You can also copy the contents of the attachments or links directly into the body of the email, so the recipient doesn’t have to open anything else. Make it as easy as possible for your recipient to read your message.

Complimentary close and signature
Close your email politely. There is no strict rule on how. Whether you want to write “Sincerely”, “Kind regards” or something else is entirely up to you. Most email programmes can be set up to automatically insert signatures, so you never forget them.
At the same time, the automatic signature might standardise the communication, whether it is a message sent by an individual or a company. This is something to be aware of. In addition to the polite closing, it is a good idea to include your name, job title and contact information if you are writing as an individual.

No matter how compelling, good and effective you think your speech or presentation is, there is a huge advantage in getting someone to look it over and give you feedback.
Many of us find it hard to get feedback. What you should remember is that your presentation is being criticised and not you. Also, it is important both to give and receive feedback that is constructive, concrete and caring. Here are some tips to get useful feedback for your presentations:

Where in the process do you want feedback
There is rarely time for more rounds of feedback, so be sure to get it at the time you think you’ll get the most out of it. Also be sure to get answers to the questions that are more pressing at the time of the process. When you are in the beginning of the process, you can ask whether your ideas are good, if you have made the most important points, or if your examples seem good. If the presentation is already made, you can ask whether the overall message was clear and what you could do better next time. Remember to write it down, so you make sure you will remember it when needed.

Make the presentation’s context clear
It is important to make the context of your presentation clear to the person who will give you feedback. What is the purpose of your presentation? Who are the beneficiaries? Where will the presentation take place? You can also draw attention to other circumstances, such as the fact that the audience already knows you.

Ask the right questions
You will generally get better feedback if you ask the exact questions that you need answers to. You can ask general questions about the presentation’s quality, or about the clarity of the arguments. Is the language appropriate for the target audience? Or is the speech well disposed? However, it is better to ask more specific questions – is the language too abstract and is there a need for more concrete examples? Is the introduction catchy? Or does the summary end the presentation appropriately?

Ask what the feedback means
Basically, misunderstandings are undesirable. Thus, if you are not sure about what the feedback means or how it is to be taken, be sure you ask follow‑up questions.

Listen to the feedback instead of defending yourself
Remember that it is your presentation and not yourself who is criticised. If you disagree with the criticism, it may be useful to discuss it. But instead of making excuses, listen to the criticism and use it constructively.

Get feedback from several people
It can certainly be rewarding to get feedback from just one person, but sometimes it’s good to ask several people about their perceptions. We don’t perceive things the same, so getting feedback from more people can save you from the tyranny of one person’s assessment. However, it depends on what you are looking to get out of your feedback. If you need feedback on your disposition, one qualified person should be enough. But if you ask about the presentation’s tone or if the examples that you use are good, it can be an advantage to get feedback from many people.

Here is a list of 10 things professional speakers incorporate in order to improve their presentations. Use them, and make your next presentation one to remember.

A poor PowerPoint steals the spotlight and prevents your audience from remembering what you say. Here are three pieces of advice to help you make better PowerPoints.

You sit in a dimly lit room in front of a screen filled with a white background, a huge pile of black letters and a whole lot of graphs and complicated diagrams. You try to focus, but slowly you feel your colleague’s voice drifting further and further into the background. You try to make sense of the slides shining into your eyes, but there is too much, it is too complex, it is too messy. Slowly but surely. Enters. Death. By. PowerPoint.

Power on/off

When we provide advice on presentation technique, frustrations about PowerPoint always appear as one of the first topics. There are many different opinions about it, but one thing is always shared: far too many experience that their audience suffers under PowerPoint. Therefore, here are three pieces of advice to help you improve your presentations – whether you are speaking to colleagues, customers or partners. Your PowerPoint should assist you, not steal the leading role. You can best ensure this by following these three recommendations:

Your presentation is not a PowerPoint

“How many slides?” “How much weight do you put on slides?” “Can we get the slides afterwards?” These are the questions we hear from many participants getting ready to speak at our courses. They are perfectly reasonable questions, but they also reflect a widespread misunderstanding: that a presentation or a talk is the same as a PowerPoint presentation.
The interesting part of any presentation is not your slides but what you want to tell. Therefore, you should put the thought of slides aside for as long as possible.

Prepare what you want to say before you even open PowerPoint. Sketch your slides instead of creating them directly in the software. In this way, the core becomes your thoughts, not your PowerPoint.

We present and speak to make use of the effect of the spoken space. To look people in the eyes, influence them, persuade them with arguments, good examples, body language, presence, enthusiasm, vocal variation and much more. Here, the amount of data is less important than ensuring that the data sticks with the receiver. That they feel your point.

Get a course in presentation technique and gain maximum impact and effect in your spoken communication.

Firstly, humans cannot multitask. The more we study the brain, the clearer it becomes that we cannot do two things at once. And this is crucial for PowerPoint: text and spoken words are processed in almost the same way in the brain. We cannot read and listen simultaneously. We can switch rapidly between the two, but in that split second of switching, we understand neither. This means that large amounts of text on a slide are deeply confusing if the speaker reads too quickly, or the audience is not given time to read in silence.

Secondly, any receiver will struggle to stay focused for more than about 20 minutes without variation. The brain battles to digest new information while sorting through the other impulses racing around – urgent tasks on today’s to‑do list, dinner plans, the weekend and so on. Sitting still through a 45‑minute talk in semi‑darkness with a glowing screen in front of us simply puts us to sleep. We look for variation in the speaker and their tools. That is why many of us breathe a sigh of relief when something changes – writing on a whiteboard, a video clip illustrating a point, a question that forces us to relate the talk to our own tasks.

Your PowerPoint should support your presentation

If your slides do not help the receiver understand your point, they must go! If your slides make sense on their own, there is no reason for you to say anything. Just send them to your audience instead and save everyone time. We use PowerPoint to clarify what we say. Therefore, you should not worry about whether people understand your slides, only about whether you can explain them.

“What should I do when my colleagues expect to receive my slides before the meeting?” you might ask. In reality, they are not asking for the slides you plan to use but something entirely different – slides with much more text, because without that, the slides alone make no sense. You might consider sending them a proper briefing note with the background information they need. You could also add text in the notes field of your PowerPoint slides and emphasise that the presentation must be seen as part of the talk you look forward to delivering.

Drop the perfect, polished slides

Slides must be pretty, or they have no effect. The boss rejects them if they are not stylish enough, and employees spend hours tweaking details to meet an unspoken aesthetic standard, often based on templates chosen by leadership or a consultancy.

We have nothing against good‑looking slides, but the downside is often that the message gets lost because we focus on form and forget content. The two things must work together – ideally with emphasis on a clear, receiver‑oriented message that supports the spoken word. Time spent perfecting slides can be directly counterproductive. It is the icing on the cake, not the foundation, that makes your audience find your talk interesting. If you focus on your audience, have a clear message, strong arguments, a well‑thought‑out structure and show enthusiasm, you can succeed in most situations – even without PowerPoint.

Impact

When the power goes out, your presentation should still be strong enough to reach your goal and persuade your audience – even without PowerPoint as a crutch. Avoid letting your message drown in your slides. Step forward and look your audience in the eyes. Right there – where the speaker belongs. It gives you greater impact and helps your audience remember and act on your message.
In the end, that is what it is all about.

You have prepared what you want to say; you have made your PowerPoint presentation; you are ready to present the new strategy to your colleagues and employees. But does your body language match your preparation, or does it stand in the way?

If your body language and voice are out of sync with what you are saying, you risk your message falling flat – or, in the worst case, your audience leaving with a completely different message than you intended.

Your audience analyses your subtext

In practice, our body language and voice serve as the subtext of what we are saying. Our audience reads our body language and tone of voice and uses them to decode and understand what we actually mean. Our audience pays particular attention to our subtexts when we speak about emotions and opinions.

An often‑quoted study of the relationship between our words, body language and use of voice shows that if there is a disconnect between what we are saying and the way we are saying it, those listening will attach far greater importance to our body language and voice when interpreting our words. It is therefore important that, as a leader, you know what your audience reads into your subtexts. If you are trying to motivate employees to go the extra mile on a project, it is crucial that your body language and voice do not tell them: “I’m frankly tired of this project and could think of better ways to spend my time.” Even if that is how you feel, it will not boost motivation or drive.

If there is a disconnection between your words and your appearance, your body language becomes a distraction that may drown out your message entirely. If you want your words to carry weight, it is important that your body language and voice align with what you are saying. But where do you start? How do you know whether your appearance supports your message? The following is a guide to avoiding four typical sources of distracting body language and vocal habits.

Restless body

You cannot stand still. When presenting, you may become agitated and shift your weight from leg to leg so that you seem to sway. Or you pace restlessly back and forth or from side to side.

Purposeful movements often signal commitment and energy. But movement without clear purpose leaves almost the opposite impression; many small, restless movements can make you seem insecure, which your audience may interpret as lack of preparation or nervousness.

If you tend to move a lot without purpose, for example when changing slides, you may benefit from finding your composure first. Try simply standing still when you begin your presentation. The effect is surprisingly significant.

Weak posture

Your posture affects how your audience perceives your position of authority. When you begin to speak, it is important that you look like someone who has the right to take the floor. A hunched posture – shoulders pushed forward, back bent, chest lowered, head drooping – will likely be interpreted as not taking responsibility for what you are saying. As if you do not really mean your words and are trying to hide or make yourself small.

A good straight posture, with your feet solidly on the ground, back long and straight, chest up, shoulders slightly back and head lifted, has an entirely different effect. It makes you appear secure, calm and in control of the situation. In other words, it is essential if you want to exert authority as a leader and signal that you stand behind your message.

Posture also affects the mood in the room. Body language is contagious. If you have a lazy, sluggish posture, you risk creating the same mood in your audience. Taken to the extreme: if you cannot be bothered to straighten your back, lift your head and look at your audience, why should they be bothered to listen? The physical energy you use to maintain good posture and move purposefully also affects the atmosphere; we often read physical energy as a sign of commitment. Good posture helps create the perception that what you are saying is important and worth attention.

Speed talking and mumbling

Have you ever been told that you speak quickly? If so, consider whether it might be true. If you tend to speak faster when you become eager, your audience may not perceive enthusiasm but instead frustration because they cannot catch your key points. A certain tempo signals commitment and dynamism, but too much speed risks stressing your audience.

Speaking too fast may also lead to cutting off words. If you clip your words and speak without clear articulation, your audience will struggle to understand you. Worse still, mumbling can make you appear uncommitted or careless. In some cases, it may even give the impression that you are trying to avoid a topic and rushing past it so no one notices.

It is therefore important not to increase your tempo too much and to articulate clearly. Spending energy on pronouncing your words – including technical terms and business expressions – will often automatically slow your tempo to something easier for your audience to follow.

Eye contact with papers and PowerPoint

If you want your audience to hear and understand you, you must make eye contact. It may feel uncomfortable to look directly at your audience, especially when delivering difficult messages. In such situations, it often feels safer to hide behind notes or slides.

But eye contact is one of your strongest tools. By maintaining eye contact, you signal that you see your audience and care about them. You show goodwill, even in tough circumstances. Eye contact also gives you important information: Do they understand you? Are they following? Are they losing concentration?

You do not need to hold eye contact constantly, but you should look at your audience regularly. Eye contact signals attentiveness, and combined with a confident posture, it will give the impression that you are in control of the situation. If you seem composed and responsive, you signal that you are capable of fulfilling your responsibilities. Meeting the eyes of individual listeners increases the chances that you are heard, understood and judged as credible.

Increase your clout

A key leadership task is to handle emotions such as frustration or uncertainty and to create commitment, motivation and purpose. To succeed, you must ensure that there is a link between what you say and your subtext every time you speak. If there is a disconnect, your subtext becomes the only thing your audience hears. Your body language then becomes a distracting factor in your communication. If you recognise one or more of the distracting behaviours described above, a targeted effort to reduce them can give you far greater impact.

Checklist: how to reduce distractions

• Move with purpose. Avoid walking restlessly. Only move when you have a clear reason, such as changing slides, starting a new topic or illustrating a point.
• Find your composure before speaking. Try standing still at the start of your presentation and only begin moving once you have settled in.
• Stand straight: avoid slumping. Use a mirror to check your posture.
• Mind the tempo: if you tend to speak too fast, focus on pronouncing all words clearly and avoid cutting them off (which also helps prevent mumbling). Try reducing your tempo – your audience will likely appreciate it.
• Maintain eye contact with your audience. It strengthens the sense of connection for both you and them, and you will often receive positive reactions from more listeners.

Unsure whether your body language is distracting?

Ask a trusted colleague to give you feedback on your body language and speaking tempo. Their observations can help you understand how others perceive you.

You can also record yourself on video or audio (if you want to analyse your tempo and any mumbling). This allows you to see yourself from an outside perspective and gain insight into how you appear.

Strategy Implementation, Change Management, Corporate Nudging – a dear child has many names. We call it rhetoric.

Do you know that sinking feeling when the new strategy is announced and employees carry on as before? Do you wonder how you can get the strategy, organisational change or new culture rooted in the organisation? Read on for a research‑based solution.

Sometimes top management and consultancy agencies spend six months or more developing new strategies. This is often followed by relaxing in soft chairs and thinking: “Well done.” The idea is that once the plan is completed and the great thoughts are written down, it just needs to be implemented. That can happen during a public meeting, perhaps with a couple of emails and, of course, through necessary information on the intranet. Then it’s up and running, right?

That’s not how it works

Why not? Because, whether in a personal or organisational setting, rational knowledge alone is not enough for us to change behaviour. If it were, there would be no smokers, no speeding drivers, and we would all be vegetarians. To change our behaviour, we must feel the need in our gut.

Work has to be done on two levels: the tactical and the operational.

At the tactical level, you need a plan that includes what is to be communicated, by whom, when, why and to whom.

At the operational level, managers and key employees are trained and advised on how to say it, write it and act in general. That includes body language when speaking about the strategy. Long reports and elegant cascade models alone do not get people to embrace a strategy.

Execution and implementation must be done using practical, hands‑on tools. You should therefore always assume that creating fundamental behavioural change takes 6–8 months.

Tactical considerations

You already know that change takes time. But much of that time should be spent before the change is even announced, because the organisation must be ready to receive it. This is the so‑called “defreezing phase”, where employees are gently prepared for what is coming. This phase should not be constant, as an overly adaptable employee is typically also insecure and demotivated.

Only when employees are ready and willing to adapt should the change be announced – not a moment before. So even if management is eager to solve problems, discuss the new strategy and get started, there is much to gain from a little procrastination – enough that employees actually ask for solutions before they are given them.

Bite‑sized chunks

We always recommend planning how to move employees safely and smoothly, one step at a time. Research shows that the main problem with organisational communication is that we ask people for too much at once. They need incremental steps – otherwise they retreat into their shell.

Typically, you have to start with the “boring” topics such as understanding the new organisation. Then move on to more engaging ones such as enthusiasm, motivation and ownership.

It is rarely possible to get an employee to change teams, modify tasks, understand and act on a new strategy and feel motivated and comfortable – all at once. Think about the amount of time and energy you usually spend training and coaching a new employee. It is the same process when moving a thousand people. And as with onboarding a new colleague, the process must be incremental.

Finally, you must focus on maintaining positive emotions. Did you know motivation dies out in two months if you do not fuel it? So it is not just about making employees understand the strategy – they must fully feel motivated to act on it.

Operational considerations

It is not enough to say that you want employees to feel motivated and enthusiastic. They must know it – and feel it – in their hearts as well.

Work must be done to choose the very words the change‑leader delivers. He or she must be trained, and the right style must be found so it does not sound like a thoughtless script recorded by management. It must be credible, honest and effective.

The order of communication must also disarm critics at the right moments so they do not poison the atmosphere with too much negativity. Neutral settings should remain positive, and the key task is to avoid obstructing the behaviour change you are trying to create. All of this is achieved by working with rhetoric.

And then what?

If you build a tactical plan that identifies when employees are ready to understand the need for change – and combine it with training in the unfamiliar communication situations managers typically face – you get a far more effective implementation.

Employees act as intended because they understand the strategy both emotionally and rationally. And no, this technique does not solve all problems or eliminate all resistance. But it is significantly better than the alternative.

About the authors

At Rhetorica, we do not know anything about your business strategy. We are the ones you call after the five‑year plan is completed. The ones you contact when Rambøll, Implement, Valcon or McKinsey have delivered their analyses. We are there when messages need to be announced – and need to reach the people where it makes the difference you want.

You can call us implementation experts. We call ourselves rhetoric consultants.