Our November Business Academy Workshop was on “Public Speaking and Networking” - Intentional Communication for Business and Life facilitated by Mark Newman and Karen Camblin. Generously sponsored by SRP and Meadows Bank, this workshop consisted of 2 classes and was held at Guild Mortgage in Gilbert.
Business Academy is designed to be an opportunity for businesses and their leaders to gain valuable insights to continually grow their companies while concurrently strengthening our community.
The interactive workshop took place over the course of 2 sessions. The first session focused on communication and relationship building skills for Public Speaking opportunities, 1 on 1 networking, 30 second commercials, networking at events and follow up afterward.
Session 2 was an opportunity to practice the tools from Session 1 in a safe and supportive environment. Participants delivered a prepared speech and were challenged with impromptu response speaking opportunities.
One of the co-facilitators was Mark Newman who is owner/operator of Newman Realty, a local residential real estate company. The other co-facilitator was Karen Camblin, a Senior Loan Officer with Guild Mortgage Company.
Some of the valuable takeaways from session one included:
- Intentional, authentic communication makes a difference
- Communication is a lifelong process
- The goals of public speaking are to educate, inspire, entertain (what did the audience hear, see, feel?)
- A lot matters when public speaking: pacing, word selection, duration, volume, inflection, projection, timing, topic
- In 1:1 Meetings consider using the FROG technique as you listen to learn:
- Discuss Family, Recreation, Occupation, Goals and then be intentional about your follow-up
- When Networking - be positive and intentional
Some of the valuable takeaways from session two included:
- For prepared presentations consider moving out from behind podium (if there is one), using hand gestures, leaning in to crowd, and varying inflection
- For extemporaneous speaking, pause to reflect on the question before delving into your response
Join us for the next Business Academy to advance your professional skills and elevate your business endeavors. Please reach out to Elaine Kessler elaine@gilbertchamber.com for more information.
