Profit From a New Perspective

Speaking at Business Conference

2011-09-30T12:17:00.002+01:00

I spoke at the Murad conference in London on Monday 26th September.

There was over 100 delegates who were owners of beauty salons, spas and health centres. The title of my talk was "The art of flirting: Driving sales by talking with your body".

They loved it.

You can discover more about Murad at www.murad.co.uk

Speaking on Body Language

2010-03-16T14:28:00.003Z

On Thursday 18 March I'm speaking at an EUMA event in the Midlands on "Unlocking The Secrets of Body Language."

You can get more details from
www.euma.org/2/1.0.2.0/73/WM100318.pdf

You can also download the mindmap on the part of my talk about looking confident at www.spalton.co.uk/talks/speakers-body-language.pdf

Five Tips to Be a Confident Speaker

2010-01-14T11:53:00.001Z

Research conducted by Albert Mehrabian in 1971 concluded that 55% of how you rate someone when you first see them is based on how they look, 38% on how they sound and only 7% on what they actually say. So when you speak in public, how you look and how you sound are the most important aspects of your speech. Of course the content is important, but your posture and voice establish your credibility and help to build trust with the audience.

Posture – you need to stand tall, but look relaxed. Roll your shoulders back, raise your head and rise slightly onto your toes as you start.

Stance – as a speaker your body is in two halves. The bottom half from the waist down should be still and you use your top half to show passion and enthusiasm.

Take your hands out of your pockets and try not to move your feet or shuffle from one leg to the other. In particular don’t do the little dance that’s called the speaker’s samba, or trainer’s trek up and down in front of the audience. But at key moments in your speech you can move closer to your audience so you’re more intimate with the group.

Gestures – you should use your arms, hands and face to show passion and enthusiasm. Use them to emphasis specific points, but don’t overdo it. You’re not a conductor of an orchestra. The bigger the audience, the bigger your gestures have to be so the people at the back can see them. But try not to point at them as it’s an aggressive move

Eye Contact – look at each person in the room for a couple of seconds as you talk. Move your head as you look around the room so they see you engaging with them.

Pace – make sure that you talk slowly. When we’re nervous we speak fast and the audience can’t keep up with the content of the speech. Slow down and emphasise your key points with pauses. Try and vary the pace of your talk to slow down in the most important parts.

Why You Should Spend More on Sales & Marketing

2009-10-30T17:43:00.001Z

Excellent article by a friend of mine on why you must increase sales and marketing spend in a recession.

http://exigent-uk.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-you-must-increase-marketing-in.html

Persistence v's Desperation

2008-08-28T14:37:00.001+01:00

I did a radio interview the other day about how Barack Obama kept asking his future wife for a date until she said ‘yes’. In his case persistence paid off. The issues are how often should you ask and many times.

Men need to read the signs that say she’s maybe interested or she’s not. Women have 52 come-on signals and, while I’m not going to list them here, touch is one of the classics. Guys, if she touches you it means you’re OK and the more she touches the more OK you are. If she doesn’t touch it usually means that she’s not interested in you at all.

As for how often, the answer is not to pester her. If you repeatedly ask in a short space of time, you’re come across as being desperate. And nobody wants to be involves with someone who is desperate.

Speaking on Body Language

2008-03-10T11:39:00.003Z

Tomorrow (Tuesday 11 March) I'm speaking at a meeting of the association of European Management Assistants in Manchester. This is the professional body for Personal Assistants and Management Assistants, to find out more about EUMA visit their website at www.euma.org/unitedkingdom

The title of my talk is "Body Language for Sparkling Presentations" and you can download an outline at www.spalton.co.uk/talks/speakers-body-language.pdf

For those that attended, I hope you enjoyed it and learnt how to be a better presenter. If you want to know more about my talks and workshops on body language, please email me.

Building Rapport

2007-11-14T09:40:00.000Z

Last night I spoke for half an hour to a group of business women at the Living Room, a bar and restaurant, in Birmingham.

The topic was "body language to build rapport and get your own way" and the title of my talk was Flirt Your Way To The Top. Afterwards I stayed around for a meal and drink, and to answer individual questions from some of the women in the audience.

If you want to know more about flirting go to www.thedatingdoctor.co.uk/flirt

A Morning of Radio Interviews

2007-11-07T11:38:00.000Z

Last Tuesday I spent the morning in a sound studio in London. Over a period of four hours I did 16 radio interviews for Galaxy, the chocolate people. The occasion was the launch of Mistletoe Kisses, a new sensuous chocolate for women.

It was great fun, but hard work.

You might even had heard one by now!

Tame Your Fear of Networking

2007-10-22T11:54:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday the 24 October I'm running a two-hour workshop for Spice London called "Tame Your Fear of Networking".

If you want to download the notes from the workshop, click here.

You might also like to read my article on Power Networking.

Enjoy!

Know When You're Being Had

2007-10-09T10:19:00.000+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I ran a two-hour workshop for a group of investment bankers. The title was "The Body Never Lies" and the purpose was to help them understand when they were being spun a yarn. We covered...

The underlying meaning of the 15 basic standing and sitting postures, as well as hand and facial gestures.

The significance of personal space and the best place to sit in a room.

The 48 common signs that people unconsciously exhibit when they are trying to deceive.

Four basic strategies and 25 tactics to expose lies and half-truths.

Email or phone me if you want to know more.

Talking With Your Body

2007-07-16T10:47:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow, Tuesday 17 July, I'm speaking to a group in Lincoln called Women in Business. The title of my talk is "How to Talk with Your Body" and it's about how to look professional, polished and passionate when you're giving a presentation or speaking in public.

You can download the notes from my talk and a checklist to help you improve your own performance at www.spalton.co.uk/talks/speakers-body-language.pdf

If you have any queries or questions about body language, please email me.

Peter

Speaking at Teabag Talent

2006-07-02T16:53:00.000+01:00

I'm due to speak at the Teabag Talent Forum on the evening of Monday 3rd July at the Corus Hotel in Solihull.

The title of my talk is Become a Power Networker and I will explain how to develop the six key social skills you need to make your networking enjoyable and rewarding. You can get a summary of my talk and have a look at my recommended reading list by going to www.spalton.co.uk/talks/networking.html

Email me if you want to know more, my contact details are in my profile and on my web site.

Thick Face, Black Heart

2006-06-26T10:33:00.000+01:00

Started reading Thick Face Black Heart by Chin-Ning Chu.

It's a provocative and stimulating book that explains the Chinese wisdom of everyday life and work. It's about the state of mind and strategies to succeed in your business and your personal life.

Well worth a read.

Precision Pressings

2006-05-22T11:27:00.000+01:00

I've just started a marketing project for a company in the Black Country that produces precision pressings for the automotive and electronics industries.

Spent few hours with the Managing Director and Commercial Director last week and I'm now contacting a few of their customers to get their views on the level of service the company actually provides.

Should be interesting!!

To see how I will help them, have a look at my web site.

A Day With Prospects

2006-05-05T12:56:00.000+01:00

Meeting yesterday morning in Walsall, at one time it was the leather centre of the Midlands. Not any more. Did notice one saddle maker on the way and he was looking for craftsmen. Good exploratory meeting with prospect about a sales and marketing development programme. Got the vibes about this one.

Lunch in Hagley, the Lyttleton Arms, the sandwich was tasty, but the wine was very overpriced. Six pounds for a glass of not very good red, you’d expect to pay two-thirds of that in a posh bar in the centre of Birmingham. Well won’t go back there again. Anyway not keen on these ‘pretend’ stylish café bars… too false.

Then off to the Black Country for another exploratory meeting with a prospect in the automotive industry. On my way back into Birmingham I took some time out to walk around the reservoir near Tolkein’s Tower.

In the evening I went to Birmingham’s China Town to the ‘leaving do’ for a friend. An opportunity to network as she's leaving Ofwat to become a director of the gaming commission. Good for her… from water to fire!

Talk on Power Networking

2006-04-06T11:27:00.000+01:00

I'm due to speak at the Teabag Talent Forum on the evening of Monday 10 April in Milton Keynes.

The title of my talk is Become a Power Networker and I will explain how to develop the six key social skills you need to make your networking enjoyable and rewarding. You can get a summary of my talk and have a look at my recommended reading list by going to www.spalton.co.uk/talks/networking.html

E-mail me if you want to know more, my contact details are in my profile and on my web site.

Social Skills for Networking

2006-02-05T18:35:00.000Z

Tomorrow I'm due to talk to the London chapter of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations at the Cumberland Hotel at Marble Arch. The reception area of the hotel is out of this world.

The title of my talk is "Body Talk - the art of successful communication for business & pleasure". And I will explain how you can develop the six key social skills you need to make your business and social networking enjoyable and rewarding.

You can get a summary of my talk and have a look at my recommended reading list by going to www.spalton.co.uk/talks/ipr.html

E-mail me if you want to know more, my contact details are in my profile and on my web site.

Mentor on Equestrian Security

2006-01-30T19:59:00.000Z

When you get to a certain time in life many people feel that they want to give something back. I'm the same. So a couple of years ago I started to work as a part-time volunteer mentor for Hereford & Worcester Business Link.

The work is varied and it's really satisfying working with 'start-ups'. Like my latest client Nigel. He has designed and developed a device to stop someone stealing your saddle. He's got an interim patent and sold a few on his web site. The challenge is where does he take it from here.

We've met once and talked on the phone a couple of times. So far we've covered the demographics of potential customers and the various routes to market. If you're interested in the product, have a look at Nigel's web site at www.equispin.co.uk

It's a great product.

Teabag Talent on Networking

2006-01-20T13:11:00.000Z

I'm due to speak at the Teabag Talent Forum on the evening of Monday 23 January in Nottingham.

The title of my talk is Become a Power Networker and I will explain how to develop the six key social skills you need to make your networking enjoyable and rewarding.

You can get a summary of my talk and have a look at my recommended reading list by going to www.spalton.co.uk/talks/networking.html

E-mail me if you want to know more, my contact details are in my profile and on my web site.

Accelerate Marketing Network

2005-12-30T11:02:00.000Z

Earlier this month I started work with a colleague on a new Accelerate Network for Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

My role is to facilitate six half-day sessions on sales and marketing with the Managing Directors of six engineering companies in the Black Country. What we know as 'metal bashers', which is not derogatory.

The first session in December covered an Introduction to Marketing, the Four Ps, the Difference between Products and Services and the Product Life Cycle.

In January we will cover:

Market Segmentation
Their Ideal Customer Profiles
The Market Communication Mix
Market Access.

Should be a good session.

25 Things Most People Don't Know About Me

2005-07-12T11:55:00.000+01:00

1. My Myres-Briggs profile is ISTP... quick thinking & cool head.
2. A typical Gemini - like a liquor chocolate. Hard outside with a centre to take your breath away.
3. I Love change.
4. My favourite drink is red wine, a Malbec from Argentina or a Shiraz from Australia.
5. I want to tango passionately in Argentina with my gorgeous woman before I die.
6. In my youth I’ve skinny-dipped in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean.
7. A couple of years ago I fractured my shoulder when I fell off my mountain board doing flips.
8. I have been driven round Silverstone at over 200 mph. Frightening.
9. I only drink real coffee, never instant. Am I a snob?
10. In 1996 I appeared in a TV documentary called “Between Heaven and Hell”.
11. My Enneagram is Type One - Reformer.
12. Although I’m scared of heights, I've climbed a telegraph pole to join three others standing on the top.
13. I’m too spontaneous.
14. I’ve taxied in a Lancaster bomber & hugged a 80-year-old who was a rear-gunner in his teens.
15. Thirty years ago I taught myself how to work in stained glass, I haven't done any ages.
16. I like to cook creatively.
17. I’m a meat eater, but I love interesting and unusual soups.
18. I have a list of all the nice things people say about me. Makes me feel good when I’m down.
19. I have seven wrist watches and one pocket watch.
20. Shopping for shirts is one of my vices, I have 37.
21. I lay hedges for a hobby and sometimes pin-money.
22. I love driving my Lotus… a “real” fun car.
23. I look good in autumn colours - browns, greys and bottle greens.
24. On a Friday evening I go fencing for fun… epee and sabre.
25. I do interviews and phone-ins on BBC Local Radio as the Dating Doctor.

Launch of Sales Advice Line

2005-06-09T16:47:00.000+01:00

Get a Fresh Look at Your Sales

Call 08700 272670 on a Friday between 2pm and 4pm GMT for free advice from a business development specialist on any of your current sales and marketing challenges.

Due to demand each call is limited to 20 minutes.

More details, or to email your question.