Moe and Nick discuss the subtle science of leading groups and persuading others.
Delivering a Presentation that Wows
In the Summer of 2010, a close friend asked me to observe an important meeting with one of his business partners about the launch of a new product line. As a successful entrepreneur, his trademark business practice has always been the handshake agreement; and this partnership wasn’t any different. A year earlier, he had invested $500,000 to help this product manufacturer diversify into the internet, and despite a legal agreement in place, little traction was taking place.
As we walked into his office, I could sense a nervous energy in the room. Despite knowing that I would be attending, he greeted me with an overly aggressive handshake, and made little to no eye contact as he sat down to give us a progress report. Rocking in his chair, he let us know that not only was the project delayed, but that additional capital would be required to solidify their inventory. A bit surprised, my friend asked about his stock certificate, and when he danced around the issue, I knew something was wrong.
As former editor of the Harvard Management Communication letter from 1998-2003, Dr. Nick Morgan reminds us that what we say is not nearly as powerful as how we say it. In his latest book – Power Cues – Dr. Morgan tells us that every communication is two conversations. The first is the one you’re aware of, and the second is this nonverbal one.