Mistake #1: Seeking to impress instead of seeking to make an impact. When your attitude and approach imparts that you are attempting to make an impression, the Baloney Detectors of those present go on the alert. Your words, demeanour and facial expression imparts your intent, when striving to impress. It is subliminal, but becomes very obvious and is often deemed as arrogance. It speaks to embellishment and lack of authenticity. Typically an approach of seeking to impress leads to unsubstantiated claims, dives into detail and doesn’t actually serve to impress. Impact is an entirely different animal. It makes people sit up and want to know more. It establishes credibility. Impact can only occur when you are addressing a pressing issue and/or are defining a realistic solution. It is not about you or your organisation. It is about how you can shake their very foundations, provide the ‘Eureka’ moment or remove an obstacle.
Impact presupposes research, an understanding of the issues, an understanding of the person or people that you are addressing. If you are confident regarding your subject matter and the solution you should exude humble confidence, not arrogance. Confidence is a key factor in creating PoM in your audience.
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