Corey Hansen: Acting out the 4 As of communicating

Corey Hansen’s official self-proclaimed title is “energizer.” None of the attendees at the Freelance Exchange of Kansas City meeting could argue with that after experiencing his entertaining presentation on “Setting the Stage for Success.”

“Where is your stage,” Corey asked the FX of KC members, “and when are you on and when are you off?” Lively exchanges with the audience followed as he addressed the need for freelancers to step into the role of actor when meeting with clients – of course, in an authentic way.

Corey outlined the “4-A Way of Communicating” in successful presentations: Audience, Atmosphere, Actor and Action. Here are a few gems he shared:

Audience:

What do I want from my audience? They from me? What do I know/not know about my audience? The actor’s role is to observe the audience and adapt to them, but not to judge, and to help the audience get what they want.

The “ability to discover” and to “stay present” while in front of a live audience help the actor capture attention, adapt to the audience’s particular needs and win them over. 

Atmosphere:

What is the energy I want to create for this audience? What is the current dynamic? Do I leverage it, avoid it, transform it? The actor controls the overall energy level surrounding the presentation or interaction.

To gain a feeling of comfort before a presentation in front of a live audience, sit in the space the audience will occupy and look at the stage. Own your space and envision what the audience will see and hear.

Actor:

How is my energy in body and voice? What am I doing to help or hurt my message? Am I even aware of how I “come off”?

Authenticity and believability are the bottom lines in a successful presentation. Whether the presentation is in front of a live audience, over the phone or via electronic delivery, every image and word must support the intention.

Action:

What do I do to help my audience get what they want? How do I structure my story? But mostly, what am I actually doing to this audience to help us all get what we want?

Of course a presentation consists of three parts: beginning, middle and end. While most presenters spend most of their time in the middle, the presentations that get actionable results spend most of the time at the end. That’s your opportunity to change the audience and move them to action. 

Corey is the author of How to Act in Business, available at Amazon.com. To learn more about him, visit www.howtoactinbusiness.com.