Guest Post by:
Mike Henry, Chief Instigator
Lead Change Group

One thing I’ve noticed in leadership discussions lately surrounds the idea that everyone is a leader.   Some established, experienced leaders withdraw from the idea quickly.  “Too many cooks spoil the soup.” Or, “Someone has to be in charge.” How does anyone expect to get anything done when everyone thinks they’re the leader?

Room at the top

In a hierarchical organization, there is only one box at the top.  Everyone can’t be in-charge.  Someone must be ultimately responsible for what happens on a team.  But must everyone else be impotent?  Must everyone else wait until a box on the diagram above them opens?

When we were kids, we didn’t have org charts.  Whoever showed up played.  Sure there were some kids who didn’t get chosen early, but generally, at least in my circles, leadership was a function first of showing up and then either having the ball or having the best idea of which game to play.

Character-based Leadership

New, organic, character-based leaders lead from who they are.  It causes some concern in fear-based position-focused organizations, but generally organizations and leaders appreciate individuals who accept responsibility, act like owners , and avoid blaming others  or acting like victims.  We appreciate  people who demonstrate initiative.

But the old top-down org chart just doesn’t create a naturally conducive environment for that type of leadership.  We can talk about empowerment and initiative and creativity but there is always this looming idea that someone further up the ladder will stop anything they believe is unnecessary.

New Leaders Avoid Hierarchies

New leaders form something more similar to a tribe or a community.  It’s based on connections.  In fact, I’d go so far as to suggest that the new org structure is more of a project matrix.  Seth Godin and others have suggested that everything is now a project.   Your vacation is a project, and so is your current job.  In a few weeks or months or years, you’ll get involved in another project (or job).  Everything is more temporary that we like to think, unless we’re miserable and then everything is less temporary than we’d like.

Connections are the new keys to getting things done.  Project management is less about the project or the activities and more about who you can enlist, for how long, and what is their level of commitment.  Your connections and your ability to mobilize those connections will determine your success.  If the world is one big matrix, how you can connect and with whom are the key questions.

Triad Relationships

In Tribal Leadership, by Dave Logan, Jack King and Halee Fischer-Wright, the authors noticed something about the stage 4 and stage 5 tribes.  The highest most productive tribes built what they called Triad Relationships.  A triad relationship is a relationship where one person introduces persons two and three.  Two and three go on to build a relationship that no longer requires person one to be involved.  That’s a triad relationship.

Can you create connections that outlive your engagement?  If we’re going to be leaders who connect and succeed in the new community-based non-hierarchical world, we need to have the confidence and the genuine concern for others that would allow us to enable these triad relationships.  A series of triad relationships that exist over time and engage for various projects begins quickly to look like one huge matrix.

So how are you at creating triad relationships?  Does your organization support triad relationships or does it still reinforce old-style co-dependent relationships>  Can you point to some connections inside or outside your organization that have gone on to produce outcomes not involving you?  I can.  It’s rich and rewarding to see results from a partnership that you helped to create, even when you’re no longer involved.

Mike Henry Sr. is the founder and Chief Instigator of the Lead Change Group.  He has a passion to mobilize character-based leaders to make a positive difference.  Connect with Mike at http://leadchangegroup.com/members/mike.

Guest Post by:
Mac Cassity
Mac The Knife Marketing

[Mac is a personal friend of mine from...let's just say WAY back!  When we re-CONNECTed and I learned what he was up to these days, it was clear to me: He understands the Power of Connection! Be sure to leave your thoughts and comments below after you read Mac's post!
-Cooksey]

I know, we’ve all heard it before…referrals are the BEST way to get high quality, easily converting business, right? That is, unless the referrals you are getting absolutely suck! The fact is, many (if not most) business people don’t even understand exactly what a true referral is. This results in quite a bit of wasted time and effort and not NEARLY as much actual business being transacted. A high quality referral IS like gold, but, do you even know what a high quality referral is?

My definition is simple: A high quality referral is when you introduce someone whose product or service you have faith in to someone you think could use that product or service. BAM, that’s it. Notice the word introduce is highlighted. That introduction is the secret to making referrals work. Unfortunately, all too often, we encounter a scenario like the one below:

“Hey Mac, I have a great referral for you!”

“Cool, lay it on me!”

“Well, I was driving in to work today, I saw a billboard for a new business opening up on main street, they could probably use your marketing services…you should call them!”

“Uh…yeah…sure…thanks.” (SUCK!)

The scenario above represents MANY encounters I have had in so called “referral” groups that I belonged to. Listen folks, you might mean well, but this info does NOT equal a referral. Referrals must be handed off. Another one that kills me is the “Just call him and tell him I told you to call.” Again, I say…SUCK! Most of us have higher opinions of ourselves than others and just because you think someone loves you doesn’t mean they want you telling others to call them and ask for business! Not cool. These phone calls are often little better than cold calls and in my opinion are not worth my time. You might think this sounds a bit harsh, but that’s because I expect what I give, and here’s how I give referrals:

1. 1.      I personally introduce two individuals at a networking event and tell them why I think they should do business together.
2. 2.      I arrange a 3-way phone call and do the same as the above (when a face to face meeting is not possible)

And lastly (but usually the most common due to obvious limitations)

1. 3.      I email the two parties and do a “virtual introduction” thereby connecting all 3 of us as part of the referral. This one works great, is easy and quick to do, and VERY effective.

So there you have it. THAT is how you give a referral that doesn’t suck. Oh, and as for those people who give you referrals that do? Simply say to them,

“Hey, let me ask you a quick question…if I know someone that I think would be a good client for you, do you mind if I introduce them to you personally?” (they will always answer with a resounding “ABSOLUTELY!”) Once they do, just smile and ask,

“Well…do you mind doing the same for me?”

They will get the point and you will have helped train one more business professional to start giving referrals that don’t SU…you get the idea.

Mac Cassity aka MAC THE KNIFE runs a successful content creation business,  Mac the Knife Articles  and an online/offline marketing business, Mac the Knife Marketing. He has developed an extensive client base that includes major automobile manufacturers, universities, Well known speakers/authors, and more than a few “mom and pop” shops. Mac’s blog, www.MacCassity.com, helps burgeoning offline marketers land and profit from brick and mortar businesses. Mac is offering his successful eBook TURNING CONVERSATIONS TO CLIENTS right now for just $1. CLICK HERE to grab a copy for yourself!

Cooksey (along with his wife Krissy) with members of the Clock Spring LP North American sales team at the 2011 PPIM Conference in Houston, TX

What is the best statement you could hear from a client?  Maybe it is a sincere “thank you”, or “you made a real impact with us”, or maybe just it’s the melodic sound of a referral.  What about “we would like to have you join us as part of our team…full time”?

I’m proud to announce that beginning tomorrow, I am joining the team of one of my prior clients as the Director of Marketing at Clock Spring L.P. To that I say, “What a compliment!”

For nearly the past three years, I have been gathering research about what works, what doesn’t, and how to fix organizational leadership.  It is a project that has taken me, literally, around the world and provided me with unprescedented access to all levels of leaders within organizations large, small, public, private, for-profit, not-for-profit, successful and struggling.  During those hundreds of encounters, I have often reminded workshop participants that significant change in their organizations begins with intentional, consisitent energy pushing in a new direction.  I am extremely excited to be distilling this research into action as part of a team already achieving incredible results!

While several of this blogs followers have already heard about the move and inquired about the future of Cooksey Connects, let me assure you- the mission will continue.  Over the coming months, you may notice a small tweak in the direction of this site and its message, yet the core message of CONNECTion will remain strong.  The guest post series has proven extremely popular and I hope you will continue to enjoy the Monday articles for the next several weeks.  I have reached out to a number of people across North America, and there are some GREAT articles in the queue.  (In case you missed the first two, be sure to check out the posts from Jerry Sevier and Kathy Piersall and leave your comments for the authors!)

For the next month, I will be continuing to wrap up a few previous committments to another client, so if you see me coming to your town, I’d love to meet up with you while I’m there!  Let me hear from you!

GUEST POST by:
Kathy Piersall, Owner
A Blue Moon Arts, LLC

[October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I've asked Marketing Expert, Kathy Piersall to share her thoughts on building a marketing CONNECTion with women.--Scott]

Don’t just make it pink.

How many companies have slapped a coat of pink on their product, or suddenly started supporting breast cancer charities, when neither of these actions has any obvious, real connection to their brand? (“Pinkwashing“, anyone?) Women have been the special targets of marketing and advertising campaigns for decades, because marketers often assumed they controlled most expenditures for their households. So women have learned to spot condescension a mile away. Find out if women are truly a realistic target market for what your company offers. If it’s reasonable and profitable to connect with the female market, be sincere. Build genuine connections.

Allow time for discussion

Women tend to ask more questions, especially at the beginning of the sales cycle. Your female prospective clients may want to talk about the pros and cons more. Don’t feel threatened by this. It’s not confrontation or conflict. It’s your opportunity to re-emphasize your strengths and get more insight into what hopes or worries motivate them. Establish trust this way early, and you’re likely to spend less time answering questions later in the process.

“Female” does not equal “spouse” or “with kids”

As of 2005, more women are living without a spouse, according to the New York Times. And according to a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau report, roughly 20% of women 35 to 44 years old have never had kids. What does this mean? Make sure your company’s marketing speaks authentically to a female audience, and doesn’t view a woman as just a portal to gain access to a hypothetical spouse, or her 2.5 children.

“Busy” is not the magic word

The word “busy” is as overused as the color pink when trying to attract the attention of a female audience. Many marketers seem to think if they start their messages with “Gee, we’re all so busy these days!!”, every woman in earshot will drop what she’s doing, sigh in sympathy, and give her full attention to whatever statement follows. Sure, you could argue that women tend to feel obliged to take on a wider variety of tasks in both their personal and professional lives than men or children do. But if “busy” doesn’t mesh with the rest of your marketing messages, then it’s just a fake attempt to create connection. And it’s a weak start to the dialogue your company really needs to have with women, if you hope to create a relationship that’s rewarding for both sides.

The Challenge

Let us hear about other marketing miscues you have noticed, below.  Perhaps you can:

• Share anadvertisement, commercial, or other marketing message you have seen that simply “missed the mark”, in your opinion.
• What might that company have thought about BEFORE they spent money to send out a message?
• Provide an example of a marketing message that resounded with you, leaving you with a feeling that the product or service CONNECTed with you, and was completely relevant.

Visit Kathy’s company on the web at: www.abluemoonarts.com
Follow @abluemoonarts on Twitter
Check out A Blue Moon Arts, LLC on Facebook

Guest Post by:

Jerry D. Sevier, Founder
ExamShout Mobile Certification Study Solutions
A division of Gensev, Inc.

Customers are more than just a figure in your sales log. Many companies have learned that they are an incredible resource for information. They can tell you when you aren’t doing the right thing or validate you are, in fact, moving in the right direction. However, I have recently discovered they can do even more. The simple act of reaching out to your customer base to honestly CONNECT can have profound results.

Before I get too involved, I’d like to take a moment and thank Scott Cooksey for the opportunity to make this guest appearance on CookseyConnects. I have known Scott for over fifteen years as he and I worked together in what was my first professional job in the Information Technology (IT) industry. Today, I own a successful business that sells mobile applications for devices like Android and iPhone.  [No "thanks" necessary, Jerry!  You are certainly WELCOME and I offer you many congratulations on your continued success! - Scott]

Since moving away from that small Oklahoma town where we first met, we’ve each been busy learning our life-lessons and establishing our careers. I had, for many years, a very successful consulting career providing software development services to many Fortune 500 companies all over the country. To put it simply, companies paid me a lot of money for what was, in essence, my opinion on strategy, direction and design on things like e-commerce and enterprise computer systems.

About two years ago, my wife asked me a pretty innocent question: “If you can help these companies make millions of dollars, why can’t you do that for yourself?” Little did we know, this simple question would change our lives forever. Since then, we have formulated a small consulting company that specializes in Mobile/Smart Phone applications. I figured, with all of my experience, ability to program, and such a thorough understanding of the industry, how could I fail, right?

We did everything by the book. We created the business plan, I researched our target market, I studied my competition and formulated a design for our software. I added many features that our competitors had “overlooked”. Because of this, what should have been a three month development cycle was dramatically extended. We launch almost a year later than expected.

Upon the software release, sales were very disappointing. Just like I learned as a consultant, I went back into business mode, modified our software design, and released a much-improved update. Still, sales were flat. I was frustrated and we were looking at losing everything we had invested in a venture that was clearly heading towards failure.

Out of desperation, I decided to ask my customers directly for their input. Instead of drafting some fancy e-mail campaign, I printed off a customer list and spent an entire week doing nothing but sending a personalized email to each and every one of the people who had purchased our program. As one then another responded, I’d immediately write them back. Before I knew it, I had an open dialog with dozens of our customers. I made responding to them my number one priority. Many of them were shocked that I would respond within minutes even at 2:00 am.

All while I was working with the customers, I was formulating how we could revamp our marketing strategy. We could do this… we could do that. Here’s how we could change our software. My mind was busy putting together the strategy. Then, something remarkable happened.

Sales began to explode! We were seeing sales at a rate we had never imagined.

But wait! We hadn’t done anything yet! How were sales skyrocketing before we’d made any real changes?

I am ashamed to say, it took me a bit to realize what had happened. It turns out, when I reached out and connected with my customers, I had unknowingly provided them with a feature that none of my competition had… a two-way relationship. Their input mattered, I did my best to change what I could and explain what I couldn’t. In exchange, they began to tell their friends about us, and a process was born that spread like wild-fire.

Customers are not just those statistics that you read on the daily sales log. They are real, hard working people like you and me. If you can reach out, develop a real conversation, you can empower them. And, more often than not, that new power will be used to help you take your business to the next level.

To this day, I attempt to send a custom, personalized letter to each and every one of my customers. While this is becoming more and more difficult to keep up with due to our new found success, it is a process I will never stop.

The Challenge

As a final note to each of you reading this: If you work in a service oriented industry, I challenge you to reach out to some of your customers and/or clients today and honestly ask them for their input, suggestions, and comments. I promise, the harder you work to respond to them, the more success you will find.

Thank you and happy connecting!

Visit Jerry’s Company on the Web at: www.examshout.com
Follow @examshout on Twitter

Without a doubt, the Internet has allowed people with common interests who were previously isolated by geography to CONNECT. The playing field has been leveled.  Obscure performers like Tay Zonday or the Numa Numa guy become household names.  An unknown singer named Justin Bieber found a connection with mainstream media success by first leveraging YouTube. Fundraisers now regularly build connection of  political outliers to splinter issues, thus creating visibility for presidential candidates. Countries have been overthrown by their frustrated citizens who found real-time connections on Twitter.  And, of course, there are myriad random “Fan Pages” created for topics formerly collected only in syndicated articles like “News of the Weird” or the Onion.

I’m guity, too.  Back in 2009, upon reports of  a call for President Obama’s consideration to add a new Secretary of the Arts post to his cabinet, I immediately fired up a Facebook fan page (partly as a joke, party serious) to nominate a good friend of mine (and incredible arts advocate) Ken Busby from Tulsa, OK for the post. With little to no effort, I immediately found connection to interested supporters who, if I’d been more serious, likely could have provided much needed leverage for wider support of the “campaign”.

Then, there are blogs which observe daily life, unexpected moments caught on video, and urban myths / legends like Milverine.

Sure, there are great ways to leverage social media to legitimately build an authentic CONNECTion with your customers and clients by sharing your views and offering tips to help THEM succeed (see what my friend Darren LaCroix is doing with YouTube!).  But, let’s not stop the amusing aspects these creative platforms encourage.  If there is something of interest to you, no matter how odd or less-than-mainstream it may seem to your immediate group of friends, post it up on YouTube.  You just might find a community of like-minded people. Become known for facilitating CONNECTion between people and ideas!

Over the past few years, I have been conducting an experiment.  In an effort to really understand why some people seem to be “natural leaders” and some “just do not have what it takes to lead”, I put myself on the road to figure out what it means to connect as a leader.

The Challenge

While most people would have been tempted to simply interview a number of trainers, speakers, and other business leadership gurus for a consensus vote, that just is not my style.  I opted, instead, to throw myself into the fire.

Since June of 2009, I have led well over 200 days of training, literally, around the globe.  This experiment has taken me from Lakeland, Florida to the Pacific Northwest; Toronto, Canada to the islands of the Caribbean Sea; and, my adopted hometown of Houston, Texas to a tour of cities across the great continent (and country) of Australia.

During that time, I have led thousands of people to a better understanding of topics sadly lumped into a category called “soft skills”.  Soft skills are what makes a leader a leader.  In essence, there is nothing truly “soft” about soft skills.  In fact, trying to lead teams without an understanding of soft skills is…well…in a word; HARD!

Today, I proudly announce, I have found the Holy Grail of Leadership, identified the Common Denominator of Successful People, and boiled it all down to a single act you must commit your entire life to mastering, if you want to achieve true success at every level.  That word is “CONNECT”.

The Breakdown:

In junior high, an announcement came over the loudspeaker in my second hour class letting the students know about a new “mentor” program being launched as a partnership between the school and local community business leaders.  Now knowing what a mentor was at the time, I went home and asked my mother, who replied, “Oh, I’m not sure that message was for you.” Baffled, I just let it go, never learning until much, much later what exactly that program might have been about.

(From dictionary.com)

Fortunately for me, as a young man, I actually DID have a number of mentors around me on a regular basis, most notably my Scoutmasters who kicked my rear into gear, guiding me to earn the rank of Eagle Scout (something I STILL list on my resume, today).  As a speaking professional,  I’m proud to admit, I have learned much from the men and women who have unselfishly (and some unknowingly) served as my mentor. Without their wisdom, guidance, and friendship, it is most certain I would not be enjoying the level of success I have today.

What about you?  Who are YOUR mentors?

A few years ago, following some significant personal and professional changes in my life, I took an assessment of where I was and compared it to where I thought I should be.  Perhaps you have taken a similar inventory of your life from time to time. Here are a few questions you might ask, as you consider the question, “How could I benefit from mentor?”

1. Who are the six people with whom I spend the most time?  You may already know, “you” will become the average of those six people.
2. Are most of the people around me the most truly living the kind of life I, too, would like to be living now? It might be time for an upgrade.
3. If Iwere stranded by the side of the road at 3A.M., how many of my “friends” would jump out of bed to assist me without hesitation? Your mentor may or may not be one of these people, but it’s still a question worth asking as a gauge of the type of people with whom you most closely associate.
4. Could I improve my chances of attaining my most important goals in life by reaching out to others who may have traveled a similar path to mine before enjoying a similar level of success to that of my own desires? Often times those who have worked hard for success applaud, and even offer encouragement to people that remind them of themselves. Who knows…it may even lead to a friendship that will last a lifetime.
5. Is someone other than my spouse, kids, or family truly interested in seeing / helping me succeed in life? Knowing someone is rooting for you (and often holding you accountable for taking positive action) may be just the element missing from your success equation!

TAKE ACTION:  Identify successful people whom you admire.  Reach out to them with a quick note, email, or call.  Let them know you admire their success and ask if they’d mind if you touched base from time-to-time, when you would like their insight on important decisions in your career or life.  If they say “yes”, you have a mentor…even if they don’t know it.

Keep CONNECTing!

CONNECTing in Sydney, Australia

This month, I had the amazing experience of working across the great continent of Australia.  During my tour, I was privileged to facilitate training classes on the fundamentals of project management in Sydney,NSW; Adelaide, SA; Darwin, NT; & Perth, WA. It was a great two weeks and a great exercise in experiencing another culture.

Since the theme of this blog is “CONNECTion”, here’s a quick guide to similarities and differences between Australia and the United States, as viewed by one recent visitor from the “other side of the world”.

Similarities:

• English is the primary language. Though, as you will see below, common phrases are very different.
• Both countries enjoy a high, developed standard of living
• If you “round” the numbers, the continent of Australia is comparable in size to the continental United States (“lower 48″)
• Current government leadership (Prime Minister / Australia; President/ United States) are both dealing with low popularity ratings (at this writing)
• Given the size of each country, the diversity of it’s people and lifestyles vary somewhat by region
• It seems that a resident of either country should expect to fairly easily adapt to life in the other country- with a few notable adjustments

Funny to note, however, is that given the number of similarities, there are enough notable differences to remind a visitor to Australia that they are in fact, somewhere a long way from home:

• In my experience, the Australian people seemed extremely polite – perhaps influenced by the perceived formality and proper use of the English language than typified in the United States.
• While I’m sure there are some in Australia who feel “excluded” from the mainstream, a feeling of angst seemed to be missing from the majority of the population of those I came to know. (Though, in parts of the country, there was  a notable population of displaced / struggling indigenous people (aborigines). There is an amazing similarity to experiences I’ve had with a number of indigenous North American’s, though the history of the peoples are quite different.
• Food and drink are considerably more expensive in Australia, though, it also appears as a general rule that Australians have somewhat healthier diets than Americans.
• Aussies were amazed at the idea of a “motor bank”, common in the U.S.  We had some good laughs about how Americans can do all of their banking from the comfort of their driver’s seat of their cars!
• I never did try Vegemite, despite a constant subliminal undertone of some great 80′s rock by the famed Australian rock band, Men at Work. However, I did learn that kangaroo is quite tasty!
• Here’s a quick guide to a few nuances of common terms (American / Australian):
• Trash / Rubbish
• Trash Can / Bin
• Overhead Bin (on plane) / Overhead Locker
• Shopping Cart / Trolly
• You’re Welcome / No Worries (okay, this is a bit of a stretch, but I heard “No Worries” a lot…and I like it!)
• Elevator / Lift
• Restroom / Toilet
• friend / mate
• “significant other” / partner
• up-tight attitude and feeling of “hurry” / more laid-back, “enjoy life” attitude for most
• OH….and I learned the Australian people don’t generally offer gratuity to service industry folks like we do in America (something shared with me by the very last driver I had in Australia, despite tipping EACH of them!) It was worth it, though, since each was very much polite, knowledgeable, and helpful in pointing out information to make my stay in their respective cities enjoyable.  Figured it was worth the price of a cup of coffee!
• Starbucks didn’t work out so well in Australia. (Servings to large/ not strong enough/too different)  While they are very much a coffee culture (when you order coffee in a cafe or restaurant, it’s your choice to enjoy it flat white (coffee with milk), latte or cappuccino…all for the same price), they prefer the more laid-back intimacy of an alfresco cafe.

photo by Richard 'Tenspeed' Heaven

Certain people possess the ability to instantly create rapport with anyone. For purposes of this article, whether you agree with the message from people you have come in contact with who enjoy this skill is not important.  What I want you to focus on is their ability to immediately establish rapport, identify the issue or message at hand, and simply deliver their version of the truth to the audience in an almost effortless way.

For a leader, it takes a number of years to have put oneself in enough situations to effectively learn through trial and error how to handle a variety of situations to obtain the desired result.  These situations appear in daily life as one-on-one conversations, speeches, sales pitches, legal proceedings, and are often disguised as everyday tasks.

Personally, I have been in leadership positions since I was a young man.  Each role I served provided me with new opportunities to practice my speaking skills and learn how to interact effectively, even persuasively, with others.  As an adult, I have worked successfully in business development roles, served as a spokesperson for organizations, delivered hundreds of days of training, and spoken effectively at a number of trade association events.  Each time, I was challenged with connecting my audience with a specific, intended message.

While there is no substitute for practice, I’ve distilled my experience from thousands of speaking engagements, sales meetings, training sessions and daily client interactions down to this short, yet powerful list of techniques for connecting with any audience.  Keep this list close, and you will begin to receive feedback that you are becoming one of those great connectors like the ones you have admired for so many years.

1. Look at your audience.  Whether you have an audience of one or one thousand, if you cannot look your audience in the eye, they will never believe you.  (Hint:  For larger audiences, pick out a handful of friendly-looking people in various parts of the room and talk to them.)
2. Have a message. You should be able to sum up the point of your message in less than 15 seconds.  If that is proving difficult, your topic may not be clear.  Choose an example of an ideal audience member, and write your speech in a way that would connect with that one person. Be clear about how you want your audience to think or act differently about when you are done speaking.
3. Move with a purpose.  Nervous energy often manifests itself during your speech or conversation as unnecessary motion.  Gestures can be helpful in demonstrating a point, but moving unnecessarily can prove very distracting for your audience, thus causing your message to be lost in the action.
4. Appearance matters.  The general rule of thumb is to dress one step above that of your audience. Even if your “audience” is a group of your co-workers or your boss.  No matter how much you know (or think you know), if you look the part, you will receive greater respect.
5. Use vocal variety. Simply stated, this means you should not let your message be dry and dull, from a vocal standpoint. One technique I often find helpful is to build up my volume as I’m building toward a point, pause for a beat, then deliver the final point with intensity but in a much lower volume. It often comes across with much more power than you might imagine.
6. Don’t rush.  The pace of your message should fit the time allotted and the rhythm of the meeting.  Giving your audience information as if they are drinking from a fire hose only proves to them how big you perceive your own ego to be…or more often, how unorganized your remarks are proving to be.
7. Don’t patronize your audience.  Be confident.  Be honest. Utilize the steps above.  If your audience disagrees or doesn’t get your point, it is your fault…not theirs.  Be gracious and smile.  You’ll live to speak another day.  There is never a time it is okay to be rude or hateful as a presenter (unless you have been invited to deliver a few words at a celebrity roast).