I used to study late at night, sometimes through
the night, and usually I could pull it off pretty
well. There was one teleclass that started around
midnight and lasted an hour. I had had a
particularly busy day with the kids and had been
woken by the baby at about 5am the day before.
The class was about ‘Coaching Presence’, how to
create presence and what it entails. About 20
minutes in, I fell asleep. The headset on my
phone was securely fixed, I had leaned back, put
my feet on the desk and luckily was on mute
because I was probably snoring (though of course,
I never snore)!
I woke to the sound of the teleclass leader
saying,”So Lisa, would you like to acknowledge
yourself for something as we draw this class to a
close”. I blurted out the first thing that came
to mind “I’d just like to acknowledge myself for being
truly present”, I said and cringed as I continued,
“I didn’t say much?..but eh, I was here”?
I had to confess some time later, it was so
ridiculous..but I was reminded about this when I
started thinking about presence and how
effectively it can be created through
storytelling.
The great storytellers always say that as you tell
your story, if you really SEE the story, your
listener will see it too; if you are truly present
in the telling, the audience will be there, with
you throughout the whole story.
No matter what your business is about, being truly
present for your client is the optimum state. You
need to be with the client wherever they are; it
is only then that you can accompany them on their
journey. By being fully present and fully
conscious of this state, you can demonstrate
openness, flexibility and be confident in the
process.
There are specific skills that you need to master
in order to demonstrate optimum ?presence?. This
is true of Storytelling and of Coaching; it is
also highly relevant to any business trying to
delight their clients and attract more interest!
These are the most important presence creating and
enhancing skills:
* Active and Affective Listening – this is when
you listen consciously, openly and obviously to
really hear your client and identify and
understand what their concerns are right now at
this moment. When you can truly hear your client?s
concerns, only then can you start to meet their
needs.
* Inquiry Process – developing the practice of
encouraging your client to constantly
self-inquire. As you client becomes clear about
what their issues are and what they need, you can
then be right there to support them and help them
find a solution.
* Powerful Questioning – asking powerful questions
that allow your client reach a deep level of
awareness and understanding. They will thank you
for the questions that you ask them that get them
to this intense and empowering level of awareness.
If you want to support your clients and have them
running back for more, you need to be present with
them, wherever they are. Your agenda is their
agenda. They determine where you are going in
your sessions, you just have to pay attention and
be there for them, wherever that is. If you can
listen to their story, and really hear it?then you
can be truly present for your client. If your
clients feel your presence and come to rely on you
being there in the way that they need you ? they
will come running back for more!
So keep hearing your clients’ stories, and make
sure you tell the ones that they need to hear too!
