While fear pervades many aspects of business, presentations consistently drive it to exquisitely high levels. We use the term “presentation” to include any important one-on-one meeting, small group discussions around a table, or speaking before an audience of thousands.

We are talking about a particular kind of fear. Some fear helps motivate you to divert time from the pounding surf of your daily schedule and prepare for your presentation. There comes a point for most of us, however, when the fear is no longer useful. It has crossed the line from excitement to dread. Instead of driving preparation, it now impairs concentration and kills energy.

Fear has a thousand faces, but we have only three basic responses:

1. Ignore it
2. Evade it
3. Transcend it

Ignoring Fear

Merely suffering through your fear is the simplest and most common response. It requires no learning, effort or practice. Negative consequences flow from this path. In addition to being very stressful, fear tends to break concentration during preparation and disturbs other obligations.

Perhaps even more importantly, these enervating fears can also have an extremely negative impact on your performance in delivering your presentation. Fear robs your ability to casually walk to the stage and be yourself. It tends to kill excitement and block the ability to connect deeply with your audience. Fear can make your body stiff, your breathing labored and your physical movement unnatural.

Evading Fear

Usually the first step in dealing with your fear of the big presentation is figuring out how to avoid the fear. Even if you are looking for a longer term solution, at least temporarily avoiding the problem is a key step in creating the space to fashion more encompassing approaches.

Transcending Fear

Creative visualization is the first step in removing yourself from the scary thoughts and consciously guiding your mind to a new space: actively imagining the desired end result.

Professional and Olympic athletes spend time imagining the desired end result and track the measurable increased performance that follows the creative visualization sessions. Fear stems from the unconscious repetitive thoughts and feelings about failing.

VISUALIZATION

The key to successful visualizations is simultaneously feeling the emotions that would naturally attach to images that you see. To drive emotion, the most powerful vehicle is music – - music that stirs you. Often it is high energy music, something like the Rocky theme, hard driving rock, or passionate jazz or classical. The key is that it drives your energy higher, actively imagining the desired end result.

In visualization, there are two distinct ways to envision yourself: either looking at yourself from the position of an outside observer, or seeing the whole event through your own eyes. While everyone is different, it is usually easier to start by seeing an image of yourself from the perspective of an outside observer. As time goes by, many find it more effective to do the visualization through your eyes as a presenter.

Imagine the room in which you will present. If you know the room location, try and visit it before hand so you can create the exact setting of your presentation. If you can’t see a remote location, just imagine the kind of room it is likely to be.

VISUALIZATION EXERCISE

Imagine what you will experience prior to the presentation. See yourself walking toward the spot from which you will present.

As you see yourself approaching “the moment of truth,” can you feel where in your body the tension resides?

As you continue walking to the front of the room, see if you can exchange the feelings of fear with a closely related feeling – excitement. Fear is often a part of excitement and their affect on the body is the same: pounding pulse, heavy breathing, a slight shake in the extremities.

Feel the empowering sense that this could be your break-through moment. This could be when you reach to a higher level than you ever thought possible.

Imagine yourself now in front of the audience facing them, looking calmly and intently into their faces. Take a big breath and feel relaxation welling-up within you.

See their faces. Are they interested? Do they need something to enliven them? Take a moment for some “in-flow” of information before you begin the “out-flow” of information.

Do you fret when negotiating with adversaries? Do you find negotiating from an adversarial position difficult? Whether you’re dealing with debt negotiation, contract negotiation, salary negotiation, or going through negotiation training, dealing with negotiators you view as adversaries can be difficult, because they’ll more than likely be more challenging to deal with. To enhance your negotiation skills, consider the following thoughts:

1. How will the other negotiator react if you treat him as an adversary?

2. What will it mean to the negotiation process, if you address the other negotiator as an adversary?

3. Is it better to cast the other negotiator in a more positive light? If so, what are the benefits and disadvantages?

4. What other resources will you have to utilize to solicit the other negotiator’s cooperation, if you identify him as an adversary? Depending upon the circumstances, will you be able to reach the needed resources in a timely manner?

5. You’ll be less likely to receive bipartisanship when treating someone as an adversary. Therefore, the level of cooperation you engender throughout the negotiation may be fragile. This will make the negotiation tedious, cumbersome, and exhausting. Will the effort be worth the cost?

6. Do you have someone on your negotiation team that can play the role of ‘good cop’ (someone that portrays empathy for the adversary’s position), if you choose the role of ‘bad cop’?

7. What might the consequences be of backing the other negotiator into a corner, when identifying him as an adversary?

Additional thoughts to consider, regardless to whether the other negotiator is friend or foe:

1. How can you use incentives to motivate the other negotiator? As an example, if he is motivated by fear, can you employ tactics that make him afraid not to accept the position you offer? Once you apply the burden of fear upon him, can you offer a way to have that burden lifted, by allowing him to move towards a position that’s less threatening?

2. Consider the other negotiator’s geographical background and political structure in which he was reared. If he was raised in an environment, in which people subjugated themselves to authority, would it be beneficial to adopt a position of authority to observe the manner in which he reacts?

Regardless, of how you position the other negotiator throughout the negotiation, seek pressure points upon which you can offer incentives for him to move in the direction of your choosing. If you treat him like an adversary, give him viable options from which to escape your ire. Leave him with a sliver of hope by which he has something of perceived value to cling… and everything will be right with the world.

The Negotiation Tips Are…

· Some people are appalled by being viewed as someone that’s difficult to deal with. If you project the adversary title on them, they will attempt to exempt themselves from such a position by being amenable to the direction you set. Be aware of their desire and utilize this tactic where and when appropriate.

· Always assess someone’s source of motivation when negotiating. If they are ‘risk adverse’, motivate that person by adding or subtracting risk, depending upon the direction you’re attempting to move them.

· When deeming a negotiator as an adversary, consider the resources you may need at your disposal to solicit support to motivate that person. If the additional resources are not readily available, you may want to weigh the strategy against one that is better suited for the goal you’re striving to achieve.

Selling or purchasing a house definitely requires negotiation. It’s important for a buyer or seller to understand how to make a good deal through negotiating. The aim of negotiation is to reach a mutually satisfying deal for both parties. It all starts when both the seller and buyer understand and respect each other.

One important trait you should possess when negotiating is keeping an open mind. Always think before you say, offer or criticize anything. Remember what you do will affect the course of the negotiation. The seller and buyer have different motivations. Thus, it’s important that the door is left open for further negotiation.

Put it to writing

Every negotiation starts with a degree of distrust. However, it should move towards creating a trusting and understanding relationship between the seller and buyer. This can be achieved by putting into writing anything that the buyer and seller have agreed on. The terms and condition is ideally written and recorded on a Real Estate Sale and Purchase Agreement. This will help resolve any misunderstanding in the future in the event they arise.

Give attention to the specifics

Commonly the source of dispute between a seller and buyer is an unclear term that was not mutually agreed upon by both parties. This is an unfortunate event for both the buyer and seller. Thus, it’s vital that details with regards to the terms and condition should be ironed out when negotiating. You must see to i that you and the other party involved understand and agree in everything. This should be done prior to advancing further with the home sale.

Avoid giving to your emotions

Negotiating with a buyer or seller requires you to respect and understand your motivational differences. Avoid ignoring how the person fells or taking everything personally. Your judgment becomes clouded when you give in to your emotions. A mutually satisfying deal can be reached by a mature and tact conversation.

Take time to think

Acting on the dictate of impulse can do you no good. When you’re given an offer, whether it’s a good or bad offer, you should think and examine it thoroughly. Give yourself time to think and process. Don’t be pressured to decide on things abruptly. You might end up with regrets in taking things to hastily. Carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages that the offer presented to you has.

Present counter offers

Do not hesitate to present counter offers when you’re not satisfied with what’s presented to you. You’re making known the compromise you want from the initial offer by doing so. The adjustments you and the other party will make may be based on the initial and counter offer. But remember to determine what you’re capable of compromising prior to negotiating. It’ll help make the whole process easier.

One challenging part of home sale is negotiating. But it must be accomplished with prudence. It’s vital to record any agreements made, make sure both parties understand and agree on the terms and conditions, avoid giving in to your emotions, take time to examine the offers made and present counter offers as necessary. Finding proper timing for all of this is the key to success.