Training confidence

Gain confidence and beat those behaviours that inhibit success


People from all corners of the world, from house wife to husband, students and professors, business people to CEOs and entrepreneurs all research, engage and invest in ways to improve their lives, their business’, their circumstances and standard of living. Interestingly enough, the search on “How to be assertive” and “How to be confident” is one of the most sought after topics in the field of personal and professional development.

The good news is anyone can learn to be confident and assertive There is one challenge though:  "The only thing in life that comes to us without effort is old age"  Therefore the key to unlocking your confidence lies embedded in your own ability to learn, practice, persevere and persist!

Fear of taking risk is the greatest success inhibitor! Believe in yourself, your ability and remember to set realistic expectations.  Lets look at five things that will help you gain confidence:

Accept yourself
Accept yourself fully. See your imperfections only as the things that make you human and never compare yourself with others. Value your uniqueness, it's the best thing that happened to you!

Stay informed
Other than looking people directly in the eye, standing up straight, you also have to be sure of your facts.  Proper preparation and rehearsal are great confidence builders. 

Transform negative experiences into positive outcomes
Releasing yourself from past behaviours and re-programming yourself to be more assertive is key. Believe it or not, the hardest person to convince is you! Emphasise your strengths and successes.  A mental pep talk can bring about that positive outcome.

Remain in "solution mode"
Always approach people with a positive attitude and present solutions to problems. Show the respect you would like to have shown to you, and you will  have the same courtesy returned in kind.

Saying "No"
The power of saying a firm and assertive ‘no’ can save you from many irrelevant and unnecessary people and situations in life. 

Your self-confidence level shows in many ways:  Your behaviour, your body language, how you speak, your tone of voice and what you say.

Confidence and assertiveness can bring you happiness and contentment if you develop the qualities and attributes that earn respect.  In a two day training we delve deeper into beliefs, personalities, different behaviour types and cover useful tips such as breathing and bridging techniques to help you reach your goals!

Are you ready to eXude?

Write to admin@exude.co.za we look forward to hearing from you!

Speak up with a champion CV!

How the sorting process can make or break you?



To get ahead you need vision, passion, commitment and a well-planned personal strategy!



Everyone will have to change jobs at some point in their career. Why is it so difficult to "get-in" when you know you are the right person for the job? Fact is many job seekers, both able and qualified, struggle to make the short-list.


Being able to differentiate your unique promise of value to a specific person or audience is powerful. So what should jump out from your CV? In our opinion, “YOU” and everything that differentiates you from other competing candidates.Easier said than done?


Recruiters receive hundreds of CVs for every position advertised. This is where the sorting process can make or break you!Recruiters have a set list of criteria, which they use to score your application.


A well-structured CV with relevant concise information that matches the specific criteria set by the recruiting HR person will land you on the short-list.Our work often demands that we become the Jack's and Jill’s of trade in our various professions. We list our duties and responsibilities and try to match this with the proposed job descriptions, when in fact the HR person wants to know three things during the sorting process.Does he / she have the necessary qualifications? Is the necessary experience evident? Can we afford him / her?


Now think of some of the most successful brands we know. They focus on a few key strengths. This approach made them successful.

Can we learn something from them? You need a well-drafted cover letter and a immaculately presented professional CV.Your entire application should focus on your achievements, successes and what value you added in the company during your employ. Keep it positive! No need to go into too much detail. The focus is you and your ability, not the position you currently fill or company you work for.


Communication consists of 10% text, 35% tone and a balance of 55% for body language. It becomes clear how much weight the interview carries in comparison to the initial written submission. It is important to remember that your cover letter, CV and supporting documentation are "tools" designed to create enough interest for you to be invited to an interview. They support your application by making an initial impression. Makes you think does it not?The onus is on you to back-up what is reflected in your CV by adding your personality and communicating your successes using a unique style.

Write to admin@exude.co.za we look forward to hearing from you.

 

Speaking about Personal Branding

Are you leveraging your reputation to enhance a competitive position against your peers?

In the new world of work, your reputation is the highest currency!



Personal branding is one of today’s hottest career strategy topics and the essential tool for thriving in today’s work environment. It is vital to understand, build and communicate your personal brand to expand both individual and corporate success…

Discover your unique skills, talents and expertise to deliver and communicate a distinctive personal brand with Exude.

Identify how others value you and how this affects your personal brand and become a trusted advisor to key internal and external stakeholders

Develop an identifiable personal brand whilst supporting and enhancing the brand of your company.

Enhance your professional legacy and leverage your expertise with distinction.

Write to admin@exude.co.za we look forward to hearing from you!

Tips on effective e-mail communication

We all use email, but few of us manage to do it effectively.   Are you lost in electronic translation?  Is your e-mail causing frustration?

Frustration leads to stress and these are both conduits for conflict.  Conflict impedes productivity and negatively impacts on your culture in the office.  Mix this all together and soon you will see the decline in your bottom-line.  Ineffective communication adversely affects your required outcomes and further impacts on how you are perceived or how you perceive others. 

Have you ever misunderstood the tone of an email? Many make the mistake in their approach.  Finding the right balance between being collegial and not coming across to officious, whilst also avoiding the mimic of a status update to your friends on facebook, is not as easy as it sounds. 

Majority of times it is unintentional and we tend to send emails when we are under pressure or when we are experiencing emotion, such as excitement or anger.  People interpret messages differently and we must therefore understand our audience and adapt our style accordingly while being aware of our frame of mind at the time of composing e-mails. In order attract the desired outcomes we require, especially for those instances when we need to communicate difficult or unpleasant subjects, here are a few pointers to keep you in the clear:

1. Determine your outcome. Once you know exactly what you need from the interaction you will be able to express your needs better in a coherent and non-threatening way. This is draft one.  Save it in the draft folder and read it with a fresh eye in an hour. 
2. Revisit the draft.  Almost everytime I return to a draft email or a document, I have made changes.  This is your opportunity to remove any emotions or excessive information that may create confusion or lead to misunderstanding.  This may be your final draft for emails, but I would suggest a repeat for larger documents.
3. Confirmation.  Cultivate a habit of confirmation, by confirming your interpretation of a senders request or needs.  Most miscommunication occurs when the sender assumes the intended recipient understood what he or she received.  It is your duty as the sender to ensure the recipient understands your message.  Allow your recipient the opportunity to confirm their interpretation of what they received by inviting them in a sincere way to do so.  If you are unsure yourself, ask for clarity in a courteous manner.
4. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.  Stephen Coveys fifth habit of highly effective people. In taking the time to understand the other correspondents position the dynamic of the communication changes.  If the response makes you angry, formulate your reply as brief as possible and reiterate your required outcome.
5. Acknowledge receipt.  Circumstances permitting, you don't need to respond to an email immediately, but you should acknowledge receipt as soon as possible.  A "thank you for your email.  I will respond to you before close of business" as example is sufficient.
6. Keep your promise.  If you said you will respond by close of business make a point of doing so.  Slipping up on a promise to reply is not only counter productive it could create the perception that you are not interested or don't care, which could create a barrier.  If you do forget to respond, reply at your first opportunity with an apology and short explanation to help the receiver understand the circumstances. This can happen to anyone.
7. Less is more.  Shorter emails require less concentration and minimises the chances of confusing your recipient with too much information.
8. Clarity in lay-out.  How you compose the lay-out of your email's can also make a huge difference between what information is actually received vs information that may be missed, create confusion, or may be perceived as threatening .  Use the "sandwich" method to ensure optimum clarity.  The opening sentence or paragraph should establish open communication and reinforce the relationship in a positive tone.  The second sentence should start as a new paragraph, this is your opportunity to be as candid as possible in a professional way.  Use bullets or numbering if you need to list more than one thing. The closing sentence or paragraph should focus on your required outcome. Ensure you end the communication in a positive tone to rule out the possibility of your recipient misunderstanding the "tone" of your email.

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