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Named from the Germanic god, Tiw, and associated with Mars. Mars is known as the 'Red Planet' so make it a red letter day for your business. Public speaking is as alien to many business people as a being from Mars. However, it is one of the most important skills that anyone in business can learn. Becoming adept in addressing new people in groups of all sizes from one upwards is simpler than many people think and there is help at hand.

Last week, I talked about making an unusual introduction to new prospective customers. Since then, many have said that it is all very well to talk about such introductinos but this area of their work bothers them.

That is no real surprise as many people cite public speaking as their biggest fear, even greater than death itself. In this context 'public' can mean any number of people tha you don't necessarily know, from one upwards.

How to overcome the reticence that so many people feel to open up and talk about their business then? The most reliable method that I have found in 37 years of addressing new people, either individually or in groups, is preparation. You may be familiar with the 'Five Ps' rule which states that Preparation and Practice Prevent Poor Performance. Addressing groups of people is all about confidence and the best way to be confident is to know exactly what you are going to say.

By having a series of ready made presentations at your disposal, you can be confident in what you are saying and present your business in a much better light. This arsenal of presentations can cover a wide range of common situations such as

• A few seconds introduction to a stranger
• A succinct sales oriented answer to the question "What do you do?"
• A short intro presnetation up to a minute for networking meetings
• A more detailed presentation of several minutes to address groups
• A full, detailed sales presentation including visual aids to present your business