Conquering Glossophobia
Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, affects up to 75% of the population to some degree (Psycom.net). Most of the M&A Broker’s job is some form of public speaking – things like cold calls, sales pitches, constant networking, and presentations to a handful of people in a boardroom or an auditorium of professionals make up the bulk of our lives. Do these tasks make you nervous or downright filled with dread? On March 10-12th, M&A Source will partner with Kennesaw College to offer “Presentation Skills for Professional Advisors” to make this often stressful part of our days easier and more productive.
The course offers sessions on preparing your material for various presentation types, tools, and tips to make you a more engaging speaker and gives extensive feedback as you progress. Phil King of M&A Evolution in Ontario, Canada, says, “Putting it all together through filmed practice sessions and being able to watch myself present was one of the most revealing aspects. Being able to see what the audience sees and being able to adjust and correct became an easy exercise. Then watching another filmed practice session with the improvements each of us were able to incorporate. The sense of personal improvement was astonishing. More importantly, I was now able to perceive how an individual, a small group or even a large audience could be so much more engaged and participatory in a dialogue or presentation by using the techniques identified and taught during the course from multiple instructors”
Whether you are an experienced public speaker or are just getting started, Presentation Skills for Professional Advisors might only partially relieve your Glossophobia. Still, the skills you learn will make you far more prepared and effective and ultimately improve your comfort level whenever you find yourself in front of a group. “I thought I was a pretty good speaker going into Course 600, but quickly realized there’s a LOT more to public speaking. While IBBA Chairman at the 2019 conference I had many speaking responsibilities, sometimes in front of hundreds of members. The skills taught in the 600 Course allowed me to not only survive it – but actually enjoy it!” commented Jeff Snell of Enlign Business Brokers in Raleigh, North Carolina. From negotiating for your clients to advocating for a new dog park to your community leaders, facilitating a workgroup to talking in front of the school board, you will use these skills on the daily.
Mark Travis, CM&AP
The NYBB Group
Mark is a Certified Merger & Acquisition Professional with The NYBB Group and a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson with NYBB Commercial Real Estate, Inc. He helps clients with matters relating to mergers and acquisitions, exit strategies, business valuations, and real estate. Mark’s clients include entrepreneurs, private equity groups and other financial sponsors, and lower middle-market companies with annual revenues of $5 million to $50 million. He represents clients across a variety of industries, with a special focus on service and manufacturing.
Mark has over 30 years of experience as a business consultant. He began his career as an internal auditor for a regional retail operation. Thereafter, he was the co-owner of an IT consulting company. For the last 14 years, Mark worked with an upstate NY brokerage firm run by an icon in the M&A world. This experience helped him refine the skills of a marketing professional, business broker, and dealmaker.
Mark recently joined The NYBB Group to continue to bring world-class, M&A resources to the upstate New York area. He is a persistent marketer who enjoys the “deep dive” into various projects to achieve the best transaction possible for his clients. Mark holds a BS in Economics from St. Lawrence University. He is married and has three children in college.
