After you return from a marathon shopping trip, your aunt taunts you with arched eyebrows and a sardonic smirk. "Where have you been all day?" she asks. "Bought out the entire superstore, eh?"

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	In an advertising agency, ensure your creative input gets attention by keeping communications clear and avoiding sending out any negative non-verbal messages.

Apart from the inevitability of aunts' remarks, wouldn't it have been better if she had said those same words without the accompanying theatrics?

Now imagine somebody angrily shouting at another about some mistake yet smiling all the while. Sound nutty? You bet it does! But it exemplifies the power of gesture, expression, and tone of voice.

It Shows!

In an advertising agency, how can you ensure your creative input gets attention? Simple. Keep communications clear, and do not send out any negative non-verbal messages. This is crucial. Whenever a team is involved, avoid sending mixed signals.

You're probably familiar with this scenario: one person stands with his back to the wall, hands folded across his chest, while the other shuffles his feet, looking everywhere but into the speaker's eyes. After a while, the "shuffler" declares he has no problems with anything or anybody and is quite satisfied with his situation.

Each of the participants in this exchange has a problem. The former appears closed off to whatever it is the latter wants to convey; the latter recognizes this and has decided to acquiesce by telling the former what he wants to hear.

Enact Your Ideas.

In advertising, every idea can take one of two paths. It can dissolve into nothing, or it can blossom into a successful creative project—one that promotes the brand evocatively and influences consumer decisions.

However, as in sales and many other industries, business depends upon relationships with clients and their satisfaction. As advertising professionals must present ideas in an environment where they will be judged quite critically, they cannot simply sell their ideas; they need to enact them.

In clearer terms, this means they must be expressive when getting their points across. They cannot simply read from printed sheets. Great ideas, like great speeches, will get ignored if they are not presented dynamically.

A good presenter melds a pleasant tone with appropriate facial expressions and body language. Voice is a big component, but one doesn't need to have a resounding voice to be a good presenter. The elements you can control are your tone and your expression. These, combined with a well-written script, can grab the attention of even the most cynical of listeners.

One note here: your presentation will generate interest if it reflects your innermost thoughts. You must believe in what you have to say and demonstrate confidence in your mode of delivery. Are you happy about your presentation? Does it do your idea justice?

Watch How You Say It.

Imagine a classroom in which every student wears a deadpan expression. Scientist Albert Mehrabian identifies three elements of communication: words, tone of voice, and body language. According to Mehrabian, each of these elements plays a part in conveying a coherent message.

This means it pays to watch your tone and body language. When a child leans over a counter and looks longingly at the food displayed beneath it, you do not need to guess whether she's hungry!

Our internal thoughts come alive in our body language even when we are not aware of it. Many well-intentioned discussions go wrong because of an unconscious lift of the eyebrow or slight frown. If you believe in what you are saying, your presentation will convey your interest and confidence, even if your idea is ill-formed.

Is It Such a "Bad" Idea?

Conversely, if you attempt to present an idea you do not feel strongly about, your lack of confidence will definitely show. However, since it is impossible to like all ideas at all times, you can try polishing up your presentation skills when forced to present "bad" proposals.

Practice this with family members or friends if they are free, or simply watch yourself in a mirror. Enact your "bad" idea with as much enthusiasm and interest as you can and observe how your presentation comes across. Perhaps you will find that the idea isn't so bad that it needs to be thrown out and that, with proper attention to non-verbal signals, it can be proposed persuasively.

On the net:

Albert Mehrabian
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Mehrabian

Body Language
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_language

The Language of Advertising
www.stanford.edu/class/linguist34/Unit_12/index.htm

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