Donna Morea, president of CGI Group Inc.’s U.S., Europe and Asia business was kind enough to share her thoughts with me on how effective, personal communication by a CEO can make the difference between a successful merger and acquisition and a failed one. You’ll find Ms. Morea’s insights in the latest edition of my column in the Washington Business Journal, Speaking to Rise. (The full text may be locked for a week or two.)

Here’s a sample of what she had to say: “I think it’s mandatory that employees, clients and others hear the voices and see the faces of the executives involved. Interaction with our leadership team gives them the chance not only to hear the message, but to get a true sense of who our executives are and that we mean what we say.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

The August 16 Wall Street Journal has a terrific article “The Gift of Gab,”  in its Small Business Section. (The online version may be locked for a while.) The author, Barbara Haislip, interviews a range of entrepreneurs and business experts. Her conclusion: “Give a speech. Win a client.”

The article notes that public speaking gives entrepreneurs a way to share their expertise much more effectively than a sales call or a booth at a conference. In particular, giving a speech lets you appear as a thought leader to an audience that wants to hear you.

Still, as the article notes, speaking can be challenging. The business people in the article (and I) recommend practice, practice, practice wherever and whenever you get the chance.
And once you get over your stage fright, work hard on the content of your speech and seek out great real-life examples. As Haislip notes, “Audiences respond strongly to stories.”

The latest edition of my column in the Washington Business Journal, Speaking to Rise, focuses on the special challenges facing women executives when they give speeches and presentations. Kathy Clark, CEO of Smarthinking Inc., along with
communications strategists Susan Peterson and Denise Graveline offer observations.

For example, Clark notes that  “Sometimes women fear that because we’re women, if we share personal things, we’ll be perceived as not being professional. In my experience, it’s just the opposite.”

The latest edition of my column in the Washington Business Journal, Speaking to Rise, focuses on the role of speeches and presentations by senior executives in the government contracting business. I interviewed Tim Dowd, the CEO of Input, which helps companies develop business with federal, state and local governments; and Kevin Parker, CEO of Deltek Inc., which provides enterprise software for project-driven businesses, including many of the nation’s largest government contractors.

Interesting observations, including:

“I can say things at staff meetings, but the organization tends to react more to things I say publicly than internally,” Dowd said. “The message often has more power when people hear me say it at a public event or see it in the press.”

Parker revealed that he’s not “a deep technical guy.”  “But one of the skills I do have”, he explained, “is the ability to take something very complex and distill it down. I can explain it in a way that will resonate with a large group of people so a complex idea becomes a compelling idea.”

In The Washington Post’s On Leadership blog I got the chance to offer some advice to CEOs about how they can use stories to boost the impact of their speeches. Here’s a key paragraph, and you’ll find the rest online.

The most effective politicians know how powerful the stories of individuals can be in driving home their point. Business executives, on the other hand, tend to shy away from stories. They are much more comfortable with statistics, chains of logic, quotes from business experts, etc. Those elements are important, of course, but well-chosen stories, offer something more. They are a great way to connect with an audience, humanize issues, and make listeners remember message points.