In a recent conference I was struck by the differences between two executives. Executive A – for he shall remain nameless- came across as a live wire. Though he was about 40 years old, data spewed forth like a machine gun. It was very evident that he had his facts and figures on his finger tips. Answers to queries were answered with confidence and they came at a well modulated speed- neither too fast nor too slow. He was alert, maintained good eye contact and made a very favorable impression.
Executive B – who shall also not be named- was a different story altogether. Although he had been on the job longer than A, he was groping for details. His answers were not fluent. They were halting and it appeared that he was straining to put things together in his mind before making a point or answering a question.