Sharon Fletcher, Miss Corp America
Sharon Fletcher, Mrs Corporate America 2010 talked with us here at The Pageant Planet about mastering the pageant interview. I was at the Ms/Mrs. Corporate America pageant this year and had the opportunity to meet Sharon prior to the competition and really she carried herself as a queen in and out of her evening gown.
The reason I wanted to focus my interview her private pageant interview is due to the fact that professionally she is a business coach and sits on many boards therefore she is constantly interacting, winning over strangers (myself included) and teaching others how to do the same.
Q. How do you mentally prepare yourself before walking through the doors into the pageant interview room?
Sharon: I create a strategy of focus before I ever enter into the interview room. My pageant interview focus is centered around 3 major areas: How I will represent the title that I am competing for, how I project that title to the judges, and knowing what strengths I bring to the table. So as I am waiting outside of the door I mentally go through why I am worthy of the title that I seek.
Then during the pageant interview process my focus is disected into 3 categories, which I feel appeals to my ability to be Mrs Corporate America: my gift to building future leaders, my experience as a working mother, and the fact that I sit on a variety of boards/community functions so I could promote Mrs Corporate America to a variety of companies once I was crowned.
In addition to understanding my strategy, I also create a mental picture of myself being Mrs Corporate America. I ensure that prior to the competition I stay focused and well read on hot topics in leadership and business, which play a vitally important role when you competiting for the title of Mrs Corporate America.
Q. How did you connect with the judges during your private pageant interview when you have such a short period of time?
Sharon: You have got to feed your audience. 85% of what people take from us is during the first impression. Think about that Steven, 85% of what the judges will take from you will be within the first few seconds of them seeing you!
So as a professional woman walking in you have to be thinking to yourself, “How am I
carrying myself to project a polished image”, “What is the position of my body to show confidence and command attention” and “Am I making each individual judge feel like he or she is the only one in the room- how engaging am I?”
Now, since you only have a couple of seconds to WOW the judges you have to make sure when you are walking into the interview room that: your shoulders are back, assuring the alignment of your body, your stomach is tucked and that your walking as if you had a book on your head. Standing tall elicits confidence and being composed allows for the natural grace of your body to shine through. Judges need to feel the title holder can manage themselves in any situation and present a polished, professional,
and comfortable image.
One of my best tips for others is what I learned as a ballerina– When standing in front of the judges pretend that you have an imaginary string on the top of your head to lift yourself out of your rib cage and then pull that imaginary string so that every part of your body is in alignment. Alignment of one’s body naturally allows for a solid stance while introducing yourself to the pageant judges.
Q. What secret tips do you employ to set yourself apart from the other girls in pageant interview.
Sharon: Mentally I focused on me…not anyone else. Often times people think that entering a competition is about those they compete with. I challenge you to think differently- think about competing with yourself; this is an opportunity to learn and grow internally. The good thing about pageantry is that the competition is completely within. I was also very consistent with my behavior. How I interacted with the judges during interview is how I interacted with the audience and contestants during the competition.
You see we train others what to expect from us. For example, if you are always on time people expect you to be on time. If you handle yourself with professionalism then those close to you will always expect that level of professionalism. The same is true with your panel of judges.
Q. What are some of the books that you recommend that the girls read to help them interact better with the judges and to increase their chances of success?
Sharon: Influencer (Patterson), Emotional Intelligence and Social intelligence (author Goleman) which teaches you how to understand your environment and the environment that you project yourself. When you bring out the best in others you bring out the best in yourself. And lastly, I suggest reading, “What Got You Here Wont Get
You There” by Mark Goldstein. I continually strive to look forward, learn
from the past, and maintain a positive attitude about the future.
Sharon Fletcher is a business coach and is
- Certified by the Certified Coaching Federation (CCF)
- Member of the International Association of Coaches (IAC)
- Member of Society of Human Resources (SHRM)
- Member of American Society of Training and Development (ASTD)
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