Power of the Spoken Word

I spent yesterday listening to other speakers being videoed as they presented bits and pieces of their keynotes on a big stage.

Specialize

I live in Portland where a young man started a business called Video Narrative. Chris decided early on to concentrate his services on the needs of professional speakers. He learned the principles of developing a brand based on a story narrative. I’ve watched him develop his skills and that of his staff to the point where he is the “go to guy” for the video needs of keynoters across the USA.

Tell me who your audience is

Chris asked each of the talented folks that took the stage to begin with:

• Identify yourself in a brief phrase

• Tell us the kind of organizations that hire you

• Paint a picture of the people that attend your presentations

Generic versus specific

I’m known for brand building and for the development of 30-Second MarketingTM to replace those awful elevator speeches that people spout at you. One of the things I noticed yesterday was that I could tell the experience or marketing savvy of the speaker by the way they answered those introductory questions.

Generic descriptions such as “I’m a life coach” or “I do motivational keynotes” are not very powerful.

On the other hand, would you like to hear from one of these?

• “I’m a historian who can see the future”

• “I tell executives why that balanced life stuff is bullshit”

• “Safety isn’t boring. I show companies how to make it sticky.”

They all presented bits and pieces of their presentations for about 15 minutes each.

He had me at the day after

He is new to speaking and identified himself before each mini-presentation with the phrase, “I’m the historian who can see the future.” His first step into the past took you to a New York airport the day after PanAm shut down. He walked you through a terminal where there were no ticket agents, no passengers and no announcement to go find a white telephone. With him we looked out the windows to see 747’s drawn up at boarding gates surrounded by tugs and baggage carts all decked out with the “blue meatball.” Nothing moving.

Then he explained what led up to that day including a loan from Delta to attempt a last-minute save and avoid a declaration of bankruptcy. He presented the causes that led to the demise of a brand known around the world. He explained the rise of the waters inside the company that swept it away.

Then he provided a glimpse of the future impacts of global warming and suggested the mental preparation needed in corporations and industries just to survive. Yes, I was on board to learn more.

Balance Bullshit

She was no spring chicken. Attitude is what she radiated. She wore a jacket that every woman in the audience remarked on. Some of the guys went so far as to say they would like one just like it if they could figure out where to show it off.

We learned how she coped with being a single mother running a charity out of her living room got to the point where a lot of executives find themselves... trying to find their way out of a morass of business problems complicated by too little time to attend to family matters.

Her solution? There is no such thing as a balance because the parts of your life are inextricably intertwined. It is one thing. Trying to get to balance only exacerbates the problem. Each day you must take control of that singular schedule. Each day you can put “family time” into your schedule. Each day you need to set aside time away from the technology and use that time to re-energize.

She cited evidence from scientific tests for all of her suggestions. The one that sticks in my mind is the remarkable effect on productivity of getting away from all technology for one hour before going to bed for 7 to 8 hours of sleep.

Sticky Safety

This was an old pro who has earned the highest honors the National Speakers Association conveys. He is a master of injecting laughter and story into his presentations. He will use whatever is at hand to generate a lasting (sticky) connection.

He began by portraying what it was like in a former position as an executive commanded to attend a “remedial safety training.” He explained that he, along with his boss and his boss’s boss all had to attend when someone read the notes from the safety lecture they had all missed. He showed us how he was in danger of face planting on the table and resorted to trying to “MacGyver” a way out of the room when all he had was a pen and a pad of paper. Finally, he threw the pen out the door of the classroom and said, “Oh, is that my pen?” walked through the door and picked up his pen. His boss’s pen hit him in the backside and they both made their escape!

He had to stop several times over the next five minutes because the laughter in the auditorium was so loud we couldn’t hear him! He and I talked afterwards. This safety schtick is a new one for him. It comes out of listening to his clients who are asking him to find a way to make Safety training more “sticky.” If he is on the agenda, I’m there!

The moral to the story

The lesson in all this is that you need to listen to your clients and prospects to understand what gets their attention and bring the power of three things to your ability to connect:

1. Tell them in a memorable way what you do

2. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo

His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for Trust-based Brand development, Positioning and business development for independent professionals on and off-line.

Consulting: www.JerryFletcher.com
Speaking: www.NetworkingNinja.com
DIY Training: www.ingomu.com