From the course: How to Turn Your Entrepreneur Journey into a Successful Keynote Talk

The speaking game has changed

From the course: How to Turn Your Entrepreneur Journey into a Successful Keynote Talk

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The speaking game has changed

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- One day I was giving a free talk for a former teacher at a college, and I got a parking ticket that day. It was raining, and of course, I forgot my umbrella. Needless to say, it just wasn't my day. As I walked into this classroom, I just couldn't muster up this polished talk show personality that I thought I had to be. So instead I just walked in that class, and for the first time, I was completely myself. I talked about times I had failed. I talked about all the crazy things I did to get my startup off the ground. And, I pulled simple lessons that I thought were useful that I learned from these experiences. And that was the speech that made me a speaker. It was the first time I had a line of people waiting to talk to me. It was the first time I walked away and didn't feel like I just performed a show because there was no act. Speaking is not about expert lecturing. It's about inspirational storytelling. People don't want to be told what to do. They want to be inspired to change in their own way. Think about the last speaker you heard that made a lasting impression on you. Likely he or she shared a story that was coupled with a greater takeaway. Great speakers don't flood you with charts of research or complex theories or successful resume of their accomplishments. The best speakers don't focus on information. They focus on transformation. Think about a speech that has stuck with you over the years. Maybe something you heard in person or watched online. What was it about that talk that stuck with you? Was it a story or a lecture? As you go through this course, remember that you don't have to have a library named after you or a statue in your honor to become a speaker. The best speakers are the ones that an audience can relate to and see themselves in. Your product you sell in your business isn't the only thing that can provide value to people, your stories can too.

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