Last month I heard Seth Godin speak at the Small Biz Summit in New York City. He was there to promote his new book, Linchpin. It was the first time I'd heard him speak and he blew me away! I turned to my friend and said, "Now that's a professional speaker!." What was it about Seth's presentation that was so exciting?First, he had a very challenging room set-up. It was two rooms in one divided by a wall with the stage angled between both audiences. The two audiences could only see part of the other room of people. Yet, as a masterful public speaker, Seth pivoted between the two groups with ease never losing the connection.
His energy and enthusiasm never waned. He was so passionate about his subject that we hung on his every word.
But he didn't rely on energy alone.There was substance combined with the sizzle. His message warned us that complacency in our businesses or careers would render us obsolete. This was based on trends that he studied.
The final reason he captured and kept our attention was his PowerPoint. Yes, PowerPoint. Every slide was a picture. We couldn't dismiss him and read the slides. Like a good ad, the visuals flashed before us with each point burned into our brains.
We left his presentation informed, entertained, motivated, and inspired. Each person received a complimentary copy of his book. And the greatest gift was the gift of himself. He stayed behind to sign each book. Public Speaking Lessons Learned: Work the room Be entertaing Engage the audience Energy and passion sell Choose visual images over words Deliver a message with substance Offer a gift Stay behind to talk
