In the tech industry, being on the keynote stage is a critical rite of passage – whether you’re presenting at a big industry conference or your own company’s annual user conference. (A TED talk is another animal. Different audience, different rules.)
So, it’s almost time for your big talk at Giant.con! You’ve immersed yourself for weeks in getting your message, your slides and your demos perfect. You’ve choreographed every moment. You’ve been coached. You’ve rehearsed beyond the point of reason.
Sadly, no matter how much work you’ve put in, your audience is jaded. They have been in these massive convention center auditoriums and hotel ballrooms dozens of times before. Here’s what’s often going on in their heads:
- What’s in this keynote for me?
- I wish I’d eaten another muffin.
- What’s on TechCrunch this morning?
- Where the hell is my sales team? Why weren’t they at the booth?
- Am I ever going to see a truly interesting demo?
- I’m tired. How long is this guy going to talk?
- He’s right about ___________.
- Who just texted me? There’s no reception down here!
- Wait, did I just miss something?
So how do you reach a distracted, jaded audience of hundreds or thousands sitting in the darkened auditorium? You help them. You create and deliver a captivating crescendo.
You emphasize your most important message with your voice and your gestures so people know when to perk up and pay attention. You tell a story that illustrates your key point so people absorb the content with a different part of their brains. You build your strongest visuals and music into your crescendo.
In short, you bring everything you’ve got to your one big idea. Your capture not just brains, but also hearts and minds as you communicate on several levels at once. And then, for at least a few vital minutes, your audience will put down their phones and be captivated by the power of your idea!
Communication is the essential last mile in finding and motivating the right teams, acquiring strong allies, powerfully bonding with customers, and capturing mindshare with compelling stories. Nothing will serve you and your vision better than developing exceptional communication skills.
