Reading your slides is about the worst thing you can do in a presentation. Being a clueless narcissist is almost as bad – look what happened to Erlich Bachman.
This arrogant person thinks it is simply amazing to be on stage, and he thinks it is just as amazing for you to have the privilege of basking in his amazing presence. Having a microphone in his hand is what matters to him. He feels great – doesn’t that mean you feel great too?
The clueless narcissist focuses entirely on what he wants to say, without giving a thought to what his audience might want to hear. I hate to break it to you, but when you create a keynote that focuses entirely on your new product features without wrapping it in something that’s truly useful and interesting to your audience, you’re guilty. Remember – your audiences do not find you, your company or your products nearly as interesting as you find yourself, your company or your products.
Always start with those people sitting in the chairs in the auditorium. What are their biggest concerns, obstacles, fears and hopes? What do you have to offer to resolve their problems and make their hopes real? Do you have an inspiring new point of view that will help them define even more exciting hopes? That’s what you focus on when you are on stage. Yes, you can weave in news and demos of your amazing product to show your audience that what you build can help them realize their dreams and surmount their obstacles. Products in context are great. Products alone are super boring.
It’s never about you. It’s always about them.
Your business must scale, and you must scale with it. You need to hire a great team, forge strong customer relationships and lead your market with a powerful point of view. You can do none of these things without exceptional communication skills. Click here to receive pragmatic communications advice in your inbox every month.
