You’d think introducing yourself to an audience would be a relatively easy task. The reality is this: Those first couple of minutes of “your story” can make or break the rest of the presentation. When you think about it, it’s a bit ironic; one of the most challenging parts of a presentation may very well be what you tell your audience about yourself.
When I first became a professional speaker, I actually looked forward to telling the audience my story. As far as I was concerned, it was an inspirational journey that was sure to fire them up. And it had so many good parts. For instance, when I first took the stage, I felt compelled to tell the audience:
- After graduating from college, my first job at New York Life & the lessons I learned there, including the successes and failures of that first job.
- My entry into the world of training, and my job at CSC, and the Xerox training center, and the challenges I faced, lessons learned trying to climb the ladder.
- My decision to leave Xerox and begin my own professional speaking career, challenges I faced, lessons learned, clients I worked with, and books written.
It may seem like a lot of information, but I can assure you, I kept asking myself, “Which parts aren’t important to my story?” Within a few weeks, I learned how to deliver all of it in under six minutes. The more I told it, the better I got at telling it, and with the stories, analogies, teaching points, and well-placed humor I began to weave in, my story got a little longer… but boy, was it entertaining!
Before I knew it, that opening had swelled to over ten minutes. I told myself, “I know I only have 60 minutes for this keynote, but this is part of the show. Every piece of this story matters. Besides, I tell it so well!” And therein lies the problem.
Learning to tell a story well doesn’t mean the audience will receive it well.
This particular story, what I like to call “the story of you,” may be incredibly interesting to you, but what about the most important people in the room: your audience. Yes, the audience wants to know who you are, and a lifeless read of your bio isn’t going to accomplish that. The question is this: How long do you really think they’ll sit back and patiently listen to you talk about you… even if you do tell it brilliantly?
My answer: 60 seconds.
Fear not! You don’t need to speak faster; you need to speak smarter. You can pair “the story of you” down and not have to worry that poor audience of yours missed something important. If you have points to make, analogies to share, or killer jokes to deliver, you don’t have to deliver them all at once. The fact is, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to sprinkle them in throughout your presentation.
As for me, once my story is out of the way, and while I still have the audience’s attention, I’d rather spend the next minute or two explaining what’s in it for them to listen to the presentation I’m about to deliver. Now that’s a story an audience wants to hear!
My new podcast, The Presentation Whisperer Show, is up and running! You’ll hear candid conversations with top professional speakers, seasoned trainers, and authors finding their voice. We’ll be uncovering the secrets behind powerful delivery and go beyond the surface to reveal what really makes a presentation resonate. Whether you’re a keynote speaker, a trainer, or simply someone with a message to share, you’ll walk away with practical tools and inspiring ideas to elevate your delivery. Give it a try! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-presentation-whisperer-show/id1844512932
Because every presentation matters.
To all fans of The Blarticle®
After sixteen years and over 500 posts, I’ve gathered some of my very best into a new book: It’s a Blarticle®! 45 Quick, Powerful Lessons in Persuasion, Performance & Personal Growth.
You can find it now at all major online retailers, including Amazon, in both paperback and eBook formats…
…but since you’ve made it this far, I’ll take that as proof you’re a true Blarticle® fan! I’d like to thank you with a free copy of the eBook. Grab yours here: https://jolles-associates.kit.com/ebook
I hope you enjoy it, and as always, I hope you and can take something from it.
Stop Winging It. Start Winning It.
Whether you’re on stage or in the sales seat, there’s a smarter way to show up.
From keynotes that land, to sales tactics that stick, I coach my clients to perform like pros!
If you’re serious about raising your game, let’s talk.
If you follow me on LinkedIn, and I sure hope you do, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-jolles-8a459b12/ I recently started a newsletter! It’s called, “When Every Word Matters,” a biweekly dose of tips, tactics, and techniques to boost your communication game! If you aren’t connected with me on LinkedIn, reach out! https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-jolles
What do you get when combine energy, enthusiasm… and great content? You get a “Pocket Sized Pep Talk,” and there are now over 500 of them! Tune in and you’ll hear a collection of conversations, interviews, and even some BLArticles® that are sure to teach, motivate, inspire, and oh yes; entertain! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pocket-sized-pep-talks/id1497772972