Tomorrow morning I'm off to Vegas to speak at The Rental Show – one of the premiere trade shows in the United States as ranked by Tradeshow Week magazine.
Why am I excited? For one thing, I'm ready. Having prepared myself well relaxes me enough that I can enjoy the ride and fully engage with my audience.
In addition to that, on my way back home I'm visiting Zappos at their headquarters in Henderson. If you are a regular reader of JeffKorhan.com, you know I've blogged a number of times about Zappos since CEO Tony Hsieh's book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
I am especially excited to experience what I am told will be an unforgettable tour, as well as having some Q & A time with Zappos management to learn more about their culture and core values – which especially interests me.
When opportunities like this come up, you want to be prepared – for all of it. So, it is ironic that while I was preparing for this weekend when I'll be delivering several presentations, and then visiting with the Zappos team, I came across a New York Times article in which Tony Hsieh proclaims his new presentation advice – just wing it!
Just Wing It?
Evidently Tony used to write out his script word-for-word and then memorize it. That didn't work, which should not surprise you. Memorization disconnects you from the audience.
Here's what engages you with that audience -it's what Tony refers to as winging it:
1. Be passionate
2. Tell personal stories
3. Be real
I'm sure most professional speakers would agree with this basic advice that has worked so well for Tony. However, you are not Tony, and that's why those words wing it still bother me. What Tony meant by that is that if you really know your material and have personally experienced those stories, going with the flow will will again put you into the moment.
The secret to winging it is owning your material like nobodies business. If you have read Delivering Happiness, you know that Tony has experienced every facet of Zappos from the ground up. And having just written a book about it, you can bet he has relived it countless times.
That's the element of winging it that I'm afraid some may miss. Winging it is appropriate if you are ready. And being ready is absolute – you either are or you are not. Anything less than ready leaves room for doubt to creep in, and as a presenter, I can tell you it can happen in an instant.
That's when winging it can become like a ball of yarn that is quickly unraveling – only now its you in front of hundreds of people.
How to Wing it With Confidence
This weekend I plan to do exactly what Tony has suggested. However, I know that finding that passion, and telling those stories in a real and authentic way is not as easy as it may seem. Nevertheless, I have a suggestion that will make it as easy as Tony suggests.
I don't know Tony Hsieh, but anyone that would take the effort to write out a presentation and memorize it has attention to detail. When you blog on a regular basis, and do your best to tell personal stories with passion, you personally experience them, and that translates to something that comes alive on stage.
It also translates equally well to selling more effectively to customers, and working with vendors, investors, and business partners. When you consistently work at expressing your experiences through blogging, it is nearly impossible not to be real – to be authentic. Let's face it, there are a lot of people watching. You have to get it right.
So, if you want to get better at whatever you do, consider blogging.
It's a great way to release your passion, to share personal stories that will help your audience – your prospects, customers, and influencers – and it most definitely brings out of you what is real – that thing that aligns you well with your ideal customers.
In your small business, they are your audience.
Have a great weekend and look for some cool stories from this trip in future posts.
Jeff
Photo Credit: djfpaagman
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