The greatest class reunion in history. How can you capture the attention of thousands of people? Speak on the Shoulders of Giants

Dynamic Marketing Communiqué
Wednesdays: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants

At our recent CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) event that had more than 600 attendees, our CEO’s power opener was about the greatest class reunion in history.

He showed a picture of that reunion, which was attended by several billionaires, including Ben Graham.

Speziale, Robin R., [Photograph of Buffett and Graham]. Retrieved from www.robinrspeziale.com/2017/09/08/warren-buffett-benjamin-graham-and-geico-growth-story/

This immediately caught everyone’s attention. People at the event wanted to know the story behind that photo and why all those billionaires were gathered in one place.

They wanted to know how all these billionaires and investing gurus ended up posing in one photo.

It turns out, they were all students of Ben Graham.

Warren Buffett, Charles Munger, Tom Knapp and Ed Anderson of Tweedy Browne, Walter Schloss, William Ruane, David Sanford “Sandy” Gottesman—ALL OF THEM were in that photo.

How had so many investing billionaires all been taught by the same teacher, and even showed up for a single reunion and class picture?

Because of this interesting opening to our CEO’s presentation at the CFA event, all the attendees’ eyes were on him. All of them were ready to listen to his discussion and what he had to say next.

This public speaking secret is called THE POWER OPENER.

James C. Humes’ book, “Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln” contains powerful secrets of the greatest speakers in history. One of those secrets is the Power Opener.

All of the most famous speeches by the most famous leaders had the power to capture their audience’s attention.

The first 10 seconds…

Can you make an immediate impact?

What good is speaking if no one is listening or at least interested in listening?

You need to open your speech, presentation, or conversation with a bang!

Not necessarily being loud or anything like that. Projecting your voice is important, of course, but what we mean is capturing your audience’s attention within the first few seconds.

“The prime time of any talk or presentation you give is during your opening words.”

Whoever you’re talking to, they are waiting to hear what you have to say and what you sound like. So, don’t start with anything boring like,

“Hi, my name is John. Thank you for inviting me to speak at this event.”

Meh. Not exciting at all.

Start with a dramatic statement or an ear-catching line, a personal anecdote (tug at your audience’s heartstrings or tickle their funny bone), or reveal a startling fact.

Start with something compelling, something unexpected.

Try considering a power opener for your next meeting or presentation! We’re sure it’ll make a positive impact and lasting impression. 😉

About The Dynamic Marketing Communique’s
“Wednesdays: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants”

In a meeting with one person

…a boardroom with five people

…or a huge venue with hundreds of people

—whatever the situation or setting, it’s very important to learn and eventually master the art of public speaking.

No matter what, you always need to effectively get your message across.

What good is a presentation with awesome content if you don’t deliver it properly?

Every Wednesday, we publish different tips, insights, and secrets on how you can improve your presentation skills to captivate your audience and lead interesting discussions.

The need for great presentation skills applies EVERYWHERE.

(Small meetings with your team, big meetings with your boss, an important marketing pitch, speaking engagements for events with a big audience, etc.)

Learning these skills is not just for the corporate world. Being in other industries such as the Arts, Information Technology, Medicine, and Education while knowing how to present well will definitely give you an edge.

Have that advantage.

Hope you’ve found this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful.

Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!

Cheers,

Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
Powered by Valens Research
www.valens-research.com

This content is used with permission from The I Institute and The Business Builder Daily.

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