by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
You have thirty seconds to command the attention of your
audience. Don't waste it!
Jim Rohn, the incredible motivational speaker, and I were on a
program in Australia together. He said, "An impressive introduction
may leave your audience thinking, 'So what?' You want them to
think 'Me too!'" You're helping them to tie into your ideas or beliefs--to
relate quickly to a shared point of view.
Lou Dobbs, from Money Line on CNN, and I were speaking for
the Young Presidents Organization in Atlanta. These YPO
members are all very successful and some rather cocky. In
conversation with me, a couple admitted to us in advance: "We're
very obnoxious. You're lucky our families are here for Family
University because we have to be more humble when our kids
are around."
Lou Dobbs did the most masterful job of connecting with such
a self-important audience. After his intro, Lou said, "There's one
credential and award that the emcee didn't tell you about. Last year,
here in Atlanta, the Chamber of Commerce proclaimed me Father of
the Year. They gave me a plaque at an impressive award ceremony
where I gave a speech. Then I went home and was showing off my
trophy. My teenaged son looked at it and said, 'Uh--who actually
voted on this award, Dad?'"
The Young Presidents all laughed. Lou was gently warning these
fellow-parents that, no matter how impressed the outside world is
with us, none of us will ever get the respect we feel we deserve
from our teenagers. It was a wonderful opening, a really good
example of finding an immediate connection with the audience.
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Patricia Fripp, CSP,
CPAE is a San Francisco-based executive speech coach, sales trainer, and
award-winning professional speaker on Change, Customer Service, Promoting
Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You
Want!, Make It, SoYou Don't Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of
the National Speakers Association. She can be reached at: PFripp@Fripp.com,
1-800 634-3035, http://www.fripp.com
We offer this article
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