Tom was hired to replace a well-loved CIO no one had wanted to leave.
He was getting ready for an upcoming presentation on stage at a major company conference where the CEO was going to formally introduce him to the organization and also to customers. Thousands would be in his audience. They would also record Tom’s presentation and post the video online.
The pressure was on and Tom was feeling it. He was filled with anxiety.
He came to me for coaching because, in the span of 30 minutes, he needed to “hit it out of the park,” impress them, establish his credibility, convince everyone he was the right choice for CIO and inspire them about the future under his leadership.
His goal was to “Wow” them. And to do it without being filled with anxiety the entire time.
When I asked him what he thought about connecting with the audience he said, “Of course I want to connect with them, that’s very important.”
But his idea of it was that he wanted to connect in order to “Wow” them with how great he was at connecting.
Impressing the audience is the wrong goal. If this is ever your objective, you’ll give yourself anxiety and disappoint yourself with an unsatisfying outcome.
Why? Because you’re attempting to do something outside of your control and everyone can feel it.
Plus, it turns audiences cold. It looks like you’re trying too hard. It’s obvious and very amateur.
In Tom’s case, it was even worse. In his tremendous effort to hide his anxiety, he came across as arrogant. Ironic, isn’t it?
What Tom needed to do was CONNECT with his audience.
When we first talked about this, he had the mistaken idea that the connection would be created through his words and stories. Yes, words are needed and stories are good, but they only work if YOU connect with the audience first.
The word connect means to join or unite. You UNITE with the audience. With your being.
This is what I coached Tom on. When he forgot about “Wowing” and truly CONNECTED, his anxiety disappeared. His whole self was completely WITH the audience, he didn’t even look at his slides. His spontaneity erupted and he communicated passionately from his heart. You could feel the full horsepower of his true self.
When the presentation happened, Tom owned the room, established a solid connection, and came across with self-confidence, warmth, and remarkable executive presence. He looked great in the video. He was very happy.
Remember this:
The harder you try to “Wow” them, the less impressed they will be. The more you truly connect with your audience, not with your words but with YOU, the more they will be converted to your point of view and the more moved and inspired they will become.
When you connect, you don’t have to worry about converting them. They convert themselves because they really get it.
“Wow” happens organically…and it looks like magic.
Even YOU would be “Wowed” by the unforgettable experience you create being totally yourself.
Get what’s truly important right, and your presentation will be a hit, for the audience and for you.
This is our focus during each and even Transformative Presentation Skills workshop. Our next one is coming up at the end of the month.
The workshop earned its name because it accurately describes the power of the skills we teach.
You don’t need to “Wow” anyone when you understand how to completely transform them.
Be the cause!