Earlier this week I stumbled upon one of the worst quotes I've ever heard:
“In order to be successful, one must project an image of success at all times.” – Buddy Kane
As I sat at my desk shaking my head...
I quickly found out that Buddy was a sleazy real estate king, played by Peter Gallagher in the film, American Beauty.
I've never seen the 1999 movie, yet, I instantly developed a disliking for our boy Buddy!
Here are 3 words that stopped me in my tracks:
"...at all times"
Seriously...?
This teaches people that perfection sells.
And when it comes to delivering any presentation, trying to portray an image of perfection is a one-way ticket to failure.
In today's newsletter, I'm going to teach you how to become a charismatic presenter by embracing imperfection.
Let's get it!
Perfection doesn't sell, it repels
Perfection doesn't exist.
In presentations and in life.
Trying to be perceived as a flawless human being is a perfect recipe for disaster as a presenter.
The key lies in being seen as "Extra-Ordinary" as coined by speaking coach, Pat Quinn.
Extra - a person who has achieved something desirable in the eyes of their audience.
Ordinary - a flawed human being who smiles, hurts and bleeds just like you.
Being "Extra" on its own leads to a lack of relatability.
Being "Ordinary" on its own leads to a perceived inability to guide somebody from pain to glory.
But when put together, being seen as "Extra-Ordinary" is how you become authentically charismatic and earn the opportunity to become your audience's trusted guide.
The key lies in what you do in the first few minutes of your presentation.
If done incorrectly, it can truly make or break the rest of your talk.
The answer?
Storytelling.
But more specifically, a short personal story.
Meaning, kick off your presentation with a short personal story.
The goal is to instantly humanize yourself, and open the hearts and minds of your audience, whilst earning the opportunity to become their "Yoda".
Here are 4 tips on how:
Ensure your story is short, ideally around 2 minutes - remember, the longer your story is, the more attention you're demanding from your audience. Keep it punchy, otherwise, you run the risk of losing your audience as a novice storyteller.
Your story must contain an element of vulnerability, whilst simultaneously showcasing learnings or tangible takeaways from the conflict that arose in your narrative. This is how you can be seen as "Extra-Ordinary". Note, define what vulnerability means to you so you don't experience a vulnerability hangover afterwards.
Your core message should tie into the underlying root cause of your audience's BIG problem. For example, let's say somebody's BIG problem is that their business won't grow because they're not posting content on LinkedIn. However, the root cause of their problem is a fear of judgement. Your personal story's core message should tie into the idea of "fear of judgement".
The ugly truth: your audience doesn't care about your accolades, employment history and experience. All they care about is "WIIFM" - What's In It For Me. Ensure your story is designed to solve a problem and give them significance, versus making you feel significant. Remove your ego, you'll be happy you did!
What I'm trying to say is..
Buddy lied to you.
Perfection doesn't sell.
Imperfection does.
Imperfection = connection.
After all, we're all just human beings who are all a work in progress.
Showcasing authentic vulnerability leads to connecting with your audience and engaging in charismatic communication without even trying.
Storytelling is your best bet!
I'll see ya next week.
Much love my friend!
Ravi
P.S. Whenever you're ready, here is 1 way I can support you:
1. [B2B SALES TEAMS & ORGANIZATIONS ONLY] Book me for a storytelling keynote or workshop: Whether it's in person or virtual, to an intimate audience or a room full of thousands, learn more about how your audience can become influential storytellers at your next sales kickoff, offsite or conference.
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