The Best James Bond?
Everyone has a favorite. Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig and the two other guys have made 22 James Bond installments and every fan thinks his favorite is the best.
So, what makes your favorite Bond the best 007?
Despite playing the same character, each performance, or presentation, has been distinct. Was Sean Connery better than Roger Moore (he was) because he played a better Bond or did his movies have better plots, sets, Q gadgets, or more exotic Bond girls? Maybe it was a little of each.
In my last post, Presentation Magic: From Push to Pull Marketing, I described the impact speaking engagements can have on your business. Public presentations, I argued, can alter your landscape dramatically to the good. The BIG assumption however, is that your presentation is great or at least good.
So how do you ensure you are remembered as one of the big four James Bonds and not one of the “other guys”?
As with each installment of the 007 franchise your presentation’s success comes down to two components done well:
- Your Performance – How you look, your stage presence, timing, delivery and your passion all add up. Frank Damelio of Target Intellect, a frequent NLE member speaker, puts it best when he says “Great ideas are widely available, but the ability to convey them in a way that inspires others to take action . . .” that’s power.
- Your Content – There’s an old saying that goes “you can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig.” It means if your product (in this case your presentation content) stinks there is no amount of window dressing that will make it good. On the other hand, if something is great then you as a presenter really have to work hard to mess it up. The 2005 documentary “The Aristocrats”, while not suitable for those under 18, gives a great example of a joke that works no matter who tells it.
Here are a few things you can do to make sure that you capture your Presentation Magic:
- Attend Frank Damelio’s seminar “Take Your Public Speaking Skills to the Next Level”
- Presentation Zen: Garr Reynolds wrote a must read book and has put together some great presentation tips on his website.
- TED Talks: The best of the best of the best. If you want to see how it should be done this is the place. Notice that most TED Talks observe Presentation Zen and tend to be 20 minutes or less. Below are a few of my favorites: