I didn’t know what to expect. I was asked to speak to students at my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, at the McCombs School of Business. I was a Marketing major back in my day. This was the first time I was able to accept the invitation to come “back home” since I left. I was excited…
but…
We have all heard the expression familiarity breeds contempt. It also breeds complacency. I was geared up for either a warm reception as a successful alum who is coming back to share insider secrets about how to make it in the real world, or I would be seen as ‘some dude who is keeping us from being able to eat the free food they promised.’
The group that brought me in was formed to foster minority achievement. In my mind, because the person who invited me was black, I figured I was going to be speaking to a sea of black folks. Oh, I was going to let them have it! I had a whole list of topics I was going to address, from minority achievement to debunking the stereotypes on campus and in life. To my surprise, that night, “minority” meant anyone who saw the flyer and wanted to show up. The audience looked like the United Nations. Only two black males showed up. I was pissed about that…but that’s another topic for another day. We are our OWN worst enemy!
I had to quickly adjust my message so I wasn’t too slanted toward the African American perspective. Because most of my audiences are white, I am already used to telling my story from a more universal perspective so everyone can feel included. But this was a little different. I had to totally scrap the plan I had so I didn’t sound like Al Sharpton on the mic.
SPRINKLE OF WISDOM:
Connection is connection. It doesn’t matter who you’re talking to, you still have to figure out what aspects of your life are like theirs so they can feel like you “get” them. It can be as simple as one word change or taking off your tie. Don’t think about what makes you feel most comfortable, think about what makes you relate best to your audience.
I was very happy with the way things turned out. I used my story as the foundation, but weaved relevant examples into the framework of the talk. I actually abandoned about half of the talk and stayed on my soap box about excellence without excuse. It was pretty powerful.
SPRINKLE OF WISDOM:
The doggone microphone had so much static, it sounded better when I unplugged it! This is another obstacle you have to overcome when you’re working on connecting with your crowd. Environment is a critical factor in how the audience receives you. If there are pans clanging, babies crying, cell phones ringing, etc., these all deduct points from your overall connection score. Most times, it’s not your fault, but it sure is your responsibility to handle it. You have to learn how to adjust your mic without breaking your stream of thought. Pros can have nearly anything happen and the audience is none the wiser.
I’ll go over this at PRESENTATION POWER. It will make so much of a difference in how well you connect and how many products you sell in the end.
Connection is key,
Jonathan
Your Connection Coach
Filed under: jonathan sprinkles
