[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]This post is Part 1 of a 3-Part Series. Not only are you going to get more proven speaking techniques in this new blog series, I’m also going to show you exactly how one hard-working client achieved success in this real life case study example.
Meet Juan Diego Calle
As the young, introverted founder of a technology company (.Co Internet SAS), Juan had to deliver an important speech at the international Internet conference (ICANN) in Cartagena, Colombia, with 1200 delegates expected from 200 countries.
His company had just landed a contract from the Colombian government to market the country’s Internet domain extension, .co, as a direct competitor to the well-established .com.
Juan was tasked to educate, entertain, and inspire the various factions in attendance, while delivering his company’s message.
Only problem was, Juan had never given a speech before.
So he decided to reach out and take advantage of my private coaching sessions.
I’ve got to admit, I’m really glad he did!
The Humble Beginnings…
We had seven weeks to go.
That’s not a lot of time to master a new skill – so we had to act quickly and thoughtfully.
First, we developed the content. I asked Juan all sorts of questions and we brainstormed the best ideas to present, not caring about the presentation’s length for now.
Then we simplified the concepts and tailored our message to fit the audience.
The biggest hurdle was to compress everything we’d come up with into the seven minutes Juan was allocated for his presentation. Fitting all the strategic information into just seven minutes alone took hours of effort and countless tough decisions to complete.
But once we finished, Juan knew exactly what to say in his presentation.
Getting Ready To Speak Up
It was time to work on how he was going to say it. By now, we only had a couple of weeks before the big day.
Juan worked extremely hard to master the message and its delivery. I also helped him fine-tune his non-verbal communication skills.
Soon he started to deliberately use his hands to further his point, pause for effect, and smile periodically to avoid looking stern.
It might seem easy in retrospect, but believe me, it was extremely challenging work. The stakes were high, the pressure constant, and the deadline ever closing in on us.
For one rehearsal we used a large, empty auditorium at a nearby university with a podium and microphone so Juan could get used to the setting. It also let me help him remain confident on stage with a small mindset trick I teach during my strategy sessions.
Looking back, preparing Juan for his big speech was intense and at the same time, really fun.
The Not-So-Humble Results
Of course, we could only consider our job truly done once he finished his presentation to a standing ovation. I felt like a proud Mom watching him present on livestream, and hearing the burst of thunderous applause when he stopped speaking.
But more importantly, thanks to this experience, Juan gained confidence in his public speaking and leadership abilities. He has become a respected and sought-after speaker at key Internet and business conferences around the world.
Not bad for a couple hours of effort for several weeks, is it?
Well, then consider that in the spring of 2014, Juan Diego Calle sold the company that he had first talked about in Colombia to Neustar for $109 million.
In contrast, my coaching had cost him only a fraction of that. Talk about a high return on investment!
Now, I’m not saying I can make a millionaire out of you… but developing your public speaking and leadership abilities will certainly help you become more successful on your journey.
See, that’s exactly what I help my private coaching clients achieve. And for the next couple of days you can reserve your spot for a strategy session with me.
But please act quickly, as my schedule only allows me to do this for the next few weeks.
Here are the next two posts in this series:
Part 2: How To Go From Soft-Spoken And Reserved To Confident And Exciting
Part 3: The Ultimate Public Speaking Blueprint
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