Who Cares What You Think?

It takes a certain amount of arrogance to voluntarily speak in public.

Whether you call yourself an expert or not, when you take the stage you are implying that you know more, or better, than your audience does. There’s no other reason for you to be up there.

Most audiences will give you the benefit of the doubt, at first, assuming you present yourself with confidence and authority, but in the end, you still have to deliver the goods.  So what does it take to back up your claim to the stage?

Do you have a deeper knowledge of the facts than we do? If you have up-to-date research data, specialized training, extended academic study or recent experience, you probably know more than we do. Share the most important and relevant information with us.

Have you thought deeply about the issues at hand? Most of us are so caught up in the daily crises of life and business that we barely have time to think. We’re just chopping down trees as fast as we can. Lift us up above the trees. Show us the shape of the forest. Show us how it is changing and how it will look in the future.

Can you challenge our perspective? We all get stuck in ruts at times. We do things a certain way, or think of things a certain way, just because we always have. It’s a habit. Open our eyes to a different way of understanding an issue, dealing with a problem or accomplishing a goal.

Can you lead us to a better place? A man, or woman, with a plan can be a powerful force for change. Present a compelling vision for where you want to take us. Lay out the path before us, the obstacles in our way and your plan to surmount them.

Give us something of value. Help us know more, do more, get more or be more and we’ll happily give you our time and attention. We will care what you think.