244: You Don't Need To Sell From The Stage

<p>The organisers of public presentations are usually not very happy for the presenter to start flogging their company’s products to the audience.  They are looking for good information for the assembled masses and no propaganda.  This makes sense because if you are sitting in the audience and you start to hear what sounds like a commercial for the speaker’s products or services you feel offended and belittled by the presenter. </p> <p> </p> <p>I was in such a gathering when the host of the Chamber of Commerce event introduced himself as an “expert”, in his particular line of work, when kicking off proceedings.  It immediately had a bad smell about it.  If you have to go around telling everyone you are an expert, then we will question just how much of an expert you really are.  Participants will also complain to the organisers about you and your blatant self promotion and you may not be invited back to speak.</p> <p> </p> <p>Obviously, we give these public presentations to promote our personal brands and our companies.  Exactly where is the tipping point to know when you have pushed it too far?  Subtlety is always the best policy.  I still remember visiting the German Pavilion in the Tsukuba Expo in 1985.  There was a long, winding staircase to the second floor and all along the wall were framed photographs of all the German Nobel Prize winners.  There was no banner announcing “we Germans are smart”, but the huge number of faces peering down, as we wound our way up the stairs was a subtle tour de force of sustained German intellectual power.  It was impressive.</p> <p> </p> <p>We should rely on some key elements when selling ourselves when presenting.  Bald faced telling people you are an “expert” is completely ridiculous in my view, but showing through the quality of what you present that you really know your stuff, is very convincing and makes you highly credible.  There needs to be some fresh data or perspective to cut through all the competing messages floating around the internet and media.</p> <p> </p> <p>I