Why Cookie Cutter Content Doesn’t Work
By Motivational Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta
After more than twenty five years of delivering keynotes, facilitating events, and acting as the master of ceremonies for organizations all over the globe, one thing is for sure – there’s not much I 
haven’t seen, or heard from the stage. Here’s what I know doesn’t work – DOESN’T create lasting impact or positive change: tired, canned speeches that don’t relate to YOUR specific audience. You know the ones. Where the person behind the microphone is referencing age-old technology or telling the same tired story that they’ve been telling for what feels like a hundred years. Or–and here’s the worst–it’s like they don’t even know who your audience is or what issues they are facing. Their definition of customizing is inserting the company name into their slides a few times. I am asked by rising speakers all the time to share what really works from the stage and one of the first things I tell them is that the message has to resonate with the AUDIENCE. It’s about THEM – not The Speaker! It’s about bringing significant content to THEIR lives that will impact their ability to do more. Achieve more. Sell more. Create more relationships. Find more balance. Change a perspective. And lead a fuller life.
So this is for the rising speakers eager for advice, or the event planners wondering what they should expect from their next motivational keynote speaker, leadership speaker, or sales speaker. Here are six inside secrets to creating powerful presentations without relying on cookie cutter content:
- TALK to your client. This might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many don’t. One of the first things I do when I’m asked to speak at an event is to schedule a conference call or two to discuss THEIR expectations, themes, needs, concerns, and direction. What do they need weaved into my message that will transform their organization and the people in it for the better? What challenges are they facing? What triumphs are they celebrating? What seems to be the Achilles’ heel that I can share some insights on solving? How can I bring an outsider’s validity to their own internal message? Have you ever noticed that sometimes it’s easier for someone OUTSIDE your organization to deliver some of your tougher messages? Or tackle some of your tougher issues? Once I’ve gotten all these questions and more down, I can then personalize my message to meet their needs – and better connect with their team. I want each audience member to say, “Wow! It’s almost like Connie is talking just to me at work and can read my mind.”
- Talk to your audience. I mean really…just talk to them like they were your friends. Important people in your life who mean a lot to you. People who you care about. You don’t have to have a coached, perfect voice. Just be you. Honest! Instead of memorizing your material–tell them a story. It might be a bit different each time you tell it–and that’s what you want. Instead of quoting other famous people, speak from you own heart and experiences. They are here to hear YOU! Instead of talking AT the audience or TO the audience talk WITH the audience. The more natural and authentic you are the more they will trust you and believe in you. And learn from you. Be open to trying new things. Watch your audience. Go with the flow. Be flexible with your material. If you are truly customizing your presentation then flexibility is a must! Each story, statistic, and anecdote should be changed up depending upon the nature of the audience and theme of the event.
- Make it relevant. Once you know what a company is about, and what challenges they are looking for you to help resolve, craft your message to meet those needs. Even if you’ve climbed a mountain or won a gold medal, or hold the record for jumping out of airplanes – your story alone can’t create lasting, positive change in people if they can’t relate to it. How will your story help increase their sales, profits or market share? Personally I’ve always let MY STORY take a backseat to MY AUDIENCE’S STORY because they are the ones that matter the most. Remember that WIIFM channel that people are tuned into – What’s In It For Me? They have to see themselves in your message before they can take it to heart.
- Don’t take yourself so seriously. Listen, I’m the first to admit that there are times when a speaker has to talk about SERIOUS topics, and help motivate SERIOUS change. That, however, doesn’t mean you can’t make people laugh. Or have a little fun. In fact, it’s during those tough times when they need something to take the edge off the most. We learn more when we laugh. We’re open to change more when there’s humor. And we pay attention more when the message strikes the balance between real-world content and strategies and finding the levity that can connect the audience to the message.
- Ditch the slides. For the most part slides are there to help the speaker–not the audience. Unless the speaker is super boring–then slides are the only thing that gets you through the presentation. Ha! But what I’ve found is that for many audiences, slide presentations becomes a sort of buffer or wall between speaker and audience. It’s tough to really connect with you if they are busy reading everything on the screen behind you. Especially if there’s too much copy and the print is too small to read anyway. The audience becomes more focused on the words on the screen than what they are hearing with their ears, and that’s not the kind of connection you want if the goal is to have them truly remember and act on your message. I LOVE looking into the eyes of my audience. Reading their body language. Connecting with them so they feel I’m talking directly to them. One-on-one. That’s what speaking is all about. And that kind of connection? Priceless.
- Leave them with solutions. Change isn’t easy. Not for most people. It takes work, and desire, and a willingness to let go of some old ideas and old thinking. Don’t just fire people up to realize they SHOULD change a few things – give them the tools, strategies and solutions they need to facilitate that change so they know what the CAN do! Like real-world psychology, or sales skills, or science-backed insights, or personal examples. Challenge your audiences to take all that you give them and put new pieces in place. Then challenge them not to stop there. To keep learning, keep stretching, and keep challenging THEMSELVES until they are living their lives exactly as they want them to be.
Whether you are speaking to a group of ten or ten thousand, there is a real responsibility when you take that stage. The client, the company, and all of those people need you to bring your A-game. Your best self. Your strongest strategies. Your willingness to be transparent. Your commitment to deliver everything you promised and then some. That’s when you’ll make a difference. And when you do? I promise, it’s the best feeling in the world.
