When I launched The Brainchild Group back in 2007 I was already in the marketing game for years, but mainly operating behind the scenes, and after we started guiding large companies and getting publicity I was unexpectedly pushed into the limelight which was uncomfortable at first but also taught me lessons.
This ranges from speaking at conferences to being interviewed for stories that appeared in BBC, NPR, The Guardian, etc. as well as being featured on local and international TV… And every time I read articles where I was featured or watch clips from the past I think about ways to improve myself in the future.
Getting out there, giving it your all then being open to learning from those experiences is really the first step – you have to start somewhere. The first time you make a pizza it’s not going to be perfect, but as the recipe evolves you can strive for perfection.
As a good example of being tossed into the fire and where I started, the first conference I spoke at was for CBS Radio’s social media event at the Avalon in Hollywood, CA with over 1,000 attendees, but going into it I had no idea what to expect. Then within seconds of being called onto the stage I realized what I got myself into, which transformed everything.
That’s when I went from having no public speaking experience to discussing social media marketing and analytics solutions/trends in front of 1k+ people and where everything started to fall into place afterwards. And for me it reinforced how being prepared beforehand is absolutely critical.
You’ll also run into situations where as much as you prepare, it’s just not enough and as humans we can’t predict the unknown, though having that power would be magical.
For example, years ago I was a keynote speaker for a hedge fund’s CEO Summit at The Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills, which is about an hour from me, so I gave myself 2 hours to get there but couldn’t predict an accident that shut everything down on Beverly Glen that turned into me being late and the schedule being reorganized. Imagine the pressure of giving a keynote presentation to 100+ CEOs after spending 3 hours sitting in traffic.
Lastly, even if all of the above boxes are checked (you’re prepared, arrived on time, etc.), imagine going to plug your laptop in to project on a screen then realize you don’t have the right adapters and it just isn’t going to work. Prior to giving a presentation you should inquire about their tech and ensure you have everything needed to kick ass.
Hopefully this post helps you on your journey to becoming an awesome speaker and if you have any questions we’re here to help.
Aaron Schoenberger
Founder of The Brainchild Group