I love traveling the world giving speeches. I’ve actually presented in 42 countries. I was recently on a quest to reach 100 countries. I’m now at 102, and have visited seven continents, so I’m lucky to be able to have found jobs as a marketing and sales strategist, author, and speaker that give me opportunities to travel all over the world.
Related: How to Create An Engaging Presentation
How Did You Develop Your Professional Speaking Skills?
In 2007, I moved back to the Boston area, and my book The New Rules of Marketing and PR became an instant hit. A lot of people were asking me to come speak. I could have booked myself every single week! Soon, I started to speak at much bigger conferences.
Related: Step by Step Guide to Making a Compelling Presentation
I realized that I was an okay speaker, but there were some great speakers on these stages and I’ve had to figure out how I could be as good as they were.
I worked hard at it and I got better. I got to the point where about two or three years ago, I realized, “my gosh, a lot of the things I’m doing on stage are what rock stars do on stage.”
Learning from the Stars Themselves
Then, I actually started to go to rock shows specifically to watch what they were doing with body language, what they were doing with their hands, how they were holding the microphone, what they would do when they walked out, what they would do when they finished, how they would transition from one song to another. I would pay really close attention, and in many cases, I would go to shows specifically just to do that.
So I developed some techniques I’ve never seen other speakers do.As a result of that, of learning from rock stars, of practicing, and also injecting my own style into it, I’ve gotten much better.
Related: Presentations: Ditch The PowerPoint & Captivate Your Audience
Never follow a “competitor”. Always follow someone in a completely different industry, or model yourself on something totally radical that’s utterly different from the business you’re in. I don’t think about what would another speaker be doing this case, because that’s going to screw me up. I think, what would a rock star do in this situation? And that’s where I tend to go.
So I think an entrepreneur should do the same thing. If you’re starting a company, if you’re starting a software company, and not sure whether you want to model yourself after another software company or your biggest competitor, model yourself on someone completely different.
About David Meerman Scott
Our always-on, Web-driven world has new rules for competing and growing business. Advance planning is out – agile is IN! Those who embrace new ways will be far more successful than those who stay who stay stuck and afraid to change. No one knows more about using the new Real-Time tools and strategies to spread ideas, influence minds and build business than David Meerman Scott. It’s his specialty.
David Meerman Scott is an internationally acclaimed sales and marketing strategist whose high-energy presentations are a treat for the senses. That he’s spoken on all seven continents and in 40 countries to audiences of the most respected firms, organizations and associations underscores the value he brings to audiences.
David’s books and blog are must-reads for professionals seeking to generate attention in ways that grow their business. He is author or co-author of ten books – three are international bestsellers. The New Rules of Marketing & PR, now in its 5th edition, has been translated into 27 languages and is a modern business classic with over 350,000 copies sold so far. Scott also authored Real-Time Marketing & PR, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, Newsjacking, and his newest hit The New Rules of Sales & Service. He is co-author of Marketing the Moon (with Rich Jurek) and Marketing Lessons from The Grateful Dead (with HubSpot CEO Brian Halligan).