Speaking Success is Business Success

Speaking success is business success. Think about it, we almost never see a successful business leader who isn't also an accomplished speaker. From Steve Jobs to Sir Richard Branson, Elon Musk to Sheryl Sandberg, the great leaders, the ones we enthusiastically follow, are almost all great speakers.

In 2004 at the Democratic National Convention a young man spoke for seventeen minutes, some 2200 words, and he changed the world. The day before almost no one had ever heard of Barak Obama, but the day after no one would ever stop talking about him.

Sheryl Sandberg told Harvard Business School class, “ . . . more than anything else, you’re going to need the ability to communicate authentically, to speak so that you inspire the people around you."

But this isn't about Obama. Or politics. This is about you. You and your ability communicate your ideas, inspire others, and change the world. Powerful leadership comes from knowing what matters to you. Powerful presentations come from expressing this effectively. It’s important to develop both. In the book, Leadership, a Communication Perspective, the researchers contend that a fundamental skill that every leader must possess is the ability to speak and inspire their teams. 

If you walk into Warren Buffett's office you'll see one certificate on the wall and that's his graduation from the Dale Carnegie public speaking course. Warren Buffett says taking that class in public speaking that was probably his best investment ever.

A number of years ago the Carnegie Institute of Technology came out with a study that showed 85% of your success in the next five years has to do with your ability to speak and communicate your ideas. 85%! That's means speaking is more important than your degree. More important than your contacts. More important than your title of your years in the business.

You'd be excused if you said, "That's not fair!" After all, you've worked hard to get your degree. You are proud of your title. And you think your contacts and years in the business are critical. And then someone has the audacity to come along and suggest public speaking and communicating ideas is more important than all of that! Ridiculous, right?

The Product Economy

Ah, but the world has changed. At one time we had an economy based on products. Remember growing up and all of the Tide and Drano commercials? What mattered was creating an okay product and endlessly advertising it to okay masses of okay people. If enough of these mediocre people bought your mediocre product that you manufactured cheaply enough you would win.

The Consumer Economy

Then we had a consumer economy, and the way to win in a consumer economy was to know and understand your consumer better than anyone and create products tailored to exactly their needs and desires. Now we weren't making and marketing to everyone, we were making and marketing to a precise segment. This led to an endless versioning of every product to more and more narrow segments. Think of Clinique for men.

The Connection Economy

Now we have an endless supply of highly differentiated products made for and marketed directly to us. Now what? In a sea of also-ran products from everyone-is-the-same manufacturers, we desire connections.

On October 17th, 1961 at the Danforth Train station east of London an 18-year-old Mick Jagger stood waiting for the train when 17-year-old Keith Richards approached him carrying a guitar. In Jagger's hands were two blues record, Muddy Waters and Chucky Berry. They realized they were both budding musicians and they both loved American Blues music. They formed a connection that led to the Rolling Stones which led to the blues being transformed into rock and roll music which led to the British Rock Invasion.

That's the way connections happen. You say, "I believe American Blues music is the greatest music in the history of the world," and I tell you I agree. We become connected through this shared belief. Or it may be books, or movies, or religion. When you start a conversation with, "I believe..." other people who share that belief become connected to you.

The Connection Economy for Businesses
Roy Spence, an advertising leader and author of, It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For, Spence explains the unique beliefs behind many of the one-of-a-kind organizations he has studied or worked with over the years, from BMW to Whole Foods Market to Southwest Airlines. Sure, these and other organizations are built around strong business models, stellar products and services, and (of course) clever advertising. But Spence is adamant that behind every great company is an authentic sense of purpose — “a definitive statement about the difference you are trying to make in the world” — and a workplace with the “energy and vitality” to bring that purpose to life.

Start with your WHY

It is your belief. Your purpose. Your "Why". Apple says they believe that anyone should have access to beautiful, easy-to-use tools to create music or movies or photography, or whatever they want. Southwest Airlines believes in 'democratization of air travel.' Harley-Davidson believes we all have a bit of an outlaw in all of us and they build the tools for us to express it.

What we are talking about is your Why. Author and speaker Simon Sinek has one of the most watched Ted Talks where he talks about finding your Why.