No one expected us to be in the state of uncertainty and fear that we are in today. Three weeks ago, I was sitting right here in my living room watching basketball when rumors started to spread that an NBA Player had tested positive for the Coronavirus. Up until then, I knew about the virus in a small capacity. My mom is a nurse and I pay attention to the news a lot, but it wasn’t until then that I took in the seriousness of it. As the hours progressed sports proceeded to postpone and in some cases, cancel their seasons fearing that virus could soon spread drastically. I knew then that public speakers would be in for a rude awakening, because their living is made on the stage. Small businesses have suffered and entrepreneurs of all types have really had the world turned upside down. But when I’ve thought about anytime I’ve every spoke on stage, there was never a time where I didn’t try to include some type of technology. We are in a time where it doesn’t matter what age you are, everybody has a cell phone. Your grandparents probably have a FaceBook account. And you can probably find someone you deem to old or too young, right now trying to capture the perfect selfie or show the world what they are currently doing. In those particular scenarios, does it sound like the use of technology is adding to your life or taking away from it? Truth is, there isn’t a clear answer. It all depends on what your intent is and how you use the technology of your choice.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that it’s abundantly clear that technology has had a positive influence on the world. There are multiple ways you can communicate a message to an individual or a mass group of people. On the flip side, many of us are heavily reliant on technology in such away that it’s hard for us to communicate feelings, emotions or simply hold a conversation. One of the worse times that technology can hurt you is when you are a Public Speaker. But I also must note, I’m referring to those speakers who expect to use their presentation or visual aids as a crutch. For example, if you have a PowerPoint with an abundance of facts and statistical information… so much to the point where you can’t talk without reading your PowerPoint… then technology is hindering you. If you don’t practice your speech before presenting it and you bet on your PowerPoint leading you through your presentation, then technology is hindering you. To be even more particular, if you have your presentation saved in the cloud or on a USB Drive versus, saving the presentation on the computer that you will present from.. then you guessed it.. technology is hindering you.

We are so dependent upon technology as speakers that we forget that it’s all man-made and it can fail you at the worse time possible.  If you are looking for speaking to one day be the primary or additional source of income, it’s best to realize right now that you can’t hide behind technology. No amount of videos, well thought out pictures or genius quotes can cover up if you know your content or not. And if you skip the part where you put in hours of actual practice time, then it will show up when the lights shine the brightest. So don’t rely on your technology. Rely on a combination of your skill and commitment to deliver your message in the most impactful way possible.

But before I wrap this up, I want to briefly talk about the other side of the equation. If you are an entrepreneur and you have a business, then the city-wide mandates shouldn’t stop you from connecting with your audience or customers. This is the time to make those tutorials and informational videos. People within the speaking world are realizing the shift and adjusting accordingly, but I’ve also heard comments about how it will now be hard to stay on top of mind and connect with people. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. This is the time where you have no excuse but to naturally shift into becoming a public speaker. Putting out content will practically force you to become one. You could literally put out a video everyday about your particular brand. It’s all up to you. There are connections that still need to be made and we all have a lot of time on our hands. So instead of worrying about wanting to present to a live audience, try doing your first webinar. If you promote it the right way, you can get just as many eyes on you. Use LinkedIn Live, IG Live or IGTV to promote yourself and your brand as well. There really isn’t any excuse for you to slack off. The city may be still, but the online community is booming.

Make your next presentation, your best presentation!

Sincerely,

Julian A. Leonard
(Founder of The JLeonard Group LLC)

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