What A Golfer Can Teach You About Delivering a Memorable Speech
Gary was an amateur golfer, working hard to qualify for the professional circuit.
The tour he was playing, called a mini-tour, was created to help up-and-coming golfers gain experience and hopefully, improve enough to qualify for the top-level PGA tour.
One Thursday morning, as Gary was preparing to tee off for the first round in a tournament, he was
astonished to learn that his playing partner that day would be Greg Norman. If you’re not familiar with golf, Greg Norman is one of the best players off all time. On this day, Mr. Norman was at the height of his playing career.
Gary said, “Mr. Norman, what are you doing here, at this tournament?”
He replied, “I’m getting ready for the new season. I play a few of these tournaments at the beginning of the year to work out bad habits I’ve picked up over the winter. It also helps me get used to playing in front of crowds again, and playing under pressure.”
Gary told me that after playing a couple of rounds, Mr. Norman withdrew from the tournament. If he had completed all the rounds, he would have been awarded prize money. He didn’t need it, and also didn’t want to take money out of the pockets of other players who were just getting started. He was simply preparing for the big tournaments in the coming year.
Whether you are a speaker, salesperson, or leader, how are you preparing for your moment on the big stage?
Do you walk into your next speech, sales presentation or team meeting and hope that you’ll know what to say, or how to respond to the reactions of others, just because you’ve been able to do it in the past?
Or, do you take the Greg Norman approach. Do you work on the fundamentals, eliminate bad habits, and prepare for the moment you’ll be in front of the audience?
For example, if you’re about to give a speech that could land you $100,000 of new business, do you practice your speech in front of the buying audience, or would it be better to practice before people (local service clubs, co-workers, or at a Toastmasters club) where there is no financial stake, and who can offer feedback that improves your talk?
If you want to be memorable, and inspire others to take action on your message, take a cue from a golf legend. Get out in front of the groups who can help you get your mind, material and delivery ready for the big stage.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE OF THE WEEK
‘The Message of You” by Judy Carter.
If you are serious about uncovering stories and crafting speeches that make an impact, this book is a must! Judy takes you through the history of your life to discover the messages that will most resonate with you, and in turn, your audience.
For more information, and to purchase, click here.
Michael’s mission is to help leaders, managers and sales professionals communicate with more confidence, impact, and influence. This passion is born from his own communication difficulties early in his career.
Fortunately, he discovered that public speaking is like riding a bike, swimming or driving a car - it’s a learnable skill. Once he discovered this ‘secret’ he became a voracious student of the craft. He took courses, studied some of the world’s best speakers and storytellers and continues to study presentation and business storytelling skills.
He is hired by companies and organizations, leaders, managers and sales professionals, and TEDx speakers to help them become more confident, impactful and influential communicators.
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