What most people aren’t aware of is that auto racing is a team sport. Obviously, you have the driver. But,there’s also a team owner. A team manager. And, engineers, strategists, track spotters, and pit crew members.
Razor-Thin Margin of Victory
Each team member has a specific job to ensure that his driver’s car is the first one across the finish line. At Indianapolis, the margin of victory is sometimes measured in tenths or hundredths of a second. After 500 grueling miles, this years winner, Takuma Sato, won by 0.201 seconds.
Every one of his teammates had to do his job. One misaligned wheel during a tire change. Holding the fuel nozzle a split second too long during a pit stop. Waiting a second too long to convey useful information to the driver. Any of these would’ve caused him to finish second, or worse.
Such is the world of high-speed auto racing.
What does this have to do with speaking?
A lot.
World class speakers and presenters do not work alone. They have a team of people that help them prepare and deliver the best possible talks.
Several people may be involved with improving your speaking skills. You may have someone to help with speech structure. Another to tighten up your stories. And still another to offer input on your delivery.
Each of these can make the difference between a successful or unsuccessful presentation.
Real World Application
Every day, people all over the world are giving speeches and sales talks. Their goal is to win contracts, attract new clients, or influence others. In these situations, the clock is often ticking, and they may be in competition with others.
A team that can help you focus on the details of your talk can make the difference. They can be the key between losing and winning the proposal or business.
Winning could boil down to asking the right questions.
Or, pausing long enough so that the listener can consider the implication of your point.
Or, crafting dialogue in your stories to create a deeper emotional connection.
You Don’t Have to Drive Fast to Succeed
Just like in the Indianapolis 500, each of these seemingly minor points can add up. They can be the difference between winning and finishing second.
Unlike Indianapolis, you don’t have to drive 225 + MPH to win the business. All you have to do is work with your team, trust their judgement, and you can craft a winning presentation.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
Pick up weekly tips on how to craft and deliver speeches just like Hall of Fame and World Champion speakers. The new video series ‘Your Weekly Dose of Public Speaking Medicine’ provides a brief weekly video tip. Implement these tips and the impact of your speeches will soar.
"Michael transformed our everyday managers into conference presenters by coaching them and by challenging the traditional methods they were using to present. The outcome was phenomenal.
Our conference was elevated to a new level of professionalism. Michael will be retained to help make our trainers become better communicators, both visually and verbally and to assist us with next year’s conference. We highly recommend him and Speaking CPR to assist with your next event."
Robert Gerbus, President, Trans Ash, Inc.
Speaking CPR
5
2018-05-10T09:44:06-04:00
Robert Gerbus, President, Trans Ash, Inc.
"Michael transformed our everyday managers into conference presenters by coaching them and by challenging the traditional methods they were using to present. The outcome was phenomenal. Our conference was elevated to a new level of professionalism. Michael will be retained to help make our trainers become better communicators, both visually and verbally and to assist us with next year’s conference. We highly recommend him and Speaking CPR to assist with your next event."
“As a former Green Beret and professional storyteller, I give dozens of speeches every year. I am very selective about who trains me.
Michael Davis exceeded every expectation and was one of the best coaches I ever worked with. His quiet professionalism, and unsurpassed knowledge of storytelling helped make my Ted X Cincinnati talk extremely powerful. I would recommend Michael, as a story and speaking coach to anyone with a high stakes talk to give. Michael will help you take your speech from good to great!”
LTC (Ret.) Scott Mann, Green Beret, Storyteller, Trainer, Coach, Author
Speaking CPR
5
2018-05-10T09:45:38-04:00
LTC (Ret.) Scott Mann, Green Beret, Storyteller, Trainer, Coach, Author
“As a former Green Beret and professional storyteller, I give dozens of speeches every year. I am very selective about who trains me. Michael Davis exceeded every expectation and was one of the best coaches I ever worked with. His quiet professionalism, and unsurpassed knowledge of storytelling helped make my Ted X Cincinnati talk extremely powerful. I would recommend Michael, as a story and speaking coach to anyone with a high stakes talk to give. Michael will help you take your speech from good to great!”
“We are privileged to have Michael Davis of Speaking CPR as one of the Speaker Coaches for ourTED x Cincinnatievent. I had the opportunity to be on several of the calls with Michael as he worked his craft with his speakers.I was impressed with howgenuine, exuberant, and in touchhe was with each speaker.
He truly has agift in connecting with the heart of each personhe works with and helping them to unleash their story into their talk.All of the speakersraved about his work with them.Each of them has had broad experience in speaking, but they all felt that working with Michael raised the bar on their ability to speak. You can listen to all of his speakers, Anthony Munoz, Richard Bernstein and Graeme Joffe, at http://www.tedxcincinnati.com/talks/.”
Allison Wonders Gars Speaker Coach Manager, TED x Cincinnati
Speaking CPR
5
2018-03-20T17:08:04-04:00
Allison Wonders Gars Speaker Coach Manager, TED x Cincinnati
“We are privileged to have Michael Davis of Speaking CPR as one of the Speaker Coaches for our TED x Cincinnati event. I had the opportunity to be on several of the calls with Michael as he worked his craft with his speakers. I was impressed with how genuine, exuberant, and in touch he was with each speaker. He truly has a gift in connecting with the heart of each person he works with and helping them to unleash their story into their talk. All of the speakers raved about his work with them. Each of them has had broad experience in speaking, but they all felt that working with Michael raised the bar on their ability to speak. You can listen to all of his speakers, Anthony Munoz, Richard Bernstein and Graeme Joffe, at http://www.tedxcincinnati.com/talks/.”
“Investing in Michael is one of the best investments I have ever made. I speak on the subject of diversity in the workplace, which can at times be a difficult topic to discuss.
Michael taught me a repeatable process that allows me to create a foundational concept, a logical structure, an opening that grabs the audience’s attention, and a conclusion that encourages my audience to take action that will save them time and money.
I found Michael easy to work with, flexible with his schedule, and a wealth of information about the art of speaking. If you need to improve your presentation or speech, I highly recommend you consider hiring Michael. It is one of the best investments you can make in your own growth.”
Natalie Holder Founder, QUEST Diversity
Speaking CPR
5
2018-03-20T17:33:18-04:00
Natalie Holder Founder, QUEST Diversity
“Investing in Michael is one of the best investments I have ever made. I speak on the subject of diversity in the workplace, which can at times be a difficult topic to discuss. Michael taught me a repeatable process that allows me to create a foundational concept, a logical structure, an opening that grabs the audience’s attention, and a conclusion that encourages my audience to take action that will save them time and money. I found Michael easy to work with, flexible with his schedule, and a wealth of information about the art of speaking. If you need to improve your presentation or speech, I highly recommend you consider hiring Michael. It is one of the best investments you can make in your own growth.”