By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy
Here are few ideas to make the opening of your next speech more visually compelling. Reading time: 4:57
The president called a special 7 a.m. meeting of all 400 managers in his company one Sunday morning —the last day of a three-day conference at a resort.
Everyone grumbled at having to get up that early because of a venue scheduling conflict. At 6:59 a.m. the huge hotel ballroom was filled. But the president looked like a no-show.
Finally at exactly 7 am the president walked on stage. In his bathrobe!
Waving a cup of coffee in his hand, he said: “Geez, who scheduled this early morning meeting anyway?” The crowd laughed. They howled even louder when the president disrobed.
He stood in full business attire as he approached the lectern and began his speech.
The bathrobe-disrobing president tapped into what his audience was feeling at that moment. He connected with them, personally. He demonstrated his emotional intelligence.
And they were now more attentive to his message. Even at 7 in the morning on a normal day off for most employees.
