[Video] Watch this 24 year old sales rep dominate public speaking workshop
Public speaking is a difficult skill to master, but teams can make dramatic improvements in short periods of time by taking a quantified approach to feedback (instructor scored and peer reviewed) and by reviewing themselves on video. A workshop with these elements can do wonders for those willing to learn.
Need proof? Check out Mercy’s epic second attempt at our recent workshop.
No prep. No notes. Enjoy…
But public speaking is hard. Even scary. According to the oft-cited R. H. Bruskin Associate’s 1973 ‘American Fears’ Study, when people chose from a list of common fears, public speaking appears more often than death. Said another way:
“For the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy” ~Jerry Seinfeld
Mercy Bell knew this fear well. She was a high performer, beloved by customers and teammates alike, but hated speaking in public. She worried it is not ‘the best version of her’. We asked her to be vulnerable, embrace critical feedback and try something new. As you saw, the results were phenomenal.
To help your team make progress, we’ve created this simple format for a public speaking course anyone can run. Find the steps below and the video from Mercy’s first attempt.
1 Intro and Ground Rules (10 mins): Explain format and timeline, set ground rules and inspire a constructive environment for feedback.
- Pass out and explain audience scorecard
2First Attempt - Cold Baseline (2 mins each): Invite each participant up, in random order, to make a two minute speech on video (instructor should choose topic). The goal is for each person to establish a baseline for public speaking capability.
- Announce topic directly before each attempt (no prep allowed)
- 2 Min timer, viewable to speaker
- Instructor-led feedback and audience scorecard
3Instructor delivers public speaking content (30 mins): Use our content or create your own 30 minute deck on basics for public speaking. Make sure to incorporate actionable frameworks and fallbacks.
4Second Attempt — Comparative (2 mins each): Invite each participant up again, in random order, to make another two minute speech on video (we recommend the same topic for comparison). The goal of this attempt is to show improvement and incorporate learnings from the instructor-led content.
- Topic Announced Directly Before
- 2 Min timer, viewable to speaker
- Live Feedback Session and Audience Scorecard
[Second Attempt Above]
5Wrap-Up and Next Steps (15 mins): Revisit the key concepts and announce how participants will receive their annotated videos, instructor feedback and audience scorecards. Be sure to share workshop content and appropriate follow up assignments for knowledge retention.
Follow these simple steps to host a fun and challenging public speaking workshop with your team. If done right you will see improved revenue outcomes and build a deeper bench for events, conferences, investor meetings and more.
Many are probably wondering: “how do I hire Mercy!?”. That’s definitely the right question — she’s one of the best sales reps who has ever lived. Unfortunately you can’t. First, she’s moved to Martha’s Vineyard and runs a personal coaching business. Second, get in line :). More on Mercy in a future post, “Sales Prodigy: The Legend of Mercy Bell”.
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