header

 

Discover Your CEO Brand 

"Discover Your CEO Brand" Panel / Women's Network Breakfast - February 9th


Chamber  
    
 
Join Suzanne Bates and the Boston Chamber of Commerce for a Women's Network Breakfast next Thursday, February 9th.   

 

Suzanne will sit down with a panel of 3 Boston-area CEOs to discuss the power and value of a brand in a leadership role.  
Featuring:

- Chef Barbara Lynch, CEO of Barbara Lynch Gruppo
- Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact
- Kip Hollister, CEO of Hollister

Learn more and register. 
 

  


Upcoming Speak Like a CEO Boot Camps 

2012

   

February 16-17: Boston (only 2 seats left!) 
March 22-23: Atlanta
 
Register by the end of today, January 31, 2012 for a discounted registration rate on Boston Boot Camp. 
 
 

Recommended Reading
 

 
The Expert's Edge:

Become the Go-To Authority People Turn to Every Time


Take your business to the next level by becoming a recognized thought-leader in your industry. 

 

 

 

 

 Connect with Bates

 

Find us on Facebook View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube  Follow us on Twitter

 

   

January 31, 2012

The One-Minute Speech  

 

one minute 

 

Last week I gave a one-minute speech - an experience that I thought I should share. The occasion was the Boston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Awards. I was one of eight winners, and my award was for entrepreneurship. I'm grateful to the Chamber for the recognition not only for me, but mostly for our team.

 

Each winner was given one minute for our remarks. The caveat? DON'T use the time to check off the list of people you want to thank. The Chamber requested, "Use your acceptance speech to share a piece of wisdom or advice." 

 

This is a great idea for EVERY event. Isn't it a bore when people get up there clutching awards and run out the clock tipping their hats to mom, dad, spouse, children, pets, and first-grade teachers? Look at the Academy Awards speeches every year. The TEDIUM. 

 

So, the guidelines were a good idea, but...the pressure. What to do with just one minute?

 

Several of the winners handled it beautifully. They told stories from their careers that were self-deprecating, funny, and poignant. Their moment on stage gave you a little insight about them. At the end of this post, there are five lessons I learned from them.     

 

Aside from that, I want to share something about my own experience on the stage, and it's kinda personal.   

 

As you know my first book was called Speak Like a CEO, which means when I go up to give a talk, I have a feeling that audiences have a certain...well...expectation. And I have to work at it just like everybody else.   

 

I started preparing a few weeks in advance and constructed an outline that I thought would work. My plan was to share three "snapshots" from my life.  I started with one of my father. As I told the audience, "It's a picture I never saw but had a profound impact on me... my dad with his sleeves rolled up, over a sink, washing pots and pans, one of four jobs that he worked to put himself through college and law school. From him, I learned the value of a work ethic."

   

The speech had two other "snapshots" from my life, peppered with a couple of quotes from famous people. I frankly forgot humor.        

 

I did get many nice compliments. The folks from the Chamber were really happy because I stuck to my one minute.

 

It was my husband who delivered a flash of the blinding obvious. "Good," he said, but not my best. Why?  "You weren't as conversational as you usually are," he explained. I had to admit, I probably over-engineered it. Every word planned, with famous quotes. After I got over wanting to kill him, I realized he was 100% right.   

 

It's not easy to admit you didn't get an A plus from your spouse, which is precisely the point. You don't get that much honest feedback from anybody - including the people who love you. Most spouses, friends, confidantes, mentors and bosses are reluctant to go there. "Who am I to judge?," they may think.  Or, "Hey, it isn't easy to get up in front of 1,000 people and say anything coherent!" 

 

So I'm fortunate to have a husband who is a big enough fan to be honest. We all need someone like that. And most of us don't have them.

 

This is why you hire a coach. Our clients are always telling me how valuable coaching has been for them, far beyond their expectations. They are pleasantly surprised and incredibly grateful to feel they finally have a confidante. A trusted advisor. There is nothing in the world as powerful as having someone who has your best interest at heart and helps you become the best you can be. A coach is there to help you be your best.

 

I guess I could lend out my husband, but I don't think he's up for that. And anyway, our coaches are awesome.

   

So now that I have that off my chest, here are a few "Dos and Don'ts" that I took away from watching the other speeches. If you ever have to give a one-minute speech, whether you are receiving an award, introducing another speaker, kicking off a panel discussion, opening a team meeting, or closing a conference, these work. Anytime you have limited time and want to make a powerful impression, these apply.

 

1.  Don't use all your time to thank people. That's a bore. Be interesting.

 

2.  Do be conversational - act as if you're talking to one person over a cup of coffee.  

 

3.  Do tell a personal story - or a relevant story from the event - and make a point that will make your audiences nod their heads in agreement and feel good about being there.

 

4.  Don't over-pack the talk with "stuff" like famous quotations from other people, which can make it sound over-engineered. (My bad.)

 

5.  Do put in some humor and don't trip over the laugh lines when you're up there. Let people laugh.

 

Cheers,

Suzanne