What's the Story?
Oprah, Katie Couric, Mariska Hagarty, Lesley Stahl, among others, all introduced and celebrated women who have made a difference in the communications industry at the recent Matrix Awards luncheon, held at the Waldorf Astoria and sponsored by New York Women in Communication. For anyone who has to introduce an executive at a business conference, there was a common thread to all their speeches worth copyying.
Rather than simply begin by listing the accomplishments of the honoree, each celebrity opened with a personal story connected to the recipient of one of the Matrix awards. Some were touching, some were funny. Some were both. For example, in introducing Gayle King, the editor of O, Oprah highlighted how they had met in Baltimore and how King told her when she was first starting out,, “Yes, you can be Phil Donohue.”
The personalized story engaged the 1600 women at this event immediately in a way that a straight recitation of the honoree’s resume would not.
Lesson for all speakers:Take the time to craft a relevant story about the person you are introducing to pave the way for the serious information that you have to present.
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Announcement:: If you are in the online world, Sign up for my seminar, "Turn Information Into a Stoyr That Sells" sponsored fby the IAB, May 13. Details & Registration
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Time is limited: Make What You Say Pay!
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