When you think about the best presenters and entertainers, these men and women have a singular focus. They channel their energy on one strength or one trait and own it. The same is true for business.
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he reduced their bloated product line from 350 to 10. He had a laser focus. He had a grand vision. He wanted to simplify and focus on being excellent with only a few products. Fast forward almost 20 years and Apple is still one of the most successful companies in the world because they made the decision making process easy for the consumer. Pick from 10 rather 350 products. In N’ Out Burger is another prime example. Coincidentally, being a southern California native, I grew up with the fast food chain where their 10 item menu makes it easy for anyone to place an order without feeling overwhelmed. Compare that to other burger joints like Sonic where you have over 168,000 drink options alone. I’m just talking drinks and not the other items like shakes and burgers.
Does all of this mean that Sonic is unsuccessful? Certainly not. It does very well. But, so does In N’ Out and Apple. They also do well – very well. In fact, companies like Apple have seen their earnings increase from $65-182 billion from 2010-2014 due to their innovative and strategic ways. Companies like Amazon and Chipotle have also experienced similar success due to their focus on what they do best. In the case of Amazon, it’s their focus on fast delivery and one click buying. For Chipotle, it’s about tapping into the heart of the customer selling them on the idea of grass fed beef and organic ingredients. However, this singular focus just doesn’t start and end with organizations.
Mary Fisher who is known as an American political activist, artist, and author used to not have the platform she has today. In 1991, she was your typical wife and mother who was suddenly informed by her second husband that he was HIV positive. Fisher soon learned that she also had virus. Her reaction to that event was choosing to dedicate her life to HIV/AIDS research and in 1992 giving what some call “one of the best American speeches of the 20th Century.”
The conclusion here is that the best companies, leaders, athletes, and presenters understand the importance of having a singular focus. They don’t spend their time and energy on the many but the few. So, how can you start on this path to self-discovery?
I suggest you take my Badge assessment and discover your true strengths and weaknesses as a presenter. It’s like the Myers-Briggs for presenters. Within minutes, you’ll know exactly how to channel your energy and public speaking talents. It exists to do one thing: to make you a better presenter – nothing else. Will it help you discover your presentation strengths? Absolutely. Will you learn about your weaknesses as a presenter. Yes, it will do that as well. Badge will provide you with a singular focus which is “who are you as a presenter?”
Note: This is a modified excerpt from my book, What’s Your Presentation Persona?
