by Steve Adubato, PhD
Picking a speaker for a particular event can be complicated. Often, people go with the biggest name or an expert in a particular field. They go with the star athlete, the entertainer or, in the case of Kean University at its recent commencement, funny man Darrell Hammond, who delivered a speech to mixed reviews. Kean paid $25,000 for Hammond to poke fun at his own lack of academic credentials when he said that the William Morris talent agency "called to say they needed a speaker to show how not to do it."
I've interviewed Hammond in front of a live audience and, I admit, he can be funny, but he is also pretty quirky and communicates in a fashion that not every audience can relate to. He did a great Bill Clinton impression on "Saturday Night Live," but that in itself doesn't make for a great commencement speech, and that's the point. Matching up a speaker to an event and an audience takes more thought and strategy.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
How significant can a speech be? The Gettysburg Address, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I have a dream" speech, or President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address in which he said those memorable words: "Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country."
There are many memorable speeches made by well-known leaders, but every once in awhile there is a speech made by someone in the most extraordinary of circumstances that stands the test of time — a speech that continues to be watched on YouTube, moves people to tears and motivates them in ways they had never imagined.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
This weekend, at the “TD Bank / Star-Ledger Road to Personal Wealth Financial Conference” at Kean University, I delivered a keynote presentation along with other industry experts in front of a highly engaged and enthusiastic audience. My topic? Making it rain or, simply put, ways to bring in new customers and clients and keep the ones you have. Here are some practical tips to think about:
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Our parents always told us to choose our words wisely, because sometimes we can’t take them back. This is more true now than ever with social media dominating our communication, both professionally and personally. The second you say something, especially if you are in the public eye, your words can go viral on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, you name it.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
On Saturday, January 12, I will be joining Suze Orman, Barbara Corcoran and a host of other presenters at the TD Bank / Star-Ledger “Road to Personal Wealth Financial Conference”.
The event was originally scheduled for November, but clearly Hurricane Sandy had other plans. My presentation is about making a “great first impression”, and like many other things in the world of business, Sandy has had an impact on this topic as well. I’ve been thinking about this hurricane as a metaphor for the kind of devastating setbacks we often experience in business and in life. It could be a bankruptcy, losing a major branch in your company, being laid off, or having your biggest client leave without notice. Or, it could be a personal “storm” that hits you hard, such as a divorce, the loss of a loved one, or an ill parent or child.
by Steve Adubato, PhD
This week, I spoke at the Third Annual Not-for-Profit Conference sponsored by Investors Bank entitled, “The Art of Thriving”. Over 300 not-for-profit leaders attended a variety of seminars and workshops focusing on a range of leadership, communication and management skills needed to succeed in these highly challenging days, post-Hurricane Sandy.
When I asked these leaders in a highly interactive discussion about some of the keys to effectively branding and communicating their message to key stakeholders, I received some great responses. Here is a snapshot:
by Steve Adubato, PhD
Sometimes when we are speaking in public we feel the need to be funny. This is risky business indeed, even if you are a high profile entertainer, performer or Academy Award-winning actor like Robert De Niro. Consider at a recent event in New York featuring Michelle Obama, De Niro joked that America wasn’t “ready for a white first lady.”
What’s interesting is that De Niro got the reaction he intended from the audience in the room. There was laughter, a light moment and everyone in the room was in on the joke. But that’s the problem when you are communicating in front of one audience, but your words will be communicated and shared to many other audiences via multiple mediums.