Denmark's best speaker - I won two awards
Becoming a good speaker takes practice. But when winning a competition, your relationship with the audience matters too. I’ve just heard I’ve won two awards, and I think both things were crucial.
I’m at a social media marketing conference in Miami here in September 2010. Much of it is pretty basic, and the speaker on right now is so boring I’ve stepped outside to record this video.
While sitting at the conference, I received an email: I’ve been named the year’s best speaker in both motivation and IT. I’m genuinely delighted and very proud.
How do you become a good speaker?
This won’t be a long acceptance speech thanking my mother and everyone else. That can be deadly boring. But of course, I want to tell the world about something I’m so happy about.
And there’s a question behind it: How do you become good enough to be considered for an award like that?
As with so much else, you need to do it a lot. I’ve given a hell of a lot of talks.
I’ve also read books about public speaking and watched others on stage. I’ve noticed what they do well and badly.
And I’ve had a good coach who’s watched me many times, pointed out my mistakes and given feedback. That’s helped me improve.
I still needed to be myself
My coach has also said: Martin, you actually do lots of things wrong as a speaker. You talk too fast and swear too much.
But that’s also part of what makes me unique.
So it isn’t just about correcting away every quirk. I need to remain myself. If I try to be someone else, it all falls apart.
I need to start from my own strengths and weaknesses. Speaking loudly and quickly may have been a weakness in some contexts. But I’ve tried to turn it into an advantage in my talks.
I want to develop my craft without losing who I am.
I gave many talks for free at the beginning
At first, I gave a ridiculous number of talks without payment. I wanted to get the message about my business out, first Jubii and later Amino and SPAMfighter.
But I also did it to practise. To get better and better. Practise, practise, practise.
So when the competition came along, I was already on the map. I’d given many talks about e-business and IT, including back in the Jubii days. That made being considered in the IT category natural.
In my view, the motivation category is connected partly to Thorborgs Talkshow, which you’re watching here. I try to motivate people in the videos.
I’ve also given lots of talks about motivation, including at Cirkusbygningen and elsewhere. For entrepreneurs, businesspeople and others.
I talk about having a great life and doing things differently. I feel I’ve found something I want to share. That enthusiasm comes from within.
The craft got me onto the shortlist
Of course, making the shortlist requires knowing your craft. I think I can allow myself to say I do, even if it sounds a little self-assured.
I’ve practised for thousands of hours. I’ve worked at it and stood in front of lots of people.
But the shortlist was full of other skilled speakers too. I mention Chris MacDonald and Thyra Frank, among others. They’re bloody motivating people and incredibly talented on stage.
So how do I win a motivation award in that company? I think something else made a difference there.
I’ve stayed in touch with my audience
When I give a talk, I typically ask people to sign up for my newsletter.
The last time I spoke at Forum, I also offered the audience a gift: Part of my book E-pusher. They needed to follow me on Twitter and Facebook because that’s where they’d receive it.
That means I have more than 4,000 Facebook fans at this point. On Twitter, I think it’s around 3,000 or 4,000; I can’t remember the precise number. And almost 20,000 receive my newsletter.
That’s a relationship with people who’ve heard me and follow what I do. I don’t simply disappear from their lives when the talk ends.
I asked people to vote if they liked my work
The other contestants asked for votes too, and naturally I did the same.
I don’t think I overdid it. I sent one email to the newsletter group and posted perhaps once or twice on Twitter and Facebook over three or four months.
And every time, my message was: If you’ve seen me and like what I do, vote for me.
I tried to do it properly. I didn’t simply want votes from all sorts of people unfamiliar with my work.
I think the relationship with the audience may have moved me from perhaps fifth place to first. That’s my assessment of what made the difference, not a calculation of the votes.
There could easily be one, two or three others on the shortlist who are better at motivating than I am. But perhaps they haven’t kept in touch with their audiences in the same way.
So I’m proud of the awards, and thank you so much if you voted for me. And if you didn’t, never mind, as I say with a smile at the end. I won anyway.
Today, I received fantastic news: I’ve won Denmark’s best speaker award in the "IT & Internet" category and the "Motivation" category. I’m incredibly proud, and who wouldn’t be? But how did I manage it? I’ll tell you right here and now: And thank you to everyone who voted for me! Best wishes, Martin
Tillykke med det Martin. Det er velfortjent!