Mobeen Tahir

Public speaking cannot rely on last minute preparation

Public Speaking / /

A few years ago, I sold my car. I sold it online through an auction process, where a dealer quotes you a price based on the information they have about the vehicle, but makes the quoted price subject to an inspection on the day. On the day the person is expected to inspect and collect my car, I want it to be in its most presentable state. I take it for a car wash. As I’m heading back, pleased that the car is looking pristine, I notice a muddy puddle on the road. It stretches across both sides, so I can’t avoid it. It had been raining that morning. So, I slow down. I want to pass through the puddle with as little damage as possible. But then… I see a car approaching from the other side. Inside are three boys who notice that I have slowed down considerably before passing through the puddle. They make eye contact with me. I notice the expressions in their eyes turn mischievous. The driver accelerates and moves towards me. I have nowhere to go. A huge splash of muddy water engulfs my car. Three people are laughing. They are all in the other car. I’m sitting there, holding my steering wheel, fuming. I come home. There is barely any time before the person is due to arrive. I give my car a very quick wipe clean. The guy is here. He carries out a detailed inspection and then calls the dealer he is representing. I eavesdrop. He tells the dealer, “The car is in mint condition.” I am told that the full quoted price will be transferred shortly. As I breathe a sigh of relief, I also realise that the car is in mint condition not because of my last-minute dash to clean it, but because of how I kept it throughout the seven years I had owned it. Public speaking works in exactly the same way. Last-minute preparation alone can never be enough. Nobody becomes a confident and engaging public speaker by doing something magical in the hour before they speak. Just as there is no wax that can hide real damage, such as dents on a car, there is no magical pill you can take at the last minute. What works instead is developing skills over time. Effective and engaging public speaking is built on a set of skills. Storytelling is a skill. Using your voice effectively is a skill. Engaging body language is a skill. The art of listening, yes, listening even as a public “speaker”, is a skill. Even humour can be developed. These skills improve through practice. You try something, see how people respond and learn how to do it better next time. Eventually, the skills become part of how you naturally communicate. That is what allows you to deliver with confidence when the moment arrives. All the skills a speaker needs to ultimately crush it on the day can be developed. But never at the last minute. At the last minute, you can merely manage your nerves and remind yourself of your key messages. Important things, for sure, but they are more like finishing touches. Much like my final wipe-clean on the day. And so, if you focus on developing skills and practising over time, then on the day you will be confident. Your nerves will be under control. You will know that you’ve got it and that you’re ready to crush it. And you will crush it. Even if you end up in a puddle on the day.   (Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer. You should not construe any information as financial advice.)

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Never ever ever exceed your speaking time

Public Speaking / /

It is a cardinal sin of public speaking. It can destroy everything you otherwise build as a communicator. It is the easiest way to undermine your own credibility. In other words, don’t go over your time. Please! Consider this situation I witnessed while sitting in the audience at a conference where I was due to speak later… There is a speaker on stage who has been speaking for a while. As I process the message the speaker is conveying, my gaze momentarily shifts towards another person who has made a move. Is someone in the front row getting up to leave? No, it’s the moderator who has stood up, likely to indicate that the speaking time is about to end or has perhaps ended already. Nothing unusual. A few moments later, with the speaker continuing, the moderator begins to pace. It now definitely seems like a signal to the speaker. A few more moments pass. The pacing becomes a bit more frantic and the moderator’s body language exudes agitation. He looks at his watch. I look around the room and it’s not just me noticing the moderator. It seems as if, one by one, people’s attention is being pulled away from the speaker and towards the unsettled moderator. There is almost a nervous energy settling into the room. The speaker has clearly gone considerably beyond their allotted time. A few more minutes go by, and now it seems everyone is aware of the situation. Everyone… except the speaker. When the speaker finally wraps up, you can almost feel the moderator’s relief. I make a note to myself. Don’t go over when you go up to speak. And keep an eye on the moderator. In the world of business, I often see very knowledgeable people who have done a lot of great work on a subject feel compelled to put everything they know on display. This is why slide decks are bloated and jam-packed with information. This is why people feel that if they don’t communicate everything, their audience will miss crucial bits of information. And so, they run over. Here are my top seven suggestions to help you stay on time the next time you speak. 1. Tailor your message How often do you see presenters skipping over slides because they have brought a standard deck and decide, while presenting, to skip some of the material? This simply means the presentation has not been tailored to the event. Regardless of whether you have slides or not, the message must always be tailored to the speaking engagement. Who is the audience? How long do you have? What is your goal? What messages do you want to convey? Can you deliver an hour-long presentation in 20 minutes? Can you deliver it in five minutes? The answer must always be yes. And it’s doable if you simply tailor your message. 2. Say more with less You don’t need to share everything you know. In the age of AI, knowledge is easy to acquire. Anyone can get hold of information. What you bring as a speaker are your insights. I would be amazed if someone spoke for an hour when they had been allocated 40 minutes and all they shared throughout their presentation were insights. There is always a way to trim down one’s message. Focus on the most engaging bits. Remove the details. 3. Declutter your slides If you are using slides, each slide must contain a single message. If there are four charts and 200 words on a slide, it will naturally take the speaker a while to get through everything. If every slide is like that, the moderator will certainly be pacing frantically. If you build cleaner slides, you give yourself a simple framework to work with. 4. Reduce the number If I see someone bringing 50 slides when they have 20 minutes to speak, I see a red flag. Of course, they will run over. And if they don’t, they’ll be flicking through slides and speaking at 1,000 words per second. It won’t be pretty. The way to reduce your slides is not to start deleting. If you’ve built a slide deck after doing a lot of work, would you be able to delete slide number 37? Of course you won’t. Slide number 37 is like your baby. So, instead of deleting, start with a blank slate. What messages do you want to convey? Again, how much time do you have? What slides will help you convey your messages? Build those rather than trying to delete slides from an existing deck. 5. Prepare by speaking out loud If we only prepare in our heads, the real thing always ends up taking longer. Our articulation may not be as smooth as it seems in our heads. There may be nerves. And so, the best way to practise is to speak out loud. Create, as much as possible, the conditions of the actual speaking engagement. Then, if you do that and time yourself, you will know how long it will actually take. 6. Don’t add new things on the day Adrenaline can get the better of us sometimes. We get into our material and start adding new details we didn’t initially plan to include. This, of course, will eat into your time. And if you add more things in each section, or on each slide, it will take much longer. Resist the temptation. 7. Be aware and respectful of the clock I once spoke at a company event. The speaker before me was from the company. Before the event started, he told me jokingly, in front of his colleagues, that they might have to drag him off the stage. I giggled, but also thought to myself, wow, that really isn’t funny. Why would you want to be in that situation? Awareness of time is step one. But we must also respect the clock. We must know that when our time is over, our time really is over. And we need to

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How to overcome the fear of public speaking

Public Speaking / /

Well, first determine whether it really is fear. Consider what happened to me once. I’m sitting in the audience at a large conference, mic’d up, watching the presenter on stage. I’m due to go next in about 10 minutes. I’m excited. I’m fully prepared. I know my messages and my stories. And I know this setting. It’s one of my favourite places to present in Europe, the majestic Grand Hotel in Stockholm. I take a moment to relish how lucky I am to get to do what I love. But then, something unexpected happens… My Apple Watch pings. I take a look and it tells me my heart rate has exceeded 120. Strange, given I’ve been rather inactive for the last 10 minutes. But it turns out, as I am forced to take note, that my heart is indeed racing. I smile, take a deep breath and snap a picture, thinking that maybe the lesson learnt from this moment will help someone else one day. At the very least, it will be a story to share. I wasn’t fearful of the stage. I was excited. But my Apple Watch couldn’t tell the difference. Sometimes even we can’t tell the difference when our bodies behave a certain way. Is my heart racing because I have a fear of public speaking, or am I simply experiencing a very natural adrenaline rush? It is possible to go from being fearful to being excited to speak in public. And the way to do it depends on when you have to speak. If you tell me you are about to go on stage in 10 minutes and feel fearful, I would say, take three very deep breaths. Inhale through the nose, let the air fill your lungs and exhale through your mouth. This will physically calm you down. Have a sip of water. Check your facial expression. Is it a frown or a smile? Needless to say, make sure it is a smile. Some coaches recommend mild movement to manage the adrenaline. All these things can help manage the symptoms, like a racing heart, sweaty palms, or a dry mouth. The most important thing you can do is remind yourself that you are there to serve, not perform. You are there to give something to the audience, not take something from them. You are there to have a conversation, not deliver something perfect. In other words, you can get into the right state of mind. Now, if you have a week to go until you have to speak, instead of 10 minutes, the physical symptoms won’t be there. Your heart is unlikely to be racing. But if you still feel fearful about speaking in public, then maybe the fear really is real. But we have time. It can be overcome. With a week to go, the focus should be on preparation. What’s the structure of your presentation? Memorising is not recommended, but having a structure and knowing what your main messages are is highly recommended. How will you start and finish? Do you know the exact first and final words you will say? These can be rehearsed. Many speakers feel comfortable once they get into their material. And so, a rehearsed opening is not only important for captivating the audience, it is also important for settling nerves. And that preparation can be extended further. If you are using slides, do you have a good set of slides? Have you got the right amount of material for the time allocation you have? Preparation at this stage means having a clear structure for your speaking engagement and rehearsing it so you know the plan. Now, if your speaking engagement is months away, or you are just generally thinking about public speaking and still feel fearful, this is where things get really interesting. Now, you enter the realm of developing skills. At this point, it is important to make a clarification. Some people want to become confident public speakers. Confidence, in my view, cannot be taught or developed. It is simply a by-product of having skills. Does Lionel Messi feel confident when he steps onto a football pitch? Does Adele feel confident when she steps onto a stage? I would imagine so, but not because they developed confidence. It is because Messi developed football skills and Adele developed singing skills. They can be confident that they will deliver, even if their hearts are racing. Like I was when I was about to take the stage in Stockholm. The only difference being that I am nowhere near as awesome or rich as Messi and Adele. And so, you develop public speaking skills. Storytelling, the art of using your voice, the power of connecting through body language, humour and engagement, crafting compelling narratives and messages, and so forth. And give yourself some exposure therapy. Try these skills when talking to friends. That, too, is public speaking. Making a story engaging when narrating it to a group of friends means developing the exact storytelling skill you need when narrating a story in a business presentation. Over time, skills become part of your muscle memory, so that varying the pitch or cadence of your voice, using illustrative gestures or sharing a personal story in the present tense becomes second nature. That is how you overcome the fear of public speaking. Next time you see someone speaking like they own the stage, know that their heart might be racing, their palms might be sweaty and their mouth might be dry, but they are still speaking with confidence because they have spent years building and polishing their skills and have put themselves in situations where those skills can be tested. Just like an athlete. Just like a singer.

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Greatest Guitarist in the World? Here’s Why Introductions Matter

Public Speaking / /

I’m scrolling through music videos on YouTube, in the mood for instrumentals – hoping to be inspired by a unique composition or a fresh style of playing. A recommended video catches my eye. The title reads: Greatest Guitar Player in the World. Naturally, I click. I give it a listen. It’s a low-budget video of a musician playing an acoustic guitar. An original composition. And a very good one. He’s fingerpicking a beautiful melody that oozes romance and relaxation in equal measure. As I take in the music, I glance at the comments section. What I see is not what I expected. It’s a flurry of negativity. Relentless. I search for something positive. There are a few encouraging remarks, but they’re buried in a sea of criticism. It seems the video was uploaded by someone other than the musician. A saving grace, perhaps. One can only hope the guitarist never reads the comments. But there’s a pattern. No one is saying the music is terrible. Instead, the criticism is aimed squarely at the title. He’s not the greatest guitar player in the world, people argue – loudly. And rightly so. What makes anyone the greatest guitarist in the world? Is it commercial success? Critical acclaim? Number of views on YouTube? There are countless styles of guitar playing. How do you compare a brilliant classical guitarist to a master of heavy metal? Or blues? Or jazz? There’s no objective answer. Musical greatness is subjective. Everyone has their own taste, their own favourites. Declaring someone the greatest doesn’t just invite debate – it invites backlash. That’s the mistake the uploader made. By introducing this talented musician with a superlative so grand it couldn’t possibly be justified, they may have gained some clicks, but did the artist a disservice. What should have been praised as a beautiful piece of original music was mocked because of one inflated claim. Public speakers make the same mistake when introducing others. We think that lavishing praise sets the speaker up for success, but in reality, it creates impossibly high expectations. The audience is primed for brilliance – and anything short of spectacular feels like a letdown. A better approach? Be factual. Mention someone’s credentials, their work, their experience. Let the speaker earn their moment. Let their message do the work. A modest introduction gives them a better chance of connecting with the audience – without having to climb a mountain of expectations. So next time you’re introducing someone, skip the superlatives. State the facts. Then give them the floor. It might not be clickbait – but it might just give them the best shot at success. Calling anyone the greatest guitar player in the world can end up hurting them more than helping them.

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Don’t Overcook Your Presentation

Public Speaking / /

My wife and I treated ourselves to something special: a day out in London with just the two of us while our son was at nursery. We’re having a great time – but we’re also on a mission. We want to get as many steps in as possible. That means less time on the tube or buses, and more time walking. By mid-afternoon, our energy starts to dip. We need a caffeine boost. We’re in the posh neighbourhood of Knightsbridge when we spot a café selling our favourite: karak chai – a strong, spiced tea cooked in a pan with milk. A staple in our Pakistani heritage, and something we take pride in making every morning. We decide to part with a small fortune for two cups. I go through mine quickly, as usual. My wife, at her usual steady pace. We know this tea is supposed to be refreshing. That’s what we expect. But that’s not what we get. Instead, it leaves us slightly nauseous. There’s a heaviness in the chest. A bitter aftertaste. The tea had clearly been overcooked. We realise the reason our own chai works is because of the balance – the right amount of heat, time, and care. And it’s the same with public speaking. Preparation is crucial. You can’t wing a presentation. It must be rehearsed. It must be practised. But it must not be overcooked. If a speech is memorised or delivered word-for-word from a script, it doesn’t sound natural. It stops being a conversation. Instead, it feels like the speaker is offloading content onto the audience. This is why even world leaders sometimes fail to connect. A tightly scripted speech gives control over the message – but it takes away authenticity. When speakers know what they want to communicate and speak naturally, they sound more genuine. That’s also the best safeguard against forgetting what to say. Reading from a script or recalling lines verbatim is risky – especially if you lose your place or train of thought. To strike the right balance in preparation, consider these: Know your purpose and the main messages you want to deliver. Know your transitions – can you link one part to the next instead of just finishing one and starting another? Pause like you’re thinking – and actually think. Let the audience absorb what you’ve just said. Memorise a few things – like your opening, your closing, or certain phrases you want to land with impact. Do this, and you won’t need a script. Nor will you need to memorise your entire speech. While there are ways to make a memorised speech sound natural (a topic for another blog), it’s a risky strategy and often creates more pitfalls. A more natural, conversational delivery leaves the audience feeling refreshed – and never sick. P.S. Check out my showreel: https://youtu.be/rpTqsCwNoMo?feature=shared. If you would like 1-1 coaching, group workshops, or an engaging keynote speech on mastering the art of public speaking, get in touch.

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Anxious speaker holding a microphone under a spotlight in a busy banquet hall while diners chat at tables.

Win Them Early or Lose Them Forever: A Dinner Table Speaking Lesson

Uncategorized / /

I recently witnessed the most terrifying situation imaginable for a public speaker. Thankfully, I wasn’t the one holding the mic. I am at a conference in Italy. Earlier that day I spoke on the main stage to an engaged, attentive audience. Now it is dinner time. Everyone is seated, hungry, and waiting for barbecued food. The organisers rattle through a few formalities, thank the host team, and then invite a guest speaker forward. Besides the fact that people are eyeing the kitchen doors, the set-up is tough: a large hall dotted with round tables, no stage, just a few TV screens relaying the speaker’s image. The man is still physically visible, standing in the centre of the room. He starts. I cannot understand the words, as he is speaking in Italian, but I can hear the problem: a low rumble of conversation. Not everyone is paying attention. I watch closely, hoping he will do something to grab the room. Instead, he plants his feet, microphone in one hand, notes in the other, and addresses only the nearest two tables. I know this is not going to work. The chatter grows louder. The stress shows on his face, yet he speaks on. Soon the entire table around me is wondering aloud whether anyone can hear him. Eventually his voice fades away completely. Did the tech team mute his mic? I keep looking at him out of respect, but I notice that only four people – those right in front of him – are still listening. He finishes, sweating and short-of-breath. A polite ripple of applause follows. His own gesture seems less like thank you and more like thank goodness that’s over. He sits. The ordeal ends. I ask the Italian speakers at my table if they caught a single line. They shake their heads. What Went Wrong? After the event I replay the scene. The fault was not the content or the language barrier. The single, fatal mistake was failing to captivate the audience in the first few seconds. True, the host should have hushed the room before handing over, but once the microphone changed hands there was only one route to success: force the audience to focus, immediately. Two Simple Ways to Command Attention Clink a glass A universal, socially acceptable signal that says listen up. Say it plainly “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please.” Delivered loudly and firmly, those words alone can hush a room. That is the bare minimum. Silence buys you a fresh slate. But now the real work begins. Engage Them Right Away In a long hall the task is harder, yet the audience expectation is unchanged: they will listen only if they feel you are talking to them. No one chats to someone else when you are speaking directly to them. An effective tactic would have been to involve the crowd: Ask for a quick show of hands. Invite a cheer or a “yes” to a simple question. Get them to shout out an answer. Walk around to room while having this interaction. Comedians do this. It forces every table to take part and signals that the speech will be interactive, not a monologue. If the prompt sparks a laugh, even better. In quieter rooms this technique still works, but you can also rely on classic hooks – leap straight into a story, deploy a startling fact, use a rhetorical question. Because if you do not engage your audience from the outset, you lose them forever. They leave with nothing, and you leave with a painful memory. Presenting before or during meals is hard. But if your message is strong and your delivery engaging, you might just put dinner on the backburner.

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You Don’t Need Exceptional Knowledge to Sound Exceptional

Public Speaking / /

Lots of handshakes are happening. The guests are taking their leave. One by one they thank us, the hosts, for the lovely lunch event, our venue choice, and me personally for my insightful presentation. As I am politely returning their gestures with appreciation for their participation, one gentleman thanks me like everyone else and goes on to add, “Your knowledge is exceptional.” I return a delighted smile and say thank you. But once the event is over, I take a moment to reflect on the gentleman’s kind remarks. While this was quite a compliment, one that I had not received before, it was also one I did not believe I was worthy of. And this is not because I am a victim of imposter syndrome, certainly no more than the healthy amount many people experience when in a position of responsibility. Nor is it me being overly humble. I know that my knowledge is not exceptional. And so, I dissect my presentation. I had talked about five distinct investment themes, all compelling ideas worthy of investor consideration at the time, but unique nonetheless. The reason why I know my knowledge is not exceptional is that I know how limited the depth of my understanding is in each of those topics. I am not an expert in any of them, let alone all of them. What I had done, however, which made an impression on the gentleman, and perhaps others, is that I had clear and compelling talking points for each of those topics, which I delivered in an engaging manner. Mostly, couched inside stories. And that made an impression. This incident takes me to a question I often get. Being in a role where I have to talk about a wide range of topics, I’m often asked how I develop the knowledge. The answer is simple: you can’t develop deep expertise in lots of topics, if that is indeed your role, in a short period of time. You mustn’t represent yourself as an expert either. What you can do, however, is know enough to form a clear and coherent narrative that helps your audience understand what matters most and what is most relevant to them. As a public speaker, even though I did not have exceptional knowledge, I received that compliment because I: Knew my most salient talking points in each topic Couched my talking points within stories that resonated Delivered my presentation with energy and conviction That final point is of paramount importance. When you sincerely believe your message and demonstrate your belief, it shows. It makes an impact. For the generalists like me out there who speak on a wide variety of topics, this aforementioned framework is key. For people with deep expertise, the same works equally well. Ultimately, if you are concise, engaging, and energetic, people will not only connect with you, they might even admire your knowledge, whether it really is exceptional or not.

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What a Zombie Apocalypse Taught Me About Public Speaking

Public Speaking / /

How many presentations have you received in your life? How many do you actually remember? Something happened to me more than fifteen years ago. And I still remember every single detail. I’m on my way home from work, stepping out of the station, lost in thought. Just another ordinary day. As I turn onto the quiet street where I live, I notice flashing blue lights. Police cars. Lots of them. Right in front of my house. An officer stops me at a distance. It looks like a crime scene. But on this street? I scan for clues. There’s a library nearby — has someone stolen a book? Surely not enough to warrant a full police blockade. Then I spot an overturned car.Blood on the pavement.Bodies. This is bigger than I thought. And then… zombies.A swarm of them stumbling across the road, groaning like they do. Police trying to contain them. Shots are fired. Screams. I stand frozen, watching in horror as a zombie apocalypse unfolds right outside my house. And then I hear it:“Cut!” In an instant, the undead snap out of character. Nobody is dying. Nobody is dead. And thankfully, nobody has risen from the dead. I ask what film it is. Cockneys vs Zombies, they tell me, before letting me pass through during a break. I go inside, peer out from behind the blinds, and watch the next take — part horrified, part thrilled, hoping not to end up on camera. I lived in that house for thirteen months while doing an internship in London. I walked that route home hundreds of times. But the only walk I remember — is that one. Why?Because there was drama. And that, right there, is the lesson for public speakers. If your audience doesn’t remember you, what’s the point of presenting at all? I’m not suggesting you show up to your next business pitch dressed like a zombie (unless it’s Halloween and you’re feeling brave). But I am suggesting that you inject life — or dare I say, bring your talk back to life — by adding a bit of drama. Here’s how you can do that: Tell stories – People forget slides, but they remember stories. Use them. Use humour – Not forced jokes, but the natural humour in real situations. Bring energy – A speaker with energy immediately commands attention. Craft memorable lines – Sometimes your audience will only remember one sentence. Make it count. Make eye contact – Sounds simple. But it’s rare. And powerful. If we want to be memorable, we have to stand out.Are we doing something different?Are we making our message stick? Drama isn’t just cool — it’s effective.And a zombie apocalypse? Even better.

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How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking

Public Speaking / /

“It’s alright to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation.” — Dr Rob Gilbert The Music Moment I’m holding the guitar in my hand, basking in the warmth of applause from a group of friends, having just finished my third song. These first songs are ones I know well. The chord changes are embedded in my muscle memory. The vocal sequences, I’m confident I can deliver with precision. But now, for the fourth song, I feel the nerves creeping back in. Odd, considering they had settled after the first. This song, though, stretches me — both vocally and on the guitar. I haven’t quite committed it to memory. And that’s when it hits me: I haven’t changed. The setting hasn’t changed. The only variable is my level of preparation. Preparation Beats Fear For public speakers, preparation is the ultimate antidote to fear. But preparation has many dimensions — and how you prepare depends on how much time you have. With Five Minutes to Go If you ask me five minutes before a big presentation how to overcome stage fright, I’d say: Take three deep breaths. (Inhale through the nose, feel your diaphragm expand, exhale slowly through the mouth.) Remember your main messages. Beyond that, I might give you a pat on the back and say, you’ve got this. Just like with that tough song — take a deep breath and go for it. With a Couple of Days If you’ve got a couple of days, use them to practise with your current skill set. This is not the time to try something new. Focus on the basics: Do you know your main points? Do you know how long you have — and how long your presentation takes? Are you clear on the logistics — the where and the when? If yes, you’re in good shape. Just like I’d rehearse that tricky song repeatedly before a performance, repetition builds confidence. With Six Months Now, if you’ve got six months — that’s a different conversation. This is the time to develop new skills. You can start: Using vocal variety Incorporating purposeful gestures Crafting stories to engage the audience Experimenting with pacing and pauses As these skills develop, so does your confidence. Eventually, when you step on stage, you’ll feel ready — not just familiar with your content, but capable of delivering it with impact. The Journey to Confidence That’s the journey all accomplished public speakers go through. It’s easy to look at someone polished and assume it comes naturally. But what you’re really seeing is the result of preparation — not the absence of fear. So get started. Your fear of public speaking doesn’t reveal a flaw in your personality. It doesn’t mean you’re incapable of speaking with confidence. It simply tells you one thing: You need more preparation. And once you’ve done the work — you’ll soon see those butterflies fly in formation.

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Don’t Oversell. Deliver Value.

Public Speaking / /

I am quite excited as I join the webinar. It has been pitched to me as something that will provide a clear framework for overcoming a challenge I currently face. The presenter begins with a great deal of energy. He engages the audience and sets the scene for what to expect. He claims the webinar will reveal a clear roadmap for everyone to follow to achieve exactly what I, along with everyone else in the audience, am here to learn. He then proceeds to highlight case studies of previous clients who followed the framework and achieved phenomenal success. I think to myself – ok, that’s good to know. But everyone here already recognises that you have something useful to share. Time keeps passing, and the presenter, very enthusiastically, spends the next 45 minutes building the case for the grand reveal – the secret sauce, the holy grail everyone in the audience supposedly needs to achieve the same astronomical results. The case studies keep pouring in. At this point, I’m starting to get a bit annoyed. When will the webinar actually start? The presenter then provides a rushed 5–minute overview of something that feels somewhat useful. Stuff that was already on the presenter’s website. And just when I think he’ll go deeper, he does what I had started to fear ever since my agitation began – he makes the case for joining a 2–day programme where the ultimate secret will be shared. For the next 20 minutes, he sells the hell out of this course, highlighting how thousands of dollars’ worth of value is available for merely a few hundred. He even runs over by 10 minutes. Eventually, I drop off. I can’t stand the sales pitch any longer. I’ve barely learnt anything from the webinar in the past hour and ten minutes. Now, it is possible he even got a few subscriptions. After all, he was employing every trick in the book – creating urgency, incentivising quick signups, framing the supposedly low price of the programme against a much higher anchor. All the tricks were there. But the webinar itself was just a sales pitch. It offered nothing else. And it left a bad taste in my mouth. I thought, there is no way I’m paying for anything this company is selling. Instead, if the webinar had delivered an hour’s worth of value, and then stated at the end how much more there was to learn in the 2–day programme, I might have considered it. Also, it showed me little respect. Nobody sells something worth thousands of dollars for a few hundred. I would have been more receptive to the value of the programme if the false anchor hadn’t been deployed. The lesson for us as public speakers, therefore, is to have a mindset of service. When we have our audience’s attention, we should add value by giving them what they’ve come for – whether it’s learning about a product, a service, or an idea. If they wish to engage further with your work, it should be their choice. If you’ve delivered value, there’s a good chance they might. If you’ve oversold, they may just resent you for it.

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