Location: O’Hara’s Bed & Breakfast, West Coast Ireland.
Characters: Mary Margaret O’Hara, proprietor: Michael Patrick (husband), Patrick Michael (son), American Hank Devlin and his long time golf- buddy Martin Boyd, both on first visit to Ireland
_____________________________________________________________
Mrs. O'Hara
“Well, now lads I hope you enjoyed that lovely Irish breakfast – the three slices of black pudding – blood pudding to you – the slices of bacon, mushrooms, baked beans, the two fresh eggs sunny side up as you Americans like to say and of course the giant sausages –from McCool’s the Butcher – he’s a brother-in-law of my sister-in-law you know, although they haven’t spoken for over twelve years, but that’s only temporary. Tell me, what do you fine lads plan to do today. You’re off to the golf course, are ye?”
“Mrs. O’Hara we sure are. We need directions. We don’t have GPS.”
Where the Angels Swim
“And what would ye be needin’ that for, Sir? Doesn’t everyone around here know where everyplace is, around here like? But I’ll tell ya how to get to the golf course. If you go down this road for about two miles, you’ll see a road to the right. That road takes you over the beautiful green hillside and you’ll get a great view of the lakes. They say it is where the angels swim. Some people say they swim in the nude, but I don’t think Father Murphy would approve of that, although there’s been a lot of talk about the long walks he takes with Mother Octavia of the Seven Sorrows - she’s from Six Flags, she has five brothers, four sisters, three are nuns, two priests and one is the black sheep of the family – he’s a politician! Aye, very long walks.”
Mrs. O’Hara paused.
“Anyway, if you see the lakes, you’ve taken the wrong road. Don’t take that road. About a kilometer – ‘tis kilometers we use here now, you know. Kilometers are shorter than miles, but the funny thing is you don’t get there any faster. Anyway - before that road, there is a turn to the left – take that, and the golf course is down there. Have you gentlemen visited these parts before?”
“No. No. We have not, although I sure do love it. My grandfather emigrated from here years ago. I remember sitting on his knee and telling me about the beautiful Irish people and countryside. He never told me about the great Irish golf courses you have.”
“Ah, the only things walking the land in those days were the sheep. Off you go now, gentlemen and par for putt or whatever you guys do. You don’t know that Tiger Weeds guy, do you?
“Woods.”
“Woods? Well, there is a forest about 5 miles from town, but I thought you wanted to play golf”
“We do Mrs. O Hara, we do. The golfer’s name is Woods – Tiger Woods.”
What Do I Want My Attitude To Be
“And there’s me saying … oh well. It’s a funny game that golf. My son Patrick Michael says they even have names for each golf hole down at the golf course – names like White Sox, Wrigley and Sears Tower, although I hear they’re going to change that name for some reason. Now where do they get names like that from? Can you credit that? Well, now off you go and keep an eye out for sheep on the road. When you are near the golf course, they might delay you. But as my late husband, Michael Patrick said when things go wrong –‘What do I want my attitude to be?’ ”
“Sorry to hear that your husband passed away, Mrs. O’Hara, that must have been a blow.”
“My husband? – Ah no, he’s just late – late back from the creamery.”
“Oh, I’m glad to hear that. Don’t worry – we’ll keep an eye out for the sheep on the road.”
“Do that. As Willie Nelson might sing ‘On the road again.’ Off you go now.”
As the would-be golfers drove off, Mrs. O’Hara smiled, took out her sleek iPhone hit a speed key and said:
“Hi Patrick Michael? Morning. Quick one for you. I’ve just had a couple of guests heading off to the golf course. Are you out on the land at the moment? Good. Good. Look they’ll be going by your place in about 10 minutes. Put a few sheep out on the road for them. Give them a touch of old Ireland.”
“Mom, you’re nuts.”
The Brand Experience
“Ah now Son, you are the one that told me about this Brand Experience thing. That it will help us beat the recession. Those guys came looking for the old Ireland. Aran sweaters. Friendly people. Crazy directions.”
“And what’s with the sheep, Mom? That could make them late for their golf.”
“Sheep? That’s the added value son which you tell me should always be provided. And if they get a little anxious about being late, just tell them to remember that great question when things go slightly wrong.”
“Yea, I know, ‘What do I want my attitude to be?’ It’s a powerful question, recession or not.”
“That it is Son. So put those sheep out, create that Brand Experience thing, I’ll get repeat business and pay off your student loans. It’s the Gift of GAB son and for God’s sake don’t be playing Gun’s n’ Roses on the tractor when they go by. It’ll confuse them. And remember that Gift of GAB son.”
“I know, I know. Goals, Attitude, Behavior. It’s the key to BEATING the recession. OK, Mom, I’ll put the sheep out. Where are they from?”
“Chicago, the Windy City.”
“Ah Barack O’Bama country! I wonder will they be saying ‘Yes – we can, Yes – we can’ after losing a dozen golf balls on that course. But why are you sending them this direction? All you had to do was give them MapQuest details.”
The Gift of GAB
“And wouldn’t that ruin the experience Son? You know Ireland has one of the best educated young populations in the world. You are not a good example of that. You’ve got your father’s brains – he’s still not back from the creamery. My Goal is to make sure my guests have a great time, they’ll have a great Attitude and the end Behavior is they will come back to Ireland again. I’ve got to go now son. That nice man, Padraig Harrington is on the Golf Channel. Hurry up with those sheep. You’ll hear my guests coming. They’re driving a stick shift. Oh by the way, tell them to keep the ball out of the woods -or even weeds!”
“I will Mom, I will. I might even tell them about the Gift of GAB – How Goals, Attitude, Behavior can BEAT the living daylights out of the recession.”
“That’d be nice Son. I think I hear your father coming. He’s going to need the Gift of GAB to explain what kept him.”
Showing posts with label Humorous Keynote Speaker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humorous Keynote Speaker. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Jon Stewart 2. Jim Cramer 0
Wow!
Jon Stewart really wiped the carpet with Jim Cramer last night. Stewart last week raised a really important point about the lack of aggressive reporting by the financial media and pointed fingers at CNBC and Jim Cramer in particular. The tone of his message was accurate even if it was supported by some clever editing.
Jim Cramer did what every good PR agency would tell him to do. Face your accuser. So Jimbo sauntered on to The Daily Show last night expecting - it seems - to have a relatively light-hearted debate with this very humorous speaker and comedian. I presume that is what he expected because he appeared stunned by the vigor and intensity of Stewart's questioning.
In boxing parlance, the fight should have been stopped early. Cramer's inability to respond and Stewart's increasingly aggressive tone almost became uncomfortable as the interview continued. I don't recall one good laugh in the whole show which is really unusual for that program.
A few points strike me about all of this.
1) As a humorous motivational keynote business speaker (motivational humorist is shorter Conor) (I know but not as effective for search engines as motivational, humorous, inspirational keynote speaker) (Get to the point, will you?)
As I was saying as a humorous motivational keynote business speaker, I do my homework to understand my audience before I get in front of them. Jim Cramer did not.
2) I also prepare aggressively: I rehearse: I articulate my keynote out loud. I prepare.
Jim Cramer did not prepare and paid for it - Bigtime. I find The Cramer Report completely off-putting but when I see Cramer interviewed on Street Signs or other shows, he seems a genuinely likable guy, so I felt a little sorry for him, but it was his own fault or that of his PR people.
3) I blogged some time ago about the fawning interviews the financial press does with the hero of the day. The first time I realized Enron's Jeffrey Skilling was 'special' was when I saw an obsequious fawning interview with him on a financial show.
The same type of hero worship is now being presented to J.P. Morgan's Jamie Dimon. Just to make sure there is no confusion I am not comparing Dimon to the criminal Skilling. My point is how the media treat financial superstars. To be fair, as a TV producer or Booker, I'd jump at the chance of having Dimon on my show. As well as doing apparently a good job at J.P. Morgan he is a very media friendly personality. Even if he is the only saint on Wall Street (OK my geography is suspect) let's stop canonizing him.
4) Why are the best interviews done by Comics? Stewart / Cramer is one example. Dave Letterman's interview with John McCain was excellent as was The View's interview with the same candidate.
GO ON - BEAT THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF THE RECESSION
Jon Stewart really wiped the carpet with Jim Cramer last night. Stewart last week raised a really important point about the lack of aggressive reporting by the financial media and pointed fingers at CNBC and Jim Cramer in particular. The tone of his message was accurate even if it was supported by some clever editing.
Jim Cramer did what every good PR agency would tell him to do. Face your accuser. So Jimbo sauntered on to The Daily Show last night expecting - it seems - to have a relatively light-hearted debate with this very humorous speaker and comedian. I presume that is what he expected because he appeared stunned by the vigor and intensity of Stewart's questioning.
In boxing parlance, the fight should have been stopped early. Cramer's inability to respond and Stewart's increasingly aggressive tone almost became uncomfortable as the interview continued. I don't recall one good laugh in the whole show which is really unusual for that program.
A few points strike me about all of this.
1) As a humorous motivational keynote business speaker (motivational humorist is shorter Conor) (I know but not as effective for search engines as motivational, humorous, inspirational keynote speaker) (Get to the point, will you?)
As I was saying as a humorous motivational keynote business speaker, I do my homework to understand my audience before I get in front of them. Jim Cramer did not.
2) I also prepare aggressively: I rehearse: I articulate my keynote out loud. I prepare.
Jim Cramer did not prepare and paid for it - Bigtime. I find The Cramer Report completely off-putting but when I see Cramer interviewed on Street Signs or other shows, he seems a genuinely likable guy, so I felt a little sorry for him, but it was his own fault or that of his PR people.
3) I blogged some time ago about the fawning interviews the financial press does with the hero of the day. The first time I realized Enron's Jeffrey Skilling was 'special' was when I saw an obsequious fawning interview with him on a financial show.
The same type of hero worship is now being presented to J.P. Morgan's Jamie Dimon. Just to make sure there is no confusion I am not comparing Dimon to the criminal Skilling. My point is how the media treat financial superstars. To be fair, as a TV producer or Booker, I'd jump at the chance of having Dimon on my show. As well as doing apparently a good job at J.P. Morgan he is a very media friendly personality. Even if he is the only saint on Wall Street (OK my geography is suspect) let's stop canonizing him.
4) Why are the best interviews done by Comics? Stewart / Cramer is one example. Dave Letterman's interview with John McCain was excellent as was The View's interview with the same candidate.
GO ON - BEAT THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF THE RECESSION
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Beat the Recession
Doom and gloom, doom and gloom! No matter where you look, the news seems to be getting worse. “Not bad” is now being termed the “new good.” Yesterday’s 38% decline in auto sales could not even be referred as the “new good.” They were absolutely frightening and with Chrysler’s 55% decline in sales, there must be serious concern that this historic company can survive the recession. As I write this, Costco has issued a warning for this quarter due to a poor January.
So what are you doing to beat the recession? As a keynote speaker (humorous, business growth, foodservice, marketing, cancer, healthcare) I’m in the same boat as everyone else. I’ve had leadership and strategy events cancelled and potential clients say ‘We’re slashing budgets everywhere.’ One thing is certain, doing the same thing, in the same way, to the same target market is not going to get me the same good results I was getting.
A few tips to beat the recession
1) Work Harder
Outgoing Wal-Mart CEO Leo Scott was interviewed recently on CNBC. The comment that really resonated with me was “I’m at my desk at six every morning reviewing yesterday’s figures.” If the chief exec of the world’s largest retailer is at his desk at six, why not you? ‘Why not me?’ I said. In the current environment you HAVE to work harder to get the same results. I am working harder and I am working longer hours than previous including commencing this blog before six this morning. That is one reason why I’m going to beat the recession.
2) Work Smarter
‘Hey, as a motivational humorous speaker on business, you’re not giving me a lot of new ideas,’ I hear you saying. ‘Work smarter’ is a simple concept. DOING IT is not simple. ‘Work smarter’ will help you beat the recession. I have ramped up a number of my activities including:
Better lead follow-up. I recently purchased a new ACT! Software program which is a pain in the butt to work with, but it definitely has improved my productivity with alerts popping up regularly reminding me to contact clients.
Continuous website development. As an Irish motivational humorist – Chicago based, who relies a lot on search engines for business development, I am adding a lot of content to my website with some over the top hyperbolic commentary related to my keywords. I have added more new content this month than any other comparable period – not just blog pages but Mark Twain speeches (the finest most inspirational humorous keynote speaker ever), Great Speeches and State of the Union addresses. All these pages include relevant commentary about the Chicago based Irish humorous keynote business speaker on topics as diverse as cancer, foodservice, business growth, beat the recession etc.
3) Network, Network, Network.
I attend every single cat and dog show that has any relevance to my business. I’ve signed up for more breakfasts, more luncheons than are good for my health. I am particularly interested in business associations which have regular networking meetings.
The more networking you do, the more networking works!
It is difficult to make a solid impression on anyone after one short introduction at a business meeting. However if you see that person again next week and the week after, you are on the way to creating a genuine business connection. Make sure you follow up on every business card you receive. You do not know always know who can make a difference to your business. So keep hammering away! I had a potential client contact me two weeks ago whose name seemed vaguely familiar. I had contacted him and sent a copy of my book Why Ireland Never Invaded America THREE years ago. That’s a long lead time that I don’t want to repeat too often, but the initial contact came about via networking.
Go to it – Beat the recession.
Let’s get more energetic here.
Go to it – Beat the crap out of the recession!
So what are you doing to beat the recession? As a keynote speaker (humorous, business growth, foodservice, marketing, cancer, healthcare) I’m in the same boat as everyone else. I’ve had leadership and strategy events cancelled and potential clients say ‘We’re slashing budgets everywhere.’ One thing is certain, doing the same thing, in the same way, to the same target market is not going to get me the same good results I was getting.
A few tips to beat the recession
1) Work Harder
Outgoing Wal-Mart CEO Leo Scott was interviewed recently on CNBC. The comment that really resonated with me was “I’m at my desk at six every morning reviewing yesterday’s figures.” If the chief exec of the world’s largest retailer is at his desk at six, why not you? ‘Why not me?’ I said. In the current environment you HAVE to work harder to get the same results. I am working harder and I am working longer hours than previous including commencing this blog before six this morning. That is one reason why I’m going to beat the recession.
2) Work Smarter
‘Hey, as a motivational humorous speaker on business, you’re not giving me a lot of new ideas,’ I hear you saying. ‘Work smarter’ is a simple concept. DOING IT is not simple. ‘Work smarter’ will help you beat the recession. I have ramped up a number of my activities including:
Better lead follow-up. I recently purchased a new ACT! Software program which is a pain in the butt to work with, but it definitely has improved my productivity with alerts popping up regularly reminding me to contact clients.
Continuous website development. As an Irish motivational humorist – Chicago based, who relies a lot on search engines for business development, I am adding a lot of content to my website with some over the top hyperbolic commentary related to my keywords. I have added more new content this month than any other comparable period – not just blog pages but Mark Twain speeches (the finest most inspirational humorous keynote speaker ever), Great Speeches and State of the Union addresses. All these pages include relevant commentary about the Chicago based Irish humorous keynote business speaker on topics as diverse as cancer, foodservice, business growth, beat the recession etc.
3) Network, Network, Network.
I attend every single cat and dog show that has any relevance to my business. I’ve signed up for more breakfasts, more luncheons than are good for my health. I am particularly interested in business associations which have regular networking meetings.
The more networking you do, the more networking works!
It is difficult to make a solid impression on anyone after one short introduction at a business meeting. However if you see that person again next week and the week after, you are on the way to creating a genuine business connection. Make sure you follow up on every business card you receive. You do not know always know who can make a difference to your business. So keep hammering away! I had a potential client contact me two weeks ago whose name seemed vaguely familiar. I had contacted him and sent a copy of my book Why Ireland Never Invaded America THREE years ago. That’s a long lead time that I don’t want to repeat too often, but the initial contact came about via networking.
Go to it – Beat the recession.
Let’s get more energetic here.
Go to it – Beat the crap out of the recession!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Interesting Reads related to the Inauguration
The inauguration of Barack Obama is historic by any standards. For many older African-Americans it must be one of the momentous events in their lives and one that many would never have believed possible in the dark days of Jim Crow.
As a humorous inspirational keynote business speaker (sorry, I’ve got to use that hyperbole to attract search engines and anyone looking for a keynote speaker, humorous, inspiration, Irish, Chicago based etc!), I’ve read a lot of books on the Civil Rights era. Some months ago, I posted a review of Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr . Given what has transpired in recent days I thought it might be interesting to present it here again.
Other relevant material on this subject includes my review of Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement by Congressman John Lewis. This is one of my favorite books, written by a truly brave man.
Something that might also be of interest is Bill Clinton’s speech on What Would Martin Luther King Say – Remarks to the Convocation of the Church of God in Christ, November 1993
Following is the review of Call to Conscience.
This work is available in book form, CD and also available for download. I have it on my iPod. This is a true test to see if a download can wear out, because I listen to it a lot.
Note, some of the audio quality is not good. To fully appreciate King’s talent and speech construction, you do need the book. The advantage of the audio is that you can hear the real thing and appreciate this wonderful orator’s speech pattern, intonation and delivery.
Rosa Parks said that Martin Luther King told her he spent up to fifteen hours on sermon development. I believe it.
This book provided King’s speeches in chronological order and it is interesting to see how his style develops from the first speech referenced to his final poignant, prophetic address in Memphis, April 3rd 1968, the night before he was assassinated.
Three things strike me about this era as I go through the work.
1) The horrors, humiliation and fear which the “negro” community endured and which King fought so hard to overcome are painted graphically in some of his speeches. Probably the most poignant speech is the address at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama following the murder of four young children.
King’s words are powerful, full of pain, anguish, and controlled anger. But it is the audience response that hit me hard. In almost every other speech on this work, the reaction is upbeat and lively. Here, there is just pain and sadness in the intermittent responses of his congregation. This speech came after King’s acclaimed “I have a dream” speech and the march on Washington, which may have led the leaders of the black community to a misleading sense of hope for the immediate future.
2) The genuine Christian ethic that pervaded King’s thinking. He regularly extols his audience to “love” their persecutors. He does differentiate strongly between “mushy” love, but he continuously asks his audience, many of whom suffered dreadful hardship and pain during this era, to forgive their persecutors.
3) King was a brave man. Not just because of his defiance of the whole “Jim Crow” ethic which ultimately resulted in his assassination. This was a fate that probably would not have surprised him, given the murders of other activists including Medgar Evers. However, his bravest speech may well have been “Beyond Vietnam” April 4th 1967, where he stingingly indicted the United States for its involvement in the war. It was a war which he saw as “an enemy of the poor” because it diverted resources from the war on poverty. But his criticism was even more basic.
“We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem. And so we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools. And so we watch them in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village, but we realize that they would hardly live on the same block in Chicago. I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor.”
King knew the speech would be seen by Lyndon Johnson as a stab in the back. It also raised to an even greater level, the ire of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover who was paranoid about King’s activities.
King undoubtedly was an inspirational speaker and motivator. His speeches got better as his audience warmed to him. This, I think is proof positive, that a speech is not just about the words but the delivery of those words. The great speaker feeds of the audience, accepting applause almost as a fuel to deliver even greater energy. This is very obvious with his “I have a dream” speeches, (yes speeches) where great motivating words generate great audience reaction which generates greater energy from the speaker. Compare this to his address on receipt of The Nobel Peace Price, December 1964, where before a very high profile audience, he is restrained and projects little charisma.
Critiquing King is difficult and maybe even foolhardy. But on a few occasions I think he broke one of the key rules for a good speech – speak the language of your audience. For instance in his “Where do we go from here” speech to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference he said:
“My inspiration didn't come from Karl Marx; my inspiration didn't come from Engels; my inspiration didn't come from Trotsky; my inspiration didn't come from Lenin. Yes, I read Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital a long time ago, and I saw that maybe Marx didn't follow Hegel enough. He took his dialectics, but he left out his idealism and his spiritualism. And he went over to a German philosopher by the name of Feuerbach, and took his materialism and made it into a system that he called "dialectical materialism."
On this and a few other occasions, King I think liked to show the audience how clever he was.
The other area where he could genuinely be criticized is in the length of his speeches. Maybe this is part of the Baptist tradition he was raised in, but sometimes ‘less is more’. King also had a tendency to reference the fact that he was moving to a conclusion, one that would not occur for maybe another ten minutes.
These are minor criticisms of a wonderful motivational inspirational speaker whose greatest skill was the ability to paint pictures with words. His use of imagery and imagery enhancing adjectives brought so much life to his speeches. He truly is an inspiration to the keynote speaker (inspirational, humorous, motivational, business - whatever) who wishes to craft inspirational, motivating speeches.
As a humorous inspirational keynote business speaker (sorry, I’ve got to use that hyperbole to attract search engines and anyone looking for a keynote speaker, humorous, inspiration, Irish, Chicago based etc!), I’ve read a lot of books on the Civil Rights era. Some months ago, I posted a review of Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr . Given what has transpired in recent days I thought it might be interesting to present it here again.
Other relevant material on this subject includes my review of Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement by Congressman John Lewis. This is one of my favorite books, written by a truly brave man.
Something that might also be of interest is Bill Clinton’s speech on What Would Martin Luther King Say – Remarks to the Convocation of the Church of God in Christ, November 1993
Following is the review of Call to Conscience.
This work is available in book form, CD and also available for download. I have it on my iPod. This is a true test to see if a download can wear out, because I listen to it a lot.
Note, some of the audio quality is not good. To fully appreciate King’s talent and speech construction, you do need the book. The advantage of the audio is that you can hear the real thing and appreciate this wonderful orator’s speech pattern, intonation and delivery.
Rosa Parks said that Martin Luther King told her he spent up to fifteen hours on sermon development. I believe it.
This book provided King’s speeches in chronological order and it is interesting to see how his style develops from the first speech referenced to his final poignant, prophetic address in Memphis, April 3rd 1968, the night before he was assassinated.
Three things strike me about this era as I go through the work.
1) The horrors, humiliation and fear which the “negro” community endured and which King fought so hard to overcome are painted graphically in some of his speeches. Probably the most poignant speech is the address at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama following the murder of four young children.
King’s words are powerful, full of pain, anguish, and controlled anger. But it is the audience response that hit me hard. In almost every other speech on this work, the reaction is upbeat and lively. Here, there is just pain and sadness in the intermittent responses of his congregation. This speech came after King’s acclaimed “I have a dream” speech and the march on Washington, which may have led the leaders of the black community to a misleading sense of hope for the immediate future.
2) The genuine Christian ethic that pervaded King’s thinking. He regularly extols his audience to “love” their persecutors. He does differentiate strongly between “mushy” love, but he continuously asks his audience, many of whom suffered dreadful hardship and pain during this era, to forgive their persecutors.
3) King was a brave man. Not just because of his defiance of the whole “Jim Crow” ethic which ultimately resulted in his assassination. This was a fate that probably would not have surprised him, given the murders of other activists including Medgar Evers. However, his bravest speech may well have been “Beyond Vietnam” April 4th 1967, where he stingingly indicted the United States for its involvement in the war. It was a war which he saw as “an enemy of the poor” because it diverted resources from the war on poverty. But his criticism was even more basic.
“We were taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them eight thousand miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem. And so we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools. And so we watch them in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village, but we realize that they would hardly live on the same block in Chicago. I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor.”
King knew the speech would be seen by Lyndon Johnson as a stab in the back. It also raised to an even greater level, the ire of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover who was paranoid about King’s activities.
King undoubtedly was an inspirational speaker and motivator. His speeches got better as his audience warmed to him. This, I think is proof positive, that a speech is not just about the words but the delivery of those words. The great speaker feeds of the audience, accepting applause almost as a fuel to deliver even greater energy. This is very obvious with his “I have a dream” speeches, (yes speeches) where great motivating words generate great audience reaction which generates greater energy from the speaker. Compare this to his address on receipt of The Nobel Peace Price, December 1964, where before a very high profile audience, he is restrained and projects little charisma.
Critiquing King is difficult and maybe even foolhardy. But on a few occasions I think he broke one of the key rules for a good speech – speak the language of your audience. For instance in his “Where do we go from here” speech to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference he said:
“My inspiration didn't come from Karl Marx; my inspiration didn't come from Engels; my inspiration didn't come from Trotsky; my inspiration didn't come from Lenin. Yes, I read Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital a long time ago, and I saw that maybe Marx didn't follow Hegel enough. He took his dialectics, but he left out his idealism and his spiritualism. And he went over to a German philosopher by the name of Feuerbach, and took his materialism and made it into a system that he called "dialectical materialism."
On this and a few other occasions, King I think liked to show the audience how clever he was.
The other area where he could genuinely be criticized is in the length of his speeches. Maybe this is part of the Baptist tradition he was raised in, but sometimes ‘less is more’. King also had a tendency to reference the fact that he was moving to a conclusion, one that would not occur for maybe another ten minutes.
These are minor criticisms of a wonderful motivational inspirational speaker whose greatest skill was the ability to paint pictures with words. His use of imagery and imagery enhancing adjectives brought so much life to his speeches. He truly is an inspiration to the keynote speaker (inspirational, humorous, motivational, business - whatever) who wishes to craft inspirational, motivating speeches.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Great Stage Management by Dems and GOP
I try to write this blog from othe viewpoint of a keynote business speaker, paying particular attention to communications, marketing and the ‘presentation’ of events or issues. Thus, I endeavor in my commentary on the presidential elections to be objective and view candidates and parties from a marketing perspective.
Kudos then to both the Dems and GOP for brilliant stage management this week. The Democratic convention was a masterpiece of stage management which built to a crescendo for Barack Obama’s speech.
Michelle Obama did a good if not fantastic job ‘introducing’ herself to the American public (well, the Democratic leaning voter anyway.) An obviously accomplished woman, she was followed by a superb performance from Hillary Clinton. Whether you like the woman or not, her speech was top rate. It was energizing, well crafted, exceptionally well delivered and lacked any sense of bitterness. Some of the more cynical observers suggest she was setting herself up as the 2012 candidate, just in case Obama does not get elected. It doesn’t matter what her agenda is. As a political speech and as a work of oratory, she deserves very high praise.
The following night, the political maestro himself – Bill Clinton, had the crowd eating out of his hands. To the surprise of many, he was very complimentary about the man who edged his wife for the nomination. Bill Clinton has an ‘it’ factor that few other performers can claim. When living back in Ireland and before I ever became a Chicago based Irish Keynote Speaker, Clinton visited my homeland in an effort to build the peace process. He is much loved in Ireland because of his commitment to bringing peace between nationalists and loyalists in Northern Ireland. I do recall a work colleague of mine who attended a Clinton function in Dublin saying Clinton “had an aura about him.” Veteran Washington correspondent (now there’s a cliché) Bob Schieffer in This Just In: What I Couldn’t Tell You on TV tells of an occasion when his wife Pat met Clinton. Her comment was “He’s got it … making you feel the most important person in the room.” Clinton brought that magic to Denver and wowed his audience.
But that of course was not the end of the stage management. Then we had a reasonable speech from Joe Biden after which to the surprise of most people in the arena, Barack Obama joined Biden on stage. I think the Democratic delegates at that stage must have thought ‘this cannot get any better.’
To be fair, it probably didn’t. Obama’s speech the following night did not reach the levels of some of his earlier works of uplifting oratory, but the occasion itself was pretty magical. Job well done, said all the delegates. We are going to get a wonderful bounce of this and whip John McCain in the election.
And they deserved a bounce because of a truly well managed convention.
And then what happens? John McCain goes and ruins it all by announcing Sarah Palin as his VP running mate. This was not just a great piece of stage management. It was ‘stage stealing.’ There will be plenty of time to debate the merits of this Governor of Alaska, but WOW- what a fantastic media coup it has proven to be in the short term. Obama has been blown off the front pages of the newspapers, few commentators are speaking about his speech and the Invesco Field event.
In my work as keynote speaker, I spend a lot of time thinking about stage management and how I can best connect with my audience. I have to admit, I’m impressed by what both parties achieved in the past week.
At time of writing, it is unclear how Hurricane Gustav will impact the Republican convention. We can only hope that its impact will be minimal, thus ensuring that the people of New Orleans and surrounding areas will themselves be impacted minimally.
Kudos then to both the Dems and GOP for brilliant stage management this week. The Democratic convention was a masterpiece of stage management which built to a crescendo for Barack Obama’s speech.
Michelle Obama did a good if not fantastic job ‘introducing’ herself to the American public (well, the Democratic leaning voter anyway.) An obviously accomplished woman, she was followed by a superb performance from Hillary Clinton. Whether you like the woman or not, her speech was top rate. It was energizing, well crafted, exceptionally well delivered and lacked any sense of bitterness. Some of the more cynical observers suggest she was setting herself up as the 2012 candidate, just in case Obama does not get elected. It doesn’t matter what her agenda is. As a political speech and as a work of oratory, she deserves very high praise.
The following night, the political maestro himself – Bill Clinton, had the crowd eating out of his hands. To the surprise of many, he was very complimentary about the man who edged his wife for the nomination. Bill Clinton has an ‘it’ factor that few other performers can claim. When living back in Ireland and before I ever became a Chicago based Irish Keynote Speaker, Clinton visited my homeland in an effort to build the peace process. He is much loved in Ireland because of his commitment to bringing peace between nationalists and loyalists in Northern Ireland. I do recall a work colleague of mine who attended a Clinton function in Dublin saying Clinton “had an aura about him.” Veteran Washington correspondent (now there’s a cliché) Bob Schieffer in This Just In: What I Couldn’t Tell You on TV tells of an occasion when his wife Pat met Clinton. Her comment was “He’s got it … making you feel the most important person in the room.” Clinton brought that magic to Denver and wowed his audience.
But that of course was not the end of the stage management. Then we had a reasonable speech from Joe Biden after which to the surprise of most people in the arena, Barack Obama joined Biden on stage. I think the Democratic delegates at that stage must have thought ‘this cannot get any better.’
To be fair, it probably didn’t. Obama’s speech the following night did not reach the levels of some of his earlier works of uplifting oratory, but the occasion itself was pretty magical. Job well done, said all the delegates. We are going to get a wonderful bounce of this and whip John McCain in the election.
And they deserved a bounce because of a truly well managed convention.
And then what happens? John McCain goes and ruins it all by announcing Sarah Palin as his VP running mate. This was not just a great piece of stage management. It was ‘stage stealing.’ There will be plenty of time to debate the merits of this Governor of Alaska, but WOW- what a fantastic media coup it has proven to be in the short term. Obama has been blown off the front pages of the newspapers, few commentators are speaking about his speech and the Invesco Field event.
In my work as keynote speaker, I spend a lot of time thinking about stage management and how I can best connect with my audience. I have to admit, I’m impressed by what both parties achieved in the past week.
At time of writing, it is unclear how Hurricane Gustav will impact the Republican convention. We can only hope that its impact will be minimal, thus ensuring that the people of New Orleans and surrounding areas will themselves be impacted minimally.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
I Have A Dream - Indoors
A lot of hype about Barack Obama’s speech this evening – on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s most famous rendition of his “I have a dream” speech. Many people are questioning whether the choice of Invesco Field is a good one.
I think Obama has the ability to nail a speech tonight, but one can learn from Martin Luther King’s experience. I referenced his ‘most famous rendition’ of his speech. August 28th was not the first time King had used the framework of ‘I have a dream.’ He had presented this concept on a number of occasions. His best rendition of the speech – better than the Washington speech – took place at Cobo Hall, Detroit June 23 1963.
King was speaking to a large gathering following the Great March on Detroit. You can listen to the speech on A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. and compare it with the more famous speech of August 28th that also is on this CD. My personal belief is that the Detroit speech was ‘better’ – though not obviously as impactful. King spoke indoors to an audience that just projected a wall of enthusiastic noise back to him.
As a keynote speaker (branding, foodservice, cancer, humorous) I am often intrigued about how the setting can determine audience reaction. A basic rule is that you will get a better audience response in a compact, packed venue rather than from a much larger packed venue.
That is the challenge Obama faces tonight. He is a wonderful orator, but it will be interesting to see if he can generate the type of response which Hillary and Bill Clinton generated. A Humorous or Business Keynote Speaker feeds of the audience. So do politicians.
Here is one blinding flash of the obvious if you are interested in communications and keynote speaking. In addition to his undoubted skills, Obama has one really powerful advantage tonight. The audience love him and really want him to succeed. This makes a huge difference as comedians will tell you. Comics like Robin Williams and Dane Cook have won over their audience before they go on stage. If Williams or Cook even scratch themselves when they first come on stage, the audience laughs. The best unknown actor in the world will not be able to generate the same reaction. Why? – because the audience does not know him and love him.
Obama will wow his audience tonight. The question is can he wow the audience that does not love him – the undecided, whom he must convince if he wants to sleep in the White House for the next four years. This raises another question. What sensible person would want this job?
For those of you interested in Martin Luther King’s Cobo Hall speech, the following is part of his peroration.
"And so I go back to the South not in despair. I go back to the South not with a feeling that we are caught in a dark dungeon that will never lead to a way out. I go back believing that the new day is coming. And so this afternoon, I have a dream. (Go ahead) It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day, right down in Georgia and Mississippi and Alabama, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to live together as brothers.
I have a dream this afternoon (I have a dream) that one day, [Applause] one day little white children and little Negro children will be able to join hands as brothers and sisters.
I have a dream this afternoon that one day, [Applause] that one day men will no longer burn down houses and the church of God simply because people want to be free.
I have a dream this afternoon (I have a dream) that there will be a day that we will no longer face the atrocities that Emmett Till had to face or Medgar Evers had to face, that all men can live with dignity.
I have a dream this afternoon (Yeah) that my four little children, that my four little children will not come up in the same young days that I came up within, but they will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not the color of their skin. [Applause]
I have a dream this afternoon that one day right here in Detroit, Negroes will be able to buy a house or rent a house anywhere that their money will carry them and they will be able to get a job. [Applause] (That’s right)
Yes, I have a dream this afternoon that one day in this land the words of Amos will become real and "justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
I have a dream this evening that one day we will recognize the words of Jefferson that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." I have a dream this afternoon. [Applause]
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and "every valley shall be exalted, and every hill shall be made low; the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." [Applause]
I have a dream this afternoon that the brotherhood of man will become a reality in this day."
******************
Posted by Chicago based Irish keynote speaker and business humorist Conor Cunneen
I think Obama has the ability to nail a speech tonight, but one can learn from Martin Luther King’s experience. I referenced his ‘most famous rendition’ of his speech. August 28th was not the first time King had used the framework of ‘I have a dream.’ He had presented this concept on a number of occasions. His best rendition of the speech – better than the Washington speech – took place at Cobo Hall, Detroit June 23 1963.
King was speaking to a large gathering following the Great March on Detroit. You can listen to the speech on A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. and compare it with the more famous speech of August 28th that also is on this CD. My personal belief is that the Detroit speech was ‘better’ – though not obviously as impactful. King spoke indoors to an audience that just projected a wall of enthusiastic noise back to him.
As a keynote speaker (branding, foodservice, cancer, humorous) I am often intrigued about how the setting can determine audience reaction. A basic rule is that you will get a better audience response in a compact, packed venue rather than from a much larger packed venue.
That is the challenge Obama faces tonight. He is a wonderful orator, but it will be interesting to see if he can generate the type of response which Hillary and Bill Clinton generated. A Humorous or Business Keynote Speaker feeds of the audience. So do politicians.
Here is one blinding flash of the obvious if you are interested in communications and keynote speaking. In addition to his undoubted skills, Obama has one really powerful advantage tonight. The audience love him and really want him to succeed. This makes a huge difference as comedians will tell you. Comics like Robin Williams and Dane Cook have won over their audience before they go on stage. If Williams or Cook even scratch themselves when they first come on stage, the audience laughs. The best unknown actor in the world will not be able to generate the same reaction. Why? – because the audience does not know him and love him.
Obama will wow his audience tonight. The question is can he wow the audience that does not love him – the undecided, whom he must convince if he wants to sleep in the White House for the next four years. This raises another question. What sensible person would want this job?
For those of you interested in Martin Luther King’s Cobo Hall speech, the following is part of his peroration.
"And so I go back to the South not in despair. I go back to the South not with a feeling that we are caught in a dark dungeon that will never lead to a way out. I go back believing that the new day is coming. And so this afternoon, I have a dream. (Go ahead) It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day, right down in Georgia and Mississippi and Alabama, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to live together as brothers.
I have a dream this afternoon (I have a dream) that one day, [Applause] one day little white children and little Negro children will be able to join hands as brothers and sisters.
I have a dream this afternoon that one day, [Applause] that one day men will no longer burn down houses and the church of God simply because people want to be free.
I have a dream this afternoon (I have a dream) that there will be a day that we will no longer face the atrocities that Emmett Till had to face or Medgar Evers had to face, that all men can live with dignity.
I have a dream this afternoon (Yeah) that my four little children, that my four little children will not come up in the same young days that I came up within, but they will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not the color of their skin. [Applause]
I have a dream this afternoon that one day right here in Detroit, Negroes will be able to buy a house or rent a house anywhere that their money will carry them and they will be able to get a job. [Applause] (That’s right)
Yes, I have a dream this afternoon that one day in this land the words of Amos will become real and "justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
I have a dream this evening that one day we will recognize the words of Jefferson that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." I have a dream this afternoon. [Applause]
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and "every valley shall be exalted, and every hill shall be made low; the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." [Applause]
I have a dream this afternoon that the brotherhood of man will become a reality in this day."
******************
Posted by Chicago based Irish keynote speaker and business humorist Conor Cunneen
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Women Win at Dem Convention
Two big women winners at the Democratic Convention last night.
Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina (huh?)
By any standards, Clinton’s speech was a huge success. There are motivational and inspirational and humorous keynote speakers out there who would die to be able to generate the level of enthusiasm and reaction which the former first lady generated.
From a communications and keynote speaker point of view, she got almost everything right. Admittedly, she did have a very receptive audience but her speech was an excellently crafted piece of oratory. I have not been able to determine who the primary speech-writer was but she or he earned their corn last night.
Words though do not make a great speech. If they did, Richard Nixon would be lauded as a great speaker as some of the material he received from William Safire, Pat Buchanan, David Gergen and others represented great wordsmithing. What makes a great speech is the occasion - which Clinton had, the delivery of a speech which for Clinton was nothing short of brilliant with wonderful pacing and voice pitch. And of course she had some excellent sound-bites especially “No way, No how, No McCain.”
I have always thought of Hillary Clinton as a very competent speaker. Last night, she leaped into the pantheon of world class orators. The lady done good!
And now for the other winner last night – Carly Fiorina.
This former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard has (like Hillary) suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune in a generally successful career.
Now an economic consultant to John McCain, this lady was interviewed by Greta Van Susteren on Fox last night. Acknowledged as an excellent communicator and speech-maker, she gave Hillary Clinton credit for a “wonderful speech,” and then went on to provide a bravura performance as to why John McCain is the right man for the White House. Her presentation style was similar to Clintons – crisp, clear, passionate and extremely professional.
As I watched it, I thought McCain could do a lot worse than pick this lady for VP candidate. There is a percentage of the Hillary vote up for grabs, despite her endorsement of Barack Obama. The political strategists know that they are playing for only 5-8% of the national vote – the undecided voter. Fiorina would give the GOP a real chance to switch some of those disaffected Hillary people over.
Whatever happens, kudos to Hillary and Carly, two great communicators
Posted by Chicago based Irish keynote speaker and business humorist Conor Cunneen
Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina (huh?)
By any standards, Clinton’s speech was a huge success. There are motivational and inspirational and humorous keynote speakers out there who would die to be able to generate the level of enthusiasm and reaction which the former first lady generated.
From a communications and keynote speaker point of view, she got almost everything right. Admittedly, she did have a very receptive audience but her speech was an excellently crafted piece of oratory. I have not been able to determine who the primary speech-writer was but she or he earned their corn last night.
Words though do not make a great speech. If they did, Richard Nixon would be lauded as a great speaker as some of the material he received from William Safire, Pat Buchanan, David Gergen and others represented great wordsmithing. What makes a great speech is the occasion - which Clinton had, the delivery of a speech which for Clinton was nothing short of brilliant with wonderful pacing and voice pitch. And of course she had some excellent sound-bites especially “No way, No how, No McCain.”
I have always thought of Hillary Clinton as a very competent speaker. Last night, she leaped into the pantheon of world class orators. The lady done good!
And now for the other winner last night – Carly Fiorina.
This former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard has (like Hillary) suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune in a generally successful career.
Now an economic consultant to John McCain, this lady was interviewed by Greta Van Susteren on Fox last night. Acknowledged as an excellent communicator and speech-maker, she gave Hillary Clinton credit for a “wonderful speech,” and then went on to provide a bravura performance as to why John McCain is the right man for the White House. Her presentation style was similar to Clintons – crisp, clear, passionate and extremely professional.
As I watched it, I thought McCain could do a lot worse than pick this lady for VP candidate. There is a percentage of the Hillary vote up for grabs, despite her endorsement of Barack Obama. The political strategists know that they are playing for only 5-8% of the national vote – the undecided voter. Fiorina would give the GOP a real chance to switch some of those disaffected Hillary people over.
Whatever happens, kudos to Hillary and Carly, two great communicators
Posted by Chicago based Irish keynote speaker and business humorist Conor Cunneen
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Learn from Padraig Harrington
It is a few years since I've run a marathon. To some extent, the actual race was just the meat in a very big sandwich. Reaction from friends and colleagues in the few days after completing the 26 miles and 385 yards (believe me I know) made one feel the whole effort was worthwhile. The other side of the sandwich was all the preparation and hard work that I had to do to get ready for the event. I would not have completed the marathon had I not pounded the pavements for months prior to the event.
I am reminded of that experience after watching my compatriot Irishman Padraig Harrington win at the PGA this past Sunday. Although he sometimes downplays it, this very likeable character was blessed with a genuine talent. (We are all born with talent of some kind). Harrington though has worked incredibly - I'm choosing that word carefully - hard to get to where he is today.
Compare pictures of Harrington from 10 years ago to today and you see a different individually - much slimmer, no slight pot-belly and a man who exudes confidence. This confidence has come about because of all the hard work he has put in. As a keynote speaker on Branding, Marketing and how to create Success, I'm intrigued by people who 'make it.'
Prior to Harrington teeing up for - and winning - the British Open three weeks ago, there was real concern that an injury he suffered in training would prevent him from defending his title.
The amazing this is how he sustained the injury. Harrington won the Irish PGA Championship the week before the Open. Having won this title at The European Club, he drove the short distance back to his home and THEN started whacking more golf balls before he suffered his injury. The injury occurred when he swung his club into what he called an "impact ball," apparently designed to improve his power.
Forgive the poor English, but how nuts is this? He's just won a tournament and then he goes on to practice some more! Of course it is the kind of 'nuts' that gets you to be one of the best in the world at what you do. It's the kind of 'nuts' that many successful people exhibit. In a different context, many years ago, that great motivational keynote speaker and inspirational politician told students at Harrow School, Oct 29th 1941 - "(N)ever give in, never give in, never, never, never...."
Harrington never gives in, on the practice ground or on the golf course. It is a lesson for all of us. Your success depends on the hard work you put in. It won't happen just because you want it to happen. You have got to make it happen.
Do you?
___________________________________________________________________
Conor Cunneen is an Irish keynote speaker and business humorist who does his best to make it happen for his audiences. He does try to live the lessons of this blog by being a diligent student of the communication process and a speaker who is constantly on ‘the practice ground,’ rehearsing, researching speech material for clients like Harley-Davidson, Abbott, Siemens.
Conor is a regular participant in speech competitions and is a winner of the coveted Chicago Toastmasters Humorous Speaker of the Year for a speech on ……. would you believe? …. Customer Service in San Quentin Jail.
If you are seeking a speaker who will Energize, Educate and Entertain your audience Contact Conor today.
I am reminded of that experience after watching my compatriot Irishman Padraig Harrington win at the PGA this past Sunday. Although he sometimes downplays it, this very likeable character was blessed with a genuine talent. (We are all born with talent of some kind). Harrington though has worked incredibly - I'm choosing that word carefully - hard to get to where he is today.
Compare pictures of Harrington from 10 years ago to today and you see a different individually - much slimmer, no slight pot-belly and a man who exudes confidence. This confidence has come about because of all the hard work he has put in. As a keynote speaker on Branding, Marketing and how to create Success, I'm intrigued by people who 'make it.'
Prior to Harrington teeing up for - and winning - the British Open three weeks ago, there was real concern that an injury he suffered in training would prevent him from defending his title.
The amazing this is how he sustained the injury. Harrington won the Irish PGA Championship the week before the Open. Having won this title at The European Club, he drove the short distance back to his home and THEN started whacking more golf balls before he suffered his injury. The injury occurred when he swung his club into what he called an "impact ball," apparently designed to improve his power.
Forgive the poor English, but how nuts is this? He's just won a tournament and then he goes on to practice some more! Of course it is the kind of 'nuts' that gets you to be one of the best in the world at what you do. It's the kind of 'nuts' that many successful people exhibit. In a different context, many years ago, that great motivational keynote speaker and inspirational politician told students at Harrow School, Oct 29th 1941 - "(N)ever give in, never give in, never, never, never...."
Harrington never gives in, on the practice ground or on the golf course. It is a lesson for all of us. Your success depends on the hard work you put in. It won't happen just because you want it to happen. You have got to make it happen.
Do you?
___________________________________________________________________
Conor Cunneen is an Irish keynote speaker and business humorist who does his best to make it happen for his audiences. He does try to live the lessons of this blog by being a diligent student of the communication process and a speaker who is constantly on ‘the practice ground,’ rehearsing, researching speech material for clients like Harley-Davidson, Abbott, Siemens.
Conor is a regular participant in speech competitions and is a winner of the coveted Chicago Toastmasters Humorous Speaker of the Year for a speech on ……. would you believe? …. Customer Service in San Quentin Jail.
If you are seeking a speaker who will Energize, Educate and Entertain your audience Contact Conor today.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Brett Favre - THE Brand
Man, the power of a Brand!
Listening to Squawk on the Street this morning, presenter Mark Haines opened the program with "Welcome to Squawk Box from the financial capital of the world and the home of Brett Favre." This is a financial program!
I had never referenced Favre (hey I’m an Irishman) when presenting as a keynote speaker on Branding and Marketing previously, but he is definitely a great brand offering a fabulous brand experience to some many people over the last thousand years or however long he has been playing. A simple definition of a brand is the core product plus associated experience.
Favre provides the core product – a very good quarterback. The associated experience is that he is a winner, a leader, a player who never gives up, a tough man who is not afraid to show his human nature. Sure, he is the player that opposing fans love to hate, but not in a vitriolic manner and there is hardly a football fan out there who would not have wished Favre to be on their team.
Favre’s #4 jersey is the best selling shirt in the NFL, but he transcends football. My very lovely (and long-suffering ) Irish wife couldn’t care two hoots for American football –until Favre gets mentioned.
I think as a keynote speaker on branding and marketing, there are a few points I might make in the future about branding and the Brett Favre experience?
1) Have a good product
2) Create a connection with your customer base
3) Engender a level of emotion about your product
4) Constantly reinforce that connection and emotion.
5) Create word of mouth momentum with satisfied customers speaking positively about your product
6) Keep your brand promise
7) Don’t kill your brand before end of its natural life cycle (Maybe Brett should have paid attention to this)
All of this is so obvious, that it is amazing marketers do not do this more often – Yea right! Brand building is tough, but when you get it right, when you create that emotional connection that allows you to charge premium prices, you will know it has been worth it.
AND NOW FOR:
THE BRAND EXPERIENCE COMMERCIAL
If you are looking for a genuinely interesting, educational and funny brand experience from a keynote speaker, then contact Conor Cunneen. Conor is an Irish keynote speaker, happily exiled in Chicagoland whose clients include Harley-Davidson, Abbott, Siemens, London Life, Spanish Food & Drink Federation and many more.
As a funny and inspirational keynote speaker, Conor makes you a BRAND PROMISE which is E4: Energize, Educate, Entertain AND Easy to work with.
While Conor likes to use ludicrously hyperbolic references to encourage search engine optimization (e.g. Conor is a humorous, inspirational, funny, insightful, humorous keynote business speaker on topics as diverse as Communications, Cancer recovery (twice), Healthcare, Foodservice), the fact that he keeps his BRAND PROMISE (kind of) justifies the level of hyperbole.
Clients say things like
“In my close to thirty years of association work, I have never seen a speaker as well received as you.” Incentive Marketing Association
“Working with Conor Cunneen has been a pleasure both for our company and our clients. Conor is a great speaker who obviously knows the importance of a good and well planned speech according to the wishes of our clients.” SpeakersForum, Finland.
“Everybody was talking about your presentation. You literally made our event. Your ability to hold an audience is exceptional.” Jerry Elsner – Executive Director, Illinois State Crime Commission
Go on. Get a taste of the Irish brogue and phone Conor at 630 718 1643 or send him an email and tell him you are looking for an inspirational, funny, motivational, humorous keynote speaker (give over Conor – Ed.) for your next conference or send him an email.
Listening to Squawk on the Street this morning, presenter Mark Haines opened the program with "Welcome to Squawk Box from the financial capital of the world and the home of Brett Favre." This is a financial program!
I had never referenced Favre (hey I’m an Irishman) when presenting as a keynote speaker on Branding and Marketing previously, but he is definitely a great brand offering a fabulous brand experience to some many people over the last thousand years or however long he has been playing. A simple definition of a brand is the core product plus associated experience.
Favre provides the core product – a very good quarterback. The associated experience is that he is a winner, a leader, a player who never gives up, a tough man who is not afraid to show his human nature. Sure, he is the player that opposing fans love to hate, but not in a vitriolic manner and there is hardly a football fan out there who would not have wished Favre to be on their team.
Favre’s #4 jersey is the best selling shirt in the NFL, but he transcends football. My very lovely (and long-suffering ) Irish wife couldn’t care two hoots for American football –until Favre gets mentioned.
I think as a keynote speaker on branding and marketing, there are a few points I might make in the future about branding and the Brett Favre experience?
1) Have a good product
2) Create a connection with your customer base
3) Engender a level of emotion about your product
4) Constantly reinforce that connection and emotion.
5) Create word of mouth momentum with satisfied customers speaking positively about your product
6) Keep your brand promise
7) Don’t kill your brand before end of its natural life cycle (Maybe Brett should have paid attention to this)
All of this is so obvious, that it is amazing marketers do not do this more often – Yea right! Brand building is tough, but when you get it right, when you create that emotional connection that allows you to charge premium prices, you will know it has been worth it.
AND NOW FOR:
THE BRAND EXPERIENCE COMMERCIAL
If you are looking for a genuinely interesting, educational and funny brand experience from a keynote speaker, then contact Conor Cunneen. Conor is an Irish keynote speaker, happily exiled in Chicagoland whose clients include Harley-Davidson, Abbott, Siemens, London Life, Spanish Food & Drink Federation and many more.
As a funny and inspirational keynote speaker, Conor makes you a BRAND PROMISE which is E4: Energize, Educate, Entertain AND Easy to work with.
While Conor likes to use ludicrously hyperbolic references to encourage search engine optimization (e.g. Conor is a humorous, inspirational, funny, insightful, humorous keynote business speaker on topics as diverse as Communications, Cancer recovery (twice), Healthcare, Foodservice), the fact that he keeps his BRAND PROMISE (kind of) justifies the level of hyperbole.
Clients say things like
“In my close to thirty years of association work, I have never seen a speaker as well received as you.” Incentive Marketing Association
“Working with Conor Cunneen has been a pleasure both for our company and our clients. Conor is a great speaker who obviously knows the importance of a good and well planned speech according to the wishes of our clients.” SpeakersForum, Finland.
“Everybody was talking about your presentation. You literally made our event. Your ability to hold an audience is exceptional.” Jerry Elsner – Executive Director, Illinois State Crime Commission
Go on. Get a taste of the Irish brogue and phone Conor at 630 718 1643 or send him an email and tell him you are looking for an inspirational, funny, motivational, humorous keynote speaker (give over Conor – Ed.) for your next conference or send him an email.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Innovation Drives GROWTH
As a keynote speaker on marketing and business growth, two quarterly results caught my attention yesterday – consumer goods giant P&G which announced a 33% profit gain and fast food chain Wendy's which announced a similar percentage change in profits, EXCEPT this was a negative number.
The results from these companies intrigue me because not so long ago, the respective positions were reversed. When P&G CEO, A.G. Lafley took the helm in June 2000, the company was - to put it mildly, struggling with poor growth prospects and a number of missed earnings reports. At the same time, Wendy’s was making strong inroads into the market share of a then sleepy McDonald’s.
So what caused the reversal of fortune for both companies? There is no simple answer, but undoubtedly much of the answer lies in Innovation. Wendy’s growth in the early part of this decade was very much fueled by the introduction of one new product in particular – Salad Sensations. Introduced in February 2002, these salads were the first reasonable quality salad available from a major fast food chain. The “innovation” helped change consumer perceptions of fast food, a perception change that was further accelerated when McDonald’s followed suit thirteen months later. Wendy’s unfortunately lived on their laurels and while claiming to be the innovators in the sector, introduced very few additional relevant products. The net result – Wendy’s has lost its independence, founder Dave Thomas is probably turning in his grave and Triarc – franchisor of the Arby’s chain, has picked up a great brand quite cheaply.
On the other hand, P&G truly understood the power of innovation. Today the company is perceived as being one of the most innovative CPG companies on the market. It has been so successful in the North American laundry care business that it has forced arch-rival Unilever to exit the market. Fiscal ’08 sales at $83.5 billion are double what they were six years ago. One example of successful innovation is the Fusion shaving system which attained billion dollar status in just two years – the fastest billion dollar brand in the company’s history. In the associated conference call announcing the year end results, Lafley stated “Innovation is what will differentiate the winners and the losers in our industry and in the current environment. Innovation drives consumer value and builds brand equity and trust over time.”
How right he is. Even as a humorous keynote speaker, I do my best to be innovative, introducing new keynotes / concepts on a regular basis. Not all motivational, inspirational speakers agree with this philosophy presenting the same material over and over again. I have recently finalized a new keynote, based on my experience as a keynote speaker who has had prostate cancer. Titled “It’s Only a Flesh Wound” (bowing the head to the wonderful Monty Python scene), I have had great reaction to a keynote speech which looks in a humorous but I hope insightful way at how you can overcome prostate and other cancers.
An article ranging from Wendy’s salads to prostate cancer is quite a jump, but the underlying message is constant. Innovation – get it right and you will grow. Rest on your laurels and you will be left behind.
*****************************************************************************
Conor Cunneen is an Irishman, a Chicago based humorous keynote speaker, or if the search engines are paying attention, a funny inspirational motivational business speaker on topics as diverse as foodservice, cancer, communication skills and humor.
You can contact this funny motivational business speaker at 630 718 1643
The results from these companies intrigue me because not so long ago, the respective positions were reversed. When P&G CEO, A.G. Lafley took the helm in June 2000, the company was - to put it mildly, struggling with poor growth prospects and a number of missed earnings reports. At the same time, Wendy’s was making strong inroads into the market share of a then sleepy McDonald’s.
So what caused the reversal of fortune for both companies? There is no simple answer, but undoubtedly much of the answer lies in Innovation. Wendy’s growth in the early part of this decade was very much fueled by the introduction of one new product in particular – Salad Sensations. Introduced in February 2002, these salads were the first reasonable quality salad available from a major fast food chain. The “innovation” helped change consumer perceptions of fast food, a perception change that was further accelerated when McDonald’s followed suit thirteen months later. Wendy’s unfortunately lived on their laurels and while claiming to be the innovators in the sector, introduced very few additional relevant products. The net result – Wendy’s has lost its independence, founder Dave Thomas is probably turning in his grave and Triarc – franchisor of the Arby’s chain, has picked up a great brand quite cheaply.
On the other hand, P&G truly understood the power of innovation. Today the company is perceived as being one of the most innovative CPG companies on the market. It has been so successful in the North American laundry care business that it has forced arch-rival Unilever to exit the market. Fiscal ’08 sales at $83.5 billion are double what they were six years ago. One example of successful innovation is the Fusion shaving system which attained billion dollar status in just two years – the fastest billion dollar brand in the company’s history. In the associated conference call announcing the year end results, Lafley stated “Innovation is what will differentiate the winners and the losers in our industry and in the current environment. Innovation drives consumer value and builds brand equity and trust over time.”
How right he is. Even as a humorous keynote speaker, I do my best to be innovative, introducing new keynotes / concepts on a regular basis. Not all motivational, inspirational speakers agree with this philosophy presenting the same material over and over again. I have recently finalized a new keynote, based on my experience as a keynote speaker who has had prostate cancer. Titled “It’s Only a Flesh Wound” (bowing the head to the wonderful Monty Python scene), I have had great reaction to a keynote speech which looks in a humorous but I hope insightful way at how you can overcome prostate and other cancers.
An article ranging from Wendy’s salads to prostate cancer is quite a jump, but the underlying message is constant. Innovation – get it right and you will grow. Rest on your laurels and you will be left behind.
*****************************************************************************
Conor Cunneen is an Irishman, a Chicago based humorous keynote speaker, or if the search engines are paying attention, a funny inspirational motivational business speaker on topics as diverse as foodservice, cancer, communication skills and humor.
You can contact this funny motivational business speaker at 630 718 1643
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Starbucks: The Brand Risk
What did we ever do without smoothies?
Kudos to companies like Jamba Juice for really pushing a product category that is now being adopted almost universally. McDonald’s, the big dog in the fast food category, has identified beverages as a ‘growth engine.’(Other growth engines are breakfast, chicken and 24 hour convenience.)
Indeed ,the vision for the Golden Arches is that McDonald’s will become a ‘beverage destination’ in this $60b category. The chain believes it can grow average sales by $125,000 per restaurant, which if it happens would generate about 5% incremental sales growth. Whether the hamburger giant can achieve the beverage destination goal and provide good quality smoothies without slowing the experience is open to question but given how successful it has been in general since the late Jim Cantalupo took the hot seat in 2003, I wouldn’t bet against them.
Now we have our Seattle buddies Starbucks getting in on the smoothie act “raising the bar on good nutrition with the introduction of Vivanno™ Nourishing Blends.” It is an obvious move given the Starbucks demographics and the growth in this sector. Vivanno and similar products from Jamba Juice are a meal in themselves, thus this might help Starbucks to grow its breakfast business.
The only caveat I have with this introduction is that like it or not, it moves Starbucks further away from its coffee house tradition. That is the brand risk which Starbucks is taking, something which - if it happens, may not be visible for quite some time. The right thing for sales growth may not be the right thing for Brand Integrity. For instance, an argument could be made that the drive-thru at Starbucks takes from the 'Third Place' experience the company has been so proud of.
Posted by Conor Cunneen who is a humorous keynote business speaker on Marketing, Business Growth and Branding. Conor is an Irishman, happily exiled in Naperville, IL where he says the Guinness is drinkable (now there is a Brand) and the natives are friendly.
http://www.irishmanspeaks.com/
Kudos to companies like Jamba Juice for really pushing a product category that is now being adopted almost universally. McDonald’s, the big dog in the fast food category, has identified beverages as a ‘growth engine.’(Other growth engines are breakfast, chicken and 24 hour convenience.)
Indeed ,the vision for the Golden Arches is that McDonald’s will become a ‘beverage destination’ in this $60b category. The chain believes it can grow average sales by $125,000 per restaurant, which if it happens would generate about 5% incremental sales growth. Whether the hamburger giant can achieve the beverage destination goal and provide good quality smoothies without slowing the experience is open to question but given how successful it has been in general since the late Jim Cantalupo took the hot seat in 2003, I wouldn’t bet against them.
Now we have our Seattle buddies Starbucks getting in on the smoothie act “raising the bar on good nutrition with the introduction of Vivanno™ Nourishing Blends.” It is an obvious move given the Starbucks demographics and the growth in this sector. Vivanno and similar products from Jamba Juice are a meal in themselves, thus this might help Starbucks to grow its breakfast business.
The only caveat I have with this introduction is that like it or not, it moves Starbucks further away from its coffee house tradition. That is the brand risk which Starbucks is taking, something which - if it happens, may not be visible for quite some time. The right thing for sales growth may not be the right thing for Brand Integrity. For instance, an argument could be made that the drive-thru at Starbucks takes from the 'Third Place' experience the company has been so proud of.
Posted by Conor Cunneen who is a humorous keynote business speaker on Marketing, Business Growth and Branding. Conor is an Irishman, happily exiled in Naperville, IL where he says the Guinness is drinkable (now there is a Brand) and the natives are friendly.
http://www.irishmanspeaks.com/
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