Show Notes
A cab ride to the airport is a pretty uneventful experience for most people.
Shep Hyken isn’t most people.
Clappers, what should have been an innocuous cab ride became one of Shep’s finest stories – and it’s the one he brings to this episode of Standing Ovation.
With over a 30+ year career in public speaking, Shep Hyken has seen and done it all, from being inducted to the NSA Hall of Fame to breaking his own speaking rules to this very day. Shep is a whirlwind of energy and enthusiasm, and his eye-opening conversation has helped hundreds of clients deliver moments of magic through their customer service. And, he does it all through creative storytelling.
Grab a pen and paper and strap yourselves in. This episode of Standing Ovation is an amazing journey of storytelling and speaking, but it all starts with a simple cab ride.
Find out about:
- How to find stories in real life and bring them to the stage
- The ways Shep’s trademark story has evolved over time
- Why you need to record and listen to your best (and worst) deliveries
- Whether silence and fewer words can really make a better talk
- Why specificity is the most important tool in a speaker’s arsenal
- Two brilliant tactics for testing out new content and acing Q&As
- Shep’s take on the infamous ‘slides or no slides’ question
Quotes from the episode:
“You want to set the story up. You want to give them the scene, because they can put themselves in it when you describe it in a way that they can relate to.”
“The beauty of putting new material in between two pieces that you’re comfortable with is that it allows you to move back into something that you know works.”
Connect with Shep Hyken
2 Key Questions
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given about the speaking business?
“My mentor, Bud Dietrich, was actually a magician. I was just coming out of college and getting into the business, told him what I was doing – that I was writing this speech that incorporated a little bit of magic and information about business – and he said:
‘The job isn’t doing the speech; it’s getting the speech.’
He told me to spend 40 hours a week getting business as opposed to working on the speech, as that was how I was really going to achieve success. That’s probably the number one, best piece of advice I’ve ever been given from anyone.”
Who is your dream guest for Standing Ovation?
“Dr. Tony Alessandra. When I attended my first NSA meeting in 1988, Tony delivered his program: How to Build a Million Dollar Speaking Business. I was awestruck. And I learned over the years that he is the consummate professional speaker at every level. He is phenomenal on stage, he is unbelievable in the office, he created a great line of products. To me, he is the whole package. I just admire the way he does business, so I’d love for everybody to hear more from Tony.”
