Show Notes
What do you think is possible in your speaking career? Could you do 40 paid events per year? Could you speak at the biggest events in the world? Could you have a hugely popular TED Talk? Could you make one million dollars a year as a speaker?
All of that is possible, and more.
Our guest on this episode of Standing Ovation is Hall of Fame keynote speaker and leadership expert, Mark Sanborn. Mark uses an outstanding closing story to demonstrate to his audiences that when it comes to what’s possible, they too often are living with artificial constraints.
Some of Mark’s best stories are best told over a beer or a bourbon, but he tells some good ones while on stage with a mic in hand too. This one is all about speed, and the nature of true potential!
Find out about:
- Hear Mark’s fascinating signature story about speed and why most people never come close to their true potential
- How Mark came up with this signature story
- How Mark contextualizes his material and draws connections to his audience
- How Mark would change his story if he was doing a 60-minute presentation
- Why Mark enjoys getting the audience involved in his presentations
- How audiences’ expectations from a keynote speaker have evolved over time
- Why Mark decided to be a speaker at such a young age
- How Mark finds new material for his stories
Quotes from the episode:
“A really good story transcends audiences and audience members.”
“We have not come close to our true potential and we are limited by our thinking because we look backwards instead of forwards.”
“When there’s a story that’s big enough to carry an entire concept or speech, those are the goldmines.”
Connect with Mark Sanborn
2 Key Questions
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given about the speaking business?
“I got a piece of advice from a man named David Johnson… and he said to me, “Mark, always remember whether you’re doing a eulogy or keynote speech, people want to be entertained.” In 2020, I think a better word is engaged”
Who is your dream guest for Standing Ovation?
“One of my heroes, and I’ve known him for many years is Joel Weldon. Joel is a guy who has taught so many of us the most important shift you have to make in speaking and that is from the ‘me’, or the ‘I’ to the ‘you,’ so that the audience member becomes the center point of the story and the speech.”
