You're a leading authority or recognized expert in your field. Audiences are eager to hear what you think and how you came to your deepest levels of understanding. They also want help or guidance from you in how to develop their own thinking on the subject.
What they do not want as the bulk of your speech or presentation is one citation after another of other experts in the field.
I was in an audience recently when the speaker did just this. For every point he brought up, he cited other writers and thought leaders to prove his point. I learned that he is a good researcher and widely read. But at the end of the hour, I wondered what does he actually know and think about the topic?
True experts apply their own unique perspective and thinking style to their topic. They create something no one else has created before. Think about well-known writers such as Malcolm Gladwell or Dan Heath and Chip Heath. They took popular topics (how to be successful, how to stand out from a crowd) and made them their own. While they cited others, they delivered to you and me something entirely new and fresh. They became quotable themselves.
When you're the expert, demonstrate your thinking and originality, not your ability to do research. What you think is what will catapult you to the top of the field and help you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
My own somewhat contrarian approach to business speaking developed as I studied brain science and other human responses, not past writings on public speaking. Not everyone likes what I say, but they surely remember me.
How do you create unique expertise and stand out from the crowd? Share your ideas through our comment link.
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