How to Be the Best “Ambassador” for your Company:
The Image Matters

Ambassador. The word itself conjures up an exotic locale with a mission to connect, inform and unite. Look, we are all ambassadors for our company, our business and our brand. Telling your story in the media or speaking for visibility are two of the most effective ways to connect with potential clients to build your “ambassadorship.”

Martin Dahinden, the Switzerland Ambassador to the United States, spoke at the Beverly Hills Ho

tel on his recent visit to Los Angeles. The title of his keynote set the tone; The Image Matters.

“I am,” he said in his opening, “in the dream factory city of the world!” He knew the LA audience, the number two entertainment capital of the world, would relate. As a speaking skills and presentation coach, I can tell you that very few leaders, or even professional speakers, tailor their speeches with content specific to the audience and locale. In other words, forget the canned opening.

The body of the ambassador’s speech was Switzerland-U.S. relationship focused and peppered with content about his native country. We were primed to listen to the engaging Ambassador in part due to his skill building rapport with his audience right up front. If your job position requires you to speak, winning over your audience in the beginning of your speech is key.

If you want to improve your speaking skills to become a more confident and engaging public speaker, here are a few techniques from the Jernudd Company Speaking Success System.

1. Prepare: I know, you can wing it in your mind, right? No! You will be more focused with a prepared, not scripted, speech.

2. Craft your story: Even if it is your signature story expand or adjust it to the audience. People will remember stories more than a bunch of facts, figures or another power point pie chart.

3. Audience: Know your audience. They want to feel that you get them, their challenges and concerns. This requires some homework up front.

4. Rehearse: Out loud. Videotape it, if you have the opportunity. Keep the parts that you like about your content and delivery that apply to your client. Delete the rest.

5. Speech writing: People often ask how I prepare for a speech. Here it is. My personal method for every keynote speech: First, content ideas roam around in my head for quite a while before I commit to paper. Next, I write my speech. Yes, all of it. And I read it to myself before reading it out loud. Then I place myself in the audience. Would the content be clear if I was hearing it for the first time? No! Are there redundancies? Did I build in important and easy to remember quotes? Chances are, just like me, you will be rewriting right about now. Bullet point your main messages. Rehearse.

Okay, if you must have your notes, keep them. But don’t, DO NOT, I repeat, do not read them. If you are like the majority of our clients, you will never need them. Why? Because you are a prepared ambassador.

To schedule a complimentary consult with our program director, email Programs@JernuddCompany.com or call 310.215.9975. Or, if you have any comments or questions, share them below.

Stay tuned!