TED 9: Stay in Your Lane
Be yourself and speak only about what you know; borrowed style and borrowed topics show.
Practitioner advice from Gallo's interviews; authenticity is hard to study directly.
Why it works
Audiences spot pretence quickly. Talking about your own field, in your own voice, is what makes you credible. Copying a famous speaker's style looks odd on you.
How to do it
- Pick topics where you have first-hand experience.
- Use your own words and your usual language mix.
- Admit what you don't know.
- Model the habits of good speakers, not their mannerisms.
What to say
I can only speak for agri hiring. Outside that, I'd ask someone else.
That's a good question, and I don't know. I'll find out and write to you.
Avoid
Trying to sound like a famous motivational speaker. People notice the act and miss the message.
Example
Asked to speak on AI at a farmer producer company meet in Nagpur, Sudhir said he would rather speak on hiring field staff, which he knew. His talk was the most practical of the day.
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