Contemporary Business Communication
Business Presentations
By Scot Ober & Brad Quiring
Martin and Farah Perelmuter founded Speakers' Spotlight in 1995, and the husband-and-wife team can now boast a roster of over 4oo speakers from around the world. The company represents such notable Canadians as the Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, Justin J.P. Trudeau, the Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, David Suzuki, Michael "Pinball" Clemons. Ron MacLean, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Stephen Lewis, Jessica Holmes, and Ron James. Speakers' Spotlight now has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary and was recently ranked by Profit magazine as one of Canada's fastest growing companies. Farah has also appeared on Profit magazine's Canada's Top 100 list of Women Entrepreneurs.
Running a company that represents such a large and diverse group of professional speakers -- and observing literally thousands of presentations over the last decade -- has taught the couple more than a little about what it takes to succeed as a public speaker. When asked what distinguishes the best speakers from the mediocre ones, Martin stresses that "Speakers who succeed must be able to meet the changing expectations of their audiences."
Of course, meeting your audience's expectations means going beyond just delivering the content. "I believe that an outstanding presentation is educational, entertaining and inspiring," Martin emphasizes. "If the audience is inspired to take what they've learned and then act on it, the presentation will have a much greater likelihood of making a positive impact."
One of Martin's favourite speakers, Stephen Lewis, regularly concludes his presentations with a call to action. When speaking to the Canadian Association of Supply Chain & Logistics Management, recalls Martin, Lewis challenged his audience to use their collective knowledge and expertise to help solve some of the complex problems and issues he discussed in his presentation. The association subsequently established Logisticians Without Borders/Logisticiens Sans Frontiers to serve the international cornmunity. "I believe that this should be the ultimate goal of any presentation-to impact how the audience members think and feel about the presentation topic, andto provide the impetus to take action and make a positive change," adds Martin.
Farah stresses that the best speakers are those who can take a topic their audience may be unfamiliar with and link it to their own needs. Few, for example, can directly relate to the experiences of Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman to fly into space, or Cassie Campbell, Olympic gold medal winner. But these speakers "relate their stories back to the needs of the audience." Farah cites goal setting as an example. "They would describe the necessity to set goals, whether you climb a mountain, fly in space or are trying to increase your sales."
As for delivery, Farah emphasizes the importance of using visuals properly and sticking to the allotted time. "The audience should be focused on the speaker, not the screen. Choose visuals that enhance your point with as few words as possible." Exuding confidence is also key, Farah adds. "When you start off your presentation, don't apologize that you aren't a 'professional speaker'. As long as you look confident, your audience will believe you know what you're doing! The more you do it, the more you really will feel comfortable."
Martin downplays the importance of flashy performances, noting that "there is a big difference between Canada and the United States, where there is an increasing emphasis on flash and sizzle." He believes that, at least for Canadians, content still trumps style. "An effective presentation doesn't have to be a performance," says Martin, who adds, "I think Canadian audiences still want to be entertained but they want more substance." When giving advice to speakers, Martin always stresses that they go with whatever they most feel comfortable with. "Content is obviously critically important, but I'm also a big believer that if people are enjoying themselves and having fun, they will be much more open to learning and embracing new ideas." Martin again turns to Stephen Lewis for an example: "It's partly a gift he has with the spoken word but he is very comfortable being who he is and speaking his mind. His speaking style reflects his personality."
One of the couple's favourite anecdotes -- one that nicely underscores the differences between Canadian and American audiences --comes from a Canadian speaker who was presenting to an American audience in California. The speaker began his presentation by saying, "There is one very big difference between speaking to a Canadian audience and speaking to an American audience." The speaker then began his presentation, only to be interrupted almost immediately by an audience member who yelled, "Hey! What's the difference?" The speaker responded, "That's the difference!"
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Financial Post - February 21, 2009
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MeetingsCanada.com - December 11, 2008
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Press Release - November 27 2008
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Press Release - November 2008
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MSN Small Business - October 2008
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Millionairemom.com - October 2008
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Women's Post - July 11, 2008
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Bizbash.com - June 12, 2008
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CareerJoy.com - April 28, 2008
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Montreal Gazette - April 07, 2008
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Alberta Venture - March, 2008
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AOL Canada - February 13, 2008
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National Post - December, 2007
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By Shinan Govani,
Woman's Post - December, 2007
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By Angela Trimmer
Midtown Town Crier - November, 2007
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By Kelly Gadzala
National Post - September 29, 2007
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By Libby Znaimer
Emprendedores
Speakers Spotlight, por hablar que no quede
Contemporary Business Communication
Business Presentations
By Scot Ober & Brad Quiring
Speaking Of Impact - Summer, 2007
Racing for ROI
By Michelle Ray, CSP
Progressive Choices - Winter/Spring, 2007
Making A Difference
By Cathy Watters
Progressive Choices
National Post - January 15, 2007
Confessions of Dynamic Duos
Running a business with your spouse
By Deena Waisberg
globeandmail.com - May 30, 2006
Married to the Job
By Sasha Nagy
Esteem Magazine - Spring 2006
Balancing Success
By Kevin Craig
The Globe and Mail - Sept. 29, 2004
Speakers' circuit not just talk
By Wallace Immen
WOMEN CAN DO ANYTHING (July 2004)
Let’s
Talk Business Interview
with Farah Perelmuter
INNOVATIVE PROGRESS (May 2004)
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BUZZ: 8 Keys to Entrepreneurial Success
by Martin Perelmuter, LL B.
SPEAKING OF IMPACT (Spring 2004)
A Tale
of Two Countries
by Martin Perelmuter, LL B.
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Supplement in The Globe and Mail - Spring 2004
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by Successful Speakers
PROFITguide.com (October/November 2003)
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off paying customers sounds counterproductive, but it can actually
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THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS (Nov 13, 2002)
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MPI Newsbytes (Volume 9, Issue 27 02 July 2002)
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by
Funmi Okunbolade
Profit Magazine (June, 2002)
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Profit Magazine (June, 2002)
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The National Post (Monday March 19, 2001)
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by Laura Fowlie
The Western Alumni Magazine (September, 1998)
"Well Spoken",
by Jeff Brooke
The Toronto Star (May 25, 1998)
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by Michael Schultz
Association - Canada's Association Management Magazine
(December/January, 1997/1998)
Best Speaker Bets: 1998 Forecast
The Meeting Professional (December, 1997)
"Beyond Boundaries: Speaking Across Cultural Boundaries",
by Martin Perelmuter
The Financial Post Magazine (January, 1997)
"Power Talks",
by John Greenwood
The Toronto Sun (August 18, 1996)
"Two by Two: Lessons for Couples Living and Working
Together",
by Sandy Naiman
Association Magazine (June/July, 1996)
"Helpful Hints on Booking a Speaker",
by Farah Perelmuter
The Toronto Star (November 27, 1995)
"'Canadian' the New Word in Public Speaking",
by Oscar Rojo
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