106 Joey Coleman On Giving An Audience What They Need, The Dangers Of Using Absolutes, and Why Celebrating Accomplishment Is Difficult

“I believe the #1 thing we should be doing as speakers is trying to give speeches as often as we can because every single speech is a treasure trove of feedback and information.” - Joey Coleman (click to tweet) Speakers need to have strong beliefs, lightly held. Yes, there’s contrast in that statement, but contrast is the beauty of performance. The job of a performer is to deliver a strong message while simultaneously being open to audience feedback. This is the tricky, two-sided nature of the job—one must possess the skills to provide both a powerful experience for the audience and a relatable openness during the socialization that occurs after a speech. On today’s episode of Steal the Show, we are joined Joey Coleman. For over a decade, Joey has helped organizations retain their best customers and turn them into raving fans through his entertaining and very actionable keynotes, workshops, and consulting projects. In this conversation, we unpack Joey’s Wall Street Journal bestseller, Never Lose A Customer Again. Joey provides insight for anyone trying to take their career to the next level. From the novice public speaker seeking his/her first paid gig to the amateur writer attempting to finish his/her first book, Joey’s insights will prove to be valuable. You can order Joey Coleman’s Never Lose A Customer Again here. “The more we spend looking at other people, the more we realize that often—they’re holding up a mirror. They’re holding up a mirror for us to understand something about ourselves.” - Joey Coleman (click to tweet) Steal the Points Contrary to popular belief, not every relationship needs to be a long-term relationship. Usually the audience’s expectations are extremely low. The tactics speakers use to make themselves feel comfortable typically make the audience feel uncomfortable. Connection happens quicker when the people are at eye-level. Research shows that humans are afraid of those who are bigger than them. Figure out what the audience needs before stepping on stage, and deliver that to them. Listen to all of the speakers to hear what the audience has already heard. When giving a speech, recognize that it’s difficult to be in the audience. Many audience members need time to process the speech before asking questions.