Post by B Well Speaking Academy

Yes, I dare to evaluate Steve Vamos and his keynote speech from The Business Show Australia at Darling Harbour yesterday. You might find this to be a bit cheeky as his resume shows as holding CEO/MD roles at Xero, Apple, Microsoft, Ninemsn etc As background, I coach Thought Leaders, Executive Leaders, High-Stakes Speakers, Emerging Professionals and upskill good speakers to be exceptional. Here is the feedback I would give Steve Vamos about his speech yesterday. Steve’s informative and persuasive speech was a highlight of the show and he was perhaps the best on stage yesterday. There were a few aspects that increased his executive presence, made the speech more engaging and proved why he is an expert on his topic. 1. His Topic - Making Change Your Superpower was one that all attendees at a business show could relate to. It is a positive message in a time of rapid change with business and technology. This is the best foundation to build engagement. 2. He had absolute control of his stance. He stood still most of the time with no rocking or shaking or distracting movement. When he moved, he did this deliberately. The impact of this was that the audience could feel he is confident and could focus on his message more easily. 3. His vocal variety was outstanding. He presented a strong authoritive tone. He varied from loud to quiet or from fast to slow frequently. He spoke clearly and his speed range was always at a pace that the audience could keep up with. The impact was that people could relax and take in what he was saying plus the variability kept them interested. Two recommendations for Steve; 1. Prior to speaking - test the mic on stage walking to all areas that you plan to walk to. Yesterday the mic failed when Steve stood in certain spots and this was disruptive for him and the audience. Mics often have issues and always testing,on stage prior, reduces this. 2 Have someone move the lectern away. Steve never used the lectern and its positioning in the best location on the stage reduced his options and made some locations awkward. Moving it would have allowed him more movement and assisted with his engagement for his right side audience. The highlight for me was his simple slides. He had about 5-6 slides for 45mins. Each had 3 points. The impact for the audience was to help us retain the knowledge and allowed more authentic storytelling and better audience engagement. To summarise - Steve is a wonderful speaker who presented as a change expert and delivered like the Leader he is. He achieved his purpose of educating and inspiring. His stance, vocal variety, topic and slides helped him achieve this. If he sorts out the mic and lectern prior to his speech next time, he will stop cheeky guys like me thinking they can comment on his excellence. If you want help on your speech, go to https://lnkd.in/guE-5jA9 #Speaking #PublicSpeaking #Speaker #SpeakingCoach #SpeakingMentor #SpeakerCoach