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Orvel Ray presenting diplomas in Nairobi, Kenya
In September, speaker and consultant Scott “Q” Marcus did a program and workshop for NSA Colorado on an advanced audience-interaction technique called “Sculpting,” in which participants collaborate to build a living model of a problem or situation, then work to solve it. It was outstanding in every respect, and we all left the day eager to give it a try.
The opportunity arose in the opening hour of a two-day Advanced Guerrilla Selling Seminar that I was teaching last week in Nairobi, Kenya. After the opening story and overview, the room was just flat. At first I just chalked it up to my America accent; after all, their first language was Swahili. Or maybe it was a bit of a cultural thing (here’s another White man telling us what to do) but it just wasn’t connecting. Here were 90 Sales VPs and Managers, from three countries, representing the biggest companies in East Africa, sitting quietly and looking skeptical. I was in trouble and I knew it.
So I did a sculpt, based on the “Get through the Day” theme that Scott had demonstrated. I called for a volunteer to represent the role of the Salesman. Mark, who sells big transformers to electrical utilities, stepped forward, and we positioned him far stage left, and gave him the goal of getting across to the far end of the 20-foot stage, which would represent his goal of making the sale.
Then I asked the audience to shout out possible obstacles that could get in the way.
“Competition!”
“Traffic” (Nairobi is notoriously gridlocked)
“Infrastructure” (temperamental at best, or lacking altogether)
“Technology”
“Dead mobile”
“Corruption”
“Time”
“Price”
and so on.
As each participant spoke up, we brought them in turn up onto the stage, asked them to pose in a way that would show us what their obstacle might “look like,” and “where in the day” it should go. After arranging themselves across the stage, we set the sculpt in motion. “OK, Mark, time to go to work.”
It looked like a Rugby scrum as Mark struggled to push his way over, around, under and through one challenger after another. It was hysterical. When he finally made it to far stage right, the room exploded into applause and cheers.
“So, is this what it feels like to do business in Africa?” I asked.
A resounding, “YES!”
“Ok, then. Over the next two days, this seminar is going to teach you strategies and tactics to help overcome all of these obstacles, and more.”
It was as if someone had waved a magic wand. What they got from the sculpt was that, first of all, this was going to be a fun, collaborative, participative environment, rather than a formal stuffy lecture. (Kenya was a British Protectorate, and that culture still lingers. It’s subtle, but Kenyans are resentful of white authority figures). It also set their expectations that the content would be practical and street-wise. They could see that, “this guy gets it.” I think it gave them permission to relax, speak out and play along. And it humanized me in a way that bonded me to the group. From that moment on, they were fully engaged, relaxed, chatty and eager to speak out and participate.
Imagine my shock and surprise when this same group gave the program a standing ovation at the end of the second day. Absolutely unheard of for a long seminar; certainly a first in my career.
The sculpt set the stage for a successful learning experience that transcended language, race and culture. Scott, I can’t thank you enough for teaching us this very powerful technique, and I look forward to using it again in my next seminar.
After 30 years as a Professional Speaker, I presented a two-day Guerrilla Selling seminar recently in Nairobi, Kenya, where I was reminded of the importance of being self-sufficient on the road.
Africa is like a whole other country, and it’s hard to find stuff. The same could be said of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Every Professional speaker should take responsibility for their own comfort and equipment, and always be prepared for the inevitable catastrophe.
The Professional Speaker’s Gig bag should contain:
- Your laptop computer
- A dedicated power supply that stays in your bag. (I recommend the universal Targus AC70U.) Leave the factory one at your desk. That way you’ll never make the mistake of forgetting to pack it. And you won’t be too disappointed when you leave the universal one behind at a venue. You can get another at most any office supply box store.
- Your own PowerPoint controller (I highly recommend the Logitech Professional Presenter R800, which includes a green laser and a cool timer that vibrates to tell you when to shut up. )
- A small portable mouse (a cheap one works fine; you won’t be using it that much.)
- Copy of your install disk for Microsoft Office for when you’re sitting in a Kinko’s at 2:00 AM and need that obscure printer driver.
- A 4 gig flash drive for backing up your presentation, and another for using sneakernet to transport it to another platform. Better still, carry a second backup in your pocket or purse. It will save your show when your laptop dies or is stolen out of the meeting room while you pee.
- Portable travel alarm clock with a display that you can read from across the stage. (I also recommend the free iPhone app NightTime for its big red-number display.)
- Portable digital thermometer, to settle the argument between the hotel engineer and the whining guest who insists it’s too cold.
- Fully loaded iPod, with royalty-free music that you can play during walk-in and breaks in your program, plus news podcasts, a movie and a favorite TV show or two.
- iPod/iPhone USB connector cord and AC adapter/charger
- A spare pair of Apple earbuds so you can listen on the plane
- A stereo 1/8″ (mini) phone to 2 mono 1/4″ phone send return (insert) cable so you can plug the iPod directly into the sound system (ask the guy at Radio Shack).
- Noise canceling headphones (I highly recommend the Bose Quiet Comfort 15′s. They sound much better, and are a great comfort when strapped in next to the inconsolable crying baby.)
- Three or four spare AAA batteries to power your remote and headphones.
- Package of 2 spare Duracell 12V batteries for the wireless mics, even when the hotel supplies them. When they go dead, it’s always in the middle of your show.
- Package of Halls Honey Lemon Cough Drops (the Cherry ones make your tongue look weird)
- Pack of chewable Pepto Bismo tablets
- Package of Imodium AD (for when Pepto Bismo doesn’t help)
- Melatonin tablets. The absolute best herbal remedy for jet lag. Take two an hour or two before sleepytime.
- Blindfold (for airplane sleepytime. Also handy for terminating unwanted conversations with annoying seatmates. You can buy them in most airport shops, but they hand these out in first class, so ask the cabin crew for one on your next long haul.
- Copy of your room setup instructions. The hotel will have lost the one you sent ahead. Trust me on this.
- Copy of your standard introduction, printed in 24 point type. Your introducer will have forgotten the one you sent ahead. Trust me on this too.
- Color copy of your passport (and applicable visas)
- Color copy of your drivers license (enlarged 2x)
- A crisp $100 bill (series 2000 or later; some overseas hotels won’t accept the older ones). Hide it in a pocket or fold of your computer bag. This can bail you out of a lot of trouble almost anywhere in the world.
All this, and more, fits neatly in my IBM Thinkpad’s little backback. Not only has it saved my skin, but it’s rescued more than my share of other speakers as well.
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