(Bali, Indonesia.)

One of the most common questions I get as a global speaker is: “Do you customise your speech a lot?”

The question is often asked in a way where the person asking thinks that I am going to say that I do change a lot depending on WHERE in the world I speak.

But I do not.

I consistently argue for why I think a speakers speech should be so “human” that it works in most places in the world with no or very small changes.

By making the speech “human” you are more sure to get people from all over the world connecting to your message.

But having said that, what I do do is to change my speech to fit the specific audience I am speaking to.

There are few things event organisers hate more than speakers who come in and do their “Stump speech” without a feeling for the group they are speaking too. Speakers who are tone deaf to what this particular audience want or needs to hear.

Take the speech I did for Sony Pictures Television sales reps on conference in Bali.

In my speech I must have referenced the TV-industry at least 20 different times, using things familiar to a TV industry expert to illustrate my message.

After the speech my client came up and, in a very happy voice, said: “Thank you sooo much. This was just what we wanted. I specifically liked how you connected your message to our industry.”

You could probably have taken 50 minutes out my speech and have me deliver it at a shipping conference, a tourism conference or a conference for IT-administrators (my message is about human creativity and our inabilities as humans to change fast enough.) But those 10 minutes or so where I spoke about the TV industry specifically is what made the full one hour speech feel relevant, insightful and interesting for the Sony Pictures Television sales representatives.

Lesson: Those small changes that take your “great speech” and turns it into a “great message” for the specific audience that you are speaking to is what makes all the difference.

Now time to switch from “speech” to “beach” and close down my laptop and walk the few meters down to the very, very long sandy beach at the resort and get some well deserved rest after working a full hour. The life of a global keynote speaker is tough… 😉

This post is about getting the fundamentals right.

Today I met with Michael Podolinsky CSP and Global Speaking Fellow. Mike is one of the most experiences professional speakers that I have had the privilege to get to know. He has been speaking, full time and professionally for almost four decades. Has lived on two continents (USA and now Asia), been invited to speak in 45 countries and has delivered thousands and thousands of speeches, trainings and workshops to virtually all kinds of audiences in most industries.

He is one of the most experiences speakers you can meet.

He is also a very nice guy.

For three hours today we met because he asked me to give him feedback on some of the key aspects of his speaking business.

One thing we talked about was the importance of getting the fundamentals right in what you do.

All industries have trends, hype and things that go in and out of fashion. New technologies, new ideas and new concepts come in and change, transform or disrupt industries. But beneath all those “waves” of rapid, turbulent change is always a stronger, more consistent – a more fundamental if you want – force.

To find, understand and focus on the fundamentals of our business is crucial for success. Especially if we want to keep at it for a longer time.

The fundamentals is different from the basics.

“Basics” mean: “the essential facts of a subject or skill.”

“Fundamental” means “a central or primary rule on which something is based.”

The basics is what we learn in the beginning.

The fundamentals are what keeps us successful in the long run.

The basics of chess is to understand how the pieces move.

The fundamentals of chess is to understand the strategy of the game.

The basics of speaking is to learn how to write and present a good speech.

The fundamentals of speaking is to understand what makes a good speech a good speech.

I would say that the number one fundamental for speaking is: It is never about you – it’s about the message.

When you get that right, when you always remember that, then you will be a great speaker for a long time.

When you forget it, it doesn’t matter how “good” your speech is crafted, it will not work anyway.

In a world obsessed with the latest trend, the latest technology and the newest way of doing something it is important to never forget the deeper forces that make successful people successful: their ability to stay true to the fundamentals.