Mastery

27 Aug Mastery

TIP OF THE WEEK: MASTERY

In Yvon Chouinard’s book Some Stories, he writes about the outdoor pursuits and crafts he has enjoyed over a long life. These activities include surfing, mountaineering, whitewater kayaking, spearfishing and toolmaking. Chouinard notes that the progression from novice to master has always been a journey from the complex to the simple. He states, “An illustrator becomes a master when he can convey his message with fewer brushstrokes.” We agree.

Guiding Eloqui clients along the path to mastery has been our life’s work. We advocate starting with the basics, including the practice of storytelling; identifying one intention per talk; doing vocal warmup exercises; finding your authentic voice; and following a structural template. But mastery doesn’t happen overnight. And after amassing a robust skill set, you then decide which to deploy to best serve your content and audience. 

For instance, an opening has one message, as does a story. Themes are simple and repeatable. The body of a talk has only three acts. Closings are brief. Every pitch (e.g. finals presentation), requires strong hand-off skills. Like clean and artful Japanese calligraphy, present with spare and dramatic strokes. Your words and message will stick.