THE UNWANTED HISTORIAN

I met a local historian a few months ago. 

He was carrying a stack of documents and proudly sharing his latest discovery.

No one in the conference wanted to hear of it.

Nobody shared his enthusiasm or interest in the topic.

It was sad.

Your message should benefit your audience, and your audience will switch on if this will help them. 

You've got to deliver what's in it for them. 

And the rest will follow. 

There's engagement, interest, maybe support or perhaps more connections.

But it is seldom first about you.

It's never about you or your discovery unless the messaging radically changes for the hearer.

Historians are not necessarily great communicators.

A lot of authors are not either. And some politicians don't know how to speak in ways that register.

No matter how great your talent, charisma, or knowledge is, if you can't communicate your product, idea, or service, it's game-over before you even start. 

Don't be that historian who didn't find an audience in 10,000 conference goers.