Let me start by saying that I am mindful that time is money. You may not have time to watch all 18 minutes now, but it is well worth the time. In fact, this presentation is something you can view with your family and discuss it.
Why? Listening to his speech is one of the smartest uses of 18 minutes I have spent all week.
I often talk about the importance of eye contact in making a connection with your listener. However, a blind Cobhams Asuquo, masterfully and powerfully engages his TedxEuston audience in other ways. He does so by revealing his personality, finding levity in his experience, clearly stating his key messages, supporting those with compelling stories and meaningful examples, and by using incredible vocal delivery despite having note cards in Braille.
Cobhams Asuquo in this talk exemplifies my 7 Cs of Charismatic/Engaging Presenters(TM) that I often refer to:
- Compelling Content
- Confidence
- Competence
- Credibility
- Care
- Connection
- Conversational
While not a business speech, like the readers he effectively uses the 7 Cs and he is persuading them to take action on his three points:
- Don’t excuse failure
- Trust
- Be blind to be focused
The Gift of Blindness: Cobhams Asuquo at TEDxEuston