{"id":2436,"date":"2018-06-26T16:11:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T16:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=2436"},"modified":"2023-10-18T17:35:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T17:35:43","slug":"selling-secrets-best-commencement-speeches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/ca\/blog\/selling-secrets-best-commencement-speeches\/","title":{"rendered":"The Selling Secrets Hidden Within The Best Commencement Speeches"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Amid all the other social obligations that tend to pop up around this time of year, there\u2019s a better than average chance that sales reps will find themselves sitting in the audience for the graduation ceremony of a friend, relative or even one of their own children. That also means sitting through a commencement speech, which can be either exhilarating — or excruciating.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s like any other kind of public performance: some commencement speakers might be too dry, academic or just plain boring to hold the audience\u2019s attention. At least occasionally, however, a university or other post-secondary institution will choose someone who not only boasts an impressive career but an innate ability to synthesize what they\u2019ve learned into a talk that gives graduates extra motivation to start on their careers.<\/p>\n

When a commencement speaker is really strong, the message won\u2019t just resonate with the graduates, though. It will also offer insight and inspiration to plenty of others in the audience, whose own commencement is little more than a distant memory. That\u2019s why you may be seeing videos of great commencement speeches shared on social media, or the transcripts of a commencement speech reprinted in an online magazine or blog.<\/p>\n

Depending on the speaker\u2019s background, sales reps might not expect to hear much that will apply to their day-to-day lives, but that\u2019s okay. Regardless of the message, what they might want to pay attention to instead is the way the speaker approaches the delivery of their message. These speakers aren\u2019t making a sales pitch, of course, but they are often \u201cselling\u201d an idea that they want graduates to take in and bring with them as they enter the workforce. This requires the same skills in storytelling, audience empathy and sequencing that often lead to a closed deal among star sales reps.<\/p>\n

Think back to the best recent commencement speech you\u2019ve heard. If nothing comes to mind, browse around for one online, or pay attention to those that get covered over the next month or so. Then, notice some of the powerful elements that commencement speakers weave in, and you\u2019ll see things that could make sense in your next customer meeting that will complement the data you pull out of a CRM like Sales Cloud<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Power Of Anecdote<\/h2>\n

Once they get the formal introduction and greetings to the audience out of the way, great commencement speakers tend to avoid getting overly preachy or directive right away. Instead, they might start out with a joke, or more likely an anecdote that gently brings their theme to light.<\/p>\n

The anecdotes you might hear include the following:<\/p>\n