Speaking Tips from the UPS Whiteboard Guy.

My new hero is the UPS Whiteboard Guy.

And I’m not the only one.  Those cool UPS whiteboard television advertisements have gotten a lot of notice.  In a sure sign of the spots’ impact, You Tube has several funny (and sometimes raunchy) spoofs of the ads.    The on-line magazine Slate did an interesting analysis of the ads.  

But I love the ads because in each spot, UPS Whiteboard Guy conducts 30-second master classes in how to deliver business presentations. The spots illustrate how to tell a story, how to make a complex point, how to speak in a conversational style, and, of course, how to use visuals to support a presentation.

Take a look at the first ad dealing with a concept called “Delivery Intercept.”   The spot details the idea that UPS can intercept a package and re-route it if needed.

How to Tell a Story

What I love about the spot is that it demonstrates how to illustrate a business concept through the use of a story.   UPS Whiteboard Guy details the “Delivery Intercept” idea with a little story about a package on the way to a customer in New York. “Your customer calls and says, ‘Hey, I have to run down to DC for a few days.’ Now what?”  He explains how UPS can intercept the package and have it sent back or even re-route it to DC.  He then ends the story by re-emphasizing the point -- that this is the concept called “Delivery Intercept.”

This is a perfect business story-telling model: introduce the concept, tell the story, re-emphasize the point.

Think about how much less effective it would have been had he simply said, “Delivery Intercept is the idea that we can stop the package and re-route it.”  Sure it explains it. But it doesn’t allow us to see the concept vividly in action.  A story has an immense power to hold our attention and makes us understand.  UPS Whiteboard Guy understands that. Too often, business people opt to simply describe the idea rather than let it unfold as a story. It’s a wasted opportunity.

UPS Whiteboard Guy also ends by reminding us of what the story is all about. He re-emphasizes the concept of “Delivery Intercept.”  Too often people in business will tell a story without reminding the audience of the point. UPS Whiteboard Guy doesn’t make that mistake.

Explaining Complex Ideas

He also does a wonderful job of explaining relatively complex concepts in a short period of time.  For example, one of the ads deals with the concept of supply-chain visibility. This is not a simple idea.

However, UPS Whiteboard Guy explains it by drawing a shipping manager and showing how he can log on to UPS on his computer and watch all his shipments as they come in.  It’s a beautiful example of explaining a relatively complex idea in a very short period of time.  The secret, of course, is the little story.

A Connected Speaking Style

Of course, UPS Whiteboard Guy also provides a nice example of a connected speaking style.  He has a very relaxed, unpretentious, conversational manner.   So many people in business speak in a boring monotone.  Not UPS Whiteboard Guy. He is animated and having fun.

Effective Use of Visuals

Finally, UPS Whiteboard Guy provides a very nice example of how to use visuals. His drawings are simple and actually illustrate his point. The pictures show something that words cannot.  Most business slides are overwhelmed by bullet points and constitute nothing more than a script for the speaker.  But the bullet points do very little in terms of really helping the listeners understand.

Thank you UPS Whiteboard Guy.  We can all learn a few lessons from you.

At Speechworks we help our clients learn how to communicate in a way that connects and persuades.  If you’re interested in becoming a great communicator give us a call at 404-266-0888 or check out our website at www.speechworks.net.