Can an expert in his or her field, armed with solid credentials and decades of experience, fail to deliver a clear, confident message during a press briefing or interview?
It happens all the time.
Take Barbara Borden, chief horse racing steward for the state of Kentucky. Borden started in racing in the 1970’s as a groom and exercise rider and completed the University of Louisville Steward Accreditation Program in 1993. She has presided over countless races during her distinguished career.
But when Borden was called on to explain the disqualification of Maximum Security at the 2019 Kentucky Derby, she failed to gain the trust of her audience. Borden’s visual and vocal performance seemed to display a lack of confidence in the steward’s decision. Her body language was weak and she spoke much too softly. See for yourself:
Even though Borden’s statement included jargon, which we strongly discourage, her presentation would have been much more effective with confident body language and a strong voice.
At The Ammerman Experience, we show our clients how to be visually and vocally compelling. If you want your next press briefing or interview to win over your audience, contact us. We will start you on a pathway to successful communications at every level.