It’s no secret I am obsessed with my Peloton. If you don’t believe me, read this blog I wrote a little while ago.
This workout is beyond the stationary bike. It’s a community of people with 75K+ people in the Facebook group, and loyal fans that trek across the country to ride live with their fave Peloton instructors at the NY studio (affectionately called the mother ship) and people drive hours to meet their fave instructors at Peloton stores in malls around the USA.
As a keynote speaker, focused on the topic of attention, I am constantly looking for examples of how people bring their messages to life. It might be watching a comedian on Netflix, attending a show on Broadway or watching a musician perform their latest hits. We can learn so much about the art of presenting from people around us.
A brilliant example of presentation skills comes from the variety of personalities and Peloton instructors . John Foley, the CEO has clearly hand-picked his crew and created celebrity profiles for each of them. Some have cult-like followings and I admit to being part of those tribes. I am part of #JJsCrew
Each Peloton instructor has their unique approach to their classes and listed below are some of my major learnings we can all apply to our presentations at work, at home and in our community.
Be real – all instructors are authentic. Not all instructors will appeal to all audiences. They don’t apologize for how they show up. They are authentically themselves. Some swear. Others don’t. Some focus on heart rate, others on fun. Some sing out loud on their bike, and others share mantras, others like JJ share specific exercises and techniques to help you become stronger and a better rider. I love how they show up confidently as themselves.
How can you show the audience more of who you are so they instantly want to listen to you?
Create memorable phrases – as a keynote speaker one of our secret weapons are memorable phrases we create that are memorable, repeatable and re-tweetable. We craft words our audience can share with others to help land key messages.
The instructors do the same:
- Jennifer Jacobs (or JJ) says ‘it’s you against you’ and ‘let’s fly’ – I even bought a t-shirt with one of her phrases that says ‘Unleash Your Best Self’
- Cody Rigsby says ‘one-two’ and calls everyone ‘boo’
- Jennifer Sherman says ‘JFDI’ which is an acronym for ‘just f**king do it’
- Alex Toussaint says ‘Feel good, look good, do better’
- Christine D’Ercole says ‘I am. I can. I will. I do’
What memorable phrases could you incorporate into your presentations about your key learnings for others to share with their teams and when they get back to their office?
Recognize people – some instructors are exceptional at this skill. I remember when I proudly completed my 50th ride live with Jenn Sherman and she called my name out and said congratulations – there were over 500 people on the ride! That’s skill. Her attentiveness to her tribe and to their milestones is why she is one of the most popular instructors with a very loyal following. When JJ first called my name out on a ride I nearly fell off my bike I was so delighted. It surprised me how much this meant to me. I am an adult and yet there was something powerful about hearing my name and someone seeing me. When I was celebrating the milestone of riding 150 rides (and then again at 300 rides) I even trekked to the studio to ride with JJ (my fave instructor)… crazy right! Note: And I also hired her as my personal trainer, that’s how much she impressed me! Attention really does pay!
As a keynote speaker, I reference my client and audience members I meet in that room constantly. I learn the names of the AV and production crew so that I can give them shout outs during my speech. I didn’t realize how much this meant until I was on the receiving end of it.
Who do you need to recognize in your presentation to make them feel good?
Look up – these instructors look directly into the camera when giving directions on the ride. Their eye contact is important not just for the live riders in the NY studio, but also to connect with the audience members who are riding along in their homes. Eye contact with your audience allows them to see and hear your message more clearly. Don’t’ look down. Look forward. Show your audience there are important to them. My mum always said ‘eyes are the mirror to your soul’ that has stuck with me.
How can you look up more to connect with your audience?
Have fun – all Peloton instructors clearly enjoy their job. They ride with smiles on their faces and sweat pouring off their bodies. They work hard and inspire their live riders and anyone watching on-demand to do the same. Alex will often encourage you to smile, Cody is so adorable you can’t help but smile in his ride and JJ’s smile is so big it’s contagious. If you ever do an epic sing along ride with Jenn Sherman your face can’t help but smile. Having fun as a presenter will be contagious. I always say that you are responsible for the energy you bring to every room, presenting is a brilliant example of that.
Next time you are asked to present at a meeting, serve on a panel, deliver a keynote speech or just speak at a teleconference, remember the lessons from the Peloton instructors, choose just one you can try today. People want to be seen and they want to be heard. You need to give attention to get attention.
