Lasse Rouhiainen: Speaking Internationally with Success

Lasse Rouhiainen is an international leading authority on video marketing and social media. He is an in-demand speaker and trainer for business schools and universities on Social Media and new emerging technologies. Lasse has written four books several of which are best sellers on Amazon and offers training in three different languages (English, Spanish and Finnish). Lasse has spoken in more than 14 countries in over 4 continents. Common mistakes of speakers who fail to engage in international contexts * Apologizing for not speaking the language so well. Speakers should focus on sharing valuable things. Use humor that is related to the audience, even telling a self-deprecating joke with your accent. If you start with something interesting, they will forget your accent. * Don’t start talking about your trip or other bland things. Get their attention quickly, open with questions. Lasse’s best piece of advice for speaking internationally with success * Make your topic relevant. Use Google News to find news related to both the topic and the country. * Ask to a friend or follower how things are in the country. Then share something that even the locals don’t know yet. * Before your talk, chat with local people in the venue (e.g. the organizer, the first attendees) and put examples at the beginning of your presentation. * Show statistics relevant for the country. For instance “the 10 biggest companies that use Facebook in the country.” Video and Internet are amplifying public speaking Lasse believes that “giving presentations is still the number one way of impacting and communicating with people.” Internet is amplifying public speaking. In the future, live streaming will be everywhere. Related: Speaking on the Future of Humans and Technology Favorite quotations “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela “Artificial Intelligence will be the New Electricity.” —Andrew Ng Recommended book Technology vs. Humanity by Gerd Leonhard Routine to Shine Start your mornings the right way. Have a morning routine, such as having some exercise. Visualize your talk while exercising. Links