Paul Logue hails from near Glasgow in Scotland and boasts a 25-year career as a professional bass guitarist in a heavy rock band alongside a career in IT. He spent 21 years at IBM with half of that dedicated to Travel & Expense Management Software. Paul moved to Emburse five years ago and rose from the first Solutions Consultant in the UK to leading the International Team as Director of Solutions Consulting. He is also known as The Pre-Sales Rockstar.
The way to became a presales rockstar
A musician at heart, Paul chased his musical dreams in his early twenties while working a bank job. His father, however, pushed him towards a stable IT career which led him to IBM. Despite starting a family and rising in IT, music remained a constant passion as he played gigs on weekends. His most successful band, Eden’s Curse, emerged alongside fatherhood, but the realization that music couldn’t fully support his family led him to prioritize his flourishing IT career. Although his band continued for another 15 years, he ultimately focused on IT, becoming a top sales presentation performer.
Mastering the rock musician skills
Rock musicians aren’t inherently distinct from other performers. Musicians, actors, dancers, or even athletes, share key skills. These skills are built through dedication, refining their craft in private before ever reaching a stage. Paul highlights the importance of practice using Lady Gaga as an example. Stage presence, the ability to captivate an audience, is another shared skill that develops through experience. Finally, improvisation is also crucial for performers, Paul concludes by emphasizing the importance of authenticity, bringing your whole self to the table, even if it includes a passion for music.
The rock musician model for presenters
As a rock musician, Paul emphasizes the importance of practice and preparation. Here are the key points:

* Practice makes perfect: Just like musicians rehearse their songs countless times, presenters and salespeople should thoroughly prepare their material. This ensures a smooth delivery and allows for audience engagement.
* Eye contact is crucial: Connecting with the audience through eye contact is essential for both performers and presenters. It builds rapport and helps gauge audience reaction.
* Learn from improvisation: The ability to adapt on the fly is valuable. Just as a musician might have to adjust their performance based on audience response,

Sally Z is an award-winning speaker, author, coach and expert on the art of bravery because she knows personally what being brave requires. Sally’s mission is to empower people to move from the sidelines to the spotlight – at work, on stage, and in life – and unleash the power of #showupanyway. Sally has spoken in front of thousands of people – coached hundreds of leaders – and empowered countless ‘moving moments’ in that powerful connection between speaker and audience. Sally is also the host of This Moved Me, a top 2% podcast about the art of public speaking, best-selling author of the book Speaking Story, and producer & host of the beloved Permission Slip Conference.
 
Persuasion and Emotions
In this wonderful and amusing interview Sally Z exposed different points related to persuasion, emotions and the power of storytelling, from which we can highlight the following:

* What persuasion is and why do people often confuse it with manipulation.
* Why storytelling is the best and most underrated tool for persuasion.
* Sally explained her personal approach to storytelling, in which a story comes first: Moment, Meaning, and Move.
* Sally shared with us some recent examples of the effective use of storytelling. From the speakers Sally has seen recently, she was impressed with Jade Simmons‘ storytelling onstage.
* Finally, she shared an advanced tactic for improving your storytelling: the use of dialogue in telling stories.

Related: Danja Bauer and Sally Z Fireside chat: How to Structure Your Talk
 
Favorite quotation
“Great stories happen to those who can tell them.” — Ira Glass
 
Recommended book
10X growth is easier than going for 2X  by Dan Sullivan, Dr. Benjamin Hardy
 
Routine to Shine
Sally recommends a routine called “Walk and Talk“. This technique is a powerful rehearsal stage for content development. By walking and talking, it helps you unlock new ideas, making it effective for clarifying your thoughts and generating insights early in the content creation process. It’s a recommended tool for both speakers and self-content development.
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