I'm not sure how to say this delicately, but will do so because I think it is critical: I think Elon needs to continue to work on his presentation skills. These Telsa events (opening the plant, Model X reveal, etc.) are all critical moments for the company - each being documented on YouTube and played over and over again.
Steve Jobs was obviously the master of the reveal and presenting, but as breezy and carefree as his style appeared to be ("One more thing..."), it was in fact something he worked at exhaustively....I'm not asking Elon to be Steve Jobs, but I am saying that I think it is critical that he finds a style that works for him, hones his delivery and gets every drop out of these events as he can. By the way, I've been fortunate enough to work with Google's CEO and today he is considered by many to be a great speaker - I agree, I think he is incredibly clear and concise and inspiring; he wasn't always, but he knew it was something he had to work on... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA1I6MUOKkU
What does everyone else think?
ps - I am huge fan of Elon's and each of his companies, so take this as my constructive opinion.
Elon's believes in what he does this is the key i think he will succeed. I believe in him too, i will stand up util ice car become a relic.
i think his presentation skills are fine. it's elon musk, he's already proven himself. when he speaks people listen.
With all due respect,
While I think your observation is technically correct, it is nevertheless irrelevant.
In my Opinion, the reality is, all he has to do is somehow let us know what the performance specifications of the car are. The sales people will do the rest, but even their words are relatively unimportant. The car is in a class of it's own. All it has to do is work as advertised. If it works, it will sell. If it doesn't, it won't. It's not like GM, Volvo, BMW or Mercedes has a car with similar specifications and Elon is trying to get us to purchase his over theirs.
1. I want Elon 100% focused on making the car work.
2. I honestly think his quirky enthusiasm plays well.
He is like a child so excited about something they have created that he can hardly get the words out. This emotion is infectious, and I would not change a thing.
p2576
@My5bAby +1
I agree, it's because he's excited and unpolished that his "style" works, and this "style" comes across as genuine, which makes both the excitement and message infectious.
@Beaker +1.
It is refreshing to see a person stutter some words and not be "a rockstar" at the stage. Elon looks natural.
I have had some experience about some...lets call them "lecturers" that acted in obviously fake enthusiasm about the subject in hand. In every case I got an urge to say something to drive that fake enthusiasm away. To crush it. Make them cry. Sometimes I even had chance to do that: Person that is marketing-type and not engineering type and gets confused when you tell him that the product they are marketing doesn't do what he just said it would do. Ask "difficult" questions to get them baffled. Get them to contradict themselves. That's fun.
I don't get that urge with Elon presentations.
Elon is doing alright, but there's always room for improvement.
The way he can over emphasize thing can grate a little, but that's minor. Something that does bother me a bit is he'll ask a question, start to provide the answer, then go off in a bit of a random direction. What he's saying is still interesting, but I usually can't see the connection, and I get miffed that the question that Elon himself asked doesn't get answered. I dunno, maybe he gets flustered. I know I would :P
I..UH....think....uh, yeah....think....UH Elon is great.
Look at what this man has done in his live....CUT THE CREP!
When/if TM begins to "market", I think a lot of that "Um, yeah, yeah, ..." answering himself in his own hyperdrive thoughtstream will likely have to go. I sometimes get the impression he's trying to lay down the anchor points of a hologram he sees and is trying to evoke it, and is frustrated that he can't use telepathy.
;)
I have sometimes same problem. Mind works so much faster than mouth that you need to really concentrate to what you are saying, otherwise you end up saying begin of the sentence and end of sentence and leave everything between out. If Elon mind works same way mine does also words are sometimes just in way of thinking and you just plain can't put your thoughts to words. I call that "concept thinking". Telepathy would be useful.
It makes me very poor performer. Unfortunately people also sometimes mix that with stupidity. That's like calling Stephen Hawking stupid because he can't talk properly. Just like Froq says, who cares if he talks funny. He is one of the few people around the word that most recognize, not because of what he says but what he has done.
I hope he doesn't change a thing. There's an earnestness and excitement about what he's doing that makes his presentation so endearing. When I watch the X launch event, Revenge of the Electric Car, and the 60 minutes segment on Space X, I am really in awe. In many ways he's just a normal guy with more vision, courage, and leadership than just about anyone alive. So inspiring...
Elon is fantastic as is. Genuine, Brilliant, inspirational.
I enjoy Elon's unpolished boyish style. He comes across as very genuine and spontaneous.
Larry
Yeah, you know the old grifter's motto: "Once you can fake sincerity, all the rest is easy!"
;)
<:p
Elon Musk, while smart and passionate, is not a good public speaker. I was at the big Model S Factory tour last October and no one could hear a thing. Also, his presentation (what I could hear) was not organized. Same thing (not as bad) at the Model X show in Hawthorne. We can't all be Steve Jobs. But I do think a speach coach wouldn't hurt.
Just one man's opinion....
I like the way Elon speaks, it feels natural with all the small flaws. Those that have been trained to talk hit me as artificial and bad speakers, usually with insincere happiness and "enthusiasm". I usually immediately start to hate them, probably because that is yelling to me "you can't trust that person" before I have even heard what they are saying.
Best talker into world IMO is Stephen Hawking.
Timo,
Agreed. A facility with clever talk and phrases does not convey honesty--after all, that's what makes a good actor.
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