This week on Speakernomics, host Kenneth "Shark" Kinney interviews Mark Levy, a differentiation expert who helps corporations, brands, and thought leaders come up with their "Big Sexy Idea." In this episode, Mark shares:   Differentiation as a Business Strategy: Mark defines differentiation as a business strategy aimed at standing out from the competition in a meaningful and interesting way. Your point of differentiation serves as a "foot in the door," capturing people's attention and making you memorable. It's not the totality of everything you are but a cool and emblematic aspect of your work that you lead with.  Balancing Differentiation and Safety: Speakers often grapple with the balance between being different and being a safe choice for meeting planners. What's considered safe or dangerous depends on the context and the specific audience. To succeed, speakers should focus on their target audience, understanding that not everyone will resonate with their approach.   Engaging the Audience for Memorable Talks: Engage with the audience both before and during talks. Get to know your audience beforehand, referencing their activities or stories during the speech. This personal and conversational style makes the talk an extension of a dinner conversation.   Who is Mark Levy?  Mark Levy is a differentiation expert. He differentiates corporations, brands, thought leaders, political campaigns, TV shows, live shows, products, services, books, and speeches. The ideas his clients and he have created have been discussed and used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. 

   Mark began his company in 2001 and is known for differentiating Simon Sinek. Simon’s endorsement: “Mark Levy is the man who helped me find my why. He inspires me.”  Mark has also worked with and spoken to leaders, strategists, and teams in large organizations, including Adobe, Amazon, American Express, Bain, BASF, Google, Harrah’s, Harvard Business School, History Channel, Major League Baseball, McKinsey, Neighborly, Popeye’s, Proctor & Gamble, Stanford University, and UPS.  He’s also worked with leaders and advisors to government bodies, including the White House and the United Nations.  Mark consulted to Joel Hodgson, creator of the beloved cult TV series, “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” which has been named one of the 100 best TV shows of all-time by Time, Rolling Stone, and Entertainment Weekly.  In 2018, Mark was inducted into The Million Dollar Consulting® Mentor Hall of Fame. The hall’s founder calls Mark’s positioning-and-messaging work “unparalleled.”   He’s an author, speaker, and podcaster.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices