In this special episode of SMC, Brad speaks with one of Australia’s best public speakers, Matt Church. Matt is an Australian Speaker of the Year and is also an author, leadership consultant, and a passionate thought leader.

Brad begins the interview by asking Matt in a world that is full of exceptional leaders and thinkers, why he advocates we need to be more — we need to be thought leaders. No longer is it enough to have the best ‘widget’, you need to be able to communicate that it is the best in a way that is engaging, compelling and relevant, and in a method that people can trust.

Trust has traditionally been aligned in marketing communications with the idea of brands, and Brad asks Matt if brands are finding it harder to obtain trust from customers. Matt has tracked some trends and discusses his observations. He continues by discussing the mega trend — that thought leadership marketing is the number one way to differentiate your organisation, product and services in an increasingly competitive market.

Matt defines the concept of ‘thought leadership’ and the difference to ‘thought repeaters’, and discusses the importance of being a professional presenter and understanding how to present your ideas. It isn’t enough to have a great idea, you must broadcast it. Matt concludes the interview with some practical ideas for SMC listeners.

This week’s links:

Thought Leaders – Matt Church

http://www.mattchurch.com/#thoughtleadership