Simon Woodroffe's amazing transformation of an implausible idea – automated sushi anyone? – into a super-sized pile of cash, came partly from his vision, partly from his energy and partly from obsessive attention to detail. But the decisive factor was his ability to charm, seduce and generally persuade sceptics face to face that his harebrained scheme would work.
He has since parlayed that talent into a sizzling second career as a motivational speaker on the corporate training and dinner circuit. But Simon isn't the only operator whose presentation and performance skills have helped to build their business and turn them into a star.
1. Steve Jobs, CEO, Apple
When it comes to rock 'n' roll CEOs, Steve Jobs, the legendary head of Apple, Pixar and now board member of Disney, is the king. Responsible for kick starting the sales of a string of hugely successful new products, he's the all-in-one Mick Jagger, Bono and Bruce Springsteen of the corporate world. In his trademark jeans and black turtleneck, he has the gift of making audiences forget that they are basically hearing a pitch from a salesman for a new gadget. Instead, they feel they are receiving the inside track on a new cultural icon from a particularly hip friend.
But the informality is just a front. In fact, his presentations are a complex and sophisticated blend of sales pitch, product demonstration and corporate cheerleading, with a dash of religious revival thrown in for good measure. They represent weeks of work, precise orchestration and rehearsal for the scores of people who make up his road crew.
2. Kevin Roberts, CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi
At first glance, the 53-year-old Roberts doesn't exactly look like mister charisma. He's short, ageing and balding and could perhaps be the owner of a wine bar in his native New Zealand or maybe manager of a never-quite-made-it rock band.
But the moment he opens his mouth you know you are in the presence of a gifted orator and salesman. His particular speciality is persuading uptight corporations such as Proctor and Gamble and Toyota to loosen their ties, let down their corporate guard and start hanging with the people. His MO, is an almost innocent shamelessness. For instance, he once posed for a photographer from the Financial Times on a crumpled hotel bed as if he was some kind of sex kitten. And he has artfully promoted the role of emotion in business with his books and talks on the subject of 'love marks' – brands you really, really like so much that you love them.
This may sound like pretentious tosh, but Roberts really won't give a fig. He's too busy wowing the next audience with his provocative theories about emotions and their role in consumption to engage with such negative energy.
3. Sir Niall Fitzgerald, ex-chairman, Unilever
As you will doubtless be aware, soap powder is no laughing matter. Nor are Marmite, mayonnaise, shampoo, margarine and deodorant, come to that. However, that didn't stop Sir Niall Fitzgerald, former chairman of soap-to-soup giant Unilever, using them as material for the stand-up comedy act that he performed when asked to speak after dinner.
Despite being chief of one of the world's largest corporations, the former communist firebrand would somehow have audiences in stitches with his droll observations on market share, organic growth, return on investment and barriers to competition in the Far East.
4. Bill Gates, chairman, Microsoft
What is it about being the richest man in the world that makes people hang on your every word? Part of it is undoubtedly the power that wealth bestows. And running a multinational company such as Microsoft inevitably means that Gates has a different perspective on the world and the future of technology than the rest of us mere mortals. But he isn't the richest man in the world for no reason. Gates is thought by many to be a visionary in several areas. Technology is one of them, biotechnology another – and then there are issues of global health.
It will come as no surprise to learn that those who have seen him speak describe his style as 'slightly geeky'. But it is not the delivery that makes Gates so awesome, say admirers, it is the content, the provocative nature of his insights and the fact that he is in a position to make sure that some of his predictions come true. You, too, can hire him for your annual sales conference, but expect to pay well in excess of £100,000 for his wisdom.
5. Marilyn Orcharton, managing director, Kite Management Consultants
Bill Gates may be riveting because he can pronounce on global themes. Marilyn Orcharton, managing director of Kite Management Consultants, is a riveting speaker for very different reasons. Those who have seen her in action describe her as 'not aloof', 'creating fast rapport with people,' and 'a regular person who is just highly motivated and motivating'. Her company provides business management systems for individual small professional businesses and she talks knowledgeably and sympathetically about how small businesses can grow and develop. Like the best speakers, her anecdotes are drawn from her own experience.
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