Bruce Seilhammer is a long-time IEC member and active participant and leader. At SPARK, he shares his experiences and knowledge in the session, Becoming a Presenter. 

“We have all been in classes or seminars that we remember, and many that we do not,” Bruce says. “What are the reasons we remember some? It typically is not about the content; it is about the delivery. You could have great content — but with a bad delivery, no one retains the information.” 

Bruce says the key is connecting with your audience.  

“Our attendees come to SPARK to bring something back to their companies that is beneficial and gives them a return on their investment for going,” Bruce says. “We should be sure what we are delivering makes an impact and brings them back next year.” 

In his session, Bruce provides a workable model for effective presentations. The model is useful no matter the subject matter or audience size. He says anyone, with some practice, can use this model and deliver an effective presentation that folks will retain. 

“Think back to a class or a seminar you attended that really hit home,” he challenges “One that you told others about and suggested they should go see or hear if they have the opportunity.  There was something about it that resonated with you — it likely was not just the content but the way in which the speaker delivered it that stuck. I hope to be able to share a model that others can use to do the same. When you make your presentation interesting and maybe a little bit fun, people respond to that and become engaged. When the audience is engaged, they are learning.” 

About Bruce 

Bruce Seilhammer has been in the electrical industry for more than 40 years. He started his career as an electrician in the Air Force in 1982 and spent his four years serving as an electrical apprentice in Utah. After his time in the military, he moved back to his home state of Connecticut and obtained his journeyman’s license. Bruce now lives in Pennsylvania and is working for SECCO Electric, where he carries his master electricians license. 

Bruce has a strong belief in sharing knowledge — he teaches classes on foreman training, leadership, train the trainer, and the master electricians exam prep classes. There are currently 15 licensed master electricians on his staff. He is very active with the IEC and has been a presenter at the National convention for many years. Bruce has held all of the IEC board positions at his chapter, and served as the National president on the IEC Executive Committee in 2017. He currently is serving again as the IEC Pennsylvania chapter president.