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RESEARCH YOUR AUDIENCE
It amazes me how some speakers will show up
for a speaking engagement and really not know anything about the
audience they are speaking to. Many speakers just get lazy and
feel that their message is so important that anyone would want to
hear it. They couldn't be more wrong. Your core message may be
about the same for everyone, but knowing your audience will allow
you to slant the information so that the audience feels it was
prepared just for them. They will relate much better to the
information and think much more highly of you for creating
something specifically for them. Of course, in many cases you were
only slanting your information, but I won't tell if you won't.
PRACTICE
The only way to look polished while speaking
is to practice. This is one skill you cannot delegate to anyone
else. It is you that is on stage with the microphone and it is you
who will look either great or terrible. You are sadly mistaken and
egotistical if you think the PowerPoint slides that either you or
someone else created will make you a dynamic speaker. There are
specific techniques used to practice that don't take much time and
make you look extremely polished. One of these techniques is
called bits. You practice a short piece of material over and over
again. You don't practice it word for word, but just talk your way
through it. This way you won't blank out when a distraction
happens while you are on stage.
TAKE CARE OF HECKLERS
The following is my famous asterisk
technique; I use it to make sure hecklers don't interrupt my
presentation. I get people in the group to identify potential
troublemakers BEFORE I get to the event. I phone these people and
interview them to give them the attention they are craving. I then
mention their names during the speech. This virtually eliminates
the chance they will give me a hard time because I am praising one
of their opinions. This works really well but don't mention their
names exclusively or the rest of the audience that knows these
people are trouble may think that you are just as bad. Mention a
wide variety of people in the audience. Just make sure the bad
ones are included which normally keeps them at bay.
USE EMOTIONAL LANGUAGE
Boring old facts rarely move people to
action. Learning to use words that evoke emotions in people will
make a much greater impact when you speak. There are many emotions
you can trigger in the audience just by your choice of words.
Happiness, anger, sadness, nostalgia are just a few. Knowing your
purpose for being in front of the group helps you to pick which
emotions you want to tap. When your purpose is known, choosing
words to get the desired emotional response is much easier. For
instance, if you wanted to take someone back to a childhood
experience you might say, "Do you remember when someone did
something bad at school and the teacher smacked the yardstick on
her desk?" The word Phrase "smacked the yardstick"
would evoke an emotional response that many adults can relate to.
A younger group may not relate to this phrase since corporal
punishment has all but disappeared from schools. You must pick the
words that would mean something to your audience.
REVEAL YOURSELF
Often people have trouble implementing this
idea because they like to remain aloof and private. This will hurt
their chances of making a good connection with people in the
audience. You certainly don't have to reveal your deepest darkest
secrets when on stage, but you certainly could tell someone how
much you like horses, or how you love to cook . . .anything that
will give them a glimpse into the real you will give you a better
chance of connecting with them and getting them to listen to you.
USE PROPS
A prop is worth a thousand words. People can
really anchor a thought in their minds when it is connected to an
object that relates to the point you are trying to make. You could
use large, small, funny or serious props. Always relate the prop
to the point you are trying to make and make sure the audience can
see it. Sometimes you'll want to hide the prop so people don't
wonder what it is until you are ready to present it.
USE HUMOR
Even Shakespeare used humor in the middle of
the tragedies he wrote. Humor is a powerful and effective tool
that gives the audience's mind a chance to breath in the face of
heavy material. It also makes you more likable and fun to listen
to. Humor is also much more likely to make your information more
memorable. You don't have to be a stand up comedian to use humor
in speeches and presentations, and you don't have to tell jokes
either. There are many ways to add humor that don't require any
skill at all. You can show funny visuals, tell stories, or read
from books or periodicals. Just like with props, make sue your
humor relates to the point you are trying to make and you will be
much more successful. Each issue of "Great Speaking" has
about 20 pieces of humor you can use during speeches.
MOVE 'EM TO ACTION
If you are going to bother taking up people's
time to speak to them, don't you think it would be a good idea to
get them to do something positive because of your presentation?
Even if they do something negative, it's still better than doing
nothing because they will at least get a chance to learn something
from their mistake. Regardless of the size of your ego, the
reality is that you are there for them, not the other way around.
I'm all for you building up your reputation, but if you go into
your speech thinking it's all for you, it will show and you
probably won't do as well as you would have had you concentrated
on the needs of the audience more.
BRING SOLUTIONS
One of the best ways to make sure the
audience loves you is to bring solutions to their problems. If you
have done a thorough job of researching your audience, you already
know what their problems are. It's your job to bring ideas for
them to try. In modern day thinking this is what motivational
speaking is all about. No longer is it good enough to get people
all fired up where they are bouncing off the walls without a clue
as to what they will do with this new found excitement and
motivation. Modern professional motivational speakers bring
solutions and a plan of action to achieve them. Now those are
motivating.
PAY ATTENTION TO LOGISTICS
The best preparation, practice, and audience
research could be ruined if you forget to pay attention to all the
details surrounding a presentation. You want to know what is
happening before you speak, and what is happening after you speak:
How are the people seated? Are they at round tables where half of
them are facing away from you, or are there no tables at all? What
kind of microphone is appropriate? How big is the screen in the
room? Will the people be drinking alcohol? What is the lighting
like? All these items and many more affect the overall
effectiveness of a presentation. The same exact words delivered
with significantly different logistics could be received in
entirely different ways. You could even go from a fantastic
evaluation to a bomb just because of the way people are seated.
It's up to you to know the differences and how they affect a
presentation. |
