Recently, I bumped into a very funny comic strip by Ted Goff. The drawing
contained a Speaker at the podium on stage in front of an audience. The
audience was being soaked by the sprinkler system in the ceiling. The caption
under the comic reads:
"You're not
allowed to use the sprinkler system to keep your audience awake."
When it comes to public speaking, I believe the Speaker has a responsibility
to his/her audience.
What inspired this post? Last week I attended a lunch meeting and there was
a guest speaker. About 10 minutes into the speech I could hear snoring. So I
looked around the room to assess the situation. Sadly, there were more people
asleep than awake. There were about 50 of us in attendance and as the speaker
dragged on - I found myself making mental notes about the value of an uplifting, inspiring and educational speaker.
Below are 5 ideas on how to improve your next public speaking presentation -
1. Be considerate of your audience and their time.
If you have been asked to address an audience and are given a specific time to
present your ideas and thoughts – stay within those time boundaries. Nothing is
worse than a boring speaker who feels like he/she has a captive audience and
holds them ‘captive’ beyond the agreed time limit.
2. Prepare your presentation with the
audience in mind.
Imagine yourself sitting through your own presentation. Would you find yourself
bored to tears or worse – snoring? Or would you be engaged in the message?
Better, try your presentation out on a friend and ask them for feedback. Don’t
be offended if they brand you are boring. Consider it a gift and then revise
and reinvent your presenting skills.
3. Monotone is not an option.
Record your voice and pay attention to the sound and rhythm. If you find
yourself snoring and distracted – do something about it. Monotone is a sure way
to put your audience to sleep in a hurry!
4. What would a Hero do?
Who is your favorite Hero? Is it Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, your Grandma,
your Coach? Have someone in mind when you prepare your speech. Imagine how he
or she would present the material. Most likely, they would be energetic,
enthusiastic and inspiring. You can do the same. Put that additional effort into
your speech and you’ll find yourself being a ‘hero’ to your audience!
5. Leave the
audience inspired!Think back to the last time you heard someone give a really inspiring speech
… What was it that moved you? Was it their passion? Was it their personal
stories? Did they really care about you as an audience member? Did they value
your time and effort to be there? Most likely, the answer is yes to all of
those questions. When it’s your turn to WOW the audience – dig deep, care about
the people present and most of all leave them on a happier level than when they
arrived. Even if your topic is boring – YOU can make it exciting with your
energy and your commitment to empower those present.
Follow the above 5 tips and you’ll find yourself speaking more than you ever
imagined.
And you won't need a sprinkler system to keep your audience awake!
Wendy Christensen is an Author, Speaker, Marketing Director and cofounder of
Wiggle Like a Fish. Website:
www.LittleMomentsThatMatter.com
