What can you “make” out of the list of things that could “break” your talk? [Thursday: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants]

Not all talks you deliver are up to par with your expectations. There are good days, and there are also bad days.

For those presentations you delivered that you think are “bad,” have you given enough thought about what made them “bad”?

Well, if you haven’t yet, take a look at the list author Scott Berkun wrote down in his book, “Confessions of Public Speaker.” This could help you have a better grasp of what you did wrong in your presentations, and take note of them so you could do better next time.

• It’s your first time

No one wants to have his or her brain surgery performed by a rookie. At the same time in public speaking, when you step onto the stage, make sure you don’t behave like someone who has never been in front before, even if it’s true.

After all, no audience wants to feel they are your dry run, unless somehow your experimenting makes it fun for them (which it probably won’t).

So, what’s the solution?

PRACTICE… until it feels good. When you practice, look to eliminate things that make it seem like you’ve never done your presentation before.

• You are a “turtle on crack”

Turtles on crack are slow and unpredictable. They stumble, stop, and no longer move in a straight line.

Try following a turtle on crack…

It’s extremely frustrating, right?

Likewise, if the pace of your presentation is unclear, or you’re not sure what direction you are going in, you are a turtle on crack.

The solution to this?

Provide a rhythm your audience can follow. Have a well-defined, simple, uniform pace.

You can also divide your time into the number of points you want to make and spend an equal amount of time on each one. Just make sure your pace and rhythm makes sense to your audience and not just to you.

• Obfuscation of fractured bilateral rhetoric

Did you immediately understand the third subheading at first read?

Most likely, many of you didn’t… and that’s the point!

A lot of speakers love to sound smart. They use the biggest words they know and say the fanciest, most cryptic jargon and acronyms.

The thing is that no one likes feeling like an idiot. There are lots of bad, obscure ways to say something for every clear, direct one. If you choose one of those ways, no matter how proud it makes you feel, you are inviting your audience to start daydreaming.

So, instead of using such complex words that are not audience-friendly, clarify your points. Do you know what your audience hopes to learn? If you are speaking to serve them and not yourself, every point you make should be understood by most of them.

Sure, at some points, they might not agree with you and they may miss the nuances, but few should be confused about the points you are making and why you are making them.

• Your slides make your audience hate you

There are so many ways to annoy an audience with slides!

Ugly, overloaded, confusing slide decks are common despite how little knowledge they convey, and how much they distract speakers from making their points.

So, unless slides are essential and the clearest, simplest way to make your point, use fewer of them. Besides, if a prop does not support your point, all it could ever do is simply waste your and your audience’s time.

• You are afraid of the crowd

We are not trying to invalidate reasons for being afraid of audiences. However, if fear is the primary thing you feel while speaking, then the audience won’t enjoy or learn anything from you.

Averting your eyes, hiding behind the lectern, and pacing the stage all indicate you are afraid of the audience, which makes them mostly not want to watch you.

To overcome this, find a way to enjoy yourself. Bring giveaways to warm the audience up to you and get some easy smiles, which may help you relax.

Arrive at the venue early so you can meet some people, making them less intimidating. Pick topics you love, so the pleasure of sharing it with others can give you some positive energy to balance out the natural fear you feel.

Take note of all of these important insights!

Sure, having your speech or presentation suck because of these reasons is normal during your first few engagements. However, as you gain more experience, these reasons should have less of an impact on you and your overall performance.

Also, never, ever underestimate the power and importance of PRACTICE.

Doing so will enable you to gain more confidence, especially as the day of your public speaking engagement draws near.

Happy midweek!

About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Thursdays: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants”

In a meeting with one person…

… a boardroom with five people…

… or a huge venue with hundreds of people…

—whatever the situation or setting, it’s very important to learn and eventually master the art of public speaking.

No matter what, you always need to effectively get your message across.

What good is a presentation with awesome content if you don’t deliver it properly?

Every Thursday, we publish different tips, insights, and secrets on how you can improve your presentation skills to captivate your audience and lead interesting discussions.

The need for great presentation skills applies EVERYWHERE.

(Small meetings with your team, big meetings with your boss, an important marketing pitch, speaking engagements for events with a big audience, etc.)

Learning these skills is not just for the corporate world. Being in other industries such as the Arts, Information Technology, Medicine, and Education while knowing how to communicate and present well will definitely give you an edge.

Have that advantage.

Hope you find this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful.

Stay tuned for next Thursday’s “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!”

Cheers,

Henry Desai
Managing Director
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
Powered by VX Dynamic
www.vxdynamic.com