Today’s audiences are much more clever than they are given credit for.
Most listeners can easily spot speakers who aren’t being genuine or lack enough knowledge about a particular matter.
Yet, one of the biggest mistakes some speakers make is speaking on topics they have devoted little to no attention to.
Too often, this occurs when ill-prepared speakers rummage through books and other sources of information for an unfamiliar topic, leading to vague generalizations that are difficult to understand.
Why is this a bad thing?
Once listeners find out the person speaking in front of them is ill-prepared and poorly informed about a topic, they’ll become less inclined to open their minds to what the speaker has to say.
As a speaker, you definitely don’t want that to happen.
So, for today’s “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants,” we’ll help you avoid this mistake.
According to Dale Carnegie, the author of the book, “The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking”:
“The men and women whose live flesh-and-blood stories made that television program interesting were talking from their own personal experience. They were talking about something they knew. “
As a speaker, there are multiple ways for you to avoid the pitfalls of speaking on a topic that falls outside your area of expertise and experience.
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Draw from your life experience.
Carnegie said “speakers who talk about what life has taught them never fail to keep the attention of their listeners.”
Why?
This is because an audience is much more likely to pay attention to a speaker who opens up about something he or she has experienced.
Sharing your life experiences with others is not just an act of vulnerability, but also an action that builds rapport with listeners.
People are more likely to drop their guard and suspend their skepticism to those who are willing to show vulnerability.
Also, it’s easier to construct a presentation based on your life experience because this is something you know well, making you an authority on whatever it is you’re sharing with the audience.
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Stay in your area of expertise.
The best topics to speak about are often those that fall into your wheelhouse.
Consider this: Why should you talk about complex topics like the nature of the financial markets when you’re an expert on marketing campaigns and copywriting?
You’re much more likely to craft a killer talk when you create a presentation that’s aligned with what you know by heart and do best.
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Structure your talk around your beliefs and convictions.
People who have given a great deal of time and effort in knowing about a particular issue or belief tend to be more well-informed about their convictions.
So, if you have spent lots of time studying about issues that matter to a lot of people and have considerable experience with, then you can use this as the primary theme of your talk.
Just like focusing on your area of expertise, you’re much more likely to be well-informed on issues that matter to you since you’ve spent enough time and experience learning about them.
What’s more?
Listeners are more likely to pay attention to someone who knows about his or her convictions well than someone who superficially studied a specific issue.
As a speaker, finding a topic to talk about in front of an audience can be a daunting task. However, this doesn’t mean you should talk about something you’re not well-informed about just so you can satisfy your listeners’ curiosity.
Instead, what you should do is speak about something you’ve experienced, have expertise on, or something you strongly believe in.
This way, not only will you establish your authority as a speaker, but you’ll also command the respect and attention of your listeners.
So, when you prepare for your next talk, dig deep into your experience and knowledge, then from there, find the topic you’re deeply knowledgeable and passionate about!
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
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