Harry is sitting in his chair in an audience of over 200 like-minded individuals. They are all a little restless, and Harry can hear mumbling which is beginning to sound more like grumbling every minute that goes by. His backside is getting numb and both his constant yawning and his watch are telling him that it has been nearly 45 minutes since the presentation began. Harry starts to daydream, and the speaker slowly fades into a haze.
Sound familiar? Is this how most presentations feel to you? How can you make the experience any different for your audience? There are hundreds of "How to" texts out there that will give you all the technical expertise you could ask for. But in my experience, technically correct does not always equal "what a great speaker". Here are my 6 tips, gathered during 20 years of both speaking and listening to speakers, which will elevate you from just another presenter to a "great speaker".
TIP 1 : Know Your Audience
Some time ago, a colleague of mine (and a wonderful professional speaker) told me a truism that has stuck in my mind. "They don't care what you know till they know that you care." You must talk to your audience as if they were valued friends, and you can't do this unless you know something about them. Take the time and trouble to find out. Ask yourself who are they; what do they do for work; for pleasure; how old are they; what are their interest; what are their pet hates; is there an area we have in common; how can I reach them? Then get some answers.
It will be worth the effort when you see all those nodding heads and knowing smiles after you have said just the right thing in your introduction. The best speakers never take the stage with an empty head, no matter how short the notice! If you know you will be asked to "stand up and say a few words" to a group of near strangers, spend some time observing them – their clothes, their faces, their body language. It's amazing how much you'll be able to learn from just a few minutes of careful study.
TIP 2 : Say it with Passion
"Give me passion or give me death." Perhaps a presentation is not a life and death situation, but an audience will often fear boredom more than death. If you are not passionate about your topic, then how can you expect the audience to invest their emotions? Passion does not necessarily mean hype or excitement. Bells, whistles and lots of noise are not passion either. Passion is that undefinable energy that your audience can feel emanating from every pore in your body – the energy that says "I believe in this, I feel strongly about this, and I just love sharing it with you:"
Passion is not something you can rehears, it is something you must feel. Once you feel it, they will too. It is the key to make each member of your audience feel special, like you're talking to them alone. Think of how you come alive when you discuss your particular passion (footy, politics, parties, whatever) with your best friend. That's the feeling you need to harness, so that your audience becomes infected with it, and you carry them beyond the four walls of the room, into the world you are trying to create with your words. Nothing is as inspiring as a passionate speaker.
TIP 3 : Be Creative
There are rules for delivering presentations. Rules that appear in most books, and clearly tell you how to develop a speech based on structure, appropriate content, use of anecdotes and analogies, voice projection and the use of the pause. All this is true and can be quite useful, but creativity is worth 10 times more than any rule you may learn. Ask yourself "How can I do this differently? How can I capture their imagination? What can I do to make the old and familiar seem new and unusual?" Look for new approaches, both in content and delivery. Try a brief magic trick to open with (remember to tie it to your topic). Hang up colourful posters with minimum or no words then explain them during your presentation. Use props with a difference to illustrate a point. Even using coloured handouts instead of boring white will add some zip to your presentation. Be daring. Be different. Don't be boring!
TIP 4 : Action
The plague of all audience members is the numb bum syndrome. Don't contribute to this scourge by forcing your audience to sit still for long stretches of time. Either build in activity or give them a stretch break. In large audiences activity must be carefully managed, but even in a group of 500, people can turn to their neighbour to discuss a question, or stand up and stretch their arms above their heads and roll their shoulders. This applies to you too. Standing still with nothing but your lips moving for long periods may be a great imitation of a statue but it will not do your energy levels any favours. Get out from behind your lectern – the view out here is great! Move your body, and watch your audience wake up too. Remember the rule of all good speakers - keep the blood flowing or you'll hear them snoring!
TIP 5 : Give me Take-away
Whether you are presenting a training session, or a motivational speech or just a talk about the new computer system, your audience will want to take something away with them. Give them something to think about, to do, to puzzle over or to reflect on after they leave the presentation. This will ensure that the benefit of listening to you will go on even after you have stopped talking. (A great way to get invited back too!) Show them how your information will help them, change them, improve something for them, make them smarter or wiser or more likable. You need to answer that age old questions WIIFM (what's in it for me) in order to get them back next time. This ties in closely with "Know your Audience", as knowledge of your listener will guide you to the best "take-away" for them.
TIP 6 : Theming
It seems that these days every event has a theme. It creates atmosphere, brings disparate pieces together and creates the feeling of a "big picture" or wholeness. You can use this same concept for your presentation by theming every element – handouts, charts, props, tables, lectern, yourself. For example, mingle with the crowd before hand and give out coloured stickers (eg rainbows) that fit into your theme. Use colours that reflect a meaning and integrate them into your handout material, your charts, your clothes, even the tablecloths and napkins! It subliminally reinforces your message, especially if the colour's meaning is revealed during your presentation.
TIP 7 : Have FUN
If you enjoy what you're doing, your audience will come along for the ride. Let go of the perfectionist inside and allow yourself to make a mistake or two. Audiences love it when a speaker shows their human side, and they love it even more when a speaker can laugh at their own mistakes. So relax, have fun and let your personality shine through. That's the way to ignite your audience, and yourself.
Jo Gibney is an accomplished seminar leader, group facilitator, professional speaker, writer and HR Consultant. She has a broad background in both the private and public sectors and has presented at seminars and other business forums both nationally and internationally. Her commitment to adult learning is a life long passion, and much of Jo's work focuses on developing not just work skills but also personal competencies and strengths. Jo set up her own training and consulting business in 1995 and has developed many close links with both small and large businesses throughout Australia. In recent years, Jo has concentrated much of her professional expertise on the process of creating confident, courageous and committed individuals and organizations. Jo's ability to take complex theories and concepts and demystify them into user-friendly processes is a key to her business and personal success. Her strategy of keeping it simple and on the human level works brilliantly in both small and large organizations. Contact her at jo@organisenow.com |
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