“There are always three speeches for every one you actually gave –
the one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave. ”
–Dale Carnegie
Some people like it, but the majority don’t. Any idea what I am referring to?
Talking in front of an audience. But as with all other skills, it’s something you can learn. And while your skills increase, enjoyment also increases.
If you want to communicate your ideas, strong communication skills will get you a lot further. Every speaker should start by mastering the Telling style from the Facilitation Rainbow. It’s the style you need the most when interacting with a group.
I have been in front of groups – large and small – for over 15 years. Here are some of the basic tips and tricks I use:
1. Slow down
No need to break a speed record. One of the biggest indicators of nervousness is the lightning-fast talker. You might have the best speech ever written, but if no one can understand what you’re saying, it won’t matter. Pace yourself and remember to speak at a normal or even slightly slower pace when you’re speaking publicly.
Remember: you always speak faster when you feel the adrenaline rushing. You don’t notice it, unless you deliberately focus on your talking rhythm. Slow down; you are not a rap artist.
2. Use silence.
Try to plan at least 3 deliberate stops of 8 – 10 seconds in your speech. Silence makes your audience aware they are listening to someone. When you close down the noise valve, you not only break your speaking rhythm but also the listening rhythm. Even more so, a longer silence can make an audience very uncomfortable and therefor becomes, when used at the right moment, a very effective speaker tool to command control over an audience.
Want to practice? The first step is to overcome your own desire to fill the silence you create. Try to look at a watch to time the silence interval until you get a feeling for it.
3. Don’t read your text.
If you do, there will never be any passion in your voice – and passion is key if you want to inspire your audience (let alone, keep them awake). Remember: ‘people come to listen to a speaker, not to look at reader’. I’m sure you know this but I still see so many people reading their slides. It’s a deadly sin. Don’t do it!
4. Use stories
I listened to Lynda Gratton from the London Business School at the HRSquare event. And although I wrote a blog post on the content, I have a hard time remembering the key messages without peaking. But I have no problem recalling the great story Lynda told about her son and the Masai warriers in Kenia at the start of her speech. Even more so, I’m sure I can reproduce the story without any problem in front of an audience. Stories are great to capture attention and to improve the recollection process.
Find stories that reach for the heart of your listeners. I use stories all the time and have a playlist ready to go in my head. I just need a small trigger…
If you start using stories, it’s a good idea to write them down and practice them with a friend or colleague until you have absorbed the storyline completely.
5. Use metafors
I knew about metafors a long time ago. I read about them in tip lists professional speakers share. But I had no idea how to intergrate them effctively in my interactions with groups until I developed my own metafor definition. For me, using metafors means ‘wrapping a message in an easy to remember format’. For example, I use eBay to stress a point about knowledge sharing, I talk about helicopters to stress a point about conceptual thinking, I talk about the Pacman game to show the audience the importance of a cleen sweep. And when I run into people who listened to one of my speeches several years ago, that’s what they still remember.
How to get started? Think about the key point you want to make and look for something that you can compare it with. It’s important the link is clear. It’s also important that the majority of your audience knows about the topic you are using as a reference.
6. Listen to yourself
The most impressive facilitator I have ever come across is my former colleague Peter-Scott Morgan. He gave me a valuable tip: listen to yourself when speaking. At the start, I found it almost impossible to do, as I had the feeling to loose control over my words. But over time, I became much better at it. Today, this auto-corrector is one of my key assets when I’m in front of a group.
Start by listening to yourself in innocent conversations and practice this for a few weeks. Once you are more comfortable, test it in front of a group for a few minutes. Don’t give up because it feels strange. Master this skill and your podium performance will drastically improve.
7. Be a Tree
Have you noticed the way most people shift uncomfortably from foot-to-foot when they stand in front of a group? They take small steps backwards and forwards, as if they want to start dancing but are afraid to do so. Meanwhile their hands don’t move at all!
You actually need to achieve the precise opposite. Your legs and feet shouldn’t move – they are the tree trunk, firmly planted and immovable. Your arms are the twigs – they move freely in the wind (read ‘your arm movement should reinforce your message’).
If you do want to move, do so deliberately. Move to another part of the room or podium. I call it replanting. One step forwards or backwards doesn’t count. It has to be at least five.
8. Do not go over the time limit
Obey time constraints very strictly. You might have three minutes. Or 45. Either way, customise your presentation to fit the time allowed, and respect your audience by not going over time. Even the President’s State of the Union Address in the US takes only around an hour. Know what’s expected of you and deliver that, and no more. We’ve all been tortured by a speaker who goes on and on, caring little for the audience’s interest or comfort levels. Don’t be one of those speakers, always leave them wanting more.
