Sharing ideas to improve public speaking and presentation skills

Aug 25

I went to a wedding over the weekend, and had the opportunity to listen to at least 7 different speeches given by the family and friends of the happy couple. The content of all the speeches was great – all were very heartfelt and warm, and written from a place of deep caring for the couple. However, in terms of how the speeches were delivered…well, that’s where there may have been some ‘cracks in the pavement’ for a few of them.

That’s not to say that they were bad – not in the least! Each speech was straight from the heart, and it was obvious that each speaker truly cared for the couple. Hey, it’s not easy to get up in front of a room of 300 people – many of them strangers – and deliver a speech. So I applaud each and every speaker for making the decision to put themselves in this situation and having the courage to give a speech.

Some speeches had an ‘edge’ to them – they were delivered loudly, clearly, and humorously. The others had some ‘issues’ – that could have been easily resolved – which would have made them even more well-received. Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 27

“How can I be confident when English is my 2nd/3rd language?”

Question: “English is not my first language, so I really want to make sure that my audience understands me. As a result, I often read my whole presentation from my notes so that my grammar and vocabulary is precise. However, this means that I’m not making eye contact with the audience, and I know that’s important as well. What should I focus on more — making sure that my content is grammatically correct, or looking at the audience?”
- Ling, Montreal, QC

Answer: It’s far more important for you to make eye contact with your audience. Technically, if you’re simply reading your content word for word, you’ve gone from being a ’speaker’ to being a ‘reader.’ It’s the easier way out, and you’ll be assured that your grammar is correct, but there’s a much greater chance that you’ll lose your audience’s attention this way.

Try this exercise — imagine yourself in an audience where the speaker reads their full speech and doesn’t look up once to make eye contact with you (the “reader”). Then imagine yourself listening to a speaker who makes the occasional grammatical error or takes an extra second to search for the right words — but they are making the effort and really trying to connect with you (the “speaker”). Which one is more engaging? Which one would you rather listen to? Most people would choose the speaker, even if they have to put up with some errors. The truth is, audiences don’t expect a speaker to be perfect. But faced with a speaker who has put in some obvious preparation time and is clearly making an effort, versus a reader who hides behind their notes… I’d bet on the speaker every time.

Do you have a question about public speaking? Email me your question today and I’ll answer it in a future issue!

That being said, you may have to put more time into speech preparation — and practice — to ensure that you’re comfortable with what you want to say and how you want to say it. But you’ll make a better impression every time.

Jul 19

He Can Tweet – But How Does He Speak?

Evan Williams is one of the co-founders of Twitter. As a result, he’s probably invited to speak to tell his story and share his insights to all sorts of audiences. So how did he do in this 7-minute speech at TED? Let’s take a quick look at what was good, and what needs to be improved the next time he takes the stage.

WHAT HE DID WELL:

Introduction: He wasted no time, and went straight into the speech with a personal story about the origins of Twitter. The story was interesting enough, and was an effective way to start the speech.

Transitions and photos: He made an obvious transition out of the introduction and into the ‘body’ of the speech with the facts of what Twitter is and how it’s used. The photos and images used backed up his points and the accompanying stories extremely well.

WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED: Read the rest of this entry »

Jul 6

The Speaking Secrets of the Great and Powerful [Steve] Jobs

A lot has been said about the presentation style of Steve Jobs. Numerous books have written about it, blogs, articles and other media are continually discussing and deconstructing his finesse, his charisma, his ‘get-to-the-point’ delivery. And with good reason. This man knows how to launch a product.

Most of us are used to this more ‘typical’ product launch presentations given by a ‘business speaker’: “Here’s our new product. These are the new features… These are the improvements on the old features… Here are the benefits… Here’s the price. Please buy it.” But Jobs does what many business speakers have a hard time doing. He intrigues his audience. He has them in the palm of his hand. He turns them into passionate Apple brand advocates.

Steve Jobs is much more than a talented, above-average business speaker. He’s a product evangelist. Not content to just launch a product or persuade us of its value, he makes us salivate for it. Beg for it. He makes us HAVE to have it – NOW.

I looked at two of Jobs’ presentations – the introduction of the iPad in January 2010, and the introduction of the iPhone 3G in 2008. Both are very similar in style, so we can see that Jobs knows what type of presentation style works for him and sticks with it. So let’s look at four techniques that the Great and Powerful Jobs uses to bring his audience to their knees, begging for his product: Read the rest of this entry »

Jun 28

Serious, yet funny: Ellen Degeneres shows us how it’s done

Ellen DeGeneres’ speech to the Class of 2009 at Tulane University is an excellent example of how to deliver a serious message with humour. This 9-minute speech has humour, it has relevant stories, it has an inspirational message, and it has a call-to-action to set her listeners on the right foot as they leave university for the real world.

Ellen is blessed with a deadpan humour that leaves her audience in stitches (especially the man sitting to her right, who is seen laughing throughout most of the video). In the first two minutes of the speech, she doesn’t actually say much of anything – but her jokes and funny delivery warm up her audience and leaves them wanting more. And isn’t that the purpose of any speech introduction anyway?

In the body of the speech, the more serious topics come out. She tells stories about difficulties encountered while growing up, living in a flea-ridden apartment, conversations with God, and friends dying. Yet she peppers these serious stories with light humour. This ensures that her speech never gets too heavy, but at the same time, the humour never takes away from the impact of these stories. The core messages of these stories are never too far behind – that some of the most devastating things will teach you the most, that visions of success change as you grow and evolve, and that it’s important to follow your dreams and be true to yourself. Read the rest of this entry »

« Previous Entries

The Ideal Communicator

Connect with Suzannah

Receive this blog by email

Search Posts

Recent Posts

Categories

Tags

Blogroll