Imagine that you’ve just given a speech, and you feel awful! You left out some of the things you wanted to say, you stumbled a few times, and you’re pretty sure your face was beet red. Yet, unaccountably, some audience members are coming up to you to say how much they enjoyed your insights, or your humor, Read More
Presenting: You and Your Audience
Public Speaking Tip 29: The Word YOU Helps You Connect with Your Audience
The Word “You” Doesn’t Sound Objective — and That’s the Point! Are you a speaker who believes that you should never talk directly to the audience, because “objective” speech is more credible? “Objective” speech sounds something like this: Concerns about the budget are reasonable — even commendable. Due to objections from the community, the decision Read More
Public Speaking Tip 16: When It Comes to an Audience’s Reaction, Forget About Control!
Communication is really important. (Well, obviously I think so, or I wouldn’t have devoted my adult life to it!) But it does have its limits. For instance, You Can’t Make People Think Anything Lots of my clients show up saying things like, I want them to think I’m intelligent, I have to impress people, They need to understand my point. This is asking for Read More
Public Speaking Tip 13: Listen to Your Audience (Part 2)
In Public Speaking Tip 12: Listen to Your Audience (Part 1), I shared some techniques that will help you listen more effectively to individuals. But as a well-rounded public speaker, you need to be able to do more: You need to listen to your audience, whatever its size! Is It POSSIBLE to Listen to Your Audience? In some Read More
Public Speaking Tip 12: Listen to Your Audience (Part 1)
What Does Listening Have To Do with Public Speaking? Everything! I’ll bet you’ve been in a situation where someone talked and talked and talked at you, without regard for your reaction. Typically, this might have been: A telemarketing call, where the marketer insisted on reading every word of his script; At a business meeting where Read More