Speech Presenting – Seven Ways to Tailor Your Speech to the Audience – Public-Speaking
Speech Presenting - Seven Ways to Tailor Your Speech to the Audience
Every speech has an audience and every audience is different. Tailoring your next speech to its audience is as important as the content in the speech. So how do you connect with an audience so your message matches their expectations, wants and needs and you get your message across effectively.Here are the Seven Strategies to Target Your Business Presentation Message With Laser-Like Precision1. Research your audience prior to the presentation.The more you know about your audience the more likely you are able to connect with them. I'm often blown away by the number of business people who just don't bother to find out anything about their audience. The more specific you can be the better. For example one of the best briefs I received from a client was the following description of the audience:"The majority of the group are on a two days, two nights, four off roster. These are largely process technicians. The remainder are on a five-days-on two-days-off roster. Day shift people include tradespeople (we call them maintenance technicians) and lab, administration and professional employees. Average tenure across the group is eight years ranging up to over 30 years. Average age across the group is 38 years. Gender Split: Females 6 per cent, Males 94 per cent"What a great start and fantastic research statistics on the audience. From this I could work out nearly half the audience hadn't been with the company very long, they were predominantly a younger audience and mostly male! This provided a strong foundation to tailor my message to connect with this group. Please note this was an exceptionally good briefing from the client and most of the time you will have to do the legwork to find out who your audience is!2. Find Out What Your Audience Want.Again ask key questions of the event organiser such as 'What are the key issues impacting on your industry, business or members?' I always try and meet as many of the audience as
possible prior to a presentation as ask "what's on your mind at the moment and what do you want to get out of this presentation?" Be specific.Here's an example I used for a recent presentation for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. I discovered most potential investors will want to know 3 things when trying to raise finds. What are the sales projections? Who are your target customers? What is the exit strategy? Provide this and you've won them over.3. Use Examples.Nothing builds empathy and rapport with your audience as powerfully as examples. Remember you are selling intangible ideas and practical examples make these ideas more memorable, believable and tangible.4. Use Vignettes.No, this is not a type of dressing you put on your salad! It is a short story, example or incident. The key point is they are easy to remember and tell. But they must be short and relevant.5. Use Metaphors.These are powerful words that conjure up vivid images in the minds of your audience. They are a proven speechwriting technique. I recently heard former US President Bill Clinton speak. Clinton used the metaphor of the gap between the invention of the club and the shield to describe the present situation in the war against terrorism. He said,
"this gap needs to closed". This makes intangible concepts have more impact with an audience.6. Be Specific.The more specific you can be with actual examples, case studies, and results the more laser-like your precision will be in targeting your message. Know your content and don't be afraid to reveal personal stories as examples in your speech, this will strengthen your relationship with your audience.7. Use the Incident/Point/Benefit Technique.This one is really powerful. Tell the story, make the point and then importantly, reinforce how this will benefit the audience. It took me years to work this one out but it will make
a big difference to the impact of your presentations.Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.
You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com
Opening Your Speech – Public-Speaking
Opening Your Speech
Imagine yourself at mission control; 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Speak!When the space shuttle blasts off - those first few seconds of lift are critical. It comprises a small portion of the total journey, yet if someone errors - they crash and burn. The beginning of your speech is much the same. If you error in the opening your speech will crash and burn.The mission of your opening is to 1. Grab their interest; 2. Establish rapport; 3. Introduce your topic. Here are 10 techniques you can use to launch your successful speech.10. Startling statement. Use a strong attention grabbing statement - with facts, statistics or unusual information. "The greatest fear is to speak in public. The second greatest fear is to die."9. Suspense/ Surprise. Start with a suspense-building sentence or take them in one direction - then hit them with surprise. "It was a dark and stormy night - it was my wedding night."8. Story/Anecdote. Tell a short story. Begin your story with the word imagine. It is an engaging word. "Imagine that we could travel back in time to witness the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk."7. Quotation. When you use a quotation you tap into the credibility and power of the person who stated those words. "I have a dream, cried out Martin Luther King Jr." Quote from people well known and well liked by your audience.6. Challenging Question. Questions are always powerful and engaging. This could be a rhetorical question. "Are you ready for the millennium? When the clock ticks over to January 1, 2000, will planes be falling and computers crashing?"5. Compliment the audience. Be sincere - don't say, "You are the most beautiful audience I have ever seen." Instead say something that impressed you about the group, 'I am very impressed with the hospitality shown to me by you today. This lives up to the reputation I have heard about your community work.'4. Occasion. Comment on the occasion - especially if it is an anniversary or awards night. "To speak to you on your 10th annual awards dinner is an honour." Or uncover some information about the group that outsiders would not normally know. "Happy Birthday to your founding president." This takes a little research - and is worth it.3. Prop or visual. Catch their attention and set the mood with a funny hat, uniform, or stuffed bear. Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), would blow a cloud of smoke on stage before he made his entrance. It always got a laugh. You might roll a ball across the stage or play with a yo-yo. What you do before you speak can be powerful.2. Previous speaker. Pick up on something a previous speaker said or did - especially if that was the president or chairman of the board. Build on what they said. It shows that you listened and gives you more credibility if you agree with the boss. Before you speak ask a participant, "What was the funniest thing that happened so far?" Try to build on this to get a laugh. Comedians call this technique a call back.1. Engage the audience. Ask a question that requires the audience to answer, or one that is sure to make them laugh. "How many of the women in the audience have had an affair with Bill Clinton? - - How many of the men?"Bonus tips:? Don't start with "My topic is..." or "Today I am going to talk about..." Both of these are boring.? Never start with an apology. "I'm sorry we are running late." "I'm sorry the president couldn't be here." "I'm sorry about the meal."? Once you take your position on stage, enjoy a long pause before you speak. Silently count "1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi".? Smile as you first look around the audience. Look like you are happy to be there even if you don't feel that way.? Get them to laugh early. You'll feel better and they will decide to like you sooner.We return to Mission Control.10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Close - and that's another story.
A Simple Guide to Writing (and Giving) a Speech – Public-Speaking
A Simple Guide to Writing (and Giving) a Speech
Nearly as dreaded as snakes and spiders, public speaking ranks high in causing fear in many of us.Whether your motivation is a desire to learn or simple necessity, here is a really simple guide to writing and giving a speech. Your Topic: is this speech about something already know? Then take a blank piece of paper and write down as many facts as you can think about this subject. Put them randomly around the page with circles or boxes drawn around each thought. Then draw lines to link the thoughts together in a meaningful way. An excellent website for this type of brainstorming can be found at www.mindmap.com.Once you've exhausted your inner knowledge or, if this is a topic you don't know much about, do a google search (www.google.com) on the topic. Visit the sites that seem to speak to the topic and again write down individual thoughts or ideas on a blank sheet of paper.Your Introduction: Now take your sheet of ideas and write a 3-sentence introduction. If you were going to describe this to me over a cup of coffee what would you say? A key to giving a speech is a conversational tone. In the introduction tell your audience what you're about to say.Body: In three subsections (A, B, C or I, II, III or i, ii, iii) expand on your introduction. What is the first most important thing you want your audience to know? The second most important? The third? Make each section about 2 or 3 paragraphs long. Keep referring back to your brainstorm page.Conclusion: In the introduction you told them what you were going to say. In the body, you told them again in detail. In the conclusion now tell them again. Tell them what you're going to say, tell them, and then tell them what you said. Make the conclusion about 2 times as long as your introduction.Do you want action with that? A speech is made to inform, to persuade, or to move to action. Finish off your speech with a statement that meets one of those purposes.As a rule of thumb, a single-spaced, typed page should take 3 to 4 minutes to read through at the correct pace. If it takes less, you're going too fast.Practice, practice, practice - do NOT read your speech to your audience; either from 5X8 cards or from a typed sheet. To give a good speech you must sound familiar with the material; to become familiar with the material requires repetition. Repetition means reading the material aloud up to 50 times if necessary until you are totally familiar with it.A good speech also involves feedback. During practice sessions you must recruit family or friends or coworkers to listen to you. Don't ask them if it's "good" or not; rather ask if it sounds conversational. Rewrite as needed to make your sentences sound like a normal conversation.Fear: Since speech making often causes fear it must be dealt with beforehand. First, familiarity with your content will reduce fear. Repetition causes familiarity so practice, practice, practice. Ultimately, if you need notes for fear you'll forget, you are not familiar enough with the material. If you MUST use notes, keep them to a minimum - perhaps your outline points (introduction, ABC, conclusion).While giving the speech do not READ, do not look down, do not go too fast. Some tricks - if you wear glasses, take them off. You'll be less nervous if you can't see the audience so clearly. If you have notes you'll be looking down and just make it more obvious how uncomfortable you are - especially if you lose your place and have to stop. Again a sign you are not familiar enough with your material. Instead of making eye contact, look at each individual's forehead. To your audience it looks as if you are making eye contact without actually having to.Make your speech about half as fast as you feel the urge to. When giving a speech we often speed up making ourselves sound silly and making it difficult for the audience to get your points.Speech making comes to most of us sooner or later. If you'll think out and organize what you want to say, if you'll practice until you sound conversational, and if you'll deal with fear up front, then you're speech will be well received.As a final incentive, remember that your audience is not out there to ridicule or belittle you. They are actually rooting for you to give an interesting talk. Do you actually think they're there just waiting to pounce on your mistakes?Good presenters are worth their weight in gold. How do I know? Just think for a moment about all the poor speeches you've endured. You would have given anything to be elsewhere. Now think about someone who made a memorable speech. Which would you rather listen to? Which would you rather be?If you have questions about making a presentation, write me at the email address below.Hal Warfield is a speaker, teacher and coach. Email him at warfield@midsouth.rr.com. Or visit http://www.halwarfield.com