5 Public speaking tips that will immediately improve your next presentation:
1. Think About Your Audience
Many people make the mistake of being very self-centric while public speaking or running meetings.
They think about:
“Here is what I need to say”
Instead of asking the question:
“What does my audience need to hear?”
Many people make the mistake of being very self-centric while public speaking or running meetings.
They think about:
“Here is what I need to say”
Instead of asking the question:
“What does my audience need to hear?”
Most of us in a public speaking situation know more
then our audience, and then we suffer from the curse of knowledge.
We make assumptions, we use acronyms, we use jargon, and we rush through things because, from our perspective, we know it.
then our audience, and then we suffer from the curse of knowledge.
We make assumptions, we use acronyms, we use jargon, and we rush through things because, from our perspective, we know it.
But if you take time to say:
“What does my audience need to know on this topic?”
Then that’s the antidote to the curse of knowledge because then you start thinking about what THEY need to know.
“What does my audience need to know on this topic?”
Then that’s the antidote to the curse of knowledge because then you start thinking about what THEY need to know.
2. Reconnaissance and reflection
Once you have a topic or an idea, ask yourself:
“What does my audience need to know about this?”
To answer that question, you have to understand your audience.
Once you have a topic or an idea, ask yourself:
“What does my audience need to know about this?”
To answer that question, you have to understand your audience.
So you need to do reconnaissance and reflection:
What are their attitudes?
What are their expectations?
What is their knowledge level?
What questions might they have?
You have to think about all of these before you start crafting your presentation.
What are their attitudes?
What are their expectations?
What is their knowledge level?
What questions might they have?
You have to think about all of these before you start crafting your presentation.
3. Think about the context
Once you’ve thought about the audience and what they need to know, the next thing you have to do is think about the context.
Once you’ve thought about the audience and what they need to know, the next thing you have to do is think about the context.
How are we communicating?
Is it face-to-face?
Is it virtual?
Are some people in front of me, with others on the phone or video?
That influences how you structure and create your messages.
Is it face-to-face?
Is it virtual?
Are some people in front of me, with others on the phone or video?
That influences how you structure and create your messages.
4. Think about timing and time zones
If you’re giving a presentation at 9:00 AM and you’ve had your coffee and are ready to go.
You have to consider what time zone your audience is in.
(for virtual speaking)
If you’re giving a presentation at 9:00 AM and you’ve had your coffee and are ready to go.
You have to consider what time zone your audience is in.
(for virtual speaking)
What if you’re speaking to the other side of the world, and it’s their evening, and they’re ready to go to the pub?
They might be in a very different psychological space than you are, which means you have to change what you say and how you say it.
They might be in a very different psychological space than you are, which means you have to change what you say and how you say it.
5. Sequencing
Most of us are not the only people speaking at a meeting or presentation.
Ask yourself:
How does what goes before me and after me influence what people will think and remember?
Most of us are not the only people speaking at a meeting or presentation.
Ask yourself:
How does what goes before me and after me influence what people will think and remember?
At your job, if you go to your executives to ask for something, do you think it matters if the person who goes in before you tells them bad news?
Of course, it would.
Of course, it would.
So you need to adjust and adapt your content, not just based on the audience, but based on the presentation order.
Summary:
1. Think About Your Audience
2. Reconnaissance and reflection
3. Think about the context
4. Think about timing and time zones
5. Sequencing
I want to thank Matt Abrahams for these tips.
I’m always studying to improve my craft and ran across these while researching.
1. Think About Your Audience
2. Reconnaissance and reflection
3. Think about the context
4. Think about timing and time zones
5. Sequencing
I want to thank Matt Abrahams for these tips.
I’m always studying to improve my craft and ran across these while researching.
Thank you for reading this thread.
If you found value, please RT the first tweet.
Follow @aaronjgolub for more on mindset, public speaking, and habit-building.
If you found value, please RT the first tweet.
Follow @aaronjgolub for more on mindset, public speaking, and habit-building.
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