If you are in the business of public speaking – whether as a writer or a speaker – here are my top five New Year’s resolutions for you to consider for 2012.
Resolve to know your audience
I harp on this a lot, but that’s only because it’s really important. If we expect audiences to listen to us, we owe them the courtesy of knowing something about them. If we expect audiences to consider our point of view, then we need to consider theirs.
Before you embark on a speech, do your audience homework. Find out the size of the crowd, where they’re from, their demographics and what they might be interested in hearing from you. They’ll thank you for it.
Resolve to tell stories
This is another favorite subject of mine, also because it’s really important. Your listeners aren’t going to remember a roster of facts or a list of numbers. They’re going to remember the stories you tell. So make sure your stories illustrate the key points you want them to take home.
Resolve to speak without PowerPoint
I should carp on this one more. Many speakers, without a second thought, order up a slide show for their next public appearance. Sometimes PowerPoint is the most effective way to get your point across, but it’s used too often.
If you really want to have an impact on your audience, put some effort into creating word pictures for them. Help them “see” in their mind’s eye the point you are trying to make. This kind of visualization is much more likely to stay with a listener.
Resolve to give your audience signposts
Listeners can follow your words more closely if you give them a map. Good speakers tell their audiences what to expect and then they deliver. They wrap up by reviewing their key points. It’s the old guideline of: Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you just told them.
Resolve to use repetition
In addition to telling them three times, use a lot of repetition in the body of your speech. Have a key phrase that you repeat throughout your remarks.
Begin a series of sentences with the same words: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender” (Winston Churchill, House of Commons, 1940)
There are any number of techniques for using repetition. Try several. Repetition is a speaker’s best ally for becoming memorable.
