7 Techniques to Create Aha Moments in Public Speaking

Creating Aha Moments for Your Audiences

Note- Recently I shared a post, “Creating Aha Moments Together” based on my recent session at School for Social Entrepreneurs India. Many of my newsletter subscribers and readers requested me to write the next edition of my newsletter on techniques for creating Aha moments in public speaking. Do let me know which topics would you like me to cover in future editions.

Have your audiences ever given you a standing ovation?

Has your audience been moved to tears or felt life changing experiences?

Has your audience ever told in their feedback "simply WOW"?

Has your audience hugged you or reported intense moments?

Have you received a feedback form which brought tears in your eyes?

Have you shared an inspiring fact which was heart touching or shocking truth which was hard hitting for your audience?

If your answer to most of these questions is "No", then keep reading to discover the secrets of public?speaking used by TED speakers and other domain experts.

Creating Aha Moments Together

You need to know your audience and understand their pain areas for co-creation of Aha moments. Here are 7 techniques to co-create Aha moments together:-

1 Share information which is Life changing

Long back I had conducted a session at Cognizant office, where I talked about "social media as a glasshouse and impact of personal growth on social media success". One participant told me that she found the session life changing as it changed her whole perspective on social media.

I believe that social media is not a mere game changer but a new game in itself due to its glasshouse nature.

2 Share a personal story which moves audiences deeply

Select the right story, which the listener is likely to feel as their own.?Follow it up with a question that draws the listeners in. Two of my personal stories have moved the audiences deeply. First is "How I became one of the 100 Most Influential Indians online in just one year". Second one is "How I regained my creativity with meditation" in which I talked about drawing inspiration from the Universe with a CXO audience.

Best storytellers move their audiences, move them to action or make them laugh, cry, sweat.

3 Ask a question which provokes thought

Think of a thought provoking question/questions, which are likely to create a breakthrough for your audience (relating to the topic you are speaking/ training/ coaching on). Many of my blogs end with, "Are you ready with an inspiring story?"

Thought provoking questions push the audience to think deeper. Going deeper may create deep insights especially when the speaker shows genuine interest and curiosity in the inner journey of the audience member. ?

4 Help the audience connect the dots & initiate self-discovery

Asking thought provoking questions and then guiding the audience on how to connect the dots can pull people to take a deeper journey of self-discovery. Self discovery goes beyond understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and looking deeper into things like what experiences have shaped you, what makes you stressed and what puts you in a good mood.

I remember how I helped a mentee choose between client servicing and copywriting as a career by aligning her strengths with her choice of profession.

5 Share a rare insight which leaves a lasting impact

Sometimes during the session, the trainer/ coach can gain a deep insight into the person and sharing that insight can leave a lasting impact on that person. The insight may push the person to take action and change the course of life.

I was listening to a presentation and the participant shared the word deep multiple times. I shared the insight with the participant that she has introversion tendencies and explained her likely strengths and weaknesses.

6 Share a solution to a problem which has been unresolved for a long time

Making a genuine effort to know and understand your audience may help you understand their pain areas and hidden needs. This may help you co-create insights with the learner which may have been unresolved for a long time.

A client lacked clarity about how she should position herself as a doctor. I understood her strengths in detail and helped her create the right positioning.

7 Last but not the least; do not forget to Help participants discover their own wisdom & potential. Think of something which is likely to have a deep influence?on your audience.

As a trainer/speaker/coach/ teacher, we fundamentally act as educators. An educator needs to help the learner find his/her genius.

“Everybody is a genius.?But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”- Albert Einstein

The journey continues. The co-learning continues.

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10 Lessons I Learnt in 10 Years of Public Speaking

Celebrating Two Decades as a Teacher Trainer

#PublicSpeaking #Coaching #Teaching #Training

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Brief Profile

Dr Amit Nagpal is a business storyteller with special interest in brand storytelling, data storytelling and social media marketing through storytelling. He has more than two and a half decades of experience as teacher and practitioner of brand management and media marketing including television, print and digital/new media.

He has co-authored Amazon bestseller, “Personal Branding, Storytelling and Beyond”. He believes “Digital is Magical” and stories are the most powerful tool to build both brands and bonds.?To know more visit?www.dramitnagpal.com.