When you stand in front of an audience to speak, it is no longer about you. It is about your audience, the people you are talking to. Your audience is a priority and your utmost responsibility is to make sure that they:
- hear you loud and clear.
- understand your message with ease.
- see you clearly (body language & gestures)
- feel your presence on stage.
With the right preparation, tools, and coaching, you can deliver an incredible, powerful, and engaging public speaking session. Here are some of the key insights you should think about before your next Public Speaking Engagement:
- Your audience should be able to hear you loud and clear. If they cannot hear you, there is nothing to take home, no call to action, and no follow-up. Make it up in your mind that when you stand up, the person at the back of the room can hear you very well.
- Public Speaking is a very powerful tool. You can use it for building or for destruction. When you stand and speak, the audience views you as an expert, there is a level of trust that is created between the speaker and the audience. Use the platform to inspire, build, connect, educate, and transform lives and not for destruction. Intentionally prepare your message and don't just show up in front of an audience with speculations and untested truths.
- Have a take-home direction for your audience. After they listen to you, what should they do? What is your call to action? What is your focal point? What direction have you paved for your audience? What solutions, action plans, and new insights have you brought to the table for your audience? Did you create confusion or did you bring clarity? Did you fuel fear or did you cultivate courage through your speech? Don't just say words and leave the stage without thinking about this point. You are more than a presenter, you are a guardian angel with your words, be that. Connect people and not divide.
- Seek feedback. Engage with your audience to know what they picked, and what they need to understand more. Provide a supportive role to help your audience internalize your message and digest it better. Provide the tools that can help support this process. Use a mini survey to get feedback from your audience. Great speakers seek feedback not for personal validation but for improving message delivery.
