How to Shine When It's Your Turn to Speak

The good news is the audience wants you to succeed. Nobody wants to watch a person have a meltdown on stage. Okay, not nobody, but the majority of those seated in front of you waiting to hear you speak are hoping for the best—your best. So here’s some things to make sure you give them what they want.

1. Meet and Greet

Your amazing presentation starts way before the day you’re scheduled to speak. You did your homework, tailored your talk, have a memorable message, and practiced it several times. So you’re confident. Use that confidence to (if you can) meet and greet people as they come in. Talk to attendees in the front row (or the back of the room) before you begin. It’s a small thing that has a big impact.

2. Facts Tell, but Stories Sell

Authenticity. It can't be faked. My advice, you do you… and let the audience in. Share your unique and personal stories and use examples from your life when you can. Remember, the speech is about them—how you can help them in some way—but you are the messenger and when you can laugh at yourself, show and tell what you mean, and play off something that just happened in the room or that day to everyone there, it makes you more relatable and likable.

3. Just Three Things

Steve Jobs was many things—inventor, designer, leader—but his best trait was his ability to communicate. When the iPod first came out we were used to using boom boxes, Walkman cassette players, or bulky disk-playing devices. He stood on a stage and announced Apple’s revolutionary new device (the iPod) by saying, “1,000 songs in your pocket.” A simple, benefits-driven, clear message with three supporting points or examples is the Steve Jobs way.

LEE SILBER is an award-winning keynote speaker with 32 years of experience. This year he founded Sidekick, a business designed to help others speak like a pro. www.leesilber.com.