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A veteran of the podium shares her tips on what really wows an audience.
Over my 30-year career as a communications professional, I've seen many accomplished professionals at the top of their game suddenly wilt with insecurity when faced with writing and giving a speech. It was my job, as their speechwriter, to coach the insecurity out of them by helping them write and give outstanding speeches.
The first point I make to anyone giving a speech is that the measurement of your success is not how well you read the speech but how well the audience understands what you say. Here's how you know: For one, you get a heartfelt round of enthusiastic applause (versus a smattering of polite clapping). You get questions from the audience. The audience takes the action(s) you've suggested (and isn't this why you're giving a speech in the first place?). Finally, if you're asked to return to the same venue and speak at more events, you can bet your speech was a winner.
Below are my six fail-safe tips to get you started on your successful speech journey.
1. Knew your(audience)
Show the audience you care about them and respect their time by making the effort to figure out why you're there in the first place. You're not present because of your rank, title, or even your accomplishments. You're there because you know something your audience wants to know about. You need to figure out what that is.
Often, when I'm writing for high-ranking executives, I'll reach out to the event planner and ask what the audience wants to hear about from my speaker, only to be told, "It doesn't matter. Were just thrilled they'll be there!" Event planners are focused on their immediate job, which is selling out the event by filling the program with recognizable speakers.
I respect their job, but I respect my client's time and reputation more. That's why I won't accept the easy answer. Instead, I push to find out what the audience really wants to know from my speaker. Audiences...