Here to help are experts who have tips for preparing for a speaking opportunity – whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned veteran:
Get to know the audience
“To get a clear picture of the audience, visualize someone you know in the audience who is typical of the group,” says communications strategist Laura Mecoy. “Or if you don’t know anyone who fits that description, create that person by asking yourself questions such as: How old is this person? What does this person do for a living? If you were sitting across the dinner table from this person, how would you communicate the messages you wish to convey?”
“To get a clear picture of the audience, visualize someone you know in the audience who is typical of the group,” says communications strategist Laura Mecoy. “Or if you don’t know anyone who fits that description, create that person by asking yourself questions such as: How old is this person? What does this person do for a living? If you were sitting across the dinner table from this person, how would you communicate the messages you wish to convey?”
Deborah Wipf, president and founder of business coaching services company Velocity Management Group
often participates in public speaking events in her role. She suggests
speaking with the organizer and asking him about successful
presentations in the past, the likes and dislikes of their audience and
approximate demographics, as well as the outcomes the organizer would
like to see from your presentation. “I also recommend checking out the
organization’s website and social media channels to see what they’ve
been talking about with their followers recently.”
Set a goal for the presentation
Once you have a better picture of the audience, set goals for what you want to achieve in your presentation. “Have a specific goal for each presentation, being clear in measurable terms what result you intend to achieve by giving this talk,” says Ronald Kaufman, who, for more than 15 years has been giving workshops on topics such as “Presentation Skills” and “Goal Setting/Motivation.” “Is it to change behaviors, sell something, inform, entertain, etc.? Why is it important for you to make this presentation?”
Once you have a better picture of the audience, set goals for what you want to achieve in your presentation. “Have a specific goal for each presentation, being clear in measurable terms what result you intend to achieve by giving this talk,” says Ronald Kaufman, who, for more than 15 years has been giving workshops on topics such as “Presentation Skills” and “Goal Setting/Motivation.” “Is it to change behaviors, sell something, inform, entertain, etc.? Why is it important for you to make this presentation?”
Make the presentation digestible
Likely one of the biggest fears people have about doing speaking opportunities is that they won’t be engaging and they’ll bore their audience. To avoid a dry, awkward presentation, ensure that what you’re presenting is digestible and organized in a way that’s most natural to you.
Likely one of the biggest fears people have about doing speaking opportunities is that they won’t be engaging and they’ll bore their audience. To avoid a dry, awkward presentation, ensure that what you’re presenting is digestible and organized in a way that’s most natural to you.
“Do not write out your presentation word for word and then plan on reading it,” says speaker, facilitator and consultant Roz Turner.
“Participants like presenters who are authentic, genuine, know their
topic and relate to them. Prepare by creating an outline and then take
the time to practice what you will say out loud to give yourself
confidence and an idea of whether or not you have too much information
for the time available. If you are going to use a PowerPoint
presentation, do not write everything you are saying on the slides. Use
photos, use humor, use bullets to tell a ‘story.’ But use the PowerPoint
presentation to guide your presentation — not to be your presentation.”
Practice in front of a mirror
“Oftentimes, particularly for newer speakers, people are not self-aware of the funny faces, robotic movements or hand gestures we make while speaking,” says Suzanne Garber, member of the National Speaker’s Association and Chief Networking Officer at International SOS. “Some ‘speak with their hands,’ which can be distracting, while others are frozen in their place — neither of which are appealing to audiences. Similarly, with practice comes perfection and you can become of aware of the ‘ums,’ ‘like,’ or ‘you know’ that pervades many beginners’ speeches.”
“Oftentimes, particularly for newer speakers, people are not self-aware of the funny faces, robotic movements or hand gestures we make while speaking,” says Suzanne Garber, member of the National Speaker’s Association and Chief Networking Officer at International SOS. “Some ‘speak with their hands,’ which can be distracting, while others are frozen in their place — neither of which are appealing to audiences. Similarly, with practice comes perfection and you can become of aware of the ‘ums,’ ‘like,’ or ‘you know’ that pervades many beginners’ speeches.”
Make the timing and location work
While it may not always be a choice, Mecoy suggests doing what you can to control when and where you’ll be delivering your presentation. “Try to avoid the after-lunch and end-of-the-day slots when the audience is ready for a nap. Check the room ahead of time to be sure the sound system works. Eschew the podium, if possible, to actively engage the audience.”
While it may not always be a choice, Mecoy suggests doing what you can to control when and where you’ll be delivering your presentation. “Try to avoid the after-lunch and end-of-the-day slots when the audience is ready for a nap. Check the room ahead of time to be sure the sound system works. Eschew the podium, if possible, to actively engage the audience.”
Mecoy says that if you don’t have a choice on your timing and
location, look for ways to liven things up. “At an end-of-the-day
presentation at an association’s annual conference [that I was
presenting at], the state lottery was among the topics to be discussed.
So I distributed scratch-off lottery tickets to members of the audience
who asked questions. No one won, but we had fun seeing if they did.”
Have fun
“This is easier said than done, and while it’s important to take your topic and your audience seriously, you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously,” Garber says. “Yes, you will make flubs at times, but make light of the moment or move past it quickly. Audiences want to be engaged with you, and the more fun you have, they will pick up on your vibe and follow your lead.”
“This is easier said than done, and while it’s important to take your topic and your audience seriously, you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously,” Garber says. “Yes, you will make flubs at times, but make light of the moment or move past it quickly. Audiences want to be engaged with you, and the more fun you have, they will pick up on your vibe and follow your lead.”