Most presentation training experts, including myself, constantly exhort our clients to practice and rehearse speeches as often as possible in front of real people. Then, ask for their feedback, including what they remember, what they like and don’t like.
Almost anyone will do. Almost.
I don’t recommend that you rehearse your presentations or media interviews in front of family members because they are just too close to you, and vice versa.
When it comes to getting people to take the actions you want them to take, confidence in your message is the single most powerful ingredient in your presentation brew. The difference between people who get elected to the US Senate or Governor’s mansions across the country versus those who lose and fade away into oblivion isn’t intelligence, work ethic, looks or even luck.
Often times the single biggest difference is that winners have the ability and the confidence to stare strangers and friends in the face and say, “Will you contribute $3000 to my campaign?â€
Of all the things I teach people to do during media interview training, by far the hardest is to get them to repeat all three of their main message points IN EVERY SINGLE ANSWER. This is an odd, weird thing to do. In real life, if you repeat yourself often, your friends and family will lock you up. But media interviews aren’t real life.
Of all the many fine qualities a great speaker could have, sincerity ranks very high. If you have an interesting and relevant message, plus it is packaged with your heartfelt sincerity, you will succeed as a speaker. It won’t matter if you occasionally stumble over a word, fumble a phrase, or misstate a name–your audience will forgive you.
If, however, your audience thinks you aren’t sincere with them, they will quickly deride you as “slick.†Once an audience has positioned you as “slick†there is literally nothing you can do that will impress them. You could cure cancer on the stage in front of them, turn water into wine, and your audience will dismiss you as a “slick†huckster who is merely trying to “play them.â€
The “nicer†you are perceived by your audience, the more likely you will succeed as a speaker. If you are viewed as “nice,†those listening to you are more inclined to believe you, pay attention to you, accept you and buy into you and your ideas.
So how can you seem more likeable as a speaker?
1. Meet, greet, and shake hands with as many audience members before you begin your speech. A grand, dramatic entrance at the beginning of your speech only works if you are a well-known celebrity who is already beloved.
The headline in the New York Times said three day after Pope John Paul II died, “Cardinals Want Next Pope To Be Strong Communicator.â€
Regardless of your views on the Pope John Paul II’s politics, he was a skilled communicator who routinely dominated the headlines, broadcasts and airwaves around the world—even when he wasn’t traveling to a foreign country. The Catholic Church, as an institution, realizes the importance of a strong communicator in the head position. Whether it is giving a sermon (which is really just another name for a speech or presentation) or appearing at a press conference, Pope’s must communicate strong and forceful messages (that’s what Popes do).
I was recently at a convention for professional communicators and public relations people. All of the speakers and all of the attendees were in the business of communicating messages well—and getting paid for it.
And yet I was struck by how many speakers seemingly didn’t care if their audience could even see them. One speaker had recently gone through leg surgery and didn’t want to stand for his hour long presentation—understandably. But, he then proceeded to sit down behind a table from a position that was impossible to see by one third of the audience because he was hidden by a large wooden lectern.
There will be times when it is impossible for you to set up a room to your specifications before giving a speech. Recently, I was giving an hour-long speech at a conference in California. The speech began at 4:30 PM and was to end promptly at 5:30.
Normally, I like to get to a room at least one hour in advance of giving a speech or training to set up, preferably 90 minutes in advance. However, in this case, another breakout session was going on in the room that did not end until 4:15 PM. The speakers and other panelists didn’t leave the front of the room until 4:23. Yikes! That left seven minutes to do the following:
Just because you watch the Food Network doesn’t make you a good cook. But if you truly have a passion for food and cooking, then watching the Food Network from time to time may inspire you to try new and exciting dishes in your own kitchen.
Similarly, if you have a passion for good speaking, you may become even more inspired by watching some of the great speeches of all time on the Silver Screen.
You are about to face a tough interview and you fear certain subjects that might come up. Why?
If you really want to prepare for a new media interview, then write down what you think the 20 hardest, nastiest, toughest, meanest questions a reporter could ask you. When you are finished with the list, walk away from it for a few minutes. Next, pick up the list and read the questions out loud. Then, with colleagues, associates or other PR counsel figure out the most positive, non-defensive way to answer these questions within 10 seconds AND (and I do mean AND AND AND) how to bridge back to one or more of your main positive message points that you want to get across during the interview (talk about those for the next 20-30 seconds to complete your answer).