Make These 7 Controversial Laws of Public Speaking Work for You (417)
1. Delivery Beats Content
The greatest content will go unheard unless it is conveyed with a delivery that grabs and holds attention.
2. ‘Fearless Speaking’ Doesn’t Exist
Humans are wired to feel fear at the perception of a threat.
If fear grips you, don't fight it. Accept it.
Continue to practice and create emotional key words to fall back on during memory lapses.
The widely unappreciated fact is you need some anxiety to be at your best on stage - to think faster and stay one step ahead of the audience’s changing mood.
3. No Two Live Performances Are Identical
Expect your presentation to vary from one day to the next, because your mind, your body, the minds and bodies of the audience, the feeling of the performance space and the environment outside the room, are all different day by day.
4. A Well-Told Story Can Improve A Bad Situation
Stories resonate well with the crowd because the brain processes language, images, messages and other elements of a tale differently than it does dry facts and narratives.
5. Your Audience Wants To Be Part of Your Show
They will grow bored if you present a talk that feels like a monologue instead of a dialogue.
Interact!
Ask questions. Seek shows of hands.
Use humor – only if you are 150% confident in its ability to get a laugh.
Senses of humor vary globally.
Don’t be that speaker who tries to open with a joke and bombs horribly.
6. Quirkiness Is Good
Modern audiences crave authenticity.
Show that you know how to gracefully incorporate your stumbles into your presentation style and to display the mannerisms that reveal your personality.
Your audience will love your display of human fallibility.
7. The Crowd Wants You To Have Walked A Mile In Their Shoes
You must be relatable.
They will reject you if they feel you don’t understand their world – let alone their position on your topic.
If you haven’t personally experienced their story, do your best to learn what it could be like before you speak.
And In The End ...
Mastering an audience-first approach to public speaking doesn’t just help you resonate with the crowd; it also accelerates your business success.
You can learn how to mine your emotions to craft powerful talks and presentations by going to michaelbarris.com/mini-course and subscribing to a free public speaking series based on my bestselling book, “How to Become a Super Speaker: The 7 Principles for Speaking with Confidence and Connecting with Audiences.”
You will receive tips, strategies and take-action assignments to guide you toward becoming an empowered speaker and creator of impactful talks and presentations that get the speaking results you desire.
Bridging your differences with your audience creates a meeting of hearts and minds that reaffirms your commonality as human beings.
And that makes it easier to solve high-level problems or to get buy-in for a call to action.
MICHAEL BARRIS
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Michael Barris is the consummate evangelist for speaking better to be your best and create an impact with your career.
He is a transformational public speaking coach and speaker who has a background as a former adjunct professor of public speaking and expository writing at Rutgers University.
He also is the author of "How to Become a Super Speaker: The 7 Principles for Speaking with Confidence and Connecting with Audiences."
A longtime journalist, he worked for Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal, producing articles on many of the world’s biggest financial and business news stories.
In total, he has produced over 3, 500 print articles over his journalism career, including more than 300 for the Wall Street Journal, and countless more published online.
Learn more about Michael and his work at michaelbarris.com
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