1. The audience will listen because I'm a subject



matter expert and what I have to say is

interesting.

This is probably one of the most frequent

mistakes made by speakers. We all like to think

that we know our stuff, and many people do. But

that alone will not engage your audience.

Albert Mehrebian the US Educational Psychologist'

s research demonstrated that only 7.

.. This is worrying for subject matter experts.

You could prepare for weeks, select the best

words and key messages, you could have the best

introduction, middle section and ending than any

speaker on the bill, but your impact could be

negligible.

A few year's ago I became a school governor and

as such, I was offered training sessions by my

local Education Authority. The general standard

of the 2 hour presentations was good. One evening,

the guest speaker, a man who had worked in

education all his life with a career that spanned

being a headmaster, Ofsted inspector and a senior

role in the Ministry of Education and Science;

what this fellow didn't know about the history of

secondary education was not worth knowing.



However, he ended every sentence with a

pronounced hmmmmmmmmm. Imagine that 6 times per

minute, for two hours.... I nearly lost the will

to live.

Tip - Listen and react to feedback from your

colleagues. I'm certain that over the course of

this fellow's long and distinguished career, many

people must have mentioned his verbal mannerisms.

If your company culture prohibits you from giving

constructive feedback, seek professional help.

Advice from consultants is more likely to be

accepted because it is seen to be given

objectively.

2. Speaking too fast.

Nervous and inexperienced speakers always remind

me of the 100 metres sprint. They hear the gun,

they're out of the blocks fast and they can't

wait to get it over with. This is not unusual -

it is the normal reaction to any potentially

stressful situation. Let's close our eyes, do it,

and get it over with. It's a bit like going to

the dentist.



However, some speakers do not even devote

themselves to such minimal preparation.

Tip - for each minute of your speech, spend ten

minutes of preparation on it. Watch yourself on

video and ask yourself if you're delivering too

fast.

3 Keep it short and simple and always leave them

wanting more. The best way to maintain the

attention of an audience is to start with a

gripping opening, develop a maximum of three

themes or key messages, and conclude with a

message that pulls the introduction and key

messages together with impact.



An experienced speaker can make this look simple

and seamless, but we're looking at perhaps 0.001 of

what an audience remember is down to the

effective use of tonal variety. A massive 55%

relates to your body language. If you send a

mixed message, don't be surprised if the message

is dropped.

A key factor in any speech or presentation is

simply this:

Tip - It's not what you say. It's the way that

you say it.

Scenario 1: You're trying to find the

channel with the live football. Suddenly, your

wife sitting in the opposite armchair says, ?Do

you love me?' You continue

flicking through the channels, you don't look

back at her and you eventually say the words, ?Of

course, I love you.'

Scenario 2: You're trying to find the

channel with the live football. Suddenly, your

wife sitting in the opposite armchair says, ?Do

you love me?'

You stop flicking through the channels with the

remote and put it down. You walk across the room

and take your wife by the hand, gently and

sincerely you look her in the eyes, caress her

cheek and say, ?Of course, I love you.'

Notice that the same words are used, but which do

you think conveys the stronger message?