This last month I have been part of a keynote speaking team touring Australia, each of us sharing our expert messages with finance brokers across the country, the line up consisted of, Chris Helder, an expert in mindset and psychology. Amanda Stevens, a marketing genius and Jessica Gallagher, a dual summer and winter Paralympic medalist, one of the top 200 women who will change the way you see the world.
Not only did I get to deliver my own keynote focused on conscious communication, I also had the pleasure of being the event MC and introduce these amazing speakers to stage, watching them work their magic time after time.
Every presentation was solid, in every city the audience was always captivated, it may of been the same content presented over five locations, however, never did it feel like any member of the team was ‘just going through the motions’.
While the content was amazing and highly valuable, as a professional I am always looking to improve my skills as a speaker and discover new ideas I can share to help you become a more confident communicator. Being surrounded by the best in the industry it was the perfect opportunity to break down the secret to speaker success.
I watched carefully to discover if there is something these amazing speakers do differently. Do they have a secret formula that they have refined over thousands of presentations? Was there something I could learn that would add an extra edge to the way I present?
In short the answer is Yes, there are things these speakers are doing differently to set them apart, listing them all in this article would turn it in to a book, so instead I will share three tips that were consistent across the board.
If you focused on developing ONLY these three skills, and worked on refining them you would massively increase your public speaking ability.
The roadshow team
Jess, Gallagher, Amanda Stevens, Chris Helder, Me
#1 Keep The Idea Simple
Whatever the message that is being shared it MUST be simple, to the point where it can be explained in a single sentence or phrase. This is a HUGE key to speaker success, the mistake I see a lot of presenters make is they lose an audience in data; they may have a great idea but the audience don’t get it because they get lost in a fog of data. Chris Helder does this perfectly with his idea of having a ‘useful belief’. It’s a simple bumper sticker slogan, however pulls his big idea to a simple actionable statement.
#2 Have Energy
This doesn’t mean you need to leap around the stage like you have just skulled 4 cans of red bull, this is about being very deliberate with your energy. Energy is a force that is contagious, you can change the feel of a room in an instant by subtle shifts in energy. As speakers we all had very different energy styles, this energy was pre-decided and suited the messages we were presenting, allowing us to control the audiences experience.
#3 Tell Amazing Stories
This is the one tip that I am consistently working on and after watching my peers the last few weeks feel its an area that will be getting a lot of focus. Telling stories that are fun, engaging and help an audience connect to your message is an art form, I think some people are naturally gifted at storytelling, while others have to work a little harder to develop the skills. Great speakers have the ability to provide just enough detail to create a picture for the listener and are then able to tie the story back to their message.
I hope that you enjoyed my insights and observations.
Which one of these tips do you need to focus on most?
Do you have any speaker tips you would like to share?
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Have a great day,
Anthony - Take Action, Create Your Story.
Did you know that I have written an awesome book called 'Get Ready For Impact - Practical Tools To Stand Out, Win Trust And Influence Every Day' you can get your copy by clicking here.