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I just returned from the National Speakers Association annual convention in San Diego. 2,000 professional speakers gathered to experience some of the best talent in the business, schmooze (imagine 2,000 self-promoting extroverts in one room!) and eat hotel chicken.
With so much experience on stage, I thought I would share with you the best - and worst - practices from the convention speakers.
During the convention, I witnessed some of the best speeches of my life (and watched YouTube mega-star Judson Laippley do the "Evolution of Dance" dance for us live). There were talks that stretched my thinking, rocked me with laughter and taught me about things like charity, prosperity and hilarity (couldn’t resist). But aside from the content, I'm always focused on how a speaker delivers and what moves the crowd.
So here go the Best Speaking Practices
1. Start with a hook.
Every good speaker last week began his or her speech with an attention-grabber. Most of them were stories ("On June 5, I was sitting in my office when a reporter called for an interview. . .") Others used humor or shocking statements, and one used a strategy that no one should ever use: She forced us to get out of our seats and dance at 8:12 am!
Before you get into your content, get people to pay attention and care about your topic.
2. Say something controversial. The speakers that make you think and react are often the ones that take a contrarian approach to a topic. Speak your mind, ruffle some feathers and take some chances. Be Bold.
3. Repeat your theme. One of the most interesting talks was by futurist Dan Burrus. The theme of his talk was that our world isn't just changing; it's transforming. He returned to that theme at least eight times and even brought a Transformer-looking robot that performed push-ups and cartwheels.
4. Use Situational Humor. Dr. Sue Morter told us an incredible story of falling down while running. She severely twisted her ankle, heard something pop, blacked out, and her ankle swelled to twice its usual size. Yet thanks to her positive mental attitude, two days later it was completely healed.
The next day Ross Shafer, the Emmy Award winning comedian and TV personality spoke. He said, "You're not going to believe this, but 23 minutes ago, a car backed into me in the parking lot and crushed my femur. Fortunately I shook hands with Dr. Sue on the way in, and it's all better."
Pay attention to what's happening around you and what people say before you, and get your humor from them.
5. Be entertaining. One of the best advice I heard was, "Stop saying so much and entertain more."
6. Practice. You don't get up in front of 2,000 professional speakers without doing LOTS of preparation. Nor should you show up unprepared for an important work presentation or meeting. Practice your talks out loud!
7. End strong. Put your best material in the end, your second best in the beginning and everything else in the middle. The most common close to the speeches was the "Hook & Echo." That's when you end the talk the way you began.
Worst Speaking Practices
Though most of the speeches were excellent, there were moments that made my eyes droop, my head shake or forced me from the room. So please don't do these to your audiences:
1. Too much detail. This is the #1 cause of people not paying attention to you. Keep it clear and succinct. People can always ask you for more.
2. Not conversational. Don't go into "presentation mode" or try memorizing your talk. Just speak with your audience like you would at the dinner table. Everyone will be better off.
3. Don't make people sing and wave their arms back and forth. (Those of you who were there know what I’m talking about).
Robert Graham
Robert Graham is the Principal of GrahamComm, LLC (www.grahamcomm.net), a consulting and training company that helps clients increase their sales and deliver outstanding presentations. He can be reached at 415-652-0763 or Robert@grahamcomm.net.
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