Convert the conversation into a presentation

Every conversation we have is with ourselves.  And on occasion it involves someone else.

Every time I repeat this quote in a public speaking class or executive presentation training, I get a good chuckle out of my audience.  It’s the nervous kind, that says, “uh, you are probably talking about me.”

What can you do ensure you don’t leave your audience feeling disengaged? Convert the conversation to a presentation.

This tip is one we take for granted. I see it  all the time in my public speaking and presentation training, and not just with students.  An executive will forget that they have a specific message to deliver and they just start rambling.  And what they are really rambling off is that conversation they’ve been having – most likely with themselves.  You know this pain.

 

So, are your presentations for your audience or yourself?  Are they thoughtfully planned stories with which your audience can relate or… did they just get crafted from a dream, a book, a meeting or even disaster that happened to you recently?

Make sure when you draft your talk or presentation, it starts not with “what do I want to share today,” but rather, “what will my audience care to hear?”

And that’s when you become a convert. Your audience will be one too – a fan of your talk and your message.

Learn how to hone your speaking skills at our next Executive Presentation Style & Delivery Open Class. It will take place Friday, October 4 in Columbus. You can register here.

 

Ruth Milligan Articulation Executive Communication CoachRuth Milligan is the Founder, Managing Director and an Executive Coach and Trainer with Articulation. She is perhaps best known as one of the original curators for any TEDx event (the license program for TED). Since 2009, Ruth has selected and coached over 200 speakers who have taken the TEDxColumbus stage. She is often tapped as an expert in the TED-style of speaking and has authored a class on how to be a TEDx speaker coach. Connect with Ruth.