Ideas are complex. Whenever you share them verbally, you need to focus your message for maximum impact.
At Articulation we remember that there is a dance between time and content. The two are in a constant give and take. But at the end of the day, time is the limiting factor. That limit might be set by a clock, or it might be based on how much a person can listen. Either way, a central focus is key to landing your message.
We are in the midst of training a cohort of speakers for the upcoming posit::conf(2025). The objective of the first coaching call is to narrow their complex ideas into one central idea which acts as the takeaway for the audience. But like most subject matter experts, there is an array of ideas they could share within their topic. For some, it’s easy to get stuck. How to choose? As coaches, our job is to help each person narrow in on that one big idea.
But what do you do if you don’t have a coach to guide you?
Here are 4 PUBLIC SPEAKING TIPS that can help you hone in on your one idea:
TIP #1: Be LIMITLESS
In the early stages of choosing the idea you want to share, it’s important to avoid self-imposed limits—I call these the “buts.” “But the audience won’t be able to understand.” “But I don’t have time to explain it.” “But no one will care.” If you come down with a case of the “buts,” it’s time to ask better questions. “What context would the audience need to understand?” “What part of this idea could I share in the time allowed?” “What might help the audience care?” Questions like these help release limitations.
TIP #2: Share what EXCITES YOU
When I coach a speaker, I’ll often ask them: what first got you interested in this topic? Where were you? What were you thinking and feeling? Then, I pay attention to the tone of their voice and the look in their eyes as they answer. It’s usually crystal clear what they are really passionate about. These stories reveal passion and can help clarify what you really want to share with an audience. And audiences want to hear about what lights you up.
TIP #3: Consider your AUDIENCE
As we talk about in our book, The Motivated Speaker, speaking is social. So your idea must be filtered through the perspective of the people you’re talking to. Who will be in the room? What is going on in their world? What problems do they face? When the idea you are passionate about is in service of your audience, you know you’ve landed on the right focus.
TIP #4: Give yourself some SPACE
If you have a lot of ideas and just can’t decide what to do, or you keep hitting a wall, it helps to stop working so hard to figure it out. Take a walk. Sleep on it. Listen to some music. In other words, let your subconscious do the work. Be ready for the answer to come to you when you least expect it—often in the shower.
Remember, you have ideas worth sharing, but you can only share one at a time.
