Love the Process and Improve Your Speaking

Love the Process and Improve Your Speaking

Jan 9, 2023 | Public Speaking

You undoubtedly feel frustrated as you work to enhance your public speaking abilities. Frustrated… by persistent anxieties. You are irritated by audience queries that give you trouble. Frustrated… by the skill-improvement process, which is more evolutive than revolutionary.

This post teaches us how to stop being frustrated by coming to love the process. Five speaking lessons are taken from an odd source.

“Trust in the process means you are allowing God to handle the situation and moving yourself out of the way.”
Germany Kent

How Does Public Speaking Fit into This?

The lessons that must be mastered are many of the same ones that public speakers must.

Now think about how these five relate to speaking:

  • Improvement comes from practice.
  • Even if you never intend to share it, keep a record.
  • Accept the unpleasant.
  • Push the boundaries.

First lesson: Practice makes perfect.

“Your improvements will typically be small steps. Other times, you will experience a huge leap in your ability to communicate. You cannot just read a book and expect to become a great speaker. 

(Or this website!) Speaking abilities can only be enhanced via practice. At work, speak. Make a speech at your child’s school. address a town hall gathering. At your cousin’s wedding, speak. Speak while driving. 

“Taking a shortcut isn't always profitable, doing the right thing may take longer but just trust the process, your reward is sure!”
Hopal Green

Describe your kitty. Talk to yourself in the mirror. There is no such thing as perfection. But you will get better. Your practice will lead to improvement over time. 

Your improvements will typically be little steps. Other times, you will experience a huge leap in your ability to communicate.

Lesson 2: Keep records even if you do not intend to share them.

Even if you can keep a paper diary, it is usually simpler to retain an electronic record of your talks and PowerPoint presentations these days. Date them so you can reflect on them in the future and be amazed at how far you have come. Assess your progress and keep a record of the areas on which you are focusing. 

Likewise, keep a video log. Individual films will not only point out areas that need work but comparing current recordings to earlier ones will be incredibly motivating. It is challenging to see your own development when you are immersed in the process. Video evidence is unreliable.

Action Item

Ensure to always remember your MVP (Most Valuable Point).

Lesson 3: Be comfortable with discomfort

“It’s challenging to notice your own improvement while you are immersed in the process. A video recording is unreliable.

Accept the pre-presentation butterflies in your stomach.

Accept that when the strain is on, your heart will race.

Recognize that you will occasionally forget a word, phrase, story, or joke.

Recognize that you will experience PowerPoint problems.

Recognize that not everyone in your audience is awestruck or even paying attention.

Accept all these things, but keep in mind that until you let them, none of them will stop you from communicating effectively.

Stretch Your Limits in Lesson Four

Motivational speeches frequently use the adage, “If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you’ve always had.”

If you approach each speech or presentation in the same manner, then… If your preparation is the same as mine, if you create PowerPoint presentations in the same manner… If you repeatedly employ the same speech opener… if you always address the group from behind the podium… if you always take speech notes in 12-point type…

Your skills will stagnate if you never try new things.

Look for chances to go outside your comfort zone by:

Pro Tip

Sound more confident by speaking louder and lower.

  • The 1-hour keynote when you have only ever given the 10-minute teaser speech requires trying new vocal styles, including new stories, giving new gestures, adopting a modern style of visuals, finding a new source of quotations, looking for new audiences and new settings.

Lesson 5: Respect the Procedure

There is no peak in speaking ability; rather, it is a process that you go through for the rest of your life. It is understandable if you think the procedure is a chore you must go through before one-day mastering presentations to the highest level. However, that attitude will do nothing but undermine your efforts. 

I adore the method. Set manageable objectives and recognize your successes. You will make a lot of blunders, so laugh them off. The reality is that there is no peak; rather, speaking ability improvement is a lifelong process. I adore the method.

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How to Weave Statistics into Your Speech

How to Weave Statistics into Your Speech

Jan 4, 2023 | Public Speaking

Have you ever experienced this? You have found an intriguing statistic that strengthens your thesis. You reserve it for the end and make it obvious. You anticipate your audience will experience a flood of emotion, yet Nothing. 

No one in your crowd responds at all. Do they not comprehend? You are not alone if this sounds familiar.

In this post, we will look at the value of including statistics in speeches and how to do it well.

“Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day, and at last we cannot break it.”
Horace Mann

Why would you include statistics in a speech?

It is crucial to know how to use statistics in your speeches.

  • Your discourse gains realism via statistics. It is acceptable to discuss important concepts in abstract words, but you also need to provide examples. One method to anchor your speech arguments to reality is via numbers and statistics (thus boosting logos). For instance, saying that properly inflated tires can improve fuel efficiency is one thing. It would be far better to say that it may reduce fuel expenditures by $500 annually.
  • Your audience may be affected emotionally by statistics (pathos). By disclosing the proportion of children in your neighborhood who will not be receiving gifts this holiday season, for instance, you might heighten the emotional response during your speech about poverty.
  • Statistics boost your ethos in two diverse ways. First, employing a statistic shows that you have done your homework and are trying to please the audience. Second, citing figures from reputable organizations (like the World Health Organization) increases your authority by association.
  • Statistics have the power to stick with your listeners long after you finish speaking.

How can you pick the appropriate statistics?

One approach to fasten your speech arguments to reality is via numbers and statistics. If you go headfirst into your topic’s investigation, you will soon find yourself awash with statistics. How do you choose which content to use when there is so much info available?

“If you do weave one-liners into a story, you have to have an overall story as well, otherwise it doesn't really count as narrative.”
Tim Vine

Here are a few things to think about when choosing:

  • Which facts would most affect your audience? While it is advantageous if you believe the statistic to be compelling (so that you may talk with conviction), it is more crucial to select facts that your audience will find compelling.
  • Which numbers are the most unexpected? This is also based on the audience. You want people in your audience to leave the room telling their friends, "You'll never believe what I learned in a speech today," so that you might do this.
  • Which statistics support each of your specific claims? Statistics should not be used in speeches because they are merely interesting facts; rather, they should be tightly related to your main ideas or arguments. Your audience may remember the statistic if it is pertinent to your speech, but they will not remember you or your point if it is not.

The skill of incorporating a statistic into a speech.

You must give your numbers a meaningful context, if you just take away one lesson from this essay. Your audience will not be affected by a number if they lack the understanding necessary to rigorously evaluate it. Consider the scenario where I inform you that Six Minutes has 10,000 subscribers. 

You might or might not be impressed. Is that a sizable sum? a tiny amount? You can interpret the data in a more meaningful way if I also tell you that Six Minutes is one of the most popular speaking blogs in the planet (the most popular).

Action Item

Ensure to make your presentation memorable.

The data should be followed by a comparison in relatable, tangible language.

  • By relating the history of one of the "numbers," you can give your statistic life. If your statistic, for instance, is the number of breast cancer cases, you might start by recounting the tale of a breast cancer survivor before stating that "she is just one of 100,000 women in this country who will discover they have cancer this year."
  • Compare the statistic against a previous iteration of itself. Observing how the value has evolved from one year to the next, or from one decade to the next, might be the most impactful component.
  • Do not assume your audience will just "understand it." Describe how the statistic relates to your point of view. Typically, a clear statement like "This is significant because..." works best

delivering the statistic to ensure its impact

One of the twenty-five crucial speaking abilities is an effective use of statistics. Which twenty-four are left? If you followed one of the earlier suggestions for incorporating the statistic into your speech, your efficacy will still depend on how well you communicate the message. Here are a few strategies you can employ to achieve the desired result:

Pro Tip

Leave the greatest impact on your audience.

  • Put a little emphasis on it. Earlier in the speech, you can do this to create tension (for example, "In a moment, I'm going to reveal a startling statistic that will change the way you view civic politics...") or you can use a direct, succinct approach (for example, "If you remember just one thing from this speech, remember this...")
  • To build tension, pause just before the statistic.
  • Speak with clarity and at a slightly slower pace than usual. This will also indicate how significant the statistic is.
  • To allow your audience enough time to comprehend the meaning and "feel" the effect, pause immediately following the statistic (a bit longer than before).
  • Make gestures to convey the scale. One way to project size is to stand with your arms spread wide.
  • To convey the right response, use facial expressions. (For example, express your personal astonishment, sadness, or shock.)
  • You might show a slide that corresponds with your statistic if you are presenting your information using slides. To emphasize the size of the number, you can use a chart. To convey a more emotional message, you might use a picture. Whatever you do, keep the slide as simple as possible! You want your audience to understand the meaning of what you say to them clearly.

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How to Get Started as a Professional Speaker: 6 Key Steps

How to Get Started as a Professional Speaker: 6 Key Steps

Jan 2, 2023 | Public Speaking

How many times have you sat in a crowd and secretly wished you were on stage?

After giving a few presentations, you could realize that you are adept at public speaking. You might join Toastmasters and become the club’s leader. 

After some time, you begin to believe that you could support yourself by doing this. Imagine earning money by speaking!

You choose to move forward. So, what comes next?

You might begin by following these general steps to enter the field of professional speaking:

  • Choose a Lane
  • Establishing a Successful Business and Making a Great Promise
  • Create a marketing strategy.

1. Choose a Lane

You must “choose a lane” as the first stage in your adventure. Based on your area of expertise, you must select a subject matter for your focus. However, you might object, “How can I choose only one speech when I’m quite good at several of them?” 

What do you want your name to be associated with in five years? Continue giving all your presentations if you do not care about getting paid, being recognized for anything, or wanting to be renowned for anything. Pick a lane if you want to be well paid and recognized as an authority on one subject.

2. Be the Authority

Many people make the error of considering themselves only as speakers when beginning a career as a professional speaker. However, in the grand scheme of things, you are the key component in an organization that makes something happen. Your business should have a mission, whether it is to assist clients in time management, leadership, motivation, or economic education. 

You should consider speaking as merely one of the mediums through which you share your expertise. You could also run teleseminars, consult, coach, hold retreats, and publish books.

“Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.”
Dale Carnegie

The idea is to envision yourself as the leader of an empire that aids others in your area of expertise rather than just a professional speaker. Do not forget that you cannot fake it. Your knowledge needs to be authentic and dependable. Before going down this road, if you have not developed your expertise yet, go out and do it.

3. Do Well

Winning a speech competition is a positive step toward improving, but it does not guarantee that you will be paid. When someone approaches you after your speech and says, “I’d want to schedule you to speak in six months in Las Vegas,” that is when you will really know your speech has “made it.” 

You can stop preparing your speech when spin-off, which is king in our industry, occurs on average 2-3 times after each engagement. Work on the speech while you can. [Ed. note: a “spin-off” speaking engagement is one that results directly from a current engagement]

Action Item

Make sure to maintain your social media presence.

4. Set Up Shop: Make a Splash into Professional Speaking

Like any business, speaking is a profession. If you lack even the slightest entrepreneurial inclination, you can face difficulties. You require cash flow, or start-up capital, to get going. 

It will be more challenging if you are starting off on a tight budget. Nevertheless, given the state of technology today, things are more likely. You may, for instance, create your own website using a blog. 

If it appears sufficiently professional, you might be able to avoid paying the thousands of dollars it can cost to set up and maintain a website.

Pro Tip

Build your personal brand.

The important thing is to be able to explain your value to visitors within the first 15 seconds of their visit. You do not have much time to make an impression in our ADD online environment. Attention deficit disorder (Ed.) They will leave your website immediately if they cannot find what they are looking for.

5. Making a Magnificent Promise

The promise statement is essential for letting prospects know how valuable you are. It functions as a tagline and would be used in marketing materials and on your website. The promise statement shows prospects what they will obtain by collaborating with you in five to nine words (less is more). 

A promise like “Helping Teams Win in a Competitive Field” might be created by a speaker who conducts team-building seminars, for instance. The actual secret to getting that decision maker to lean in and say, “Yes, we need that,” is to demonstrate the consequence and the worth of your promise. You can focus on making your promise cleverer or more indicative of your personality.

6. Create a marketing strategy

Now that your website is up, you will want to generate traffic to it. Obviously, I am simplifying here. Selecting the right industries to target with your message will help you launch a marketing strategy that will establish you as an authority among those audiences.

“Speakers who talk about what life has taught them never fail to keep the attention of their listeners.”
Dale Carnegie

I frequently advise my clients to develop a 12-month marketing schedule. By getting visitors to sign up for something on your website, the objective is to build a list of followers. After that, stay connected with that list frequently so that you are top of mind when someone needs your skills. Several marketing suggestions are:

  • Creating articles for your intended audience
  • Postings on post cards
  • Email marketing
  • Tele classes using social media and direct mail

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How to Get Rid of Filler Words in Public Speaking

How to Get Rid of Filler Words in Public Speaking

Dec 26, 2022 | Public Speaking

Filler words, such as um and uh, are never included in speeches and have no purpose when used by a speaker. However, most speakers make these pernicious grammatical errors every day in most conversations.

What is attainable? Is there no hope? In this post, we will look at why using filler words reduces your efficacy and teach you a five-step plan for doing so.

Um… What Is the Issue?

When it comes to filler words, some people have a strict no-tolerance attitude because they think a few of them can destroy the delivery and undermine an otherwise strong speech.

I do not belong to that group. A fantastic message and some filler words here and there do not outweigh passion. In addition, I have heard audience members say that a filler word here and there makes the speaker feel personable (and not robotic).

However, speakers should try to use fewer filler words. They offer nothing and reduce your effectiveness as a speaker in two ways in particular:

Pro Tip

Practice in a formal setting.

  • Filler words are linguistic static that your listener must filter out. (Guest author Stacey Hanke mentions it as one of the communication difficulties in a recent essay.) Why express it if the listeners will just ignore it right away?
  • Filler words must not be used frequently or excessively to damage your trustworthiness. It could be interpreted as a sign of unpreparedness, ignorance, or lack of enthusiasm. These are all harmful perceptions for you.

Words, sounds, and phrases that are unnecessary

I have referred to three related speech fillers as “filler words” collectively throughout this essay, but this is just a handy abbreviation:

  • Filler Sounds, including um, uh, ah, and mm
  • Filler Words: actually, Filler Phrases: you know, what I am trying to express, "I think that"

These all add nothing and might be fully removed from your speech patterns without any loss of meaning. There are more in each category as well.

“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent.”
Dionysius Of Halicarnassus

Step 4A: Go more slowly.

Slowing down will also help you speak more clearly because it will be simpler for your brain to follow along. It does not have to be a big shift; even a slight slowing down of the pace will be beneficial. Additionally, speaking a little more slowly will help your listeners comprehend you.

It would be best if you were realistic about your time limits and the amount of material you must accomplish this. To finish their presentation on time, speakers must talk more quickly as they cram in more content. Resist the urge to do this.

Step 4B: Enjoy the silence.

Simply pausing is the best tip I have ever heard for cutting down on us and has. Leave the filler word(s) out and be silent. It will take some practice to become used to using silence instead of filler words since you have grown accustomed to using them. If you commit to the change, it will take place.

[Note: There are occasional instances where certain words or sentences do transmit meaning, but these are uncommon.]

Action Item

Make sure to practice speaking and record yourself.

A Technique for Cutting Filler Words from Speech

I wish there were an option to remove these words from a speaker’s lexicon by flipping a switch. (I would pull the plug for myself!) Here are the actions I advise taking to reduce these fillers because the magic switch is difficult to find.

Determine how frequently you use filler words in the first step.

You should evaluate how often you use filler terms in your presentations before starting a campaign to eliminate them. There are three simple methods for doing this:

  • Recruit a spectator to follow it and offer commentary. Ask them to comment on the impact in addition to providing a tally of all the fillers utilized.
  • Analyze your voice after recording it objectively. I occasionally use a digital voice recorder for this. You may do this invisibly for almost any speech you give.
  • Videotape your own performance. This is little more intrusive but offers greater advantages. You receive spoken feedback, but you also get to observe your facial expressions and the changes in your eyes as you are, uh, filling in words.

The following questions are your assessment’s primary focus:

  • How frequently do you use filler words?
  • Are they annoying?
  • Do they threaten your reputation?
  • Understand why you are doing it and why it is not necessary in step two.
“What we say is important… for in most cases the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”
Jim Beggs

Filler words, also known as filler, sounds, words, and phrases, are used when our mouth and brain need a moment to catch up. Filler words may occasionally have a little function.

A filler word in a phone conversation, for instance, signals to the other party, “I’m still thinking, and I’m not willing to transfer the conversation back to you just yet,” to the other party. The filler word fills in the empty area that would otherwise suggest that you have finished thinking.

However, this is an utterly useless signal in most public speaking scenarios. When you pause for a second, there is no chance that a member of the audience will take over. To indicate that you are pondering, you do not need to fill that area. Your audience will understand if you simply… ponder.

Step 3: Improve your level of planning.

I have noticed that when I am not prepared, I tend to use more filler words. Lack of appropriate planning has two effects:

  • Words must be "created" by your brain on the spot rather than being retrieved from (prepared) memory. This puts greater mental load on your brain, increasing the likelihood that you will fall behind.
  • Unpreparedness (generally) makes you feel more anxious. Most individuals speak more quickly when they are frightened, which increases the likelihood that your brain will not be able to keep up.
  • The significance of getting enough sleep deserves to be mentioned as another part of preparation. Your mind will be sharper, and it will be simpler for you to express your ideas clearly when you are well-rested.

Step 5: Keep an eye on things and be patient.

Take a step back occasionally to evaluate your development. Review the Step 1 assessment tasks and compare the outcomes. Have you cut back on the number of filler words you use?

Have you lessened the detrimental effects that filler words have on your effectiveness? Do you see a connection between being well-prepared and speaking without filler? Have you slowed down?

Are you just stopping while you consider your next words? Thus, the use of filler words will be decreased with adequate preparation (which has many other advantages).

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How to End Your Speech with a Bang

How to End Your Speech with a Bang

Dec 23, 2022 | Public Speaking

Your conclusion should reflect your mentality, not a platitude. Consider shooting fireworks of final, impassioned comments from the podium rather than simply saying “thank you.”

You will elicit spontaneous applause for a well-rehearsed, well-timed, and well-executed performance with the panache of a fireworks finale—a performance that embodies all the anticipation of a logger’s cry: Timbeerrrrrrr! This article demonstrates how to end your speech strongly.

Draw Attention to Your Speech's Closing

The most effective speakers do not conclude their presentations with a terse and boring “Thank you,” as is the custom of too many politicians, businesspeople, and community leaders. That is too simple. Too lazy, too.

To conclude your speech with a powerful conclusion that renders the obligatory “thank you” obsolete, it demands original ideas and engaging execution. The colonists were debating the war as the American Revolution was about to begin.

Pro Tip

Plan Your Closing Remarks Word For Word.

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry gave a moving speech. He ended it with the following:

  • "Is life so precious or tranquility so delicious that they must be bought with chains and servitude. God the Almighty, forbid it! I have no idea what actions other people may take, but as for me, give me either freedom or death.

William Jennings Bryan concluded his enthusiastic speech opposing the use of the gold standard as national currency at the Democratic National Convention in 1896 with these famous words:

  • We will respond to their demand for a gold standard by saying to them: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns: You shall not crucify humankind upon a cross of gold. We have the producing masses of this country and the rest of the world behind us, supported by the commercial interests, the laboring interests, and laborers everywhere.

In response to the German threat of an invasion of England during World War II, Winston Churchill issued a warning on June 18, 1940, urging all Britons to prepare. The words he used to end his speech have since been adopted as its title:

  • Therefore, let us prepare for our responsibilities and carry ourselves in such a way that, if the British Commonwealth and Empire survive for thousands of years, people will look back and say, "This was their finest hour."

Finish your speech with a flourish.

The best speakers finish their talks on a high note both vocally and intellectually, just like the opera singer. The speaker should leave them thinking, just as the comic should make them laugh. Final remarks linger. Your final remarks should be clear and inspiring to energize your audience and galvanize your message.

To end your speech with a bang, review the ten templates below and make appropriate changes to your speech:

“The speaker should leave them thinking, just as the comic should leave them laughing.”
Peter Jeff
  • Borderline Close
  • Challenge Ending
  • Toby Close
  • Repeatedly Close
  • Name Close
  • Sing Song and End
  • Callback End
  • Movie End
  • Close with a Quote
  • Close Third Party

Initially, Bookend Close

Referring to your opening anecdote or quotation, conclude your bookend speech by saying, “We have come full circle.” Then state it one more so that your audience will remember it. This will create symmetry in the traditional three-part speech structure: tell the audience what you are going to say, say it, then tell the audience what you just said.

#2 - Close the challenge

Encourage the audience to put what you have spoken in the speech into practice.

If you had to summarize a speech about the significance of acting, you might say:

  • "Let's move from being observers to being participants. Let us think back to America's motivational remarks. Theodore Roosevelt, the president, who said:
  • “Far better it is to dare tremendous things, to gain glorious triumphs even though clouded by failure, than to remain with those wretched spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither success nor loss,” the proverb says.
  • There is too much to do for us to remain inactive. So that we can all see the beginning of a new day, we need you to emerge from the gloomy dusk and into the dazzling sunshine.

Action Item

Make sure to End A Speech With A Summary.

Third: Echo Close

Choose one word from a quotation to emphasis to reinforce your main point.

Consider, for instance, the five instances of the verb “do” in the following conclusion to a speech on the significance of participating in the educational process:

  • Confucius once stated, "What I hear, I forget; what I see, I remember; what I do, I comprehend.' This was more than 450 years before the birth of Christ.
  • Let us complete it jointly. We are aware of what needs to be done. We know what needs to be done. The moment is now, and with your help, we can accomplish this.

#4 - Repeated Closing

To end a motivational speech with a crescendo, choose a phrase and repeat it in a manner like the tempo of a drummer:

  • Only you can orchestrate it: "Architects cannot renovate it; Businesses cannot incorporate it; Churches cannot inculcate it; Developers cannot innovate it; Engineers cannot calculate it; Governments cannot legislate it; Judges cannot decide it; Lawyers cannot prosecute it; Manufacturers cannot manufacture it; Politicians cannot appropriate it; Scientists cannot formulate it; Technologists cannot generate it."
“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.”
Alfred Hitchcock

5 - Title Finale

Give your speech a thought-provoking title that sums up your point in a memorable way. Then, reinforce the title of your speech that you mentioned before by using it as your concluding remarks to compel your audience to reflect more deeply on what they just heard. To improve the title, try composing your speech’s conclusion first.

#6: Sing a song to end.

One of the phrases you used multiple times throughout your speech should be repeated to the audience. Let us say you keep saying, “Together, we can win,” and you do it repeatedly. 

Then, when you are about to conclude, you say: “I know that all of you are talented and motivated. I am aware that none of us can accomplish this on our own, but with each other’s help (pause until the audience responds.)

“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
Winston Churchill

#7: Callback End

Think back to a story you once shared about a task that was left unfinished. Then, pick up the narrative and end it with your topic in mind.

For instance:

  • "Do you still recall the bubbles the four-year-old held so delicately in his hands? The hearts of hundreds of people are now skillfully encircled by the same soft hands. He operates on hearts today.

#8 - Film Closing

Make mention to a popular film or book. For instance, an executive ended a speech with a reference to growing pangs after discussing the maturity of a product line and the necessity to move past the past to produce new and different items. The speaker made a reference to the closing sequence of the film Summer of ’42. Hermie is the primary character. 

He is thinking back on his lost adolescence as an adult.

  • "Life is composed of insignificant comings and goings. And there is something we leave behind for whatever we take with us. We conducted four raids on the Coast Guard Station throughout the summer of 1942. We watched five films. And it rained for nine days. Benji's watch was broken. Oskie abandoned his harmonica. And I lost Hermie forever in an incredibly unique way.
  • The same is true this year, as we lost our old company in a unique fashion. We are now switching to a stronger, more established company.

#9 - Close the quotation

To focus the audience’s attention like a spotlight, use a well-known quotation.

As an illustration, at the end of a speech about the value of retaining self-assurance in the face of difficulty, you might say:

  • "We must emulate the bird," wrote author Victor Hugo, "the bird that occasionally pauses in flight on boughs that are too light on a limb that is likely to break, yet sings, knowing she has wings."

Number 10: Third Party Close

The Third-Party Close will elevate the utilization of a quotation. Utilize a quotation to help convey your point of view. By framing your conclusion around the thesis of that quotation, you can use it as a springboard to raise your message to the audience’s level of understanding.

If you wanted to sum up your speech about the value of accepting change, you could say:

The pursuit of a better existence has made change a way of life. We must remember the wisdom of President Abraham Lincoln, who stood on the verge of the American Civil War and fought against the nation’s 100-year heritage of slavery extending back to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both of whom owned slaves. Lincoln stated while staring change square in the eye:

“A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow. Don't wait for an inspired ending to come to mind. Work your way to the ending and see what comes up.”
Andy Weir
  • "The calm past's dogmas are insufficient for the turbulent present and future. We must think and act differently because of the changing conditions we are in.
  • And we too must. To make tomorrows more rewarding, meaningful, and compelling because of the change we make today, we need to look at this old problem in a new manner. We can think and act differently about the problem at hand with your assistance.

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How to Connect with Your Audience by Moving Closer

How to Connect with Your Audience by Moving Closer

Dec 22, 2022 | Public Speaking

Most presenters start out by gratefully clinging to the lectern’s sides, content to hide behind it for a little additional security in a tense scenario. But you already know that you should not remain in front of the podium. Yet why?

How should you move in relation to the audience as you become more proficient at public speaking and at ease on stage? Is it advisable to saunter deeply into the crowd or not? What about circumstances in which it seems difficult to communicate with the audience at all, whether because of the design of the room or the placement of your listeners?

Zones for Human Interaction

Several important findings from research on non-verbal communications will be helpful in formulating a few principles for the efficient choreography of a speech. The first quotation is taken from Edward T. Hall’s seminal book The Silent Language. He outlined four areas of distance between individuals:

  • Public space is defined as twelve feet or greater.
  • Social space is from twelve feet to four feet.
  • Personal space is between four feet and a foot and a half.
  • And intimate space is from a foot and a half to zero.
  • Although these zones differ slightly in size from one culture to the next, they exist in all cultures.
  • Audience To connect, personal space is essential.
“Tell the audience what you’re going to say, say it; then tell them what you’ve said.”
Dale Carnegie

Sharing public space is low-key for us since the individuals there are simply too far away to be significant for us to be particularly interested in them. The social environment is a little cozier, but we do not really start to pay attention until someone enters our personal space. Of course, when someone is in our personal space, we are completely focused on them.

"Unless you can invade their personal space, you can't really have an impact on people."

The bottom line is that only in private and intimate spaces can important things between individuals occur. Personal space is left when public speakers are not allowed in intimate spaces because doing so violates a very deep principle. Here is how you approach it: Unless you can into someone’s personal space, you cannot really have an impact on them.

You might be thinking by this point that this zone research causes a problem for public speakers. You certainly cannot invade everyone in the audience’s personal space because if you did, you would be running around like a crazy person. Most of the audience might feel excluded.

Emotions are Shared by Your Audience

I will get to the mechanics in a moment, but first, here is some interesting new brain study that clarifies the situation. Researchers from Italy have investigated mirror neurons (See: Mirrors in the Brain: How Our Minds Share Actions, Emotions, and Experience). According to research, a unique type of neuron called a mirror neuron fire in our heads, causing us to feel whatever emotion the person next to us is feeling. It is the reason we can care for others, experience their joy and grief, and be empathic as a species.

Pro Tip

Look at people a bit longer.

In this instance, it means that everyone seated close to the lucky audience member will feel the same rush of attention if the speaker pays particular attention to them. Although the effect weakens with distance, it is still potent and eliminates the need to circle the room to pay attention to most of the audience.

As distance decreases, trust (and connection) rises

The third phenomenon is that we trust people more when they are close to us and less when they are farther away. This third phenomenon can be added to these research findings.

The only efficient approach to get beyond bland and leave an impression on people is to move into the crowd and into the personal space of chosen audience members.

By this point, you should have a clearer idea of why it is so crucial to approach an audience to connect with them and why you should not hold to the erroneous belief that doing so will make other audience members feel excluded. The only way to get beyond bland and leave an impression on people is to move into the crowd and into the personal space of chosen audience members. And changing the world is the only purpose to give a speech, right?

Action Item

Tell listeners what the topic has to do with them.

Okay, but how can you approach the audience more closely?

Okay, but there is still the coordination, you object.

  • How would I maneuver in a ballroom with numerous round tables and people facing all directions while giving a speech?
  • What happens if I am standing on a stage and leaping down would be bad for my health?
  • What about when I am being recorded for the back row and the AV crew tells me not to leave the stage because they cannot follow me? So, what do I do?

"To make your speaking more impactful and clearer, use your body as a punctuation mark."

I have worked as a speaker and a coach of speakers for more than 20 years, and I have seen about every imaginable room arrangement. Many of these make it incredibly challenging for presenters to enter the crowd. You simply must function as best you can in those circumstances. 

The best might merely be advancing to the stage’s edge. But even that will strengthen the audience’s sense of closeness and trust in you because people are quite perceptive about whether others are moving near or far from them, even in tiny movements.

“Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners.”
James Stewart

Knowing how mirror neuron’s function enables you to see why engaging the audience is beneficial even if you only interact with a small number of people. However, you do not want to spend too much time ensconced in an audience and turn your back on a sizable portion of your audience. The act of turning away from someone delivers a keen sense of disinterest or disengagement.

"Closing the distance and moving closer the audience indicates, 'This is significant.'"

This is particularly true in an area with lots of those round tables where it feels like everyone is turning their back on you. With that set up, you should spend most of your time moving toward the tables you can easily access from the front of the room. Try to visit every corner of the space. 

The audience will be grateful that you tried to connect with them and that you did not spend a lot of time getting lost in the maze of tables. Additionally, you do not want to focus too much attention on a single audience member. The precise timing will depend on the content of your speech and the nature of your interactions, but as a rule, aim for no longer than a minute. 

“To have great poets, there must be great audiences.”
Walt Whitman

If you focus on one person for too long, the rest of the audience will feel excluded. It requires (1) tact and (2) fast decision-making on the spot. Consider the size of the space, how you will move around it, and how hard you can work the audience.

When you want to accentuate a point in your speech or when you want to engage with audience members, the objective should always be to walk toward them—even if it is just a few feet. This is vital, he or she says as they close the distance and go approach the audience. Moving away implies the contrary. 

Use your body as a punctuation mark to enhance the impact and clarity of your speech. The dance should support the message being conveyed. Always.

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