Who doesn’t want what dynamic speakers have? Recognition. Money. Accolades. Dynamic speakers receive them all. The question is probably not who wants what dynamic speakers have … but how can a person become a dynamic speaker. As you watch and listen to dynamic speakers, you’ll notice that they religiously follow a number of practices. They acknowledge their audience, and give them their full attention. They never overload by giving too much information or leave their audience wondering by giving too little. Like Goldilocks, they get it just right. They stay on point, and speak at a ‘comfortable’ speed.
Dynamic speakers know that ignoring any one of these practices will chew away at their credibility, as well as their financial rewards. Any time they are giving a presentation, big or small, short or long, to one or to one hundred they understand that they are taking up somebody’s time. For that that time to be filled with information that’s of interest and has value, dynamic speakers must always be prepared, engage their listeners to the fullest and be relevant to their listeners’ needs.
Dynamic Speakers
1. Be Prepared
You know the speaker is not prepared when the audience is ready, but the speaker is still in stages of set-up, or when the speaker begins the presentation with no clear structure or direction for the audience to grasp. Recently I watched a speaker having trouble, for much of the presentation, trying to match the correct slides to the words coming out of the speaker’s mouth. Sitting in the audience, I found it not only distracting, but irritating as well, because of the lack of continuity between what I heard and what I saw.
Many speakers mistakenly assume, because they know and understand their topic, their audience will too. Any time you present, you must have a clear core message, solid content, and state your opening and closing without staring at notes. If you are looking to be a dynamic speaker, preparation and practice are vital. Dynamic speakers have rehearsed their presentations to the point where they are comfortable with both their material and the audience. They know that their listeners are giving them a very precious commodity, their time. They honor it. They are prepared.
2. Engage Their Listeners
Have a look at this short video and watch how Steve Job’s engages his audience when introducing the MacBook Air. As the narrator dissects this video clip, he points out the different ways in which Steve Jobs doesn’t just grab the attention, he is laying the foundation for full engagement in the hearts and minds of his listeners. Steve Jobs is a prime example of a dynamic speaker, clear in his message, comfortable with his material and enthusiastic about his product, and his audience.
3. Are Relevant
For your audience to adopt or ‘buy-in’ to what you’re saying, they need to know how your information relates to them. There an acronym that sums this up perfectly. WIIFM which means, What’s In It For Me? Every person listening is asking themselves, “If I listen to you,what’s in it for me?” As the speaker, you need to show how what you have to say will help those seated in front of you and show that your position is consistent with theirs.
Be 100% prepared. Engage the audience fully. Demonstrate the relevance of the topic. Putting these three practices into place, will have you well on your way of joining the ranks of dynamic speakers, as well as on the receiving end of recognition, money and accolades.