So you have been invited to address an audience of your peers, or worse yet, an unknown audience. And you're scratching your head and wondering what to talk about.
Here are three tips that I've learned over years of doing several types of speaking.
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Firstly, the speech is for the audience, not for you. You were invited to be of service to the listeners. They should get something new and exciting form your content. Theres the rub. What should I talk about? Well stop worrying, get on the phone or computer, contact the person who invited you, and ask him or her to specify a theme or topic that is of concern to the group at this time. In many cases the contact person will say "I'm sorry, I thought I gave it to you. The theme for this year is..."
That's usually easy, for there is the odd occasion or two when you are simply told "Choose your own topic. We just want to hear from you."
How does a public speaker deal with this? You do what is called audience research. You ask "Tell me about the age group, the jobs, the income group, the sociology of the target audience?" In research you are checking demographics (all the facts and figures about a target group).
Once you get the demographics the next thing you want is the occasion. Usually it's the first thing. What is the event? For the occasion will determine the type of speech. Are you speaking to inform, to persuade, to motivate? Or is it a special occasion speech such as a wedding or funeral. For some of these you will need further help for which countless books are available. The occasion will determine the specific topic, the duration and even how you dress.
So you have researched your audience, you know the occasion and the topic, but there is one final thing you must blend into the speech.
You! Yes you! You were invited because they wanted to hear from you, not John F. Kennedy, not Abraham Lincoln but from you. So you may quote great men and women of the ages as authorities, and you will need good anecdotes humour, and quotations to spice up your points but remember they invited you because they wanted your story. Not your bio, but your passion, your enthusiasm about the topic and somewhere in there you own experience with the problems and solution within the topic.
Love you audience, know your topic, and be the real you, and you are guaranteed to shine.
What Should I Speak On? Avicii - Silhouettes Tube. Duration : 4.75 Mins.Rating: 4.841022
Music video by Avicii performing Silhouettes. (C) 2012 Veratone AG, Under exclusive license to Universal Music AB
Tags: Avicii, Silhouettes, Universal, Music, Dance
