A few insights for all the Speakers and Trainers Out There

Yesterday I attended the Power Within Conference in Calgary. It has been at least 5 years since I last attended. After taking note of the crowds accumulating in the room, I remembered why. However, the crowds are not why I elected to go. I attended this year in order to take a closer look at the presentation styles of some of the more high profile speakers who would be engaging the audience this year. I wanted to focus on how they shared their messages with both a broad and large audience. I was looking to pick up some great tips in order to improve upon my own speaking and teaching style. Here are some of the insights I unearthed - none of which are to do with topic - I will save those summaries for next week's blog:

1) It is critically important to always have a clearly focused message. There were many speakers who seemed to flounder throughout their presentations (for a variety of reasons). From my place of observation, it simply seemed that they were unsure what their message really was about and, as a result, they delivered a choppy, unclear and unfocused message. These types of presentations leave your audience frustrated and annoyed. I am certain that these chaotic presentations had nothing to do with their depth of knowledge but rather the lack of preparing for a clearly defined message.

Tip: If you have an hour and a half to speak, take the time to define the 3 main points you want the audience to walk away with. No more than 3. If you are clear, the audience will also be clear. Be ready to identify what you are going to present on in your opening and then reconfirm it in the close.

2) As your reputation increases, I believe it is more important than ever to have your 'A Game' on and be as captivating as your audience believes you will be. Messing around with your notes only detracts from the message and makes you appear less authentic. Stop relying so heavily on your audio visuals unless you are certain that their failure will not rattle you.

3) Stop the high pressure sales tactics. When individuals purchase tickets for an event such as the Power Within, and take an entire day off work to attend, they want to be entertained with new and insightful information NOT 'sold' on your products or listen to your ego. It is not wrong to tell them you have products to sell, but this ought not be the focus of your entire presentation. Audiences are not there to listen to an infomercial. There was one speaker who lost most of the attention of the room in the first 10 minutes - he never got it back. This sales tactic might work in other parts of the world, but I believe that Canadians resent being treated as impulse buyers and I am sure they are not alone in this.

4) Be a Business Entertainer. How? Always come armed with a great story and tell it well. Yes we want to learn, but most of us crave the opportunities inherent in getting lost in a great story. Storytelling, filled with humorous sound bites, can enhance and solidify your message in a way that no power point or other media can hope to compete with. Jamie Clarke (a local Calgarian who climbed Mt Everest), in my opinion, demonstrated this technique the best and he was rewarded with a standing ovation for his efforts! Jamie captivated the room with his authenticity, his passion and his ability to convey the message of success as something you have the courage to show up for! (I got the message) We don’t all have to climb Everest in order to have a great story, however it is important to tell your unique story in such a way that the audience can feel like they are participating in your journey!

5) Present with Energy and Enthusiasm in order to inspire the room! If you are talking about inspiration in a monotone voice, the message and the delivery do not have a synergistic relationship. This does not always mean getting audiences out of their chairs (although that is a welcome opportunity when you have spent the whole day sitting in uncomfortable chairs) or repeating every third word you say (that is actually incredibly annoying). Sometimes it is simply the intonations in your voice, your facial expressions and your body language that can do the trick. You simply cannot hope to inspire without feeling inspired yourself!

So, if you are someone who presents to groups, large or small, I hope that the leanings I just shared with you will assist you in ensuring you are as captivating as THEY need you to be. My goal is to remember what I learned so that when I show up - you get what you paid for!