What They Hear
BySeth Godin recently posted an excellent motif for speakers and presenters of any kind. In his post The Two Elements of a Great Presenter, he makes that case that respect and love fit the bill for a great speaker.
His points reminded me of the best advice I ever received about public speaking (and I can’t remember who in the world gave it to me, regrettably). Someone once told me that, when you speak, stop focusing on how you sound, and focus instead on what the audience hears.
Put another way, focus on how well your audience is receiving, or learning, the information you’re giving them.
Both nervous and annoying speakers have one thing in common: they are focused on themselves when they speak. Prepare ahead of time, be confident that you have something your audience wants, and needs, to know, and then do everything you can to make sure they walk away enlightened.
If you do, the you part of it all will take care of itself.
