Public Speaking Pitfalls - The Don"ts of Public Speaking
Public speaking is one of the most under-utilized marketing tools in the small-business owner's tool-belt...
but it can be one of the most effective.
Granted, most people loathe public speaking with the heat of a thousand suns, but the paybacks of overcoming that loathing can be tremendous.
Fame and fortune await those intrepid souls who master the art of feigning comfort at the podium! There are plenty of wonderful books about the 'Do's' of public speaking - I particularly like Working the Room, by Nick Morgan - but avoiding the pitfalls of the task can be equally rewarding.
I'd like to share some of the 'Don't's of public speaking that I have discovered in my own, special, way.
Don't - Imagine people in their underwear.
This distracting endeavor makes it very difficult to look your audience in the eye afterwards, and is better saved for boring BART rides.
Don't - Assume that your audience has any knowledge of your topic.
They probably don't, unless you're giving a very specialized talk to a very specialized audience.
This is the hardest piece of the puzzle - it's a real challenge to remember the days in which you had no understanding of your topic.
After all, you've been building your expertise in the field for years - even decades - so bringing a Beginner's Mind to the table isn't easy.
A good litmus test of your speech's "Expertise" level is to introduce any key terms you're planning on using to an innocent bystander - perhaps your partner, brother, or child.
If they stare at you blankly, you may be aiming too high.
If they nod tentatively, you're on the right track.
Don't - Worry that you're talking too slowly.
This is almost impossible, and if most of us were to hear recordings of our own speeches, we'd realize that the much graver danger is that of sounding like a hyperactive chipmunk.
Don't - Believe that the Greek trick of talking with rocks in your mouth will cure acute Chipmunkitis...
videotaping yourself, however, can be very effective in this regard.
Don't - Over-analyze afterwards.
Tell yourself you did a great job, because you did, and move on.
It is highly unlikely that your pause really lasted for five minutes, and if it did the audience will probably just assume you're a deep thinker.
but it can be one of the most effective.
Granted, most people loathe public speaking with the heat of a thousand suns, but the paybacks of overcoming that loathing can be tremendous.
Fame and fortune await those intrepid souls who master the art of feigning comfort at the podium! There are plenty of wonderful books about the 'Do's' of public speaking - I particularly like Working the Room, by Nick Morgan - but avoiding the pitfalls of the task can be equally rewarding.
I'd like to share some of the 'Don't's of public speaking that I have discovered in my own, special, way.
Don't - Imagine people in their underwear.
This distracting endeavor makes it very difficult to look your audience in the eye afterwards, and is better saved for boring BART rides.
Don't - Assume that your audience has any knowledge of your topic.
They probably don't, unless you're giving a very specialized talk to a very specialized audience.
This is the hardest piece of the puzzle - it's a real challenge to remember the days in which you had no understanding of your topic.
After all, you've been building your expertise in the field for years - even decades - so bringing a Beginner's Mind to the table isn't easy.
A good litmus test of your speech's "Expertise" level is to introduce any key terms you're planning on using to an innocent bystander - perhaps your partner, brother, or child.
If they stare at you blankly, you may be aiming too high.
If they nod tentatively, you're on the right track.
Don't - Worry that you're talking too slowly.
This is almost impossible, and if most of us were to hear recordings of our own speeches, we'd realize that the much graver danger is that of sounding like a hyperactive chipmunk.
Don't - Believe that the Greek trick of talking with rocks in your mouth will cure acute Chipmunkitis...
videotaping yourself, however, can be very effective in this regard.
Don't - Over-analyze afterwards.
Tell yourself you did a great job, because you did, and move on.
It is highly unlikely that your pause really lasted for five minutes, and if it did the audience will probably just assume you're a deep thinker.
