Another September has rolled around and another ‘conference season’ has begun. A three-month period where an abundance of speakers take to the stage (or these days, take to the studio or their laptop!)…
Event speaker? Try these tips to resonate with your audience.
Another September has rolled around and another ‘conference season’ has begun. A three-month period where an abundance of speakers take to the stage (or these days, take to the studio or their laptop!). Whether that be for a presentation, a panel discussion or a fireside chat.
A time to be an ambassador for your organisation.
A time to boost your personal brand with your thought leadership.
A time to influence and give value by sharing:
- industry knowledge and insights
- corporate successes and strategy
- ideas, innovations and breakthroughs
All too often, however, the opportunity to captivate and invigorate is missed. Speakers are challenged by not knowing:
- that information is not inspiration
- that engagement and connection is essential but difficult to build
- content is still king, but it needs to be brought more clearly & succinctly than ever
Which leads to boredom, cognitive overload and a burning desire to watch cute cats on YouTube!
Speaking goals not realised. Potential damage to organisation, brand and reputation.
If you’d like your audience to listen to you and not watch cute cats then help is at hand! I’m going to do a series of Top Tips around speaking at an event.
Not speaking at an event? Don’t worry, the tips are relevant anytime you want to be heard.
First up…
Know your audience.
I’m sorry to disappoint, but it’s not about you. It’s about your audience. You need to ‘speak into their listening’ for your messages to land, your stories to resonate.
It’s therefore important that you know who you are speaking to; it will influence how you frame your material.
For example, I have a client who speaks on AI/Future of Tech subjects in various situations. She frames the same topic differently each time to ensure it is relevant, impactful and valuable for each audience.
So, when preparing your next event talk or panel, ask yourself the following questions:
I) Who exactly are they?
II) How knowledgeable are they?
III) What do they already feel about the topic?
IV) What are their most pressing concerns or fears?
V) Anything you shouldn’t talk about?
VI) What do you have in common?
Click here for more details
(Questions courtesy of Christopher Witt from the book ‘Real Leaders Don’t Do Powerpoint’)
And remember the acronym WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?). This is what your audience will be thinking. What value can you add to them? What can you say to make them care? What do they need to hear to get on board?
When you start thinking, preparing and presenting with your audience in mind, the dynamic shifts and the magic happens!
Want to nail your next speaking engagement? Work with me on it 🙂 Together, in a tailored and fun way, we’ll make sure the audience is captivated from the first minute to the last!
Find out more about my event speaker coaching services here; Hybrid Events Brochure
Reply to this message to book a free consultation call.
Next week, I’ll be giving tips on confidence.
Until then… resonate 😉
Tara
