The Leading Edge: Three Little Tips to Bring Big Results When Speaking to Your Next Audience

To be a good speaker you need to know your material and be comfortable in presenting it. These are obvious. I remember one mentor saying, “There is nothing more unforgivable than a speaker who fails to prepare and wastes the audience’s time.” I agree. We must have our content down.

Outside of that, there are three little tips you can apply to bring big results when speaking to your next audience.

1. Know your audience.
Before you speak, do your homework. Find out who will be in the audience, what needs or struggles they have, and uncover some history about the group or organization. This may require time, research, or phone calls, and talking to key people who know about the organization. Whether you are talking to an auditorium of five hundred people or a gathering of twenty, the importance is the same. If you want to connect with your audience it is vital to know who they are.

I will never forget the awkwardness I felt when I attended a church ministry house-warming event for a single mom and her kids and here’s why. There were probably about thirty people in attendance and an older lady had been asked to speak on making a happy home. Well, she came up with her husband by her side and she spoke for about twenty minutes on how this young lady could make her house a happy home with her husband and how it was such a blessing to have someone to come home to. The speaker shared how each person should look to the other to lighten the burden and all the things they could do to create a happy home. I just sat there frozen. Didn’t she know who she was asked to speak for? I looked around and I could see glances exchanged and uneasiness in the room. Nobody said a word but it was awkward and the speaker had no idea that the person she was speaking to didn’t have a husband. It’s unclear to this day how the person did not know she was speaking to a single mom and her family. Worse yet, was nobody had the nerve to tell the speaker because it was so painful. The lesson: don’t take anything for granted and never “wing it.” Do your research, even for the smallest of speaking engagements, and always know your audience.

2. Remember that it’s not about YOU!
Those words have been probably the greatest advice my husband and I have received as speakers. We do our talks together and in the early days we were looking to others for approval. This wisdom from our mentors changed how we looked at things forever. If we start worrying if the audience likes us, how our hair looks, or if we are smiling enough, we have it all wrong! It is good to want to do a good job, but whenever we are focusing more on ourselves than the audience, we need to refocus.
Remember it’s not about you or me. Instead, ask yourself: How can I help my audience? What do they need to hear today? What is the mood in the room? How are they feeling and how can I engage them? Connect with your audience and make it all about them. Little things can make a big difference to make your audience feel special. For example, try to be at the door greeting people as they enter the room for your talk. Creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere makes a difference and shows you care. Another of my favorite things to do is to give small gifts to show gratitude to an audience. When we have a grateful heart for our audience they sense it. I like to think about how we can make our audience feel valued and make it about them instead of us.

3. Show your PASSION!
Do you love what you do and what you are speaking about? Then show it! There is nothing worse than a lackluster or ho-hum performance. Even if you forget words or don’t have a “perfect” presentation, if you are passionate and you engage your audience through your enthusiasm, they will usually forget those minor mistakes. So, bring your passion to the stage!

We have found information doesn’t change people, but applying what we learn does. I encourage you to put these three simple tips into practice the next time you speak and you’ll see big results with your audience. Here’s to your speaking success!

About Nicole:
Nicole Karnowski is co-owner with her husband Michael of Metamorphosis CCT (Coaching, Consulting & Training). Nicole is John Maxwell Team Certified & a Board Certified Master Christian Life Coach. Nicole is from Duluth, Minnesota and loves helping people make changes to live their best life.