Here’s a question I get asked on occasions, which, when I was starting out as a professional speaker, was tough to answer, but isn’t now: “What is the single most important thing a speaker (or trainer) needs to do to be effective.”
Think about it. (It may remind you of a scene in the movie “City Slickers.”) That question boils everything down to the main ingredient. And though I’ve given many different answers over the years, now I quickly give one simple answer, every time, without hesitation.
If you’d like to know what that answer is, click on my blog link below.
“Getting your audience to like you as soon as possible and then build on that friendship for the rest of the time you are together.” That’s it. If your audience likes you, likes what you stand for, realizes you are not fake (or if you are fake, let’s say you’re portraying a character, it’s something you and your audience buy into) and that you would be somebody they would enjoy hanging out with after the show you’re golden. Whatever tips, tactics and techniques you’re selling–they’ll buy.
There you go. That’s the main thing. There are other aspects of speaking and training that matter of course. An audience can love you but leave without learning anything and you really didn’t do a good job. But if I can only tell you one thing (after having given hundreds of talks and training sessions for over 30 years) it is to “get your audience to like you.”
Now, how do you do that? Well, stay tuned. I’ll delve into the details in future blogs.
‘till next time.
Richard
