Wednesday, May 13, 2015

What Makes a GREAT Speaker

Blog Hop
Welcome to our May Blog Hop!

This month we are so excited to help you in your business and life. You’ll find fabulous articles, how-to’s and resources for you today that have helped each consultant, blogger, and business owner on the hop in their own lives and businesses. Get ready to be inspired for a wonderful month ahead of you as you move along through the blog hop.

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from #1 Natalie Bradley Consulting, on Natalie Bradley’s Blog Hop. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you make sure to see and learn from all of the articles featured here today.

Today I am going to talk about what makes a GREAT Speaker.

Have you ever heard a great speaker and thought to yourself “Wow, I wish I could speak like them but I’ll never be able to do what they’re doing!” Well, I want you to know it is possible. No one is born a natural speaker. They learned the skills and strategies to becoming a GREAT speaker. And, so can you!

I remember seeing Suze Orman, the financial guru, speak at a conference. As soon as she walked on stage, she connected with us. She was down-to-earth, funny, and knowledgeable. She shared her own personal story of growing up in Chicago, working as a waitress for several years making only $400 a month. Although she has achieved great success and fame, she had her ups and downs just like you and me. Because she shared authentically from her heart, she had us all sitting on the edge of our seats listening to every word she said.

Here’s 10 valuable tips to draw the audience to you from the beginning to end of your talk.
  1. Know who’s in your audience before you speak. Call the event or program planner to find out the profile of the people attending.
  2. Arrive early before you speak and walk around introducing yourself to some of the people. This helps to relax you and get you related to them.
  3. If you’re speaking for a half-hour to an hour, your talk should cover only 3-4 points. The audience can only retain a limited amount of information in a short period of time.
  4. Let the audience know at the beginning what you’ll be talking about and how long you’ll be speaking.
  5. Speak to only one person at a time for about 4-5 seconds. Don’t look over their heads. Speak to them. This helps to reduce nervousness, increase confidence, and connect with the audience.
  6. Create a compelling memorable story. People are interested in “you.” By sharing a memorable story, you’re connecting with the audience at a more personal level. They now will feel more related to you and what you have to say.
  7. Engage the audience throughout your presentation and make it interactive. Check in with them by asking questions. It’s much more fun when you include them.
  8. Throughout your talk, share other stories about people who you helped and the results. People love to hear real-life stories of triumph and success.
  9. End your talk with a “call to action.” What do you want as an outcome for your talk? Do you want the audience to take an action step? Do you want them to buy your product or service?
  10. Capture your audience. If you want to keep in touch with them, offer to send them notes from your talk or give a gift if they give you their business cards.
The next stop is my good friend, #3 M. Shannon Hernandez on Natalie Bradley’s Blog Hop! Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again next month!
  1. Natalie Bradley at Natalie Bradley Consulting
  2. Rochelle Togo-Figa at RTF Coaching <<– you are here!
  3. M. Shannon Hernandez at The Writing Whisperer
  4. Jill Russo Foster at JillRussoFoster.com
  5. Deb Brown at Touch Your Client’s Heart
  6. Vicki Heise at Vicki Heise ~ Live Your Healthy Life
  7. Kim McDaniels at iBiz Design Duchess
  8. Robin Hardy at Integrity Virtual Services
  9. Heidi Kleine at Worth it Woman
  10. Ronda Neufeld at Ronda Neufeld Relationship & Life Coach
Here’s to your breakthroughs…
Rochelle Togo-Figa

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