Are You Trying to Give a Perfect Speech?

“You never really finish making a movie. You  run out of time and have to give them what you’ve got”  ~ George Lucas, film director

As a newer speaker, I often struggled to make my speech as perfect as possible. My friend Darren LaCroix gave me a piece of advice which impacted me not only as a speaker, but as a business owner.

“Michael, done is better then perfect. Give the speech you have now, get feedback, make changes, and then give it again and again until it’s a masterpiece.”

Those words provided my fastest growth as a speaker. When I read the quote above from George Lucas, it further drove home this point.

One of the biggest obstacles faced by most speakers is their desire to give a ‘perfect’ speech. There is no such animal! There never has and never will be. I once read an article by public speaking experts that claimed Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech could have been improved in at least in a dozen different ways.

From a technical standpoint, this may be true. The bottom line, though, is that the version he delivered on August 28, 1963 was fairly effective. It changed the direction of a nation, and many countries all over the world. If imperfection was good enough for Dr. King, it’s OK for you and me, too.

“But, Michael,” you may be thinking, “if I make a mistake, don’t I lose credibility?”  Absolutely!  NOT!  Think about a speaker you’ve seen who looked, acted, and sounded ‘perfect.’ 

Were you impressed?

Maybe.

Do you remember what the speaker said?

Perhaps.

Did that person make an emotional connection with you?

Probably not.

People who try to be too polished don’t connect because the audience doesn’t feel similar to them.

When you make an occasional mistake during a presentation, you develop a bond with audience members. They’ll think ‘This person is just like me.’

The word ‘occasional’ is important here. It doesn’t mean errors every 45 seconds. That would quickly irritate an audience. Occasional means one or two slips, forgetting a word, or mispronouncing a term. The rare mistake can actually be endearing, if you don’t bring attention to it. Make your mistake, move on, and the audience will quickly forget it.

When you are willing to give the presentation you have now, then accept feedback and make adjustments, then present the talk again, your skills will grow, your impact will increase, and you’ll gain the benefit of Darren LaCroix’s wisdom…

Done is Better then Perfect

What have been your experiences when taking action immediately?

Feel free to leave your thoughts below:

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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

The book Did I Ever Tell You About the Time…” by Grady Jim Robinson. Grady Jim is a legendary speaker with a wealth of stories. His messages resonate deeply with audiences. Study this book, and you’ll better understand how to weave emotions into your stories. To get your copy, visit: http://amzn.to/1lIczyc.