Give the Audience What They Want

Speaking from an Audience Perspective

In 2006, Google became the most popular web search engine in the world. 

What do this have to do with speaking?

Everything, actually. In the new information era, the implications are dramatic for all who speak.

Google and other search engines have made it easy to find content about any subject, 24 hours a day. Pre-Google, most speakers were ‘content speakers’ – presenting speeches filled with data, facts and figures. They shared information not readily available to the masses.

The internet has made content speakers irrelevant.

If your presentations are filled with this type of material, you’re competing against an entity which will always have more than you can ever provide. In the internet-era, the only speakers who are highly paid and in high demand are those who offer unique perspective and new ideas.

Even if your objective is not paid professional speaking, this trend should get your attention. If you’re simply repeating content that the audience can quickly retrieve online, your message will quickly be forgotten. 

What is the solution? The best speakers [and salespeople and corporate & community leaders] are thought leaders – people who are think differently. They provide a fresh perspective in their talks – new ways of approaching problems, challenges and opportunities that businesses and communities are facing.

Be aware that as a thought leader, you face a number of people who will disagree with you, sometimes vehemently.  As a speech coach, I am a huge proponent of eliminating one of the most popular speaking tools in the world – PowerPoint. I believe this program wastes more time, and kills more presentations than any other speaking tool available. My most-recent video post talks about a recent experience I had that underscores my frustration.

Am I the only one who has this opinion? No. But I do have my own perspective, and ideas on how to create more compelling presentations. I’m willing to share them because I dislike seeing so many people hurt their credibility and miss out on opportunities to advance their careers. They’re using technology they don’t need simply because because “everyone else is using it”

Do people disagree with me? Almost every time I bring up the subject. And I’m OK with that. Healthy disagreement is fine. I think the subject is important enough that I’m willing to risk some people arguing with me. 

Professional speaker and speaking coach Steve Seibold says that “You have to be willing to take a stand and stick to your convictions if you’re going to stand out in the speaking world.” I agree wholeheartedly. 

If you want to speak to make a difference, and you want people to act on your message, it’s critical that you pay heed to the new rules of speaking. Content is out – perspective is in. Share your unique ideas and thoughts, and you will Stand OUT from the crowd.

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Public speaking is only one [but, it’s the best] method of marketing your business or service. In the world of marketing and networking, there is one overriding challenge – sifting through the countless opinions about how to most effectively tell the world about you and your business. How helpful would it be to have access to some of the best ideas about this subject at your fingertips?  What if they were packaged into an easy-to-read source that would save you time, frustration, and money? Fortunately, that source is now available to you.

In the book ‘Mastering Your Connections,’ networking expert S. Duane Plapp Sr. and 13 other authors share tips and strategies that have helped them build successful businesses and careers.

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