Each month during our Saturday Morning Speaker Mastermind, we take a deeper look into some aspect of public speaking. This month we talked about four seemingly simple but often overlooked to-dos I decided to share with you. Why? Because sometimes simple or obvious things are more likely to end up on our mental “duh” list than our “make sure you’re always doing this” list. In no particular order, they are….
Timing: Every speaker who decides to create a signature talk also has to decide how long their presentation is going to be. This is a critical decision because it impacts how much and what type of content is needed to fill that specific amount of time. If you do this right, it’ll be easier to figure out where to add content if you have more time to speak, and what content to take out when you have less time to speak.
The part too many speakers don’t take to heart is the importance and value of timing their talk, in real time, as if they were presenting to a live audience. Your job is to make sure you do a valid time check of your presentation before the event. Otherwise, you’re likely to become one of those speakers who always runs long, or hurries through and ends 15 minutes early. Neither makes anyone happy.
1st Impressions: There’s no doubt about how much those first few seconds on stage matter! Some speakers feel uncomfortable jumping straight into their content unless they clarify what qualifies them as an expert worthy of the audience’s attention first.
Based on my experience with trying to find speakers for events, the key is having marketing copy that answers that question before it’s asked. Make sure your speech title, presentation description, and speaker bio provide those qualifications. The same goes with the introduction you provide your host. Make sure it sets the stage for your talk.
Take care of these details, and your audience will have the information they need to follow you as you step right into your signature talk!
One Valuable Take-away: Most speakers provide their audiences with more than one take-away. But, before you spend too much time trying to dazzle (sometimes overwhelm) them with all you’re giving away, remember that people are only going to absorb about 10% of your talk… unless they start taking copious notes.
In your summation, make it easier for them to figure out what their next step is by pointing out the one thing you recommend they do first. That way, whether they’ve taken copious notes or not, they’ll leave your presentation pointed in the right direction, with both valuable information and the ability to take action.
Your Contact info: I can guess your reaction to this one. “Really Beth? You think I’d forget this?” My response is: “Okay… but are you doing a good job of making your contact information easily accessible?” You’d be surprised how many folks don’t.
Obviously, check with your event planner beforehand to make sure the contact info you want to share fits within their expectations. After that, it’s about providing different options for your audience so they can find you after you speak. For example, you could screen share your contact info at the end of your presentation and encourage people to take a screenshot of it. You can use the virtual chat screen to provide clickable links to your online calendar, website, or a landing page where they can download a pdf, white paper, free report, etc.
Make no mistake about it. You need a well-intentioned strategic “after the podium” plan.
Like I said, these four items seem simple, obvious, and straight forward. But that’s also one of the reasons why they’re so often overlooked! There is however at least one short cut to making sure you nail this 4-step speaker to-do list. Save yourself the time and frustration of trying to figure it out on your own by giving me a call.
‘Til we speak again,
~Beth