The third deadly
public speaking sin -- failure to focus on your target audience
Every good speech is aimed at a specific segment of the audience. These
individuals consist of audience members who are able and might be willing to
respond to your central message. For example, to a salesperson, the target
audience consists of people who want or need the product being sold. Some
speakers fail to identify and concentrate on this core audience.
If not focusing on
your target audience is the sin, where is the redemption?
- Identify and profile your target
audience. Age? Gender? Income? Occupation? Education? Lifestyle? What makes the
target audience members different from everyone else in the audience? What do
they have in common with each other? If you had to divide the general audience
into two groups (your target and the other audience members), how would you
determine who belongs in what group? Clearly articulate how you will know
target audience members when you see them.
- What does your target audience know
about you and your message? What do they need to know to respond the way you
want them to? In business, fortunes are earned and empires built by targeting.
Public speaking successes can be built exactly the same way.
The fourth deadly public
speaking sin -- a lack of passion
A speech without passion is a
speech without power. A speech does so much more than communicate facts, ideas
and arguments. It conveys value, meaning and feelings. It is not embarrassing
to take a clear stand on a subject you feel strongly about. Sincerity and
enthusiasm help you call audience members to action. Right now, resolve never
to be a speaking automaton -- mouthing empty platitudes and wasting everyone's
time, including your own.
If a lack of
passion is a sin, where is the redemption? You can:
- Express, act out, demonstrate your
passion and commitment to your message. Give your feelings free rein. Let them
permeate everything you say.
- If you find you have no passion for
your message and cannot develop enthusiasm for the subject, you have the wrong
message. Let your passion be your guide. Only then, can you make an
impact.
The fifth deadly sin --
wasting the opening
The first four minutes of your speech are
critical. The audience is curious. You have their goodwill. They are open to
you and your message. The audience forms their first impression of who you are
and what you are saying in the first four minutes. Some speakers waste this
time on mundane table talk. Others apologize for not being prepared or tell
unrelated jokes. Remember, first impressions are lasting impressions. When you
waste the opening of the speech, you destroy the speech.
If wasting the
opening of your speech is a sin, where is the redemption? Why not:
- Start strong. Leap right into your
speech. Capture the audience's attention. Remember, it is never necessary to
recover from a good start.
- Create a positive first impression
and the audience will not only get on your side, they will stay there. Never
apologize.
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