“Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking…”

Okay, that’s probably not the best way to capture the attention of the audience at your next speaking engagement. We’d all agree to that. But how do you open your talk?

A lot of people feel they have to open with a joke even though they’d get shouted down at a comedy club’s open mike amateur night.

So how do you capture an audience when you’re asked to speak? The first thing you might want to do is to read OWN THE ROOM: Business Presentations that Persuade, Engage, and Get Results.

Skilled corporate communication experts David Booth and Deborah Shames give you the answers. But in this book the authors go beyond the dos and don’ts of public speaking. Their approach is to teach you how to differentiate yourself and show leadership by avoiding many of the trite speaking approaches that seem to be the norm.

The co-authors, David Booth and Deborah Shames, both began their careers in the performing arts industry before moving into the corporate realm. Booth was a theater director and performer before moving into corporate films and trade shows. Shames was a film and television director who later moved into the corporate sector. It’s that background that helps them see corporate speaking in a different light.

The authors suggest that too often speakers spend an over-abundance of time preparing a talk so that they can deliver it in a polished manner. Nobody has time for that Shames says. A bigger problem though is that a speaker who is too polished does not engender trust. In truth, a speaker who is a little rough around the edges appears more trustworthy to the audience.

The authors say they’re not trying to create new entertainers, but they are helping them use some performing arts techniques to position their businesses.

Equally important is authenticity. You are more authentic when you speak from your own experience.
Dave Booth says their company, Eloqui, has even developed a template to help their clients develop story telling based on their own experiences.

The two most important things according to Deborah Shames are to know your audience and describe what you’re saying in a way that it won’t be forgotten.  She says differentiation needs to begin at the beginning of the talk. As soon as you begin your speech with the phraseologies or jokes that audiences are used to hearing, you’ve lost them. Cognitive psychology suggests at that time the audience thinks “I’ve heard this before” and they tune you out.

If you’re eager to “Own the Room” you may want to “Read the Book.”

Article by Paul J. Welsh

 

 David Booth and Deborah Shames [18:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Tags: author, David Booth, Deborah Shames, Eloqui, Own The Room, public speaking