Behind THE
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PODIUM
Vol. 1, Issue 2 • August 2009 • $24.95
News and Information for the Speaking Community by SpeakerMatch
Reasons Speakers Fail to Hit the Mark
Lesson of the Month
Understanding and Responding to Your Audience
By Patricia Fripp and Jeff Davidson
Making a connection with your audience is vital in delivering a successful presentation. And in order to make a connection, it’s Patricia Fripp important to get into the habit of doing your homework before each speech. The following are three common reasons that presentations don’t have the outcome you may expect, along with the remedies that can easily be applied.
1. Not understanding the assignment before leaving your own office. It is critical to understand why you have been scheduled to speak to this group at this time. Such understanding necessitates that you read about the organization, get information about the audience’s current challenges and hot buttons, and learn what the meeting planner has in mind for the presentation. Five-minute conversations over the phone with a meeting planner do not tend to supply you with all you need to
know in that area.
By Ardis Bazyn
If you’re a celebrity speaker, you are brought in so that people in the audience can go home and say “I saw so and Jeff Davidson so.” It barely matters what you speak about as long as you are semi-coherent and don’t offend the group. From the rest of us, however, the people in the seats desire to hear ideas and concepts that directly relate to the professional and personal challenges they face. Or, they want to hear about issues of universal importance, such as those affecting their communities, state, nation, or the planet.
What determines how and what to present to a given audience? Do you always use the same prepared speech on the requested topic area? How do you decide if Ardis Bazyn changes should be made and whether to involve the audience more? Do you investigate what the audience characteristics are and use them to decide what they might enjoy?
Good groundwork helps you get off on the right foot When I receive an invitation to a particular function, I try to find out as much as I can about the audience ahead of time. I ask the person who invited me to attend. I check out the company or organization’s Web site, if possible. I also try to arrive early enough to talk to a few participants to get a “feel” for the atmosphere.
The only way to come armed with the proper information about the scenario and setting is to spend at least an hour researching the group and the situation.
2. Failing to know your audience beyond understanding the setting and why you are invited to speak. continued on page 11
Tip of the Month
Don’t put a boardroom-style photo on your profile. Show enthusiasm! Show teeth in your smile! Meeting planners want to hire someone with a great personality, and your photo can convey a lot. It’s a small space to work with, but props, your expression, and even your hands can make a big difference. Read more at www.speakermatch.com/tips
continued on page 7
What’s Inside Letter from the Editor.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Action Steps – Discover the secret of increasing sales through the power of persuasion by understanding the four behavior styles of the Platinum Rule®.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Know How’s – This simple statement can determine your success... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Resources – Boost your business savvy with these free Web Articles and resources... . . . . . . . . LinkedIn Forum – What every speaker must understand about every audience... . . . . .
www.speakermatch.com
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The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it: so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. – Elbert Hubbard