The very best speakers have cultivated a rare skill—the ability to galvanize others to take action. They do it by speaking with confidence, purpose and passionate authenticity, inspiring people to make a positive change.
This is why speaking is so powerful and such a wonderful way to spread your word, grow your business and leave a lasting impact. And the great news is you can learn how to be an amazing speaker!
Keep reading to get the best public speaking tips.
Understanding Your Audience
Motivating action through speech is the goal. That is why it’s important to know that your message isn’t for everyone, even if everyone could benefit from it. In fact, trying to speak to everyone waters down your message, making it bland and boring. To build a powerful connection and inspire people to take action, you will be speaking only to a very specific segment of the population.
That means you have to deeply understand your audience which goes beyond the demographics of geolocation, age, marital status, title and so on.
You must understand what makes them tick to truly inspire an audience. That includes:
- What’s happening in their lives?
- What do they want to accomplish?
- What are their hopes and dreams?
- What are their fears?
- What triggers them into action?
- What are their obstacles—real and imagined?
Answer the questions in as much detail as possible. Go out and talk with the people in your audience, so you can hear in their words what they are struggling with. Then use their words to make your connection when you are public speaking and it will be even more powerful.
>>CLICK HERE to get FREE Tips for Reading Your Audience<<
The Power of Storytelling
Think of someone that you have learned from in your life. It might be a favorite teacher, a family member or a mentor. Chances are you don’t remember what they said word for word, but you do remember how they made you feel.
That is the key to crafting a motivating talk.
Engaging your audience at an emotional level will make your speech memorable. And they must remember what you share in order to use it in their lives after your keynote is over. This is where the art of storytelling comes into play.
To illustrate the power of story, read each of the three-sentence examples below and decide which moves you more:
Example #1.
My client, Sarah, used my proven system to reduce her debt. First, we calculated her income and expenses to see how much money she had at the end of the month. Then we looked at the interest rates for each of her credit cards to decide which we would pay off first.
Example #2.
Sarah gently rocked the stroller back and forth and pulled her eyes from the baby to me. “My husband passed away six months ago. I had no idea we were in so much debt and I don’t know how to get out of this mess.”
Can you see how just a little bit of a story pulls you in? Don’t you want to know what happens to Sarah? You can still use your proven steps, but when you start with the story you quickly develop a deeper connection with your audience.
This is why my keynote speech strategies include sharing stories of people who have changed their lives by implementing the lessons that I teach. I also share personal stories from my own life, including the difficult ones, because people need to know there is hope and there is a way out from the tough place they are in right now. Especially if the situation seems like it’s more than they can handle.
If your audience can relate to just one of your stories, you will make a lasting impact.
To start building the stories that will move people into action, consider the following questions:
- What are some of the greatest challenges you’ve gone through?
- What do you wish you knew at the beginning of your journey that would have made it so much easier?
- What mistakes did you make and how did you come back from them?
- After you found a solution, what obstacle(s) blocked you and how did you get around it/them?
Then, before you start crafting your public speaking stories, consider:
- How these experiences apply to your audience?
- What do they need from those stories to take inspired action?
- Why is it better to take that action instead of staying in the status quo?
- How will it make a lasting change in their lives?
Combined, the information will give you what you need to start speaking with a purpose, build powerful stories that connect emotionally and help impact the lives of the people who really need what you have to offer.
Inspire Change Without Overwhelm
One of the biggest mistakes new speakers make is including too much information in their talks. The most successful speakers have learned how to inspire an audience through one of the most effective presentation skills: The art of simplicity.
They know that when things are complex, they are overwhelming.
This is important to remember because you will lose your audience if there are too many steps, too much to absorb or too many tangents in your speech. Even though your journey was very likely comprised of steps forward, backward, sideways, and in some places, circles, your speech will not.
At the core of your talk, there must be one simple line that they follow, leading from where you started to where you are now.
To do that effectively, work your way backwards from the action you want them to take at the end of your talk, to the problem that your audience is facing right now. The following framework will help you do it:
- Define the end goal. What is the inspired action you want them to take? Every word, story and step you share in your talk must lead to this one goal.
- Outline your solution. How did you finally persevere? And how can they use this solution to change their lives and make a lasting impact?
- Reveal the obstacles. Remembering that we are working backwards, what did you learn that they must know to be successful? What trials did you face? (Try to stick to three, so it is easy to remember.)
- Share your (and their) starting point. What was the disruption that started you on your journey? What fears did you have? Was there something that stopped you from taking your first step? What finally pushed you over the edge and forced you to take action?
After you do this, start at the beginning and then work to the end. When you weave in your stories, remember to build on the emotional connection. Share your lowest points and how you, or how someone you helped, pushed through. Reveal the steps your audience can take to get the same kind of results. By doing so, you will inspire them into action so they can create their legacy and make their lasting impact in the world.
And as they do, so do you!
I love public speaking because it is one of the best ways to create incredible impact by share what you know and build your business too. And even if you are just starting out, you don’t have to do all your speaking for free!
>> CLICK HERE to get my best Tips for Beginners to Speak and Get Paid<<
What People Are Saying About Sharon Lechter’s Keynote Speeches:
Sharon Lechter is the most amazing speaker and teacher. We are so grateful and so pleased to have her not only at one, but two of our conferences and hope to have her back soon. – Jody DeVere, Co-founder, Women In Automotive
Sharon Lechter’s exceptional delivery is only matched by the way she interacts with the crowd. She isn’t just a drawcard for your event; she becomes a resource for you and your audience. – Brad Sugars, Chairman & Founder- ActionCOACH