In the book Public Speaking Excellence we share a lot of top tips and tricks about how you can further improve your public speaking skills. One of the topics that we discuss are the benefits of talking with some of the members of your audience before the start of your presentation. In fact there is a whole chapter in the book with tips and tricks about what to do before you start your presentation. Some people don’t find it easy to start a conversation with a member of their audience. Especially if you don’t know all members of your audience. Starting a conversation may actually not be that difficult as you may think it is. Some quick reminders for having an impactful conversation with a member of your audience:
- The first word opens the door to a conversation. Just do it. A simple “Hello” may be the start of an impactful conversation.
- Assume there is something you can learn from the other person (everybody is an expert in something).
- You may approach it as an interview. Ask open questions (Who? What? When? Where? How?). Ask for an opinion.
- Be present in the moment. Go with the flow of the conversation. Don’t think about a smart question you may want to ask next as you then won’t pay attention to what the person is telling you now.
- Find something you have in common, the “me-too”. But, don’t trade experiences (“I know what you are feeling because I once had…”), feelings will never be precisely the same.
- Pay a unique compliment.
- Try not to repeat yourself.
- If you don’t know, say you don’t know.
- Stay out of the details. There is no need for sharing details. People won’t remember all the details anyway. Be brief.
- Listen. Listen to what the other person has to say. Listen with an intend to understand, not with an intend to reply.
And there you have it; 10 quick reminders of tips you can apply in practice to have a great conversation with individual members of your audience before you start your presentation. You can find more in-depth tips and tricks about what to do before the start of your presentation and how to use the information during your presentation in the book Public Speaking Excellence that is part of the Public Speaking Kit.
