4 Things I Learned About Public Speaking After 100+ Engagements

I have enjoyed entertaining crowds ever since someone handed me a mic in 8th grade to deliver the valedictorian speech and in the past 10 years, I have unintentionally become a public speaker because of my work with America On Tech and other early career successes. While my ideas on life and business have matured since then (Yes, in 8th grade I thanked all my haters. Something I would never do now), there are a few things I have learned along the way that is common to all 50+ audiences I have connected with: 

1. Audiences enjoy stories: Do not come with tons of research and nothing relatable to share. It is easy to get caught in the numbers and cite sources that add a level of credibility to your ideas. However, speaking engagements are more about what you have learned in your field and how you have arrived at your conclusions. Think about moments that have mattered in your work and tell the stories that either prove or disprove the industry’s research and assumptions. This is how you move thought leadership in your field forward and create a brand for your contributions. ​
2. Audiences like next steps: Do not leave your audiences feeling like there weren’t frameworks, lessons or tangible actions they can take from your time on stage. I can’t tell you the number of times I have read books and listened to talks or panels that have left me hanging. I have promised to never do this while speaking. While some public speakers use this strategy to then upsell the audience services and products, I believe there is more value in establishing your credibility by giving people resources and frameworks they can leverage that then entice them to believe you are the person or company to help them realize their goals. 
3. Audiences like to be engaged: Your time speaking is not your personal soapbox. While it may feel empowering to have a dedicated time slot to share your ideas, people did not come to hear you rant. They were looking for value in your speech or thoughts. Don’t talk for 30 minutes non-stop. Some small ways to engage your audience is to ask someone to read something from off your slides or directly and ask someone a question. This keeps the audience on their toes because there is nothing worse than to be called on and not be prepared. 
4. Audiences don’t care about you: Audiences care about how you make them feel during their time listening to you, not so much about you. This one is hard because it requires you to look deeply into your own voice. It took me a while to bring my whole self to public speaking and I remember being very uncomfortable the first few times because I thought I needed to be traditional, corporate and direct in my approach for the sake of being politically correct. However, I realized it was truly inauthentic to my natural humor, sassiness and personality. So throw in some laughable moments, do not be afraid to be vulnerable and feel free to share unpopular opinions. It will make you memorable.