Pay Attention to the Details
If you don’t know every aspect of what you’re doing, down to the paper clips, you’re setting yourself up for some unwelcome surprises.
I once read about an esteemed brain surgeon in San Francisco who was known for being fanatical about detail and organization. He would go over the components of an upcoming surgery in his head as he jogged every morning. He’d visualize every detail, as if to remind himself of everything he’d learned, every difficulty and complication he might encounter.
He wasn’t known for his bedside manner, but he was the best. If I had to have brain surgery, he’s the kind of surgeon I’d choose. But you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to pay attention to the details.
Connect with Your Audience (The Art of Public Speaking, Part I)
One of the problems with my schedule lately is that I am unable to accommodate most of the requests I receive for public speaking. I happen to enjoy giving speeches. I know some people dread the thought of having to give a presentation in a boardroom, let alone appearing before thousands of people. Not me. I get so much energy from my audiences that it is always fun.
I’ll bet a lot of you are wondering whether I’m making that up to sound like I’m not afraid of anything. It’s possible I’m forgetting a few stressful moments. Years ago I was probably nervous about facing an audience, but I got over it. Being afraid of speaking in public is something you can conquer. The following pointers can be applied by people who find presentations, whatever the size of the audience, to be a roadblock on their highway to success.
It helps if you are a naturally gregarious person. My driver, Tony, recalls a time when I was going to deliver a speech. When we were about five minutes away, I asked Tony what I was supposed to be talking about that night. Tony couldn’t hide his shock. He said, Boss, don’t you
I said, Yeah, but I’ve been busy. I’m sure it will be okay. I was trying to reassure him.
No go. He said, Where are your notes? Didn’t you make any notes?
I said, I’m making some now.
Tony was looking at me through the rearview mirror with an expression of astonishment. I think he was checking to see whether I was kidding. I wasn’t.
I’d been asked to give the speech by Anthony Robbins, the bestselling author and self-help guru. I had been paid a great deal of money for the speech, but I’d never asked how many people I would be speaking in front of. As I was leaving the office to go to Philadelphia, my secretary told me I would be speaking at a basketball arena, the Wachovia Center, and that there would be approximately twenty thousand people there. I said, You’ve got to be kidding. I’ve never spoken before twenty thousand people before!
Telling it like it is.
That situation could cause panic in some people. Instead, I thought about my audience not as a massive group of people just waiting to judge me, but as individuals who might be there because they’re interested in something. Then I started thinking about what people are interested in and the kinds of questions people like to ask me.
I was ready. I suddenly had a gut feeling that we were all in for a great time.
Leaving an ashen-faced Tony in the car, I hopped out, ready to embrace the experience. Somehow the audience picked up on my energy and got much more than a speech. They got give-and-take that no one who was there will soon forget. We had a hilarious time, and we walked away having learned a few things as well.
Tony Robbins turned out to be a terrific guy. Until I met him, I didn’t believe in him or trust him, but that was only because I was getting my information secondhand. Having gotten to know him and his wife, I now wholeheartedly endorse him—he is out to do good and help people. His seminars are absolutely a happening, and after our successful experience in Philadelphia, I agreed to make ten more appearances.
All in all, it was a valuable lesson in public speaking: Think about your audience first. The rest will fall into place.
Granted, having useful information to convey will help, too. But tuning in to
So: Involve your audience. They will appreciate being included.
Cover These Eleven Bases (The Art of Public Speaking, Part II)
When you’re speaking, it helps to be prepared. That may sound funny after what I’ve just told you, but if you read every day, you will already be prepared—maybe not for the fine points you are specifically speaking about, but usually we are asked to speak about something we are experts at or at least familiar with. Cover your bases mentally. Imagine yourself being in the audience. What are you looking for? Being able to trade places with the audience can open you up to a lot of ideas. Have examples and references in mind to back up your statements, and make them as vivid as possible for your listeners.
Notes can sometimes function as a useful reference point, especially if you’re speaking to a large audience. If you’re prepared, no one can tell that you’re using them. Ideally, you don’t want to read a speech. For some reason, no matter how good your delivery is when you read a speech, it’s usually boring. Everyone sees that you’re reading it and it’s never quite the same as delivering it off the cuff. Notes offer the best of both worlds: They keep you focused and moving in the right direction without turning you into a stiff.
People like stories, and they’ll remember them. A speech shouldn’t become a lecture. Humor goes a long way, and it will remind you and everyone else that we’ve all got a lot of things in common. Storytelling is a skill, so work on it. It’s helpful to listen to comedians. The good ones can teach you the art of great timing.
How can all of us relate to one another? How can you enable your audience to relate to you and to what you’re saying? People see me as a rich and powerful person, but like most people, I also have a daily routine and a family. I get stuck in traffic jams, too. I’ve known some real gems and some real wackos. I have cranky moments and bad days like everyone else. A lot of your experiences can be understood and appreciated by your audience because they’ve had them, too. Look for what you have in common and lead with it. You will create an immediate bond, because they will realize they can relate to you.
People are there to learn something, but also to be entertained. One reason Elvis Presley was such a great entertainer is that he made every effort to tune in to his audience—it was give-and-take all the way. Wayne Newton does that, too. Even people who thought they wouldn’t like Liberace became big fans after experiencing his live shows. And nobody did it better than Sinatra.
Some people call it charisma. I call it tuning in and delivering.
He is relaxed and funny, and he always relates to his audiences. They love him. He’s a perfect example of the give-and-take that’s necessary for successful public speaking. Regis doesn’t just speak—he shares. He’s as magnanimous a performer as he is a person. Watch him, pay attention, and you’ll learn a lot.
